╬:::OFFICIAL CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 2013 Season Thread::: ╬ Cavs Win 2013 #1 Draft Pick in Lottery!!!!

rko2004 · Jun 22, 2012

Guys are like sharks

If the Cavs are going to trade one of their 1st round picks, it be for a star.

brandon3000 · Jun 27, 2012

Rumors remain strong that the Cavaliers could trade up for Charlotte's No. 2 pick in order to take Kentucky SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Florida SG Bradley Beal, but ESPN's Chad Ford reports today that Cleveland is also apparently considering moving down from No. 4 in order to acquire more assets.

Cleveland trading down?

The Cavs -- much like the Warriors, Kings, Raptors and Rockets -- have numerous options to consider over the next 36 hours. Here's Ford with more on what could be an obvious sign that Cleveland is considering moving down.

"The Cavs are bringing in Washington wing Terrence Ross for a private workout on Wednesday. That's odd for a couple of reasons. One, it's highly doubtful that Ross is seriously in the mix at No. 4. Second, there's no way he's on the board when the Cavs pick again at No. 24. What's going on? I think the Cavs are still exploring moving up in the draft. But now it sounds like they're also seriously looking at moving down a few spots if they can pick up additional assets. I've been told that's most likely in the 7-10 range, but it's unclear what they could be getting back that would be better than just taking Kidd-Gilchrist, the small forward that currently sits at No. 2 on the Big Board behind Davis. As for Ross, the Cavs better get a pick in the Top 11 if they want him. If Tyler Zeller is off the board, I believe the Bucks are leaning toward Ross at No. 12."

- Joe Kaiser

brandon3000 · Jun 27, 2012

I also didn't realize that Kyrie and Kidd-Gilcrest were both jersey boys.... interesting

Animal Thug · Jun 27, 2012

******ed ...

Animal Thug · Jun 27, 2012

Originally Posted by Brandon3000

I also didn't realize that Kyrie and Kidd-Gilcrest were both jersey boys.... interesting
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They played high school ball together. Same team and all.

brandon3000 · Jun 28, 2012

MKG MKG MKG MKG MKG

Animal Thug · Jun 28, 2012

...or Beal please lol.

I'll be happy with either/or; though I believe in the long run - Beal will be the superstar of the draft.

senorroboto2k5 · Jun 28, 2012

How far along is Tristan Thompson? Compare him to another player that you expect him to be like this next year.

Cavs have an exciting team if/when they nab a good wing tonight. Redd would be a great fit if they draft MKG or Barnes. Then they can hopefully build a bench through FA.

brandon3000 · Jun 28, 2012

Originally Posted by SenorRoboto2k5

How far along is Tristan Thompson? Compare him to another player that you expect him to be like this next year.

Cavs have an exciting team if/when they nab a good wing tonight. Redd would be a great fit if they draft MKG or Barnes. Then they can hopefully build a bench through FA.
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Right Now Tristan is developing. His game is mostly in the paint rebounding and defending and he's made strides with his FT shooting but offensively hes pretty one dimensional. I would love to see his jumper get better, right now its poor.

and Barnes had trouble defending my Ohio Bobcats in the tourney this year... IDK man.

MKG is great on defense and thats something that WE NEED RIGHT AWAY. his quick hands and ability to run the floor with Kyrie is what i find most enticing.

Animal Thug · Jun 28, 2012

Barnes is slightly overrated.

Would be fun to watch Kyrie and Kidd-Gilchrist play all over again, not going to lie..

..I would also cop a Kidd-Gilchrist jersey ASAP.

senorroboto2k5 · Jun 28, 2012

Does it look like Thompson will end up being at least a worthy player in the rotation? Basically, is he the Jeff Green of the Cavs?

brandon3000 · Jun 28, 2012

I dont understand. someone help me understand

brandon3000 · Jun 29, 2012

Its seems like such a risk. I've had a night to sleep on it and still don't know but we'll have to see the guy play in the pros. Man tho 4th overall? I guess seeing as how MKG was taken idk

crazy dav0 · Jun 29, 2012

should have traded down for lamb @ waiters

crowelliowa34 · Jun 29, 2012

Here is my thoughts at first i was like why didn't we trade down and select Waiters couple picks down? But at the same point i feel the Bobcats threw a curve ball at everyone ik MKG was thought to be the 2nd pick for the longest but slid cause Beal workouts. But a lot of Cavs fans are frowning its crazy cause most f them just want the team to pick the most popular pick smh...But the Zeller pick i was like oh god here we go i feel that if the Cavs was gonna trade all there picks they should of grab Beal but i want Zeller to prove me run i just feel he is another stiff Big we grab but GO Cavs I'm all in

crowelliowa34 · Jun 29, 2012

Yo Brandon dont forte that Westbrook came off the bench as the 6th man himself at UCLA not saying Waiters but give him some time to pay with the team you know we got a long offseason to see how he will perform also summer league here in couple weeks so we will get our first look at him soon the kid is a baller though. like oct people some guys are good in certain systems...But Tristan Thompson i feel has to come up big for us this year to me he is a young varjo at the moment pays hard love his effort be we needed a big that can somewhat spread the floor

Animal Thug · Jun 29, 2012

My initial reaction to our draft was like everybody else's. SHOCKED, UPSET...confused.
But after really looking at our options after MKG and Beal were gone, and looking at what we NEEDED - Waiters makes so much sense. Cavs GM Chris Grant and Byron Scott were adamant on adding a wing shooter who can take the scoring load off of Kyrie. I remember watching him play for 'Cuse and thinking he had lots of potential, and the only reason why he didn't start was because of the seniors that were there before him.

We got Tyler for steal.

Still think Barnes is overrated, and obviously the Cavs do too. He got bodied by Beal in the workouts, and that alone gave Cavs the idea that he couldn't create his own offense.

Time will tell for Dion...

brandon3000 · Jun 30, 2012

I'm looking forward to summer league. you guys are making some very good points and have helped me change my opinion a bit.

kevin cleveland · Jun 30, 2012

Kevin Jones.

brandon3000 · Jun 30, 2012

Cavs make RFA offer to Alonzo Gee

CLEVELAND -- The Cavaliers have extended a $2.7 million qualifying offer to swingman Alonzo Gee, making him a restricted free agent.

The club can match any offer made during the free agency signing period to Gee, who averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 63 games -- 31 starts -- last season.

Gee was one of the Cavs' most improved players and general manager Chris Grant said keeping the former D-League player "is a priority for us." Gee began the season as a reserve but worked his way into the starting lineup.

Gee is expected to draw interest from other teams.

Also, the Cavs extended a $1 million qualifying offer to forward Luke Harangody. The team has not yet decided whether to make an offer to backup center Semih Erden.

i actually watched Gee develop and become better this past season.... however i do think he can earn more money than that. I wouldn't be mad if he accepted a better offer. we do have luke walton already on the roster but Gee played well last season
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rko2004 · Jun 30, 2012

Originally Posted by Kevin Cleveland

Kevin Jones.
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I love his game. Its all about how far he pushes himself from this point. I hope he makes the team and becomes a key player for years to come.

brandon3000 · Jul 3, 2012

About Dion Waiters (By A Syracuse Fan)
by eraulli on Jun 30, 2012 5:47 PM CDT

29 COMMENTS EMAIL PRINT
{Editor's note: Front Page'd}

Since the Cavs drafted Dion Waiters at #4 I've seen a lot of mixed reactions from Cavs fans. Some have concerns about his character, others about why he came off the bench, and others wonder how he could be considered a dominant scorer despite averaging only 12.6 per game. So I thought it might be helpful to address these issues since I've been following the Syracuse Orange as long as I can remember. But just to give you an idea how highly I regard him, he is the reason I am now a Cavaliers fan. The last player time I felt that strongly about a Syracuse player it was Carmelo Anthony in 2003. He may or may not become the scorer that Carmelo is, but I believe he can become a more complete player (since we all know Carmelo doesn't play defense...). More after the jump.

So, let's start with question #1: What happened between him and Boeheim in his first year at Syracuse?
Dion Waiters was regarded as the #2 SG prospect coming out of high school in 2010. As such, he expected to be a starter right away (For comparison, last year the #2 SG coming out of high school was Bradley Beal). Needless to say, that isn't the way it worked out. Jim Boeheim doesn't like to start freshman, especially if he has more experienced players on the roster. Also, Dion wasn't putting in a lot of effort on defense, which is the quickest way to get benched at Syracuse. He only got 16.3 mpg his first season, and so he considered transferring. But, instead of taking the easy way out, Dion decided to stick around, accept his role coming off the bench, and give his best effort in his sophomore season. In my opinion, that decision shows more about his character than the troubles he had in his freshman year. Also note that this situation is not uncommon at Syracuse. Last year Michael Carter-Williams (the #4 SG in his class behind Bradley Beal and Austin Rivers) received only 7.7 mpg due to the players in front of him. He didn't like it either, but Dion helped him to adjust his attitude, relating his experience during his freshman year.

Question #2: Why did he come off the bench?

Well, in a 3 guard rotation somebody has to start the game on the bench. Last year Scoop Jardine got 25.2 mpg, Dion got 24.1 mpg, and Brandon Triche got 22.7 mpg, so they all played the same amount. It is noteworthy, though, that Dion was always on the court at the end of close games, often being used as the PG over senior Scoop Jardine in those situations.

Question #3: How is he considered a dynamic scorer after averaging only 12.6 ppg?

Because he did it in only 24.1 minutes. If you convert that to points per 40 minutes, he scored 21.0 per 40. For comparison, 23.6 per 40 by John Jenkins is the highest on a team that won an NCAA tournament game. Also consider that he did this despite playing on a team that was 10 deep and had 6 different players score 19 pts or more in a game over the course of the season.

Question #4: How does he compare to the other elite prospects?

For this question, I am going to compare his numbers to the other #2 guards taken in the lottery: Bradley Beal, Terrence Ross, Austin Rivers, and Jeremy Lamb. All stats are based off of 40 minutes.

Offense

FG attempts per 40: Waiters = 16.03 / Beal = 12.41 / Ross = 17.28 / Rivers = 14.24 / Lamb = 14.34 [ Took the initiative more than most, but not quite the ball hog that Ross was ;-) ]

Percentage of FGA that were 2 pointers: Waiters = 68.3% / Beal = 52.7% / Ross = 58.7% / Rivers = 60.4% / Lamb = 53.5% [ As you can see, he drives much more often than the others ]

2 point FG%: Waiters = 52.9% / Beal = 54.1% / Ross = 51.8% / Rivers = 47.7% / Lamb = 60.1% [ Still very efficient despite shooting more 2 pointers than any of the others ]

3 point FG%: Waiters = 36.3% / Beal = 33.9% / Ross = 37.1% / Rivers = 36.5% / Lamb = 33.6% [ Although he didn't attempt as many 3 pointers as the others, he was efficient when he did shoot them ]

Free Throw %: Waiters = 72.9% / Beal = 76.9% / Ross = 77.4% / Rivers = 65.8% / Lamb = 81.0% [ Solid but unspectacular ]

FTAs per 40: Waiters = 5.30 / Beal = 5.46 / Ross = 3.42 / Rivers = 6.52 / Lamb = 3.82 [ Rivers excelled here, but Waiters & Beal were both very solid ]

Points per 40: Waiters = 20.97 / Beal = 17.24 / Ross = 21. 10 / Rivers = 18.67 / Lamb = 19.05 [ Ross & Waiters led the pack here ]

Assists per 40: Waiters = 4.13 / Beal = 2.62 / Ross = 1.80 / Rivers = 2.52 / Lamb = 1.83 [ Waiters creates for his teammates much better than the others ]

Turnovers per 40: Waiters = 2.15 / Beal = 2.49 / Ross = 2.57 / Rivers = 2.80 / Lamb = 2.15 [ Waiters & Lamb take care of the ball better than the others, though all were pretty solid here ]

Conclusions: Waiters is more aggressive than most #2 guards, but he not to the point where his shooting becomes inefficient. He puts up solid numbers in 2P%, 3P% and FT% so while shooting isn't his strength it also isn't a weakness. He uses his ability to drive to create opportunities for his teammates, and he is a skilled passer, turning it over less than the other guards despite passing more often. Overall he has many strengths offensively and nothing that stands out as a weakness.

Just from watching him at Syracuse I can tell you that he is an absolute beast in transition, but could improve in the half-court offense. He sometimes settles for a tough shot rather than passing, something he will need to adjust if he wants to become great rather than just very good. If he learns to trust his teammates to knock down the open shot, he could become a devastating offensive force.

Defense

Defensive stats definitely don't tell the whole story, but we can still learn a little from them.

Rebounds per 40: Waiters = 3.82 / Beal = 7.86 / Ross = 8.27 / Rivers = 4.07 / Lamb = 5.24 [ Not a strength for Dion. While the 2-3 zone contributes partly to his low numbers, he was only 3rd out of the 4 guards at Syracuse in this stat. In a man to man defense he will probably be closer to Lamb than Rivers, but this is definitely a weakness of his ]

Blocks per 40: Waiters = 0.54 / Beal = 0.98 / Ross = 1.21 / Rivers = 0.04 / Lamb = 0.66 [ Also not a strength, but not as bad as rebounding. His height is likely a factor in these 2 stats ]

Steals per 40: Waiters = 3.01 / Beal = 1.61 / Ross = 1.62 / Rivers = 1.17 / Lamb = 1.33 [ Great numbers for Dion, however this also is partly because of the 2-3 zone. That said, he easily led the team in steals, so I do expect that he will continue to outperform the others in this category ]

Fouls per 40: Waiters = 3.10 / Beal = 2.40 / Ross = 3.64 / Rivers = 2.69 / Lamb = 1.80 [ He seems to be more aggressive than the others, especially when you consider that Syracuse was rarely playing from behind. Potentially an issue at the next level when his team won't have a 34-3 record, since he did foul out when they lost the final game of the year ]

Conclusions: Waiters is not a very tall guard, as such he isn't a very good rebounder or shot blocker for his position. He may struggle keeping taller guards from getting offensive boards. However, he is a very aggressive and effective on ball defender, creating lots of steals which lead into his greatest strength: transition offense. He may need to learn to temper his aggression a bit to stay out of foul trouble, but overall he should be an above average to very good defender, especially if he has someone behind him who can clean the glass.

After looking at all the numbers, I believe Dion will be the best offensive player of the bunch and a solid defender. Beal and Ross might be more complete on the defensive end, but they won't put as much pressure on the ball handler as Waiters. He does have some weaknesses, but I think they are definitely outweighed by his strengths. He might be just what the Cavs need.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Also, as a new Cavs fan I know very little about the team. If anyone wants to write a post helping us Waiters fans learn about the team we'd appreciate it
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Animal Thug · Jul 3, 2012

Ever since the draft has ended, I've heard nothing BUT great things about Waiters. Everyone is up on this guy. Most people are shocked that we drafted a player who didn't even start for 'Cuse, but most don't realize he played more minutes than the starters did. Boeheim used them similar to how OKC used Harden, precisely.
It's crazy; looking at those PER-40 stats that B posted - Waiters is literally *#%+*##+ on every other SG prospect in the draft . If Waiters becomes a better overall player than Beal is in the first year; Chris Grant & Co. will look geniuses. I'm absolutely in love with the Zeller pick. Dude is a legit 7'0 beast. Zydrunas will be his best mentor.

Can't believe we were able to pick up Kevin Jones. The whole night after the draft, I thought he was drafted in the 2nd round. Than when I woke up the next morning and seen the Cavs had picked him up, I was ecstatic!

Here's some info I took from the Cavs board:

(Windy = Brian Windhorst)

Windy was on WKNR this morning, here is a recap:

-Cavs were in an interesting position with a top 4 pick and 3 other draft picks. They could move up or down and the Cavs allowed Windy to go into the war room.
-Windy was there the whole draft. The Cavs thought the Bobcats made a deal with another team during the draft. There was no conversation when the Bobcats were on the clock. The Cavs thought they were going to make a deal but they thought the Bobcats used the Cavs offer to up someone else's offer. The Cavs were frustrated because they thought they got outbid.
-The Cavs would have taken MKG at #2 or Waiters at #4. It came down to Barnes vs. Waiters and they decided on Waiters. Once MKG was gone, it became Waiters.
-He said imagine the amount of work and research you think the Cavs did and take it 4 levels further, thats how much work they did on Waiters and the #4 pick. The further research they did on players, the more Waiters came up. Byron was in love with him.
-The Cavs interviewed other players from the Big East and they asked who was the toughest player they went up against last year, a lot of players said Dion Waiters. The depth of the research goes way beyond his numbers and playing time.
-Waiters coming off the bench, his minutes or basic stats did not matter one iota to the Cavs. Grant and Co. spent countless hours and dollars (hundreds of thousands) into the draft process and were constantly traveling. Windy mentioned he ran into Chris Grant twice during the year on the road.
-The Cavs didn't do this because of shock value or risk, they spent a lot of time making this pick. The Cavs liked Thomas Robinson, he would've been a serious possibility if we didnt have TT. MKG, Waiters, Beal and Barnes were the four guys on the board.
-When we compare the draft picks, it will be Barnes vs. Waiters because thats who the Cavs were deciding between.
-The talks with GS had to do with the Cavs moving back to #7, because the Warriors would have taken Barnes at #4 but the Warriors didn't have a lot of assets and were not offering enough.
-The Cavs never met with Waiters and Windy thought it was interesting. The Cavs value meeting players one on one. When players are brought in to work out, the work outs themselves dont matter, its actually meeting with the guys and talking to them. Each player brought in goes to dinner twice, once with the coaching staff and one with the front office. They value getting to know these guys.
-Windy thinks that the the Cavs maybe felt so strongly about Waiters, they thought a meeting wasn't worth having. The Cavs didnt have a meeting with Zeller either but they had a lot more information on him.
-The Cavs were excited about getting Zeller because no draft picks were getting moved around (2 deals all night). When Leonard went #11, the Cavs had Zeller slated there. The Cavs had Zeller top 12 on their draft board and to get him at 17 was great to the Cavs and he will play right away.
-Teams not meeting with players happens all the time. The Cavs did stick their neck out here but if Barnes didn't work out, the Cavs wouldn't be criticized, it would have been Barnes getting the flack. If Waiters doesn't work out, then its on the Cavs. This is because people spent two years watching Barnes and knew who he was, since Waiters is unknown, the flak goes to the Cavs.
-This has been seen throughout the NBA, teams have a direct decision to make (one or the other). OKC is an example about them taking Russ Westbrook and that no one thinks twice about it. When they took Russ, people said the Thunder were going backwards but no one says anything now.
-Everyone in the draft room were comfortable with Waiters. Dan Gilbert trusts his guys and you dont know what decision will make or break a teams future. The Cavs needed to get a star out of this draft and they are trying to hit a home run with Waiters. Chris Grant knows his tenure will be decided on what he does on draft night. Last year he got 2 of the top 10 players in the draft and they feel like they got 2 of the top 11 players in this draft.
-The organization feels Waiters was the correct pick. It was not a willy nilly pick, they really did their homework, they felt Waiters was the best choice at #4. Their process led them to this pick.
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brandon3000 · Jul 3, 2012

I gotta admit i was and i still am a bit skeptical but we'll see... check out the summer league schedule. Kyrie Dion Tristan Zeller and Kevin Jones should be in attendance.

Sunday, July 15, 7:30 pm, Cleveland vs. Charlotte

Monday, July 16, 7:00 pm, Cleveland vs. NBA D-League

Tuesday, July 17, 7:30 pm, Cleveland vs. Phoenix

Thursday, July 19, 7:00 pm, Cleveland vs. Minnesota

Friday, July 20, 3:00 pm, Cleveland vs. New York

Stay tuned during that week as Conrad will be at the Summer League providing some great access to all five games.

brandon3000 · Jul 3, 2012

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╬:::OFFICIAL CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 2013 Season Thread::: ╬ Cavs Win 2013 #1 Draft Pick in Lottery!!!!

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