The Windhorst Tracker - (Shaq for Ben and Sasha?)

[MalTalm]

I'm personally pleased we didn't make a move. Short of landing an allstar for Wally straight up, we know what we have with this team, and that's a group of individuals who, when healthy, are arguably the hardest team to beat in the NBA. I believe defensively we are the best in the league. Offensively, well, I trust LeBron and co. to take care of buisness when push comes to shove.

Everyone here loves to go back and say "If we come up short, we'll look back at the deadline and ask "What if?" That's fair, but then again, if we traded for a guy like Shaq or Miller and they ended up breaking down or getting sloppy on the boards, we'd have to ask the same question. This team is out on the court playing selflessly and doing everything in their power to help secure a win every night. I just don't know how much more you can ask for. They've all drank the juice, they feel they can beat everyone, and they just don't have serious lapses in gametime focus. It's incredible.

As to attacking Ferry for panicking and trying to make a big splash by going for Shaq on the day of the deadline, I can only assume the man knows how to do his job. That would mean he probably has evaluated thousands of trade scenarios which could help or hurt our team, and prioritized the deals by those that would help us the most. It didn't work out, but we came out of the deadline competing for the best record in the NBA with the best player in the league on our roster. People seem to forget we were already a great team. We don't "need" another piece, though we could always use another.

 

[gourimoko]

As to attacking Ferry for panicking and trying to make a big splash by going for Shaq on the day of the deadline, I can only assume the man knows how to do his job. That would mean he probably has evaluated thousands of trade scenarios which could help or hurt our team, and prioritized the deals by those that would help us the most. It didn't work out, but we came out of the deadline competing for the best record in the NBA with the best player in the league on our roster. People seem to forget we were already a great team. We don't "need" another piece, though we could always use another.

Everything you just said would be true if the primary premise of your argument, "we don't "need" another piece, though we could always use another," was also true; which, sadly, it is not. The Cavaliers started the season trying to fill a hole at the shooting guard position and Delonte West beat out Wally and Sasha (whoopdy-do). Delonte, as great a player as he is, should be coming off the bench; especially when you consider that both our PGs (Mo/Boobs) are basically 6'0. Wallace, as great a defender as he is, is nothing more than a defensive role player who should be used in circumstances wherein which he could be most effective; he's just no longer a starting caliber PF/C anymore. Furthermore, our offense is almost entirely centered around LeBron/Mo. Yes, Z can put up numbers, typically double digits, but it's widely accepted that if LeBron is shut down (and we've seen him shutdown numerous times by way of double/triple teams) then the rest of the team needs to step up their game; especially considering Z can really only be effective for 30 minutes a game - and who can blame him!.

Am I saying the Cavaliers can't win the championship? Obviously not. But I can't accept the argument that the Cavaliers are a complete team with Delonte and Wallace both (simultaneously) as starters; especially with stretches of Andy/Wallace being almost unavoidable. If we had picked up Richard Jefferson, then Wallace would be okay. If we traded Andy for Villanueva in some contrived trade for the sake of argument, then Delonte would be fine as our starting 2. But right now, measuring the team in it's entirety, we have some wide gaps that are known to be exploitable. That's my only worry going into the ECF.

With that said, and with Garnett being out for 2-3 weeks, I have little doubt we'll get that #1 seed. Still, come the Finals, how do we contend with the Lakers over 7 if they have home court advantage??

p.s.
And regarding Delonte, I'm not saying he's weak offensively. I'm merely pointing out that he's an undersized SG who'd be matched up against Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant, both of whom (in the playoffs no less) can easily shoot over the top of him or beat him off the dribble. A taller, more defensive geared guard who can also swing over to SF would've helped tremendously by allowing LeBron to play Kobe, or whomever this guard would have been could have guarded Rondo in a hypothetical ECF. Since the trade deadline has come and gone, I'm not going to dwell on this any further; however, come the offseason, I hope some trades are made to improve our team going into the final season of LeBron's contract.

 

[Taki]

And regarding Delonte, I'm not saying he's weak offensively. I'm merely pointing out that he's an undersized SG who'd be matched up against Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant, both of whom (in the playoffs no less) can easily shoot over the top of him or beat him off the dribble. A taller, more defensive geared guard who can also swing over to SF would've helped tremendously by allowing LeBron to play Kobe, or whomever this guard would have been could have guarded Rondo in a hypothetical ECF. Since the trade deadline has come and gone, I'm not going to dwell on this any further; however, come the offseason, I hope some trades are made to improve our team going into the final season of LeBron's contract.

That problem would be solved by putting Sasha on Kobe, Ray Allen, or who ever else you want to name.

Sasha held Kobe to low 30s% shooting TWICE！

 

[gourimoko]

That problem would be solved by putting Sasha on Kobe, Ray Allen, or who ever else you want to name.

Sasha held Kobe to low 30s% shooting TWICE！

Didn't Kobe have the clap for both of those games?

Besides.. we're going to bench Delonte for Sasha!?!

 

[Taki]

Didn't Kobe have the clap for both of those games?

Besides.. we're going to bench Delonte for Sasha!?!

No just when Delonte is resting(and sometimes put Sasha at the 3, and Lebron at the 4), Sasha will be defending him, Sasha is a solid player overall, see my post here:

Sasha is solid, he is much better than Wally, but I like them both, they both should stay. What I can't believe is that you're comparing them to Kinsey, and sometimes I think you guys completely ignore what Sasha does because he's a crucial part of the team as well, especially on defense！

And:
Top 10 3pt%

RANK|NAME|3P%|3PM|3PA
1.)|Matt Bonner|.497|83|167
2.)|Anthony Morrow|.494|42|85
3.)|Kelenna Azubuike|.462|60|130
4.)|Sasha Pavlovic|.457|37|81
5.)|Jameer Nelson|.453|82|181
6.)|Vladimir Radmanovic|.447|72|161
7.)|Keyon Dooling|.444|63|142
8.)|Roger Mason|.439|112|255
9.)|Kevin Durant|.437|73|167
10.)|Troy Murphy|.435|107|246

Sasha's 2p% is .476% and that is with 105 total attempts, not only that but Sasha has held Kobe to low 30s% in shooting TWICE！ This guy should be kept.

Size is what you wanted right? He is one of the best defenders on the team and is underrated, next time he plays watch him on the defensive side and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Juice22]

I personally HATE THIE TRADE....if it happens. Shaq??? Come on??? I know he is a big body, but is going to make us a slower team. If we get SHAQ people are going to be like, if it werent for Shaq LBJ wouldnt of gotten his ring. We hear it all the time with Kobe. Screw this deal !! Shaq will on be good this year and he is not worth the money next year. PLEASE DON'T Do FERRY!!! THis move looks desperate.

 

[Maximus]

Didn't Kobe have the clap for both of those games?

Besides.. we're going to bench Delonte for Sasha!?!

No, but being able to throw different players/sets at Kobe helps keep him in check. Instead of Wally and Gibson getting heavy minutes like they did in the last Laker game it will be Delonte and Sasha....think about what a massive upgrade that is for our perimeter defense. I know everyone keeps pointing at our interior defense, but the biggest reason our interior was having issues against the Lakers was because the perimeter was breaking down first. Our bigs were forced to cover for our perimeter defenders mistakes/weaknesses. With Delonte or Sasha on Kobe it also affords MB the luxury of putting Lebron on Odom if he is getting hot.

Wally played the entire 3rd quarter of the last Laker game because Sasha couldn't return....Wally played 84% of the second half minutes!! That's when the game was lost. Boobie played 12:35 in the second half on an ailing foot. Sasha and Delonte drastically change those minutes and improve us defensively in the Finals. Mix in a big that we pick up in a buyout and I really like our chances against the Lakers.

 

[gourimoko]

No, but being able to throw different players/sets at Kobe helps keep him in check. Instead of Wally and Gibson getting heavy minutes like they did in the last Laker game it will be Delonte and Sasha....think about what a massive upgrade that is for our perimeter defense. I know everyone keeps pointing at our interior defense, but the biggest reason our interior was having issues against the Lakers was because the perimeter was breaking down first. Our bigs were forced to cover for our perimeter defenders mistakes/weaknesses. With Delonte or Sasha on Kobe it also affords MB the luxury of putting Lebron on Odom if he is getting hot.

Wally played the entire 3rd quarter of the last Laker game because Sasha couldn't return....Wally played 84% of the second half minutes!! That's when the game was lost. Boobie played 12:35 in the second half on an ailing foot. Sasha and Delonte drastically change those minutes and improve us defensively in the Finals. Mix in a big that we pick up in a buyout and I really like our chances against the Lakers.

I agree, Delonte/Sasha is a better matchup than Wally/Gibson against Kobe Bryant. Yet, I still feel a sense of trepidation heading towards an inevitable Game 7, most likely in L.A. considering the disparity between the Lakers and the rest of the Western Conference. It seems like we're expecting so much, perhaps too much, from Delonte and Sasha that we're setting ourselves up for failure. Again, the original point was that a trade for a large well-rounded wing (ala RJ) would've provided a superior position for the Cavaliers rather than standing-pat. That argument is moot at this point. However, I do think we'll fair better than our last game; but if I remember correctly Kobe was showing off his Paul Pierce with the wheelchair, IV fluids, broken thumb, and a cocktail of venereal diseases.

With that said, if we argue that however many points Kobe is likely to score, LBJ is likely to score just as many; then we're left with measuring what team overall has the ability to push the game in their favor over 48 minutes. IMHO, statistically, that's the Lakers. Fisher, Kobe, Ariza, Odom, Gasol as a whole is greater (offensively) than Mo, Delonte, LeBron, Wallace, Z. Not by miles, but enough to hold their 4 home games, again, imo. If we assume the Cavaliers have home court; then my opinion flips to favor the Cavaliers, drastically.