What's wrong with this team?

[Rise Against]

16 games into the season, it is no brainer that this team is worst than last year's... Offensively and defensively. Even though the Cavs lost a bunch of games last season, a lot of them were actually competitive and the games were fairly close.. Yet, we actually saw some development and promise with the young players. This season? The Cavs are getting blown out left and right.. Everyone is playing worse than last year. The team is a mess. Anthony Bennett looks like a late 2nd round draft pick.. Waiters is on the trading block. Etc.

I am sure there are a lot of reasons for the 4-12 record ... But what is the main reason for why this team is struggling so much? And what can be done to fix that?

[kiwibrindle]

Simple question.

Answer:

Mike Brown

[fart]

Barnes playing like a man tonight vs okc. Just makes me hate waiters that much more..

[jbk1234]

Our front court. Bynum probably shouldn't play anymore and definitely shouldn't start. TT has peaked and they need to move him. We out-rebounded everyone last year. This year is just the opposite. The Celtics have one of the worst front courts in the league and Bynum had 2 rebounds in 15 minutes. I'm tired of listening about our inability to get him the ball when he is routinely missing 5 foot shots.

Add to that the fact that small forward is a huge hole and Jack is a bad fit, and we are worse. I think they should go get Asik and see if GS will move David Lee. They have Bynum's contract, AV, TT, Clark, Gee & Jack as assets. You need to get 20-30 points from your front court players to compete in this league. Andy got us ten off the bench and he led the forwards in scoring.

[jbk1234]

Barnes playing like a man tonight vs okc. Just makes me hate waiters that much more..

If you think Waiters is the reason we are losing, you aren't watching.

[KuruptedCav]

Players no longer fit the system. The Mike Brown system requires...

1) a sharp shooting perimeter player with solid ball movement skills (Ginobli, Williams)
2) a big who can play without the ball, and is a solid passer with it (Duncan, Z, Varejao, Gasol)
3) a dynamic scoring perimeter player who can beat defenders off the dibble (Parker, Irving, James, Bryant)

What he has is
1) a sharp shooting, shoot first perimeter player who can beat defenders off the dribble
2) a big who can play without the ball, but who only goes one way with the ball.

It leaves the wing isolated with garbage opportunities and it leaves the team susceptible to double-teams. Everyone is shooting a higher percentage of low percentage shots than they did last year.

Toss in a center who cannot run with the team, a less defined SF position, the pressure that comes with a position-less slow starting #1 pick, and a new offensive and defensive system...

Anyone can coach when the pieces fit, it's a process when they don't.

[BossHoggin]

Intentionally not trying by most of the team. They look terrible. The players.

You can give me all that crap about Brown being awful at offense, but they are not even giving defense a chance for a whole game. Kyrie needs to step up and become a leader.

And sometimes bad starts happen.

This team was going to win 45 games MAX if everything went perfect. Many of us fans had way too high of expectations. These guys weren't good last year, Jack and Clark aren't anything special, and Bynum is not ready to be a main guy (if ever). Bennett looks bad but it has only been 16 games, if we are just as bad or hit by injuries/"injuries" come late January, let's panic then or sit through another tank.

[SaiCLE]

I hate to overreact so early in the season. But hiring Mike Brown was a huge mistake. Kyrie Isn't really trying anymore & It's pathetic since he constantly claims he is the leader of this team. Tristan looks so horrible right & Bennett needs some confidence fast but Brown refuses to let him play through his mistakes. Jarrett Jack loves to hoist up contested mid range jumpers & Bynum looks so damn horrible right now. Some wanted Dion to be traded but I'm starting to think people just don't like him.. even though he's the only one on the team that gives a sh*t.
Grant needs to go.

[thecouch]

as a aussie nba fan ive been watching the games to see how dellavedova has been going . I know (even he would ) he is only been starting to prove to others if you try hard you will get mins . but him and the scrubs seem to be the only guys willing to pass . the games ive seen when he is on the court irving/jack/waiters just ball hog. one of them will dribble around for 10 seconds pass to dellavedova/karasev/glee who will pass straight on to one of the ball hogs who will dribble it until the clock is down to a few seconds and they jack up a shot or go to the hoop up against 3 players .
zellar and bennett look pretty avg . Bynum looks like he couldn't care less . varejao puts in a good effort .
besides breakaways I haven't seen a open/easy shoot in the paint or a alley oop . the only open shoots are behind the arc.
its like watching kids play . if they get off to a slow start the stars give up

[No-Man]

The roster is terrible
no balance whatsoever
no veteran presence
no systems on Offense, not good defenders, not good off the ball players
not good fits, Thompson-Bennett-Clark, Varejao-Bynum-Zeller, Waiters-Irving-Jack,... just terrible
Brown is a good coach, but he needs a roster make for his system
Chris Grant is the guy to blame, or his scouts, whoever in charge
You need to start making trades

[Dupp]

16 games into the season, it is no brainer that this team is worst than last year's... Offensively and defensively. Even though the Cavs lost a bunch of games last season, a lot of them were actually competitive and the games were fairly close.. Yet, we actually saw some development and promise with the young players. This season? The Cavs are getting blown out left and right.. Everyone is playing worse than last year. The team is a mess. Anthony Bennett looks like a late 2nd round draft pick.. Waiters is on the trading block. Etc.

I am sure there are a lot of reasons for the 4-12 record ... But what is the main reason for why this team is struggling so much? And what can be done to fix that?

This is whats so depressing this season. We're not seeing this at all. I actually think we are the worst team in the nba,

[Niko23]

Our front court. Bynum probably shouldn't play anymore and definitely shouldn't start. TT has peaked and they need to move him. We out-rebounded everyone last year. This year is just the opposite. The Celtics have one of the worst front courts in the league and Bynum had 2 rebounds in 15 minutes. I'm tired of listening about our inability to get him the ball when he is routinely missing 5 foot shots.

Add to that the fact that small forward is a huge hole and Jack is a bad fit, and we are worse. I think they should go get Asik and see if GS will move David Lee. They have Bynum's contract, AV, TT, Clark, Gee & Jack as assets. You need to get 20-30 points from your front court players to compete in this league. Andy got us ten off the bench and he led the forwards in scoring.

You have had some interesting posts this year - but this one is nearly spot on with what our problem is.

1. Andrew Bynum - the offense struggles when we force feed. Get him out of the starting lineup (1-8 record)
2. Tristan has regressed with Bynum as the starter.
3. Our SF position is the worst in the NBA.....

So lets recap:

Our starting front court gives us absolutely nothing through a combination of bad play and fit. Mike Brown does deserve blame for rotations.....did he promise Bynum a starting role for signing here?

Conclusion: Until Bynum is benched, our 3 is improved, and Mike gets a hold of rotations - we are lottery bound

[KL78192020]

Barnes playing like a man tonight vs okc. Just makes me hate waiters that much more..

Oladipo is balling out of his mind right now as well. A wing pairing of Barnes and Oladipo would look good right now.

[ThirdEyeSharp]

Our frontcourt has been our strong point in this little 3 out of 4 run we've had.

It seems like we're coming together a little bit. We'd all like to see it a bit more consistently, but it isn't time to blow it up. We need to make smart moves if we make any.

[BossHoggin]

Barnes playing like a man tonight vs okc. Just makes me hate waiters that much more..

Oladipo is balling out of his mind right now as well. A wing pairing of Barnes and Oladipo would look good right now.

go home and take fart

[Dupp]

Our frontcourt has been our strong point in this little 3 out of 4 run we've had.

It seems like we're coming together a little bit. We'd all like to see it a bit more consistently, but it isn't time to blow it up. We need to make smart moves if we make any.

Yeah Bynum and Andy have played great in this little stretch. Makes a big difference.

[tidho]

The roster is terrible
no balance whatsoever
no veteran presence
no systems on Offense, not good defenders, not good off the ball players
not good fits, Thompson-Bennett-Clark, Varejao-Bynum-Zeller, Waiters-Irving-Jack,... just terrible
Brown is a good coach, but he needs a roster make for his system
Chris Grant is the guy to blame, or his scouts, whoever in charge
You need to start making trades

I tend to agree.

This team is less than the sum of its parts. The roster is very deep, but without top end talent and the guys we've got don't fit that well together.

PG-Kyrie
3rd Guard-Waiters
SG-Open
Wing-Karasev?
SF-Open
Forward-Bennett?
PF-Thompson
Big-Andy
C-Bynum

A guy like Zeller makes sense as insurance for Bynum and if we're really lucky eventually a replacement for Andy's spot.
The rest of the guys (Gee, Miles, Dellavedova, Jack, Clark) either should be around or are redundent.
We have cap space and tons of picks, but that isn't a new phenominon. We've simply chosen not to acquire the couple peices that we need most for some reason.

[Niko23]

So after tonight's win. Hoping not to jinx. We will have won four out of the five. Against good teams. Sky still falling?

[Dupp]

Well not all good teams but I nice run.

[Niko23]

At least I didn't put the hex on