Cavs (and the Sixers) bid farewell to Earl Clark

[wuck]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Best news I've heard all day. Clark won't be back!!!

Now to find a way to get rid of Gee.

Gee has the same type of contract (not guaranteed next year). See post 2 in http://realcavsfans.com/showthread....14-Salary-Trade-Assets-and-Future-Draft-Picks

 

[Cavatt]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

I was completely wrong about Clark. I thought it was a good signing. I had seen him play well for the Lakers, and Lakers fans thought they were losing something. I knew he had a lot of talent that was untapped, and I thought maybe he had matured on the Lakers. I think he is just dumb. I hate to say that about someone, but his play really reinforces that feeling for me. He is not good with off or def schemes. I agree that he does not look like he is playing hard very often. It's just a real disappointment because he is athletic and is really a pretty good shooter. He just isn't really a basketball players.

 

[Douglar]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

I still like Clark, but more as a stretch PF than as a wing. His decision making all year has been horrible, but I chalk some of that up to the roster turmoil of the last two months. Some but not all. If the team used Clark in a simpler role, where he rebounds on D and doesn't handle the ball on offense, I think he'd a pretty valuable piece. But as long as the Cavs still are trying to make things work out with Bennett, I can understand why Clark gets a seat for the time being.

 

[Nathan S]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

I still like Clark, but more as a stretch PF than as a wing. His decision making all year has been horrible, but I chalk some of that up to the roster turmoil of the last two months. Some but not all. If the team used Clark in a simpler role, where he rebounds on D and doesn't handle the ball on offense, I think he'd a pretty valuable piece. But as long as the Cavs still are trying to make things work out with Bennett, I can understand why Clark gets a seat for the time being.

Andy, Tristan, and Zeller are all clearly better than him, and any remaining minutes at the 4 should go to Deng in small-ball lineups or to Bennett. Clark should never see minutes on this team except (knock on wood) in case of injury.

 

[polklop1]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Please no more. Please.

 

[oasis05]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Clark is bricking and varejao and zeller are pump faking their jumpers. Just not enough shooting out of the front court.

 

[Pioneer10]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Bennett needs to get his ass in gear: we got 3 solid bigs in AV, Tristan, and looks like Zeller. Need a 4th that actually looks like an NBA player out there and it isn't looking like it's going to be Clark

 

[oasis05]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Mike Brown is so scared of Bennett he plays Clark. We're talking about a whore-sized hole a power forward.

 

[KI4MVP]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

it wasn't that long ago Clark was 5th in the league in 3 point shooting. Then he didn't get the shot off for the game tying 3 against boston. He has only shot 3-24 from 3 since then. He also has been playing out of position at SF. Sometime between now and the playoffs, we need to establish a stretch 4 because there will be situations where we need one. The choices are Clark and Bennett (or acquiring one in a trade). Mike Brown will likely keep giving each guy small stretches of play until one of them starts knocking down shots.

 

[Rich]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Clark isn't even a 4. He doesn't defend them well. He doesn't rebound with them at all. He's just a lanky guy that likes to shoot jumpers. You could run him out there at the 2 and get about the same results.

 

[Cavatt]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

it wasn't that long ago Clark was 5th in the league in 3 point shooting. Then he didn't get the shot off for the game tying 3 against boston. He has only shot 3-24 from 3 since then. He also has been playing out of position at SF. Sometime between now and the playoffs, we need to establish a stretch 4 because there will be situations where we need one. The choices are Clark and Bennett (or acquiring one in a trade). Mike Brown will likely keep giving each guy small stretches of play until one of them starts knocking down shots.

I don't understand how he was so shitty as a 3. He was supposed to do the exact same thing he did as a 4! No dribbling, defend, shoot 3's! He is the dumbest guy on the roster by far.

 

[Frank Reynolds]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

This guy is the worst. He's my new thorn in the side. I mean just absolutely putrid.

When you are winning by 15-20 put Bennett in. I don't care how bad he's going to look, we spent the #1 overall pick on this guy and this journeyman scrub Clark is getting minutes over him? After single handedly blowing that Pacers game by being out of bounds?

And you can't even say that Clark's mistakes are errors of aggression. They are errors of being a butterfingered gypsy. At least Bennett's errors are helping him ever so incrementally inch towards being a better player. It's okay if a first year player makes mistakes, it's not okay if you have been in the league for seven years and still make dumb rookie mistakes.

Did Bennett blow kisses at Mike Brown's wife or something? Jesus, this makes no sense.

I'm happy Grant made the trade for Deng, so his seat is not quite so hot. But seriously, I'd love for the reporters to crucify Chris Grant like the Jimmy Haslem press conference about how poorly Anthony Bennett was handled this season. You can't tell me that just sitting on the bench and watching Clark is helping this kid one bit. He's in developmental purgatory right now.

Everything from him initially coming in looking like the Michelin man, to his double asthma/apnea condition, to the way Brown has handled this kid. Grant needs to be roasted over hot coals for this one. I'd love to hear him smooth talk his way out of this one, and justify why Bennett watching Earl Clark play is better for his long-term development than taking a one hour bus ride, playing 35 minutes in Canton, shooting 25 times per game, and coming back up to Cleveland the same night to watch the game.

We can argue about the talent level of the D-League all we want, but getting big boy down there huffing and puffing for 35 minutes and shooting jumpers against competition would be better for him than letting his fat ass continue to stay sedentary on the bench.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

At least he has a bulky "expiring" contract that can be used in a trade at the deadline! Really, I think that was the main purpose of signing him to that deal in the first place.

 

[shoes22]

Grant needs to be roasted over hot coals for this one. I'd love to hear him smooth talk his way out of this one, and justify why Bennett watching Earl Clark play is better for his long-term development than taking a one hour bus ride, playing 35 minutes in Canton, shooting 25 times per game, and coming back up to Cleveland the same night to watch the game.

Nearly all of these things are Brown's decisions, not Grant's.
Grant deserves blame/credit for constructing the roster, but it's entirely up to Brown how he uses said roster and who plays when.

 

[wuck]

Re: Cavs sign Earl Clark for 2yrs/$9M

Brown was interviewed in Sacramento today. He said he's giving Clark a chance to play backup 4 because he played much better in that spot earlier this season (versus starting 3). He said he thought about going to Bennett in the 2nd half yesterday but decided to rotate Varejao/Thompson/Zeller. It doesn't sound like Clark has locked up that spot by any means, but Brown is going to give him a chance before trying Bennett out there again.