Hey Cavalier fans and CavFanatics! It’s A.C., checking in with just two weeks left before the NBA Draft. What’s happening?
They say this year’s Draft is deep but not top-heavy. I’m good with that because we have a couple holes to fill this offseason.
With all the picks we have, I’d like to see us address both the frontcourt and a backcourt. I don’t care if it’s a new guy, or by trade, or through free agency. The Draft is important, but we also have to bring some “now” guys. We have to bring some players in. I would try to fill with holes with as many as veterans as I can. We have Tristan, Kyrie, Zeller and Dion. That’s four young guys plus however many rookies we bring in with the Draft.
Rookies and youngsters are fine, but you have to have some guys who already know how to get through the maze. Our guys are learning, but they don’t quite know how to get through the yellow brick road.
So basically, not only do we need some “future” guys, we need some “now” guys that have already been through the war – guys that know that you have to play both ends of the floor – realizing that the defensive end is where you win the ballgame. The offensive end is fine. But you have to be willing to stick your nose in there on a nightly basis.
You look at all the teams that survived in the playoffs – and especially the two that ended up in the Finals – and they’re all defensive-minded teams. Teams that don’t – like the Knicks – were out early.
In the Draft, there’s a handful of guys I think the Cavs are looking at with the top pick. They all have strengths and weaknesses and this year there’s not a consensus guy.
I like Noel, but that knee is the biggest problem. But I also want to see if he can fill out. He’s barely over 200 pounds and might be only but 6-10 without all that hair. But he’s an intriguing prospect and would be a nice fit with Mike’s defensive mindset. But you have to have some offensive skills and I wonder: do we have the time to develop him? That’s what it might come down to.
In terms of Ben McLemore, I really like his game. He’s a solid player and he comes from Kansas, so you know he’ll play at both ends of the floor. He’s a good penetrator, shoots the ball well on the move, but is also a great catch-and-shoot guy – and that is what Kyrie needs next to him. When he penetrates – kick it to a guy like that and BOOM!
I know Dion is used to starting and that’s what he wants to do. But I say let them fight it out. With Dion coming off the bench, there’s nobody on a second unit in this league that can stop him. And now WE have the advantage. And he’s better when he has the ball in his hands. Starting or not starting, the most important thing is who finishes, not who starts.That’s how I see it.
Alex Len has an ankle injury so he hasn’t been able to work out much. But he’s an aggressive player and I like that. Because you can’t teach aggressiveness. So I kind of like him. He’s got great size and he plays hard, so he could be good. Offensively he has some challenges, but he’s not bad.
Victor Oladipo is an interesting guy to me. He’s a very good athlete, a very good person. He comes from a solid program, so he knows the game. He knows how important defense is and he doesn’t mind getting in your face. So I really like him.
Otto Porter seems to be slipping out of the conversation, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like him. I’ve heard he doesn’t have the upside of a top pick. But we also need rotation people. And we need better rotation people to improve our team. So he would be a good fit to make sure that we’re strong, 1-through-10.
Either way, it’s going to be an exciting night for the Cavs. And very exciting for the kids getting picked. It’s such a huge production now. They buy you suits and fly you to New York. I found out while I was sitting in class. So it’s a whole different world right now.
I didn’t know I was going to be the No. 1 back then, because Elmore Smith and Sidney Wicks were up there too. My name was being thrown around in the conversation. But I didn’t have any idea I would be the No. 1 pick because they thought that Cleveland would take the big man. But the Cavaliers ended up taking me, and I thank them for doing it.
I didn’t know important being the No. I overall pick was until after it happened. I really didn’t. My whole thing was: I wanted to play pro ball. The rest of it was just trying to make the franchise better. And that’s what I was brought in to do.
The night before, I had talked to my agent and he was telling me what might happen, what could happen. But I had no idea. My class got out around 4 o’clock. I was in art history class and they called the professor out and when he came back in to the classroom said: ‘We have a professional basketball player in our midst. Congratulations, Mr. Carr.’
That’s how it all happened. I didn’t do anything that night. (The next day I did!) But the day it happened, I was just happy. I called my parents and that was it; nothing really spectacular. Now there’s so much fanfare. It’s a big production. And I’m glad for the kids getting picked. That should be a big night for you! It only happens once.
While we’re waiting for the Draft, like most of you, I’ve been checking out the Finals.
To me, it’s ‘team’ against the ‘superstars.’ Even though San Antonio has its own Big Three, there’s not all the hoopla. And they have a little age on them. And I think the key to the whole series now is Tony Parker’s hamstring. If that hamstring is bad, Miami’s going to win. But if that hamstring is good and he can at least be a presence on the floor, then I think San Antonio can win it.
San Antonio really has a knack for frustrating LeBron. They’re actually shrinking the floor on him and they’re making him shoot jumpshots. And LeBron doesn’t want a steady diet of that. Because if he’s not making his shots, that messes with his head. So he wants to get inside and get some fouls. That’s why he’s not getting to the free throw line, because he’s settling for the jumper.
But tonight, I expect Miami to post him up a lot early. And San Antonio will not let him have the baseline and they’ll try to trap him up top. So he’ll have to re-post. You’ll see that a lot tonight. Throw it back out and throw it back in. And what that does is take all the other guys out of the offense.
It’s going to be interesting. If LeBron doesn’t hit on 50 percent of his shots tonight, Miami could be in trouble.
And when the Finals wrap up, I’ll refocus on the Draft. I haven’t been able to focus on my golf game this summer because the weather’s been so terrible. It’s like an extended spring! Pretty soon, it’s going to be July. Then you have two months and by the time September rolls around, we’re back in Cavs mode for the next six months. And I’m not quite ready for that just yet.