Hey, Cavalier fans and CavFanatics. It’s A.C., checking in exactly one week before Training Camp gets going.
The guys have been working out down at Cleveland Clinic Courts. And right about now, they’re chomping at the bit to get after it. It’s a hungry young team – and I think we’re in for a fun season.
Looking forward, I think the 2 and the 3 are where we have to get points from on a consistent basis. If we have a problem, it’s going to be there. And one of those two guys – Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles – if not both of them, is going to have to bring it. And by that, I mean averaging double-figures, even if they’re coming off the bench.
We need points from the 2 and the 3, and we have to find a way to get them. Whoever delivers them, I don’t care. I just want to make sure that all the pressure doesn’t fall on Kyrie Irving.
You can’t put it all on him because he’ll break down if you do. Not too many point guards have really done it for a whole season like that since Tiny Archibald – just dominating for a team the whole year. Carrying a team as a point guard for an entire season is a tough thing to do. We can’t put it all on him this year.
Dion Waiters will have to assume some of the ball-handling duties, too. He’s almost like Kyrie as far as that’s concerned. He’s not a typical jump-shooter at two-guard. That’ll help to have two guys out there who can create off the dribble. It’ll help the offense run smoothly and not get stagnant.
I’m looking for some of last year’s youngsters to make a step up – guys like Tristan Thompson. He looks like he added some upper-body strength. And he’s added the knowledge. The last part of the season – being able to start – helped him big time. I’m looking for him to step up because you’ve got to give some support to Andy. You can’t put it all on him, either.
I really like Samardo. He looks totally different now that he’s dropped some weight. I’m looking for him to play well too. And I think C.J. will break out, too. He’s always been waiting for that opportunity – and he’s got it now. I’m expecting him to break out.
Either way, someone has to emerge as the second scorer behind Kyrie. And we need that bad.
Like they do with any great player, teams will start game-planning for Kyrie. Teams are going to start packing the lane to make sure he doesn’t have a clear path to the basket.
This year, Kyrie’s going to have to be not just the team’s best player, but its leader as well.
A lot of the leadership is going to come from Coach. But Kyrie’s going to have to grow up fast. He’s going to be force-fed that aspect of his development. As a player, he’s almost there now. He’s very mature as a player. But leadership is where he needs to step up and earn his badge of honor. He’s got to learn to be the Man.
Last year, as a rookie, naturally he was reluctant. I was reluctant during my rookie year. But after you play a while, you realize that the team looks to you for leadership. And that’s the area in which Kyrie’s going to have to make his growth this year.
One thing about basketball – like most sports – the best player commands that leadership role, unless there’s a veteran that’s been around a dozen years or so. (And the Cavaliers don’t really have that guy this year.) Andy’s going to have to step up and be more than a supporting cast member. He might have to be that guy, as well. But Andy leads more by example.
But I think Kyrie will be able to handle the leadership role. He just needs to realize that he’ll need to be more than a good basketball player to contribute. He has to be a leader. Where this team is going to go, he’ll have to take them.
He’ll be fine. Kyrie’s a grown-up. But I think Coach will show him how to lead. And once coach turns him loose, it’ll be up to him.
Coach Scott is starting to get the type of players that he wants – guys who can, and are willing, to play his style. The third year is usually Byron’s year. It gives him time to weed out the guys who can't or don't want to understand his system. That third year, he’s got enough guys that understand and have bought into his system.
Like I said earlier, this will be a fun young team to root for. I’m really curious to see how the youngsters on the front line perform.
The bigs are athletic, they have good size and they can run. And the biggest thing – they’re hungry. Now the key is: how do you use that energy to be productive?
They’re going to take their bumps and bruises because they’re young. But I just think they’ll develop into a solid unit. And they need to keep tread on Anderson’s tires this year.
You don’t need Andy out there killing himself. You need players out there to support him. That’s the key. You need a 3 or a 4 who can score. It’ll take so much pressure off him. His points should be gravy. You don’t want to depend on Anderson’s points to be your main points. You want those to be added points. Then, he can play the rest of his game the way he plays it.
One week away from Camp, we are way better on paper than we were a year ago. (And I believe had we stayed healthy last year, we’d have challenged for the 8th playoff spot last year.)
The big question mark is: Who will be our Jamison? That’ll be the key. We need to find another player on that roster who can give us the consistent point production as Jamison. If we find that, we have something. You just can’t put all the pressure on Kyrie and Andy.