What should the Cavs do?

[CavsFan07]

First off, just wanted to say hey to all of realcavsfans.com and it's members. I have been reading for a few months now, and after being a member of other forums I decided to share my Cavaliers passion with the rest of you!

Anyway. What would you like to see the Cavs do after this season? Obviously, this year is a rebuilding year in which we HAVE to develop players such as Kyrie, Tristan, and even Casspi. But my question is, what would you like to see the Cavs do in the upcoming offseason?

Here's one of my "dream" scenarios that isn't as unrealistic as people think.

First, in the upcoming NBA Draft. I'll predict the 4th pick, in which drafting either Jeremy Lamb, or Perry Jones is essential (if still on the board). We HAVE to find our wings for the future in this upcoming draft. If both of those are off the board, Brad Beal and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are legitimate options. Also, if the Kings figure out a way to play any type of defense, don't sleep on them creeping into the playoffs. It's probably a long shot, but they actually do have a lot of talent, just have to find a way to use it effectively. If so, use the 15th-18th pick to draft a little bit more of a project, but someone that can still play. Examples: Meyers Leonard, John Henson, Rivers (if he drops), Tim Hardaway Jr. etc. Obviously drafting a different position than what we drafted early on.

Now, the Cavaliers obviously will have plenty of money to spend on free agency. But, who wants to come to Cleveland, right? I'll give you the two that I'm hopeful for.

1.) Eric Gordon. Why? We desperately need a 2, and who better than a young, energetic kid that can flat light it up. He's not going to be happy in New Orleans. He doesn't want to be in New Orleans. He feels betrayed. But why the Cavs? We can offer him a good chunk of change, he can play beside a young PG with a bright future, AND, people are forgetting, he's from Indianapolis. Meaning, he can have a chance to play back towards home, have a legitimate contract that shows he won't be getting moved, and play for an owner that's willing to do anything to make this team win (Sterling is not that owner. Minus the CP3 trade, Sterling is probably the worst owner in the NBA).

2.) As many on this site have already stated, Greg Oden. Granted, he needs to be healthy, and I wouldn't be comfortable throwing a whole lot of money at him. But, being close to the Cleveland Clinic, a great medical staff, and again, back towards his home of Indianapolis, could possibly resurrect this injury-prone Center's career. He was also AAU teammates with Eric Gordon, so if we can make a legitimate run at Gordon, perhaps Oden wouldn't be as far of a stretch as some think. Again, it's a risk, but in the rebuilding years it's fine to take a gamble as long as it's not ridiculously expensive, and has the possibility of truly helping out a franchise.


Recap: Draft Lamb or Perry Jones to fill our serious need at the 3. If the Kings pick is used this year, take a slight gamble on someone with massive upside. Make a strong push for Eric Gordon who WILL BE looking for a new team/identity, and check Oden's health before attempting to bring him to Cleveland. Dream scenario? Probably. But, it's not as unrealistic as what some may think.

 

[The Oi]

I'll predict the 4th pick, in which drafting... Perry Jones is essential (if still on the board).

:detective

 

[ajz20]

Welcome back ELI! Please continue with your Perry Jones obsession. This time try not to get banned so quickly.

 

[CavsFan07]

What? Good start to the site, looks like a few douchebags already.

I'm not 'obsessed' with Perry Jones. I'd much rather have Jeremy Lamb, but he's top 2-3 off the board. I'm giving the Cavs credit because I don't feel like we'll be the worst 2-3 teams in league, I'm thinking 4-7. Maybe we can bink the lottery again, but that's a long shot.

Anthony Davis is going to end up being a 4 in this league. We just drafted TT, so why would we go after him? Terrence Ross is solid, but is he worthy of a top 5 pick?

Look, I'm not saying Perry Jones is a world beater. And I understand a lot of the 'concern' with him. But, optimistically speaking, pairing a young athletic wing with lots of potential with a solid young guard (KI), is a combination worth looking in to. Hell, I'd rather have Drummond over any of them, but again, he's probably #1 off the board this year.

 

[CavsFan07]

And you guys totally overlooked the main points of my post. It's not about debating how good/not good Perry Jones is, that's irrelevant and I'm not even a huge PJ3 fan. End of the day, we need a 2 and a 3, and that will be the positions we seek in this upcoming draft. That much is clear.

 

[chrisrich91]

And you guys totally overlooked the main points of my post. It's not about debating how good/not good Perry Jones is, that's irrelevant and I'm not even a huge PJ3 fan. End of the day, we need a 2 and a 3, and that will be the positions we seek in this upcoming draft. That much is clear.

Don't worry about it. Anytime a new member mentions Perry Jones in the slightest, people think it's still funny to call them out as Eli (banned member who was obsessed with Jones).

In a bidding war for Eric Gordon I have to believe we'd be outmatched by some of the bigger markets, but I'd love to have the kid if we could. As for Greg, this season will be very telling. If he busts his knee again it might be time to call it quits. At this point it's very hard to justify even giving him the MLE...poor guy.

 

[czvo]

If we could land Drummond in the draft, I would not be opposed to going after Gordon. Would put a cap at $10 mil a year though. Anything higher, just walk away.

ADDED: Stay far away from Oden... far, FAR away.

 

[czvo]

The more I watch this team though, the more I realize just how bad Andy needs to be traded. He's too much of a threat to win ganes for this club. We need to stay bad, and the difference between 1st and 6th could be just one game. He has to go... but who could use him? Off the top of my head:

-Memphis (Arthur is now out for the year)
-Boston (JON is their starting center.... that is all)
-Miami (no one wants to hear this, but its true.... just lack assets)
-Atlanta (Zaza is their 1st big off the bench... not a joke)
-LA Lakers (McBob isn't bad... but he aint good either)
-San Antonio (Only if they think Splitter won't cut it)
-Dallas (would be perfect there, but Cuban won't do it as he's hoping to land D-will and D12)


Its too bad PHX isn't contending anymore, because Andy would have been PERFECT for those SSOL teams.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Is it too early to talk about next offseason? In my opinion, yes. Posters who care more about transactions than the team on the floor have always been a pet peeve of mine.

That said, Varejao plays the game the right way. For most of the 90s, the Cavs had very few playing the right way, and it poisoned the younger players. This version of the franchise isn't making that mistake, valuing players like Parker, Casspi and Varejao who try on a nightly basis. If the Cavs were offered a great package of picks for Varejao, sure go ahead and pull the trigger. But you don't trade him because he is a good player that gives high levels of effort. A franchise will go nowhere with that frame of mind, no matter who is drafted. Ask the Gunds and Jim Paxson.

Also, there is no way Jeremy Lamb is second or third off the board in this draft unless he shows that he can take over games. He has been floating along this season and is built like an effective college swingman... but not built like a pro shooting guard at the moment. He reminds me of Larry Hughes without the handles.

 

[ice cream man]

Eric Gordon is not a guy willing to defend IMO. Maybe that's just cuz he was on the Clippers, so we'll see what happens in NO. Very talented player though. If he shows effort and potential defensively, the Cavs should be at least somewhat interested. But Gilbert and Grant know how important size is. I don't think they would overpay for Gordon.

 

[RikSmits]

Posters who care more about transactions than the team on the floor have always been a per peeve of mine.

Posters who put too much stock in Holllinger's advanced stats have always been a PER peeve of mine.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Posters who put too much stock in Holllinger's advanced stats have always been a PER peeve of mine.

There you go, Dutchman. Fixed.

I hope your spelling, usage, punctuation and grammar are beyond reproach... because you are now in my cross-hairs for revenge. :detective

 

[germancav]

Trading for Shumpert is what I would like us to do... I think this guy is going to be one of the best players of this years draft class. In exchange we could offer the Knicks depth, problem is just managing salaries because outside Melo,STAT and Chandler they haver very little that could be used to make salaries match.

Would love to see us sending Sessions, Parker and Hollins in a 3-team trade (to match salaries) to the Knicks for Shumpert. Would add another talent to our team while essentially only losing Sessions in exchange. Would also make sense for the Knicks because they get a back-up center and some backcourt depth to compete this season.

 

[rabman_gold]

Dutch, you shouldn't mess with the Bay Area English Teacher, or you're fucked.

On a more pleasant note, I agree with you, Keys. Why people always look ahead is beyond me. But it attracts excitement and draws fans all the same. That's why last year had some of the highest ratings with Miami and New York, to name a few. You guys know the reasons.

Well here's what we should try to do as a team, and I bet you that I might have a correct feeling, since that's how Grant/Ferry has always run.

1. Play out the first part of the year. I say take a look at what we have for 20 or so games. It should give us an idea on how to handle the next part of the season.
   1. If we turn out to be better than advertised, we should try to experiment with how far we can go. A winning culture will encourage our guys for the future.
   2. If we end up as expected, keep the course, make some adjustments with our roster in terms of players playing and keep 'em fresh. It's different than usual since tired legs will kill us.
   3. And if we're worse, try to build some enthusiasm and don't discourage while staying on course for the future.
2. Once we hit the 40 game mark, try to look for what other teams are offering package-wise. Build our team through assets, draft picks, and give teams a chance to look at our main pieces for trades.
   1. If Andy or Jamison get injured, don't panic. Let them expire or wait until the off-season to evaluate. Combine the package if necessary.
   2. If our team really got better (unlikely), I say either equalize the team in a productive way or play it out. Make moves that can bring us back into the lottery so we have a good chance in the top 10.
   3. If our team got worse, make small moves to remove the dead weight and bring more prospects in.
3. Finally, play the rest of the season out. Try to get at least one more draft pick somewhere. It doesn't have to be in the lottery, but it would be nice. It's uncertain how much it would be worth anyways.
4. And in the off-season, wait and see how the regular season plays out. Based on the above, that will encourage our direction. If we get a great player in the draft again, try to use our salary either to bring in good role models to slowly improve or wait another year to get even better. We shouldn't try to hit it off too soon unless we have great winners on our team. You won't always have a super rookie like Magic to lead a team to a championship. But if we really are better, we should try to get better as soon as possible, and show our future pieces we want them here for the championship run.

My model is confusing, but it will make sense. Management can't decide what to do unless the team plays the games, that's how we came to the conclusion of getting Baron and the 8th worst lottery pick for Mo.

 

[CommD]

When evaluating Varejao, it is important to look past his obvious positive attributes and consider his propensity for injury. This is true of Gibson as well. These players are not reliable, and indeed, it is PREDICTABLE that they will be hurt again for significant portions of the season; this is a problems that is likely to get worse, not better, as they continue to age.

This problem, taken with their relative attrativeness to contending teams (as in the list above), leads me to say TRADE THESE DUDES WITH THE QUICKNESS, before they get hurt again. SELL HIGH NOW, don't wait until the stock is further diminished!

For purposes of team development, CAVS need a true low-post center. Make it so, Grant.