Kyrie Irving helps Cavs get back on track, drop Detroit 105-89

Does anybody else love this team?

I know, I know.. we've only beaten the Detroit Pistons and we're 1-1 on the season.  But there's something about this team that I'm already quickly falling in love with.  They're actually fun to watch, something that couldn't be said most nights last season when the dark cloud fell over the city.

Kyrie Irving running the point has energized this team and franchise.  You can see it in the way they play.  Irving's pace of play and unique style are bringing a new-found love for basketball in Cleveland.  5 impressive assists and 12 points in the 1st half gave the Cavs an 11 point lead heading into halftime.

Kyrie Irving makes everyone around him better, and I'm happy to admit I was wrong in rating Derrick Williams higher on my highly revered draft board.

Interestingly enough, Irving didn't play much in the 4th quarter as the Cavs turned the game into a 2011 version of NBA Street, with dunks left and right from Samardo, Thompson, Varejao,and even Jamison.  Sessions remained at the point guard spot, securing a huge victory for the Cavs to even up the record at 1-1 heading into Indiana on Friday.

Ramon Sessions is running the second team extremely well, and the bench is a big reason why I have faith in this year's team.  Sessions has shockingly developed into a perimeter threat, and that will work in our favor to keep defenses' honest throughout the season.

The key to the Cavaliers is that they really do play like a team.  One guy isn't dominating the ball, taking all the shots as we've seen in years past.

Omar Casspi brings a tough defensive minded presence on the floor;  Casspi and Alonzo Gee give the Cavs much-needed defense and size at the guard position.  The defense was key in the 1st half, as the Cavs were scrambling to contest shots and hitting the offensive boards.  Come to think of it, the defense throughout the entire game was in large part why we handed Detroit a 16 point defeat.

There's also the re-vamped play and revitalization of Anderson Varejao, who seems to have more energy than I can ever remember.  His contributions go well beyond the stat line, and offensive rebounding and tip-out abililties can't be overstated.

The Cavaliers bench is surprisingly strong this year.  Led by Sessions and Tristan Thompson (who slammed home a ridiculous 2 handed jam in the face of Ben Wallace) the guys off the bench are really providing a spark and uptempo feel to the already fast-feel of the team.  Serves Ben right for not living up to his contract in a Cavaliers uniform.  Even Samardo Samuels played well off the bench in his first action of the season prompting Dan Gilbert to tweet "Samardooooooooooooo!"

The only problem I saw was that Manny Harris was missing from the lineup. 

One day he'll be inducted into the hall of fame, and we'll remember Chris Grant for letting the Michigan legend find greatness somewhere else. 

That being said, Manny recently signed with the Cavaliers D-league affiliate, the Canton Charge.  In other future hall of fame news, Ricky Davis signed with the Maine Red Claws, another NBDL team. 

The Canton Charge will play the Maine Red Claws in a game soon.  Are you putting together what I just said?  Manny Harris will play against Ricky Davis in a game of basketball.  Depending on who you ask, that means that two former Cavalier legends are facing off in a D-league game.  How such greatness can be playing anywhere other than the Association is a mystery to us all.

Forgetting Harris and focusing on the now, the Cavaliers are shaping up surprisingly well with limited talent beyond Irving.  At the very least, we'll be entertaining to watch throughout the season.  Watching Irving's development and chemistry with the other players will be intriguing. 

Look for a tough battle in Indiana on Friday against Danny Granger's undefeated squad. 2 games down, 64 to go.  Can the Cavaliers string together back-to-back wins this early in the season?

The Cleveland Cavaliers draft Kyrie Irving #1 overall, miss out on Derrick Williams

The 2011 NBA Draft came and went, without any major surprises.

In my (highly esteemed and well-regarded) opinion, the Cavaliers did not make the best selection to benefit the franchise moving forward.

Sure, Kyrie Irving has potential to be a great point guard in the NBA. Many draft experts saw him as the consensus overall #1, and Derrick Williams the obvious #2 pick in this year's meager version of the draft.

While I knew the Cavs front office would fall prey to the Irving hype and speculation, I still held out hope that they would take the more talented player in Derrick Williams. 

For some reason I can't explain, I thought Chris Grant might go against the grain, and surprise people by taking the Arizona stud.  As I sat and pondered what had happened, I felt a mix of disappointment and frustration. 

Kyrie Irving is going to be a good player, there's no question about it.  But how do you take the Duke Disappearing Act #1 overall when he played in 11 games last season, and missed 26?  Whether or not his toe issue lingers on moving forward is a serious concern.  Irving and his team would like you to believe that it's a thing of the past, and it won't affect him throughout his NBA career.  If that is the case, then why does he need a specialized shoe made to prevent future injury?

Derrick Williams is the player the Cavaliers should have drafted, and I stand by that statement.  Cavs fans need somebody who can provide the excitement that left this team when the Choke Artist left for his "not 1, not 2, not 7 or 8 rings" in South Beach.  How'd that work out for you LeBron?

Williams has many things Irving does not: Size, leaping ability, dunking prowess, and a resume to back it up.  D-Will was one of the best players in this year's NCAA Tournament, where was Kyrie Irving?   

While I will eventually embrace Kyrie Irving and hope to be proven wrong in the next few years, I am not overly thrilled with the selection and don't feel like we took the most talented player on the board.

All I'm saying is, if I'm spending a #1 lottery pick on a player, I need to be sure about him and feel he's going to make my team better immediately.  The sad truth is, that Irving might be backing Baron Davis this season. 

All that being said, I feel that Kyrie will be a good player, and I hope he surpasses my expectations in the upcoming season. 

That is, if there is a season.

            

Cavaliers win the NBA Draft lottery, Will select 1st and 4th overall

Cleveland needed a miracle, and they got one last night.  The ping-pong balls bounced the Cavaliers' way, and we won the NBA draft lottery.  Thanks to the pick from the Clippers, we also secured the #4 overall pick.

Talk about the kind of night we needed.  The last time an NBA team had two picks in the top 4 goes all the way back to the 1982 Houston Rockets.

Duke guard Kyrie Irving is now within the Cavaliers' sights, but no one really knows how GM Chris Grant will choose to use these picks.  Other contenders are Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, Kemba Walker, and Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight. 

This gives the Cleveland faithful a reason to cheer.  Things have been going the city's way since the NBA regular season ended.  The Indians are in first place, the Browns had a great draft, Peyton Hillis on the cover of Madden 12 and now the Cavaliers winning the NBA draft lottery.

When rebuilding an NBA franchise, you need a rapid infusion of young talent.  With two of the top 4 picks, the Cavaliers will have exactly that as we move into the future. If this is a sign of things to come, things look good for the state of our franchise.  This will surely motivate Dan Gilbert to continue to back his promise of turning this team into a contender again.      

       

NBA draft lottery: Our hopes lie in ping pong balls

After one of the least productive seasons in franchise history, its time for things to go the Cavaliers way. Tonight marks the first step in that direction, with the draft lottery. I've never been more excited abput watching ping pong balls fly since the last time I dominated in beer pong.

I have a lot of faith in the current GM Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert's intention to turn this team into an immediate contender. I'm pretty sure no one thought the Indians would be very good this year, but yet they manage to defy expectations and currently sit atop the AL central. Why not the Cavaliers next season?

Bring in a Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving, use the trade exception to land a proven big man, and this team is not that far out from the 8th seed in the playoffs. (which Andrew Polansky will vehemently tell you is the worst spot for an NBA franchise)

Kyrie is being touted as the likely #1 overall pick, but on what basis?  He played in only a handful of games last year.  Sure, he has a silky smoot jumper, but his foot injury will cause him to wear a special shoe for the rest of his basketball career.  Personally, I favor Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker. In that order. 

Williams is the scoring small forward we need (and a power dunking juggernaut), and Kemba is a clutch shooter.  LeBron James is not walking through that door; we need to land someone with at least the potential to become a star.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the highest percentage of landing the #1 spot, with a 25% chance.  Unforunately for the team that drafted Ricky Rubio, the last time the team with the most ping pong balls won the #1 pick was in 2004.  It just doesn't always work out.  The Cavaliers have the second most ping pong balls. The drama will take place on ESPN at 8:30.

The hopes for this franchise lie in this and the next few drafts, so we need the balls to bounce our way. Thanks to the Clippers, we will likely have two top 10 picks. A la Kobe Byant, "You can call me crazy" but I see a monumental turnaround for this franchise in the next few years. Under the radar, just where we like to be. It's the Cleveland way.

                             

Madness and some notes

The Cavaliers won't play again until Sunday against the Thunder, but in the mean time here are some things I'd like to point out.

- It's March and I believe every college basketball fan knows what that means. March Madness is right around the corner and what better way to start the Madness than with the Big East Tournament. I feel sorry for Rutgers, the refs decieded to not officiate the final minute and that may have costed them the game.

- Anyone see that sick step-back from UConn's Kemba Walker? Walker broke that dude's ankle and then pulled up for a winner. If the Cavaliers don't get the top pick in the draft we might have to take a hard look at a Kemba/Sullinger combo or if Enes Kanter enters the draft I would like to see him in a Cleveland uniform.

- If the Cavaliers do win the draft lottery I'm still sold on Kyrie Irving, I think he could be a top point guard in the league down the road. I would'nt mind seeing a Irving/Barnes combo if we do win the draft, that way our backcourt is solved for a long time.

- Perry Jones is a mess right now and I was totally sold on him before this whole inelgible thing popped-up. I'm not so sure on him right now, I wanted to see him play in the tournament however I don't even think Baylor will get in.

- Ramon Sessions has struggled since Baron Davis has came to Cleveland. He is still the starter for now, but things could and should change. Davis has been the best player since the trade averaging just over 17 points a game.

- Speaking of Baron, he left the team due to his grandmother dying. It is not known when he will return. All thoughts and prayers go out to Baron and his family.

Go Cavs