Rating Coach Scott (WE WANT WITTMAN BACK !!!)

[wuck]

The active roster is awful, and the team hasn't had those 40-50 point losses from last season. They often play hard and haven't taken too many nights off. One perspective would be to say that they play up to their competition; another way would be to say that their competition plays down to (or up to) them. The bad teams that can smell a victory seem to have handled the Cavs as well or better than many good teams. I'm not saying Scott is having a great year either, but he has almost nothing to work with, and he has given various players a shot to prove themselves, and most of them haven't.

I do think that Grant deserves significant blame (or credit, depending on how you look at it) for compiling a roster with no talented or veteran depth at many positions.

[Futuredome]

Scott and Grant get a A. They are doing exactly what they want and when they want it.

Now when the time comes for winning, the grade will reflect that strategy.

[Off-Season God]

The active roster is awful, and the team hasn't had those 40-50 point losses from last season. They often play hard and haven't taken too many nights off. One perspective would be to say that they play up to their competition; another way would be to say that their competition plays down to (or up to) them. The bad teams that can smell a victory seem to have handled the Cavs as well or better than many good teams. I'm not saying Scott is having a great year either, but he has almost nothing to work with, and he has given various players a shot to prove themselves, and most of them haven't.

I do think that Grant deserves significant blame (or credit, depending on how you look at it) for compiling a roster with no talented or veteran depth at many positions.

Thanks for including me!

[Jon]

I think most opponents see facing the Cavs as a night off - and they only bother to play with full effort when the game is in doubt. Without Kyrie available to finish teams off, they have little reason to take us seriously.

[catfish]

He rates an F for advocating hazing. What decade is this?

[clebron]

I do think that Grant deserves significant blame (or credit, depending on how you look at it) for compiling a roster with no talented or veteran depth at many positions.

I think he deserves praise, no cleveland sports team is going to land freeagents (other than the lecharles bentley's of the world who grew up loving the browns) without overspending and shooting themselves in the foot in the longterm.

We have to build a contender through the draft, in order to do that we need to build a talented core and fill out the rest of the roster with below average nba talent.

[PosterTime]

He rates an F for advocating hazing. What decade is this?

It's team bonding.

[Jack Brickman]

He rates an F for advocating hazing. What decade is this?

Do you honestly think that having players carry baby dolls around is hazing? It's almost laughable that people these days are so sensitive. Hazing involves physical or mental abuse, not making a couple of rooks lug dolls with them to games or wear pink back-packs, something that most guys would laugh about even as they were forced to do it.

This whole thing actually reminds me of the egg thing they do in grade school where they make you keep an egg for a week or so and there are consequences if you lose or break it. It's just a way to teach responsibility and, in the case of these baby dolls, also let these guys know they're still the low men on the totem pole.

Anyway, if you're wondering what this is all about:
http://espn.go.com/chicago/conversat...-three-rookies

Edit: I love that Zeller's doll is named LaQuesha.

[RTrees]

Did Kevin Jones get injured last night? Or was his sitting after having a positive affect on the game a chance to go out on a good note for the night and build confidence (even though he had just missed a close range shot)? If Scott was trying to win last night it seemed strange to cut Jones off after that first 9 minutes when the affect on the game was obvious, especially on the defensive end.

Anybody else feel that momentum shift when Jones was in the game first half? Why didn't we do it again in the 4th? Felt like a winnable game, Kevin Love ref love notwithstanding.

[ice cream man]

Defense:

I have not payed close enough attention to realize when exactly during the season we have stopped hedging ballscreens? I mean, it's been the stategy for several games now. The majority of the game, the bigman is "halfing" while our guard is under even more pressure to get around the screen. If you want to lose pretty much every game, this is how.


If you're gonna have a good defense, you're gonna have to hedge ballscreens and rotate. You're gonna have to have guys who can guard multiple positions. TT looks like he can, or at least has potential. Andy can. Gee can. CJ can. Dion, Boobie, Kyrie can guard most 2's. I don't get it.


Wish I could ask Byron what's up with this...

[Jon]

Wish I could ask Byron what's up with this...

We don't seem to be executing anything well on D - no matter whether we hedge, hard trap, hang back, or switch. I liked Mike Brown's stubbornness regarding his system. He got the players to stick with it, until it actually started working. Well, at least until we traded for the 350lb elephant.

One thing I never understood under Brown or Scott is why when we're behind in the game and running out of time, why we never try to force a turnover and just play out the foul game. I'm just not seeing the pay off for "Camp Scott". We're not a great running team. We don't press and trap on D. Our offensive movement looks good at times, but then we invariable end up just forcing up a lot of bad J's.

[rabman_gold]

We don't seem to be executing anything well on D - no matter whether we hedge, hard trap, hang back, or switch. I liked Mike Brown's stubbornness regarding his system. He got the players to stick with it, until it actually started working. Well, at least until we traded for the 350lb elephant.

One thing I never understood under Brown or Scott is why when we're behind in the game and running out of time, why we never try to force a turnover and just play out the foul game. I'm just not seeing the pay off for "Camp Scott". We're not a great running team. We don't press and trap on D. Our offensive movement looks good at times, but then we invariable end up just forcing up a lot of bad J's.

I'd like to see what his old teams looked like with championship aspirations. Anyone know any good videos (or iTunes games, etc.)?

I need to see for myself what a great Scott team would do on defense. If we ignore age inexperience comparisons, what are each of our future pieces descending from his old teams? (Kidd --> Paul --> Irving; Martin --> Thompson; etc.)

[Triplethreat]

Scott's defensive scheme's are absolute shit.

Defense is so dependent on coaching, as you can see with coaches who can get their teams to hunker down and usually keeps them in the top 5 in defensive statistics.

This can also be attributed to the lack of effort Kyrie Irving puts on that end, but damn, why does Gee have to cover the other team's PG every single night?! You can't be THAT bad defensively.

[Kizzle]

I'd like to see what his old teams looked like with championship aspirations. Anyone know any good videos (or iTunes games, etc.)?

I need to see for myself what a great Scott team would do on defense. If we ignore age inexperience comparisons, what are each of our future pieces descending from his old teams? (Kidd --> Paul --> Irving; Martin --> Thompson; etc.)

Someone mentioned Scott's history in another thread. I think they said Scott never had a top defense, EVER. With players as good as he had in NJ youre going to get decent defense but I think they said a Byron Scott defense has NEVER been scary

[Kizzle]

I could see his offense being amazng if we had the players to run it. In grading Scott it just isnt fair. Its like asking somebody to do college level calculus but the only tool you give them is a grilled cheese sandwhich. You cant really expect much. Even if Scott's schemes were amazing and worked, our players are so trash that we wouldnt know it. I blame our roster on Grant. We have to give him his 3-4 years but as of now Grant's plan isnt looking good.

Drafting Thompson at 4 really hurt his reputation too. Dion I think is a sleeper but in 2 years when we look at Grant's track record TT may still be a glaring hole.