Chris Parker/Cleveland Scene answers your questions

[Chris Parker]

New column is up...

Would-Be Kings Can't Dethrone LeBron and the Cavaliers
http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...-kings-cant-dethrone-lebron-and-the-cavaliers

"They leave their clothes all over the floor, never take out the garbage and would sooner split open their femoral artery than hand over the remote.

At some point in most relationships there comes a time where you’re confronted with three options: Either accept your partner’s faults and attempt to live with them, continue to expect change that’s apparently not forthcoming while slowly driving yourself insane with anger and frustration, or move to Golden State and start rooting for the Warriors."

 

[TFIR]

The thing’s this – if you can’t change a scoundrel nor leave them, the only thing left is to love them for who they are, an infuriatingly inconsistent team that nonetheless already has everything they need to bring Cleveland its first championship, if they can only tap into it for long enough at right time.

That's why it's playoff basketball.

You made a good case throughout the article for this statement. They are who they are. I do think much of this is their relative lack of experience playing on championship level teams. Think about it, name some guys who are used to that. Ummm, Lebron? James Jones?

So yeah, we'll see. But not until the playoffs. Until then, they are who they are. I do savor the games where they DO get up for them (last San Antonio game, last OKC game etc).

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

You made a good case throughout the article for this statement. They are who they are. I do think much of this is their relative lack of experience playing on championship level teams. Think about it, name some guys who are used to that. Ummm, Lebron? James Jones? .

Didn't they get a bunch of experience playing through Game 6 of the Finals? They went 24-3 prior to the playoffs last year, playing better basketball than they're playing now, and without all the experience they acquired in last year's playoff run.

There is absolutely zero excuse for playing worse now.

 

[TFIR]

That's one year. And Kyrie and Love weren't there. So I say no. I had pointed out in previous days that none other than Michael Jordan himself went years before playoff success. Add Isaiah Thomas to that list as well. Last year's playoffs were the Herculean effort of Lebron James.

Also, as I had posted the other day, my observation about that is also based on comments on Sirius with Jared Greenberg and a former Spurs player. He played on all kinds of teams, ultimately with the Spurs. He called the Cavs "playoff inexperienced".

Love's 3-pointer in the fourth quarter made him the first player in NBA history to make 700 3-pointers while averaging 10 rebounds.

This, along with his unselfishness in accepting his role here, deserve a shout out.

 

[TFIR]

By the way, some more details about the conversation I heard on Sirius.

It was Jared Greenberg talking to a former Spurs player, and it was referring to the Cavs, and their tendency to play somewhat carelessly during the regular season. Underachieve, so to speak.

So Greenberg says to him - "You've played on all kinds of teams. Teams that stunk, teams that were mediocre/average, and championship teams. What's the difference?"

Player replied: "There's 2 differences. #1 is talent, obviously. #2 is veteran, playoff experience. When I was on the Spurs, there were guys like Terry Porter and Avery Johnson, guys who had been through the playoff wars through the years. They set the tone for the team. He rattled of 5-6 names,"

Greenberg asked him who those guys were on the Cavs and the reply was "Lebron and James Jones only." He added, "I would include Andy but they dumped him."

It forced me to think about it. Kyrie, Love, TT, JR, ShumpMozgov, - those are all guys who have done nothing but play on crap NBA teams. Until Lebron came, and that was just last year. Hey, Lebron refers to this (sometimes not so veiled) all the time really.

So, sadly, to me now the question just MIGHT (I say might, but who knows) is how quickly do these novices to being a champion learn, and will it be in time for Lebron to not be in a wheelchair?

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

New column is up...

Would-Be Kings Can't Dethrone LeBron and the Cavaliers
http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...-kings-cant-dethrone-lebron-and-the-cavaliers

"They leave their clothes all over the floor, never take out the garbage and would sooner split open their femoral artery than hand over the remote.

At some point in most relationships there comes a time where you’re confronted with three options: Either accept your partner’s faults and attempt to live with them, continue to expect change that’s apparently not forthcoming while slowly driving yourself insane with anger and frustration, or move to Golden State and start rooting for the Warriors."

I'll be honest -- I'm barely watching the games right now. Seriously have no interest in being frustrated, and can see that the song remains the same by checking out post-game states.

By the way, some more details about the conversation I heard on Sirius.

It was Jared Greenberg talking to a former Spurs player, and it was referring to the Cavs, and their tendency to play somewhat carelessly during the regular season. Underachieve, so to speak.

So Greenberg says to him - "You've played on all kinds of teams. Teams that stunk, teams that were mediocre/average, and championship teams. What's the difference?"

Player replied: "There's 2 differences. #1 is talent, obviously. #2 is veteran, playoff experience. When I was on the Spurs, there were guys like Terry Porter and Avery Johnson, guys who had been through the playoff wars through the years. They set the tone for the team. He rattled of 5-6 names,"

Greenberg asked him who those guys were on the Cavs and the reply was "Lebron and James Jones only." He added, "I would include Andy but they dumped him."

GSW won it with pretty much zero playoff experience on their roster, and the Cavs came close with last year's team. Which will have had a full post-season less of experience than does this year's team.

Just because one player believes that was the magic formula for the Spurs doesn't make it true, and doesn't make it applicable to every other team.

Lack of experience is nothing but an excuse for this year's Cavs.

 

[TFIR]

Of course you have a great point.

Personally, I believe GSW had much more playoff experience. They went through it, and together (unsuccessfully) under Mark Jackson. Then Steve Kerr (who had ALL that experience) came aboard. They were already battle tested.

Aside from that, in my mind this GSW team is liable to end up being historic. They are amazing, all bets are off on that team. Their unique construction (the odds of having talents like they have all under reasonable contracts) is unlikely to put it mildly.

And again, they DID largely play together under playoff conditions even before last year, and more than one year.

PS - it just might also be that the Currys, Thompsons, Greens are just way more coachable than players of their level might ordinarily be? And Steve Kerr has huge credibility who also happened to walk into a ready made playoff team. The Cavs went from crap team to contender instantly. Different.

 

[TFIR]

By the way, I hope you realize calling it an excuse is irrelevant.

It's only an excuse if the Cleveland Cavs go around saying "What do you expect, we are not experienced?" And they don't do that, I don't think THEY think that.

And that's all the counts - anything WE think has absolutely no effect on the team. It's just what it is - useless speculation.

So all I am doing is quoting someone's speculation as to why the Cavs are as they are.

It's speculation as to the state of the team. That is all. An "excuse" is some sort of rallying cry to a TEAM. Designed to motivate them. On a forum, it does nothing except accomplish some sort of name calling/rhetoric.

So let me reword. Lack of playoff experience combined with a history of playing on winning contenders MAY be a factor in their lack of consistency.

Speculation from afar, based on the best evidence I could gather at the time.

In other words, like all other opinions, essentially worthless to changing anything.

 

[bigking777]

PS - it just might also be that the Currys, Thompsons, Greens are just way more coachable than players of their level might ordinarily be?

GSW has players with unique skill sets. They play together like a symphony.
The Cavaliers have players banging on pots and pans, strumming rubber band guitars and screaming into a karaoke microphone.

And hopefully they can turn up the volume to 11 in the playoffs and blow everyone away.

 

[TFIR]

GSW has players with unique skill sets. They play together like a symphony.

Completely and totally agree.

And that was by design, they were carefully and gradually constructed over time. That said, an incredible amount of luck also comes by hitting the lottery so completely when constructing a team.

And, by the way, that also includes the high character of the key players. Truly remarkable.

There really isn't another team that wouldn't suffer by comparison, and the Cavs are no different. It is actually very unfair to compare a team that was VERY recently a lottery team, thrown together in a hurry out of necessity, to a team that was gradually simmered to perfection.

The Warriors could serve as an exception to every rule. They've become the model everyone now aspires to.

 

[Kbiz]

It forced me to think about it. Kyrie, Love, TT, JR, ShumpMozgov, - those are all guys who have done nothing but play on crap NBA teams. Until Lebron came, and that was just last year. Hey, Lebron refers to this (sometimes not so veiled) all the time really.

Playoff experience vs. "Contender playoff experience" shouldn't be different. To say we aren't experienced is just another bullshit excuse for our mental lapses.

Irving played well last year in his first playoff appearance, as did Love (albeit, in a small sample size)

JR Smith went to the WCF with Denver and appeared in many playoff games with the Nuggets. Shumpert had playoff experience before coming to Cleveland as well with the Knicks. If you have been in a single playoff game, you should know what level of play to expect. You should know that the intensity level is different.

This team just is going through the motions, without anyone stepping up to snap us out of our bad habits. Can you win a championship like that? Sure, LA did it the last time they won a championship. They were inconsistent that year but took down a great Celtics team in 7 games.

All we need is effort when it matters and we should still make it to the Finals without much adversity. I just hope to see some semblance of good habits start to creep in over the last stretch of regular season play.

 

[TFIR]

OK coach. I hope for that too.

Damn we could use you to chew that team out! I think we could get Lue replaced.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Of course you have a great point.

Personally, I believe GSW had much more playoff experience.

They didn't. Prior to last year, they got knocked out once in the conference semis, and once in the first round. Nobody with even conference finals experience, and they had far fewer total playoff games played on their roster than the Cavs did on theirs at that time. And that was going into the playoffs last year. This year, our roster has all of last year's experience added to that.

PS - it just might also be that the Currys, Thompsons, Greens are just way more coachable than players of their level might ordinarily be? And Steve Kerr has huge credibility who also happened to walk into a ready made playoff team.

Those things may all be correct, which is kind of my point. Those are not the "they lack playoff experience" argument made by that Spurs player. In fact, I'd say that the biggest problem we have from a chemistry issue is LBJ's view of his game, and he's a guy with loads of playoff experience.

It's only an excuse if the Cleveland Cavs go around saying "What do you expect, we are not experienced?" And they don't do that, I don't think THEY think that.

And that's all the counts - anything WE think has absolutely no effect on the team. It's just what it is - useless speculation.

Agree. But why do we post on a message board in the first place? To discuss games, share misery/theories, etc..

My point is that a "lack of experience" is not the problem here. It may be an excuse on our part, as fans, for what we're seeing, and it's somewhat comforting because it is a problem that can be resolved with...more experience.

But I don't think that's it. We have fundamental player compatibility/attitude issues that seem to be worse than they were when this team was first put together more than a year and a half ago. When Blatt was fired and Lue promoted, we were told that the big difference was going to be that Lue would call James to account. Well...has anyone really seen that? The message from the top now is not chewing out anyone for taking a shot. What?!?!?!?

I don't know, dude. If you find it comforting to think that our problems are going to be solved with more experience, whatever float your boat. I just don't see it.

 

[Kbiz]

OK coach. I hope for that too.

Aside from TT, Love, Irving, and Delly, every rotation player on this team has played in the playoffs before last year, with some having multiple years experience. This "crap team", no experience being a contender is just another excuse we can hang our hats on if shit hits the fan in the playoffs.

Not sure how you can disagree with that...

 

[buzzdog]

A big part of what I think people are talking about when referring to inexperience is the fact that this group of players has only played together as a unit for about a season. Add to that the fact that their playoff experience last year was cut short by injuries, and you can surely make a case for inexperience being a factor.

Still, they have more experience going into these playoffs than they had last year. It's NOTHING compared to teams like GSW and SAS who have had the same basic core players playing together for 4-5 years or longer. WTF is so hard to understand about that?