[SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun

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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#181 » by Lakers LeBron » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:12 pm

trueballer7 wrote:Single most manufactured career in pro sports history, worldwide. They were forcing, in a literal sense, everybody to assist Lebron to win a title. The physical, mental, psychological effects being visible and still apparent to all included (Lue had to be hospitalized, Love was suffering from breakdowns and depression, Griffin stopped watching basketball altogether, Irving was willing to throw away a whole year of his career to free himself). Can you fathom that?
And all he got, was a single title where a number of the most improbable events all coincided at once and even then it was by the thinnest of margins.
They were manhandling the league, forming super teams and torturing players, coaches and GMs to get provide him the easiest possible way to multiple championships, and he couldnt deliver.



To me that just suggests they were mentally weak and not capable of handling the stress of competing for a championship. If KLove tried to sulk around MJ the way he did around LeBron, MJ would have punched him straight in the face the way he did to Steve Kerr
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#182 » by Plutonashfan » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:23 pm

nymets1 wrote:When he said it was miserable with working with Lebron. That made me mad. Cleveland Cavaliers have always been trash before Lebron started his rookie year there and both times after he left. Lebron's cavalier teams were always a true contender every year Lebron was there and in 2016 they won the NBA finals.

Makes me so mad that someone would take a shot during Lebron's era in Cleveland, the only period the Cavaliers have been a contender and I'm not a Cavs fan.

You are 100% incorrect. They Cavs were really, REALLY, good in the late 80s and 90s. Unfortunately the GOAT was playing during that time. As per article I don't know what to say. LBJ idiotic 1+1s didn't help the situation and costed us Paul George.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#183 » by JonFromVA » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:24 pm

chitownsports4ever wrote:
MrDollarBills wrote:
Dominater wrote:If you can't stand the heat then it might be best to stay out of the kitchen. If you have a contending team, you'll always be likely to have a high maintenance star. Like if the Pens get good quick, Zion will likely be Lebron like, you'll have Lonzo and his dad getting louder, etc.

As a Bulls fan, this makes me feel even more that people under appreciated the crap out of Jerry Krause. He had the high stakes of having to build teams around MJ twice. MJ and co treated him like **** despite the fact that he just kept delivering the right players. Guys like Griffin and Gar/Pax would've folded like tents


That's my thing...it's okay if a person can't handle the pressure. But then they're not a fit for the job. Zion Williamson is going to want to be competing big time especially once he gets into his first big deal. after that, Griffin will have 4 years at most to have a championship level team around him or he'll be forcing his way out of New Orleans just like Anthony Davis did to play in a bigger market that has ownership that can spend big bucks.

Just based off of this alone I don't think Griffin stays the GM of the Pelicans over the course of the next 8 years. The pressure will be too much. By the time Zion is midway into his extension he'll probably have one foot out of the door anyway.



or Griffin sat down talked to Zion and his people about his time in Cleveland and showed them exactly how and why what they were doing was inorganic and unsustainable and then showed them his vision of how he wants to build the Pelicans longterm.

Cant really compare Lebron in Ohio to any other situation not Krause or Jordan or even Zion because it was simply about a star wanting to win but a star having a massive influence over the entire organization as well as the state


Of course they handed James that influence on a silver platter. If that's a "deal with the devil", most teams and fan bases would gladly make it. It's not like the Cavs even sold out everything they had built along with their future like the Lakers did to add AD, and when push came to shove Gilbert decided to keep his lottery pick (Collin Sexton) rather than trade it for someone who'd just walk when James walked.

If Griffin disagreed strongly enough with anything going on, he could have simply resigned. So, the pressure may have taken a toll on him but he did deal with it and for some reason continued to negotiate with the team on an extension right up until his contract ran out.

So, what's up with that Griff?

Was there a price, an amount of power/influence, where dealing with the "pressure" would have been worth it?

Why not let Dan know well in advance that you had no intention of returning so he could start planning an orderly transition?
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#184 » by Narco_Cowboy11 » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:33 pm

Seems to me LeBron's battles with Dan Gilbert is what made it toxic for everyone. Legitimate or not. Kyrie, Griff, Ty Lue, and everyone suffered because of it and the pressure to deliver. Even LeBron's reputation took a hit and maybe took a toll on him. The residue seemed to linger on Kyrie when he went to Boston and it infected the atmosphere ultimately.

I just think that situation was going to be like that no matter who was around Gilbert and LeBron, but especially LeBron since he returned to Cleveland after how things played out with The Decision. LBJ is my guy but I can't act like this situation isn't mostly on him, fair or unfair.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#185 » by BodieB » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:40 pm

trueballer7 wrote:Single most manufactured career in pro sports history, worldwide. They were forcing, in a literal sense, everybody to assist Lebron to win a title. The physical, mental, psychological effects being visible and still apparent to all included (Lue had to be hospitalized, Love was suffering from breakdowns and depression, Griffin stopped watching basketball altogether, Irving was willing to throw away a whole year of his career to free himself). Can you fathom that?
And all he got, was a single title where a number of the most improbable events all coincided at once and even then it was by the thinnest of margins.
They were manhandling the league, forming super teams and torturing players, coaches and GMs to get provide him the easiest possible way to multiple championships, and he couldnt deliver.

This is disingenuous. What about all the teammates that didn't have these issues with LeBron? How stressful was it for players dealing with Jordans antics? Remember how the Shaq and Kobe dynasty crumbled? What about all the stories that have and will come out about the Warriors? No one is running wild with stories about Kerr's back issues being related to the stress of delivering Curry a championship. You need to have that same legacy ripping energy for every story like this.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#186 » by JellosJigglin » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:46 pm

JonFromVA wrote:
chitownsports4ever wrote:
MrDollarBills wrote:
That's my thing...it's okay if a person can't handle the pressure. But then they're not a fit for the job. Zion Williamson is going to want to be competing big time especially once he gets into his first big deal. after that, Griffin will have 4 years at most to have a championship level team around him or he'll be forcing his way out of New Orleans just like Anthony Davis did to play in a bigger market that has ownership that can spend big bucks.

Just based off of this alone I don't think Griffin stays the GM of the Pelicans over the course of the next 8 years. The pressure will be too much. By the time Zion is midway into his extension he'll probably have one foot out of the door anyway.



or Griffin sat down talked to Zion and his people about his time in Cleveland and showed them exactly how and why what they were doing was inorganic and unsustainable and then showed them his vision of how he wants to build the Pelicans longterm.

Cant really compare Lebron in Ohio to any other situation not Krause or Jordan or even Zion because it was simply about a star wanting to win but a star having a massive influence over the entire organization as well as the state


Of course they handed James that influence on a silver platter. If that's a "deal with the devil", most teams and fan bases would gladly make it. It's not like the Cavs even sold out everything they had built along with their future like the Lakers did to add AD, and when push came to shove Gilbert decided to keep his lottery pick (Collin Sexton) rather than trade it for someone who'd just walk when James walked.

If Griffin disagreed strongly enough with anything going on, he could have simply resigned. So, the pressure may have taken a toll on him but he did deal with it and for some reason continued to negotiate with the team on an extension right up until his contract ran out.

So, what's up with that Griff?

Was there a price, an amount of power/influence, where dealing with the "pressure" would have been worth it?

Why not let Dan know well in advance that you had no intention of returning so he could start planning an orderly transition?


Lakers would've made that trade with or without Lebron imo. There wasn't a surefire franchise player in their young core, Ingram is due to get paid soon, and they've always been about adding stars. Having Lebron locked in under contract just made it a no-brainer.

But to your other point, Lebron did take Cleveland hostage with those short-term deals. I don't fault him for that. I've always said players have the option to take short deals if they want to retain power over their mobility. There's a risk to the player that goes along with that, mostly injuries. It was a gamble but it paid off for him. I can understand how that put a lot of pressure on the FO, which was probably his intention.

Some GM's just aren't made for being under the pressure of putting out a championship team every year. Even Jerry West said that he couldn't watch Laker games at Staples Center during the Kobe/Shaq era. He said it was too much pressure and he'd just drive around L.A. listening to Chick Hearn on the radio. Some guys are architects and enjoy the building process more than actually winning titles. I think Griffin falls under this category. That's why he was attracted to the NO job.

I can see how some lose their joy of the game under the pressure to win every year. Different strokes for different folks.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#187 » by TheFinishSniper » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:52 pm

BodieB wrote:
trueballer7 wrote:Single most manufactured career in pro sports history, worldwide. They were forcing, in a literal sense, everybody to assist Lebron to win a title. The physical, mental, psychological effects being visible and still apparent to all included (Lue had to be hospitalized, Love was suffering from breakdowns and depression, Griffin stopped watching basketball altogether, Irving was willing to throw away a whole year of his career to free himself). Can you fathom that?
And all he got, was a single title where a number of the most improbable events all coincided at once and even then it was by the thinnest of margins.
They were manhandling the league, forming super teams and torturing players, coaches and GMs to get provide him the easiest possible way to multiple championships, and he couldnt deliver.

This is disingenuous. What about all the teammates that didn't have these issues with LeBron? How stressful was it for players dealing with Jordans antics? Remember how the Shaq and Kobe dynasty crumbled? What about all the stories that have and will come out about the Warriors? No one is running wild with stories about Kerr's back issues being related to the stress of delivering Curry a championship. You need to have that same legacy ripping energy for every story like this.

I dont think you will hear anything from anyone from Bulls two 3 peat squad to say anything bad. And we talking about 3 peats not some one title.

Shaq and Kobe crumbled because they couldnt stand each other in ego way eventually. And GM was forced to keep only one. Yet they still won multiple ones before it. They say winning cures all. It's true. Nobody will say anything about Jordan antics today because they won and won and won and won and won and won and won. And Kobe and Shaq won and won and won.

And Krause with Bulls was in time of best GM's league ever had. And in time West and Kupchak were one of best if not the best. And both of this franchises were coached by FAR best coach ever who coached NBA games.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#188 » by zshawn10 » Fri Aug 2, 2019 3:58 pm

holy crap this thread blew up

Read on Twitter
?s=21
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#189 » by Richfield » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:07 pm

Example:

"The Spoiled King" is an idea people are familiar with. But it might be a fitting title.

Here's an example of a King who has a plenty of space to do his weight training. Dwayne Wade is there putting in work without complaint. Probably focused on getting better, not hoarding attention. With all the attention LeBron draws, it doesn't seem he could make the sacrifice and bear with the attention his teammate was receiving for once when Tristan Thompson was dating a Kardashian. Sure it's not ideal to have a camera crew working where you're working. But it's the type of sacrifice that teammates make for LeBron all the time, when they deal with the circus that surrounds him. Now it was LeBron's turn to sacrifice and deal with an annoyance. But how does this "grown man" deal with it? Like this?



"Not fun"
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#190 » by JonFromVA » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:07 pm

JellosJigglin wrote:
JonFromVA wrote:
chitownsports4ever wrote:

or Griffin sat down talked to Zion and his people about his time in Cleveland and showed them exactly how and why what they were doing was inorganic and unsustainable and then showed them his vision of how he wants to build the Pelicans longterm.

Cant really compare Lebron in Ohio to any other situation not Krause or Jordan or even Zion because it was simply about a star wanting to win but a star having a massive influence over the entire organization as well as the state


Of course they handed James that influence on a silver platter. If that's a "deal with the devil", most teams and fan bases would gladly make it. It's not like the Cavs even sold out everything they had built along with their future like the Lakers did to add AD, and when push came to shove Gilbert decided to keep his lottery pick (Collin Sexton) rather than trade it for someone who'd just walk when James walked.

If Griffin disagreed strongly enough with anything going on, he could have simply resigned. So, the pressure may have taken a toll on him but he did deal with it and for some reason continued to negotiate with the team on an extension right up until his contract ran out.

So, what's up with that Griff?

Was there a price, an amount of power/influence, where dealing with the "pressure" would have been worth it?

Why not let Dan know well in advance that you had no intention of returning so he could start planning an orderly transition?


Lakers would've made that trade with or without Lebron imo. There wasn't a surefire franchise player in their young core, Ingram is due to get paid soon, and they've always been about adding stars. Having Lebron locked in under contract just made it a no-brainer.

But to your other point, Lebron did take Cleveland hostage with those short-term deals. I don't fault him for that. I've always said players have the option to take short deals if they want to retain power over their mobility. There's a risk to the player that goes along with that, mostly injuries. It was a gamble but it paid off for him. I can understand how that put a lot of pressure on the FO, which was probably his intention.

Some GM's just aren't made for being under the pressure of putting out a championship team every year. Even Jerry West said that he couldn't watch Laker games at Staples Center during the Kobe/Shaq era. He said it was too much pressure and he'd just drive around L.A. listening to Chick Hearn on the radio. Some guys are architects and enjoy the building process more than actually winning titles. I think Griffin falls under this category. That's why he was attracted to the NO job.

I can see how some lose their joy of the game under the pressure to win every year. Different strokes for different folks.


Yes, absolutely the pressure to win was very high, but the front office didn't completely buckle to it. It would surely look different if if Andrew Wiggins and/or Anthony Bennett had turned in to superstars, but as it is ... the Cavs clearly got the better of the Kevin Love trade. Thompson and Smith got paid thanks to LeBron, but Smith is (mostly) gone and Thompson's deal is up soon. We traded a protected pick for Kyle Korver that should be resolved soon as well.

Long-term damage was managed, and it was managed directly by Gilbert who kept asking LeBron if he'd commit before trading away something that would potentially damage the team long-term.

So, on the surface the pressure is the same pressure to build a champion that every GM should be feeling. Every GM faces decisions where they have to weight short-term benefits .vs. long-term.

Where was the pressure coming from in Cleveland?

Was Gilbert calling Griffin hourly demanding to know why he hadn't made a deal? Was the media hounding Griff? Was Rich Paul constantly in his ear asking to get player's traded or else James would walk?

If so ... news to me.

Cleveland is not NYC.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#191 » by Richfield » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:13 pm

JonFromVA wrote:
JellosJigglin wrote:
JonFromVA wrote:
Of course they handed James that influence on a silver platter. If that's a "deal with the devil", most teams and fan bases would gladly make it. It's not like the Cavs even sold out everything they had built along with their future like the Lakers did to add AD, and when push came to shove Gilbert decided to keep his lottery pick (Collin Sexton) rather than trade it for someone who'd just walk when James walked.

If Griffin disagreed strongly enough with anything going on, he could have simply resigned. So, the pressure may have taken a toll on him but he did deal with it and for some reason continued to negotiate with the team on an extension right up until his contract ran out.

So, what's up with that Griff?

Was there a price, an amount of power/influence, where dealing with the "pressure" would have been worth it?

Why not let Dan know well in advance that you had no intention of returning so he could start planning an orderly transition?


Lakers would've made that trade with or without Lebron imo. There wasn't a surefire franchise player in their young core, Ingram is due to get paid soon, and they've always been about adding stars. Having Lebron locked in under contract just made it a no-brainer.

But to your other point, Lebron did take Cleveland hostage with those short-term deals. I don't fault him for that. I've always said players have the option to take short deals if they want to retain power over their mobility. There's a risk to the player that goes along with that, mostly injuries. It was a gamble but it paid off for him. I can understand how that put a lot of pressure on the FO, which was probably his intention.

Some GM's just aren't made for being under the pressure of putting out a championship team every year. Even Jerry West said that he couldn't watch Laker games at Staples Center during the Kobe/Shaq era. He said it was too much pressure and he'd just drive around L.A. listening to Chick Hearn on the radio. Some guys are architects and enjoy the building process more than actually winning titles. I think Griffin falls under this category. That's why he was attracted to the NO job.

I can see how some lose their joy of the game under the pressure to win every year. Different strokes for different folks.


Yes, absolutely the pressure to win was very high, but the front office didn't completely buckle to it. It would surely look different if if Andrew Wiggins and/or Anthony Bennett had turned in to superstars, but as it is ... the Cavs clearly got the better of the Kevin Love trade. Thompson and Smith got paid thanks to LeBron, but Smith is (mostly) gone and Thompson's deal is up soon. We traded a protected pick for Kyle Korver that should be resolved soon as well.

Long-term damage was managed, and it was managed directly by Gilbert who kept asking LeBron if he'd commit before trading away something that would potentially damage the team long-term.

So, on the surface the pressure is the same pressure to build a champion that every GM should be feeling. Every GM faces decisions where they have to weight short-term benefits .vs. long-term.

Where was the pressure coming from in Cleveland?

Was Gilbert calling Griffin hourly demanding to know why he hadn't made a deal? Was the media hounding Griff? Was Rich Paul constantly in his ear asking to get player's traded or else James would walk?

If so ... news to me.

Cleveland is not NYC.


Another perfect example, all credit goes to LeBron.

They got paid because they were worth that to a team that wanted to win a Championship using their services.

You think Cavs win the finals without JR and Thompson on the team? Did you have some other place in mind to put that money that would have yielded a Championship for that Cavs team?

It's like a bunch of LeBron Zombies. Nobody can get credit for anything. LeBron gets credit for anything and everything. Even the contracts of his valuable teammates. Unbelievable.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#192 » by JonFromVA » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:15 pm

Narco_Cowboy11 wrote:Seems to me LeBron's battles with Dan Gilbert is what made it toxic for everyone. Legitimate or not. Kyrie, Griff, Ty Lue, and everyone suffered because of it and the pressure to deliver. Even LeBron's reputation took a hit and maybe took a toll on him. The residue seemed to linger on Kyrie when he went to Boston and it infected the atmosphere ultimately.

I just think that situation was going to be like that no matter who was around Gilbert and LeBron, but especially LeBron since he returned to Cleveland after how things played out with The Decision. LBJ is my guy but I can't act like this situation isn't mostly on him, fair or unfair.


What battles are you referring to? Dan spends most of his time in Detroit running his businesses, not standing around in practices fighting with players.

The pressure to win was of course very high.

It just seems more likely that a first time coach like Lue and a first time GM like Griffin simply struggled to deal with it. If Gilbert and James are culpable, it's for wanting guys who've never had their feet in the fire before.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#193 » by teke184 » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:17 pm

zshawn10 wrote:holy crap this thread blew up

Read on Twitter
?s=21


I’m curious as to the “context” myself.

Because I can sure see how trying to build a title team centered on a guy perpetually on one season deals would be stressful as hell and make it near-impossible to do any form of long term strategizing.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#194 » by Richfield » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:18 pm

JonFromVA providing textbook classic Cavs narrative. Gilbert and James ultimately are always the heros. All credit to them, no matter the circumstances.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#195 » by Richfield » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:27 pm

zshawn10 wrote:holy crap this thread blew up

Read on Twitter
?s=21


lol @ "encouraged Griffin to clear up his stance on the record".

I think his stance was pretty clear lol.

So what, is he being asked to apologize or take something back?

Or vindicate James from any of the implications?

This is exactly what Griff is probably talking about. The narrative must always be controlled. Opinions, facts, and how others feel doesn't matter.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#196 » by NCHeels2008 » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:39 pm

TheFinishSniper wrote:
BodieB wrote:
trueballer7 wrote:Single most manufactured career in pro sports history, worldwide. They were forcing, in a literal sense, everybody to assist Lebron to win a title. The physical, mental, psychological effects being visible and still apparent to all included (Lue had to be hospitalized, Love was suffering from breakdowns and depression, Griffin stopped watching basketball altogether, Irving was willing to throw away a whole year of his career to free himself). Can you fathom that?
And all he got, was a single title where a number of the most improbable events all coincided at once and even then it was by the thinnest of margins.
They were manhandling the league, forming super teams and torturing players, coaches and GMs to get provide him the easiest possible way to multiple championships, and he couldnt deliver.

This is disingenuous. What about all the teammates that didn't have these issues with LeBron? How stressful was it for players dealing with Jordans antics? Remember how the Shaq and Kobe dynasty crumbled? What about all the stories that have and will come out about the Warriors? No one is running wild with stories about Kerr's back issues being related to the stress of delivering Curry a championship. You need to have that same legacy ripping energy for every story like this.

I dont think you will hear anything from anyone from Bulls two 3 peat squad to say anything bad. And we talking about 3 peats not some one title.

Shaq and Kobe crumbled because they couldnt stand each other in ego way eventually. And GM was forced to keep only one. Yet they still won multiple ones before it. They say winning cures all. It's true. Nobody will say anything about Jordan antics today because they won and won and won and won and won and won and won. And Kobe and Shaq won and won and won.

And Krause with Bulls was in time of best GM's league ever had. And in time West and Kupchak were one of best if not the best. And both of this franchises were coached by FAR best coach ever who coached NBA games.


Whether intentional or not toxic environments seem to follow LeBron in a way you didn't see with past superstars. Even Golden State (outside of KD) they looked more like a team that ran out of gas than hated each other
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#197 » by kobe808lak » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:39 pm

What would of Griffs organic team in Cleveland have been without James? They don't sniff the playoffs most likely and certainly never win a Title.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#198 » by ATLTimekeeper » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:40 pm

teke184 wrote:
zshawn10 wrote:holy crap this thread blew up

Read on Twitter
?s=21


I’m curious as to the “context” myself.

Because I can sure see how trying to build a title team centered on a guy perpetually on one season deals would be stressful as hell and make it near-impossible to do any form of long term strategizing.


What long-term strategizing did he have to do? They had two all-stars through their primes to surround LBJ with and had just won a title. ffs, LeBron made 4 straight finals in Cleveland, why is Griffin complaining about sustainability? He was wrong. It was sustainable. That's about as good a run as you can get.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#199 » by RCM88x » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:41 pm

kobe808lak wrote:What would of Griffs organic team in Cleveland have been without James? They don't sniff the playoffs most likely and certainly never win a Title.


I think that's the weirdest part of his statement. I love the guys we drafted as any fan would at the time, but there's a greater chance than not we'd miss the playoffs each of those years without LeBron. And if that's the case then Griff wouldn't have a job period.

Just bizarre.
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Re: [SI]David Griffin on 3-year stint with Cavs: “Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not 

Post#200 » by XxIronChainzxX » Fri Aug 2, 2019 4:48 pm

Richfield wrote:
JonFromVA wrote:
JellosJigglin wrote:
Lakers would've made that trade with or without Lebron imo. There wasn't a surefire franchise player in their young core, Ingram is due to get paid soon, and they've always been about adding stars. Having Lebron locked in under contract just made it a no-brainer.

But to your other point, Lebron did take Cleveland hostage with those short-term deals. I don't fault him for that. I've always said players have the option to take short deals if they want to retain power over their mobility. There's a risk to the player that goes along with that, mostly injuries. It was a gamble but it paid off for him. I can understand how that put a lot of pressure on the FO, which was probably his intention.

Some GM's just aren't made for being under the pressure of putting out a championship team every year. Even Jerry West said that he couldn't watch Laker games at Staples Center during the Kobe/Shaq era. He said it was too much pressure and he'd just drive around L.A. listening to Chick Hearn on the radio. Some guys are architects and enjoy the building process more than actually winning titles. I think Griffin falls under this category. That's why he was attracted to the NO job.

I can see how some lose their joy of the game under the pressure to win every year. Different strokes for different folks.


Yes, absolutely the pressure to win was very high, but the front office didn't completely buckle to it. It would surely look different if if Andrew Wiggins and/or Anthony Bennett had turned in to superstars, but as it is ... the Cavs clearly got the better of the Kevin Love trade. Thompson and Smith got paid thanks to LeBron, but Smith is (mostly) gone and Thompson's deal is up soon. We traded a protected pick for Kyle Korver that should be resolved soon as well.

Long-term damage was managed, and it was managed directly by Gilbert who kept asking LeBron if he'd commit before trading away something that would potentially damage the team long-term.

So, on the surface the pressure is the same pressure to build a champion that every GM should be feeling. Every GM faces decisions where they have to weight short-term benefits .vs. long-term.

Where was the pressure coming from in Cleveland?

Was Gilbert calling Griffin hourly demanding to know why he hadn't made a deal? Was the media hounding Griff? Was Rich Paul constantly in his ear asking to get player's traded or else James would walk?

If so ... news to me.

Cleveland is not NYC.


Another perfect example, all credit goes to LeBron.

They got paid because they were worth that to a team that wanted to win a Championship using their services.

You think Cavs win the finals without JR and Thompson on the team? Did you have some other place in mind to put that money that would have yielded a Championship for that Cavs team?

It's like a bunch of LeBron Zombies. Nobody can get credit for anything. LeBron gets credit for anything and everything. Even the contracts of his valuable teammates. Unbelievable.


They're not really getting credit. The deals were not seen as great ones at the time. Cleveland was arguably in a bad place because it couldn't let these guys walk, but LeBron also lobbied for those guys to get paid. Griffin may have been able to get more reasonable deals.

They got paid because Cleveland was **** capwise and LeBron put his fingers in the scale.

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