Brown Out

Last week Mike Brown was let go by the Cavs. This was a widely expected move. I always thought MB was a solid coach, but his weaknesses could not be masked in the last 2 years. His inability to make in-game adjustments, develop young players, and handle egos ended up hurting him. Brown was not good at adjusting to his opponent during the game, he rarely played young players (Ferry called for Hickson to start), and LeBron seemed to lose trust in him along with a few other players in the playoffs. He did a great job in terms of team defense as the Cavs were repeatedly at the top of the NBA when it came to defensive rankings. Twice he exceeded expectations by beating the Detroit Pistons in 6 games to make it to the NBA Finals in 2007 and he took the eventual NBA Champion Celtics to 7 games in 2008. The past 2 years the Cavs had the best record in the NBA going into the playoffs, and they exited early each time.

GM Danny Ferry's contract expired at the end of June, but Brian Windhorst is reporting that he will probably be back. Ferry has done a great job of getting good players to put around LeBron James even though we have not won an NBA Championship. I would love to have Ferry back because he does not over pay for players and he is very patient when it comes to trades.

What do the Cavs need now? In my opinion they need a coach who will command respect in the huddle, can coach an offense, develop young players, and make sound in-game adjustments. MB was on and off when it came to playing Shannon Brown and he is currently a rotation player on the LA Lakers, Danny Green rarely played last year even when Delonte was hurt, and MB struggled to give Hickson minutes throughout the season and the playoffs. With Sasha Kaun and Christian Eyenga coming in the next couple years, it is important to find a coach who will develop players. Also, it will be very hard for a coach to commit to the Cavs without knowing what LeBron will do. Here are some candidates for the next Cavs job:

Phil Jackson- Jackson called the Cavs job an "odd" one. His contract expires this year and Lakers owner Jerry Buss is going to ask him to take a $5 million pay cut. Jackson currently is making $12 million and I am sure Cavs owner Dan Gilbert will outspend Buss for Jackson' services. The problem is he already has a great team in LA and his girlfriend is Buss' daughter. Jackson interviewed with Gilbert during our first coaching search, but I think its unlikely he leaves the Lakers.

Coach K- Again I find it hard to believe he will leave Duke. He just won a championship and he rejected a lucrative offer from the Lakers years ago. It will take a lot of money to get him over here. He has solid experience coaching Team USA and the players seem to respect him. I wouldn't mind seeing him here, but again I think its unlikely.

Tom Izzo- Much like Coach K, I don't think Izzo is going anywhere. He is a highly accomplished NCAA coach, and I wouldn't mind seeing him here. It will take a lot of money to pry him away from Michigan State.

Byron Scott- He is an interesting pick because he led the New Jersey Nets to the Finals twice, and he led to the New Orleans Hornets to the Western Conference Finals. He worked well with PG's Jason Kidd and Chris Paul. The problem I have with him is after 2-3 years he seemed to lose control of the locker room and his players seemed happy that he got fired. He appears to be a likely candidate to interview with the Cavs.

Kelvin Sampson- Brian Windhorst reported that Sampson was high up on Ferry's list. I don't know much about Sampson other than the fact the he helped tutor and develop Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee this past year and that he had numerous NCAA infractions at Oklahoma and Indiana. He has no prior head coaching experience in the NBA. He seems like the developmental coach that the Cavs would hire if LeBron left.

Tom Thibodeau- While his name has not been linked with the Cavs, I wouldn't mind Gilbert and Co. interviewing this guy. Everything I have read and heard about Thibodeau is that he is the technician behind the Celtics defense. If he can develop players and command their respect than he would seem like a good fit for the Cavs. It is reported that the Hornets are in deep negotiations with him for their head coaching vacancy.

Larry Brown- He is currently under contract with the Charlotte Bobcats. I personally would like to see him here because he can deal with egos and he does not put up with players shit. He does not like playing young players and he and LeBron did not see eye to eye during the 2004 Olympics. Its highly unlikely the Cavs go after him.

Well I think these are the names you might hear in the coming months. If LeBron re-signs (which I think he will), then look for the Cavs to try and land a big name. If LeBron leaves, then look for a young developmental coach to come on board. Gilbert and Co. shrewdly kept Brown' assistants (Chris Jent, Mike Malone, Melvin Hunt). Jent became LeBron's personal shooting coach and he had input on the offense. Malone was defensive coordinator last year and this past year he took over for John Kuester on the offense. Malone is seen as an upcoming head coach in the NBA. These assistants can asses the NBA Draft and could even stay on with the next coach of the Cavs. It will be a roller coaster ride of an offseason with a new coach, and the uncertainty surrounding LeBron. Buckle up......

Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!

-Raz

The Future is Unwritten

Well the Cavs season came to a quick end last week, and I don't know what to say about it. I am extremely disappointed in the team, and it is sad how everything just vanished so quickly. I put most of the blame on LeBron James as he just did not play well in the series, sans game 3. Everyone keeps talking about what he is going to do this summer, and I don't think LeBron even knows what he is going to do this summer. I think he will stay for a few reasons. One, this is his hometown and he has to know how important it is to build a legacy with one team. Two, he can get more money by re-signing in Cleveland. Three, the Cavs have one of the best owners in the NBA in Dan Gilbert and he has shown LeBron that he will do whatever it takes to bring an NBA Championship to Cleveland. Four, it seems that LeBron no longer has a want for Mike Brown as his head coach anymore and there is little doubt that Brown will be gone in the next few days.

Watching ESPN and other major news media outlets, you would have thought LeBron had already signed with the Chicago Bulls or the New York Knicks. Its funny how bad they want him out of here and they are making it a foregone conclusion that he has already left. Everyone makes it seem like he would do better in New York or New Jersey, but he won't as their teams lack serious depth (Knicks can sign 2 max free agents, but they would have to fill the rest of the roster with min. contracts) and the Nets don't move to Brooklyn for another 2-3 years. Chicago is the toughest player of all in this because they have two young pieces in Derek Rose and Joakim Noah. Would he be willing to play in Jordan's shadow? Would he take a risk of going to a front office that has historically fought with their coaches (physically and verbally)? Would he risk leaving money on the table to become public enemy #1 forever in Ohio? LeBron always talks about how important loyalty is to him and the Cavs have been nothing but that to him. Anything he ever asked for they gave him. After the Celtics series in 2008 he said we need to get better, we got him Mo Williams and JJ Hickson. After we lost to the Magic in 2009, we got Shaq, Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, Danny Green, and Antawn Jamison in a midseason trade. The Cavs have tried their hardest and will continue to try to make the Cavs the best team they can possibly be. Finally, I find it very hard for LeBron to make the argument that he tried his best and couldn't get it done here, because he didn't. It is obvious that he either was hurt or just didn't try hard enough in this series. Had he dropped 40 a game, and we lost the series, then he would be packing his bags now. The reason we lost was mostly on LeBron and his lackluster effort. As Brian Windhorst put it, "The blood of this series is solely on LeBron"...

What do the Cavs do from here? Well I am not going to write my offseason preview here, but I will give you a little taste of what the Cavs SHOULD do.

Hire a new coach
-It is obvious MB lost most of the locker room and that LeBron was longer in his corner. MB's inability to make in-game adjustments killed this team. Playing JJ Hickson zero minutes in game 6 was horrible (in the 108-88 Cavs win in Boston in Feb. Hickson played 23 minutes, had 8 points and a +27 +/-), and playing Jamario Moon 9 minutes was also a dumb move as he should have had more minutes. The strategy to beating the Celtics was pretty simple, run. Shaq can start the quarters playing 4-5 minutes, then you put in Andy, Hickson, Moon, and West. Andy should have been guarding KG, not a combination of Z, Shaq, and Jamison. It was tactical errors like this during games that cost the Cavs. Also, MB has not been an expert at developing talent as Shannon Brown is now a rotation player on the champion LA Lakers. While I thought MB was a great defensive coach and an overall solid coach, I think his inability to make adjustments in games really hurt the Cavs. I think the newest coach will have a great impact on whether LeBron stays or goes. If the Cavs can get themselves a big name who LeBron will respect, then I think it only helps out chances. Later, I will write who I believe should coach the Cavs next year.

Buy a draft pick
-This team needs to continue to get younger and surround itself with young talent. The Minnesota Timberwolves have 3 first round picks, The OKC Thunder have 2 first round picks, and the Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in selling their first round pick as well. Dan Gilbert has deep pockets and must be willing to spend $2-3 million on a first round pick.

Keep GM Danny Ferry
-Ferry's contract is up after this year, but I would love to have him back. He turned around as a GM after his horrible signings of Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones. He drafted Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson, JJ Hickson, and Danny Green. He got Mo Williams for Damon Jones, Jamison for a first round pick, Shaq for nothing, and signed Parker and Moon to small cheap contracts. He re-signed Andy at a reasonable price and put team options on the last years of Andy's, Boobie's, and Moon's contracts. He did a great job of taking advantage of other teams financial hardships by acquiring talent for pennies on the dollar.

Use the expirings of West/Parker/Moon/Telfair
-The Cavs have about $13 million worth of expirings between these 4 guys. Moon's deal goes until next year, but it is a team option so a team can decline the option and not pay his salary. West' deal is a super expiring contract as he is due $4.6 million but a team can buy him out for $500,000 and not pay the rest of his salary. West could be hard to trade as his mental issues took a toll on him this past year and his pending legal case (will probably be settled). Use these expirings to acquire some young talent, draft picks, or as a package with JJ Hickson. Expiring deals are very valuable in the NBA now a days.

Put everyone on the trade market
-Make everyone on the Cavs available. Seriously, the Cavs need to find a trust #2 guy, and they must find a way to do so. By putting the expirings of the 4 players listed above, a high energy bigman Andy, a young developing big man in Hickson, a solid PG in Mo, one of the best 3 point shooters in the NBA Daniel Gibson on the market, the Cavs could get some interesting offers.

Bring Sasha Kaun and Christian Eyenga to the Cavs
-I think it is quite obvious that Shaq will not be back here next year as he feuded with MB over minutes. Z is basically finished and the Cavs need a legit C. Sasha Kaun has improved greatly overseas and he could provide the team with a solid backup C. He has size (7'0) and solid rebounding and defensive abilities. Eyenga would be brought over because he his minutes overseas have been spotty, and there will probably be an opportunity for him to play here. With a new coach coming in he will probably get more minutes than if MB was our coach and I don't think your going to see a combination of Parker/West/Gibson here next year. Eyenga has amazing athleticism, solid size (6'5), and a good defender. He still has a shaky jumper. If he could develop a solid shot, I see a lot of Mickael Pietrus in him.

Well, I think this just about does it. I say all this assuming LeBron re-signs. If he doesn't I have no idea what should happen. My next blog will get into specifics about how we should use our Mid Level Exception and what coaches to bring in. It is going to be a wild couple months and we're going to hear a lot of crazy rumors. The key is to decipher the ones who come from solid sources (Brian Windhorst) from bad ones (New York Daily News). Keep your head up and go Cleveland!

-Raz

Cleveland, We have a problem

Well, I don't even think its necessary to talk about the loss last night against the Celtics. In general this Cavs team has played with no heart, no desire, no passion, and no hustle. They thought this Celtics team would just roll over and they didn't. This team is over and done with, they aren't going to win game 6 in Boston.

I think there are some bigger issues arising with this team and Brian Windhorst pointed them out pretty clearly last night. He is reporting that there are some chemistry problems right now. Players are upset with Mike Brown's erratic rotation and in-game adjustments. LeBron seems to be not taking an active leadership role since this series began. After our game 2 loss, he went to the podium completley stoic, while MB was pulling the fire alarm.

I ask myself why is LeBron playing the way he is? He had 3 field goals all last game. I have a couple reasons for why he seems disinterested out there. One, he is unsatisfied with MB, and no longer trusts him. I can believe this because MB is not a master of in-game adjustments (which confuses our players), and these two seem to be echoing two different trains of thought. MB is trying to warn the team to wake up, while LeBron is saying "We'll get them next game". Often times player and coaches echo the same tune when it comes to post-game press conferences, but this has not been the case. Also after game 4, Shaq did not speak to the media as he was upset that he did not play in the 4th quarter. Shaq is known to have a massive ego, and while we haven't seen much of it, it seems to be flaring up now. If LeBron is indeed tuning out MB, he is doing it at the worst time. He needs to be a man and just go out there and play as hard as he can and not use this series as an excuse to get rid of your coach. The problem lies even deeper than LeBron can do this because he knows every single team in the NBA would do anything to get their hands on him, teams will still want to sign him despite what happens in this series.

The second issue I see is LeBron's elbow is much more injured then we have been led to believe. Although the team has done an MRI on his elbow, LeBron has not been the same "attack mode" player we are used to seeing in the playoffs and regular season. He was settling for jumpers yesturday and was not taking an active role in the offense. I wouldn't be suprised if in a few weeks from now we heard that LeBron's elbow was a much more serious injury than previously reported.

What do I make of this series debacle? For one, I am shocked. I knew this team sometimes would get complacent, but not for stretches of 3-4 games. I knew if this team turned the light on and kept it on that no team would beat us in a 7 game series. Who do I point the blame at? 2 people, LeBron James for one, especially if he is trying to show up Mike Brown by playing disinterested basketball, and two Mike Brown for not being able to enable the trust of his players in the most important time of the year and get on the same page with all of them. His inability to manage in-game adjustments has finally taken precedent here. Shaq, Z, and LeBron have all been upset with MB this series, and it is up to him as a coach not only to solve these problems, but to motivate his team. I find it hard to believe that all these chemistry issues will be solved in a matter of 2 days. I don't think I have ever been this dissapointed in a team before in my life. At least the Indians and Browns when they played in high level games showed some fight and heart. Yes, the Orlando Magic were down 3-2 and had to play a game 7 in Boston and won, but I don't see that coming from this team. This team is like the Night of the Living Dead, just a bunch of zombies walking around with no signs of life......

The most important question everyone is asking is LeBron going to stay in Cleveland? I think he is because of the fact that we have a great owner, GM, and we can pay him the most money. The Gilbert/Ferry team has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to put a winner on the court. I defintley MB is fired after we lose this series, so I am sure we will be looking at long list of new coaches (cough cough John Calipari). This offseason is going to be interesting because we have the expirings of Parker/Telfair/West, a reliable 3 point shooter in Gibson, the Mid-Level Exception to sign a free agent, a young piece in Hickson, and the issue of Z/Shaq coming back. This has defintley been an extremely dissapointing season, but it should be a very interesting offseason.....

-Raz