Cleveland Sports Forum

I agree Rusty. The Cavs are fun to watch again. Irving is by far more than I expected. Just wish I could watch more games. Can't afford the NBA pass. Only get to see them when they play the Bobcats. ESPN and NBA Network won't show them anytime soon.

Keep an eye on the NBA Network. The Cavs have already been on twice.

Damn, I missed them on NBA network. Guess I'll have pay more attention to the tv guide!

The Cavs with another road win. This time against Charlotte. Kyrie with 25.

I just watched the 4th quarter today. First time I had watched that much of a game since the Lebron homecoming last year. It was a very entertaining game! It looked like the Cavs were going to lose after blowing an 8 point lead down the stretch, but they hung on and won. Kyrie looked great!

Pluto - About the Cavs ...

1. Consider that Kyrie Irving played only 11 games at Duke because of a foot injury. He didn't play much this summer because of the lockout and doing extra rehabilitation on his foot. Friday was his 11th pro game, a 21-point performance in the loss to the Lakers. Irving has averaged 22 points in his last four games on the West Coast -- and it's 22 games since he left high school for the 19-year-old.

2. Or how about this? Since it became 2012, Irving has played eight games. He's averaging 18.4 points, and not just jacking up shots to pile up numbers. He's shooting 51 percent from the field, 48 percent on 3-pointers, 96 percent at the foul line.

3. This from David Thorpe of Scouts Inc. and ESPN.com: "The Cavs knew they were getting a player who would one day be their floor general, as it was always clear Irving knew how to run a team. But they also hoped he would be able to score. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with a point guard who can score (as opposed to a point guard who can only score). ... He can break his man down and get into the teeth of the defense for buckets, fouls or dishes. ... [The Bulls' Derrick] Rose gets 35 percent of his shots near the rim, and Irving is at 34 percent. Of course, Irving is nowhere near the finisher Rose is because he lacks the reigning MVP's power, finesse and experience. But Rose has improved dramatically in this area over the years, and the Cavs hope -- and can expect -- Irving to do likewise."

4. The ability to create a shot when the 24-second clock ticks down is important for a point guard, especially one playing next to a stand-up shooter such as Anthony Parker. Irving is right-handed, so it's natural for defenders to play him to the right. But he often goes to his left -- and shoots layups with his left hand. In fact, scouts are saying he goes to his left too much -- so he may have to change that.

5. Irving shot 90 percent from the foul line at Duke, and he's at 88 percent this season in the NBA. That also is important for a player who drives so much -- he will be fouled. Irving can make the defense pay for that.

6. The first time I talked to Byron Scott about Irving was after the guard had worked out for the Cavs. Scott started by saying that he didn't want to compare Irving to Chris Paul, the All-Star point guard who entered the league with New Orleans when Scott was the coach there. Then he began to talk about how Irving reminded him of Paul in several ways because of both his passing and scoring skills.

7. Let's just say Irving is exactly what this franchise needs. Fans love little guys -- OK, he's 6-2, 195 pounds -- but he looks small compared to most guys on the court. He also has a wonderful spirit and upbeat personality.

8. Guess who is third in the NBA in rebounding? It's Anderson Varejao at 11.3 in 31 minutes a game. No wonder most of the league wants to trade for him -- and why the Cavs are wisely not very interested. I'll never say never, but it would take a blockbuster deal to pry Varejao away during the season.

9. The Cavs want to give Semih Erden a real chance to prove he can be a backup center. He's a 7-footer and a huge man. He also looks very slow and rusty. If he can't do it, then Samardo Samuels will receive most of the minutes behind Varejao. But right now, they are testing Erden. In the last three games, Erden has played a total of 48 minutes, scoring five points with seven rebounds. He has 14 fouls.

10. Samuels has played 86 minutes, and has 19 fouls compared to 15 rebounds. I like how he has 36 points in those 86 minutes, and he is 16-of-23 at the foul line. He creates contact and makes an impact on the court. Samuels also can become an important player if Antawn Jamison is traded -- a possibility given how the veteran has been scoring and that he's in the last year of his contract. If Jamison leaves this season or next, that means power forward falls to rookie Tristan Thompson and Samuels.

11. Samuels is sitting now but it's not a sign the Cavs have written him off. They are hoping Erden can prove to be a decent backup center, so they have young front-court depth behind Varejao and Jamison.

I recorded it and watched it when I got back from Ohio. Another fun game to watch. Amazing how the cavs move when there is no one beating the air out of the ball at the top of the key. Thompson had some real good minutes too down the stretch.

There are 15 teams in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. 8 of those teams make the playoffs. After 12 games, (season is 66) the Cavs are in 7th place at 6-6.

What is unbelievable about that is the Cavs have played 9 of their 12 games on the road including their longest road trip of the year out west. The Cavs are currently 4-5 on the road. Very few teams in the NBA play .500 ball on the road.

Byron Scott is doing a great job with this young team.

Tristan Thompson gets a trial run in the pivot: Cavaliers Insider

Updated: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 7:54 AM

By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Before Monday's game, Byron Scott was joking about trying to find a backup center who could get more rebounds than fouls. Semih Erden and Samardo Samuels have both struggled in that regard.
Scott said he was thinking about giving rookie power forward Tristan Thompson a shot, in spite of his youth (20) and slight frame (6-9, 227 pounds). Turned out he wasn't joking. Thompson played briefly at center in both halves.
"I wanted to get Andy some rest because I knew I was going to need him big in the fourth quarter," Scott said. "I thought, 'Let me put in Tristan and see what happens.' I thought he did a pretty good job. It's just a matter of him really learning plays at that position. But for the most part his teammates really helped him out there. When I called plays, they told him where to go and where to be. I kind of liked it."
Thompson said he'd played some center in college and didn't want to be limited by being labeled just a power forward. Of course, that was before he tried to move 6-8, 245-pound Boris Diaw.
"He is a big guy," Thompson said, smiling. "Guys like that, I've got to use my quickness and find ways to get around them instead of bully-ball because he probably outweighs me by 20 or 30 pounds.
"I did well. It's still a process. Every day you have to take the good with the bad. The key is to try to get better every day."
Goal setting: Last season, the Cavaliers gave up 14.2 fast-break points per game, tying them with the Los Angeles Clippers for 20th in the league. They came into Monday giving up only 9.2 points, which is the best in the NBA. The Bobcats had five.
"It was one of our points of emphasis when we came into the season," Scott said. "We had to do a much better job in transition defense. I didn't know if we were going to be able to go from 18th or 19th to No. 1, but the goal was to be in the top 10.
"I think from that standpoint we've done a real good job of limiting teams from getting fast-break points because we haven't done a great job of taking care of the ball. So, obviously teams are getting opportunities but our guys are doing a heck of a job of making sure they utilize that effort and the energy that we've had almost every single game as far as getting back and making teams set up."
Welcome back: The last game Kyrie Irving played in Charlotte was in the third round of the NCAA tournament last season, when he helped Duke beat Michigan to advance to the Sweet 16.
Swarmed by reporters after Monday's game, Irving nodded toward the training room and said, "Last time I was here, I was getting my toe taped in there for the NCAA tournament. It's great to be back, but finally putting on an NBA uniform. I miss Duke, but this is even better."

NBA GM Survey: Kyrie Irving Leads Rookie Categories

January 18, 2012 By Scott 3 Comments

In the latest edition of the annual survey amongst National Basketball Association general managers, Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving heads the rookie class in terms of forecasted accolades.
In the survey which was conducted prior to a single game being played, 63 percent of the league’s GM’s said Irving, the first-overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, would bring home the Rookie of the Year award with Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio slotting in second with 18.5 percent of the vote. For good measure, when asked which rookie would be the best player in five years, Irving once again led his pack of peers with 51.9 percent of the vote. Rubio, Toronto’s Jonas Valanciunas and Minnesota’s Derrick Williams tied for second, each with 11.1 percent of the vote.
Also receiving votes for the “five years” category was Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson. The fourth-overall pick also tied for fourth with 10.7 percent of the vote amongst the “which rookie is most athletic?” category.
Former Cavaliers assistant coach Mike Malone, currently with the Golden State Warriors, was the winner of Best Assistant Coach in the NBA. With Malone in tow, the Cavaliers made five-consecutive playoff appearances. The Loyola product has long been considered one of the more likely future head coaches within the league.

Hollinger: Kyrie Irving Currently Top Candidate for Rookie of the Year
January 13, 2012 By Scott 5 Comments
The Ricky Rubio love is tough to avoid. Just turn on ESPN or flick through a Twitter feed littered with NBA analyst types and you’ll start speaking Spanish in no time.
Thankfully, ESPN’s John Hollinger manages to use statistics and facts rather than glitz and glam. In Thursday afternoon’s PER Diem, Hollinger delves into the current NBA rookies to provide the first of what will likely be many updates on the race for Rookie of the Year honors.
At numero uno…
1. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland

Irving wasn’t exactly a risk-free No. 1 pick given that he’d played only 11 games as a collegian, but among rookies with more than 100 minutes he’s first in PER and has the Cavs (4-5) unexpectedly pondering playoff contention in a soft Eastern Conference.
It probably helps that Irving’s coach, Byron Scott, coached another pretty good rookie point guard, Chris Paul, when Scott ran the Hornets. As with that team, Irving has a lot of freedom to operate and it shows in his usage rate, which is the highest of any rookie.
But he is making good decisions for the most part — aside from his bizarre befuddlement by the defensive might of the Toronto Raptors — and is coming off back-to-back 20-point games in which he made more than half his shots. Irving has played more as a scorer than as a distributor thus far and, like virtually every rookie point guard, has suffered at times from the plague of turnovers. Nonetheless, he’s been the best player in this class so far, and the amazing part is that he doesn’t turn 20 ’til March. With no Griffin around to make a mockery of the rookie race from Day 1, Irving is the favorite to be the best of several pretty good players.
And to think, this was published before his career night.

Thought Erden showed some promise last evening...he will be interesting to watch over the next month.

Some writer would rather have Rubio than both Irving and AndyV. Interesting thought but I woudl disgaree. Still though see it as Chris Paul v. Nash, with either being greta for team

Cavaliers Guard Kyrie Irving No Ordinary Rookie

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer

January 18, 2012 9:10 PM



CLEVELAND (AP) — The last teenage sensation to play for the Cavaliers carried them to new heights and the brink of a championship before dropping them and breaking an entire city’s heart.

Kyrie Irving may be just the one to heal it.

Less than one month into his NBA career, Irving is not only proving to be worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, but the smooth point guard with the sinister skills has exuded a fearlessness and confidence rarely seen in a player his age.

He’s only 19. He’s only going to get better.

“Watch him two years from now,” Charlotte coach Paul Silas said this week after Irving dropped 25 points and seven assists in a win over the Bobcats. “He’s going to be unbelievable.”

Irving may be there already.

Other than an off-shooting night in his debut against Toronto, Irving has been sensational. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in just 28 minutes per game. In his past six games — five on the road — he’s averaged 21.8 points and 5.2 assists for the Cavs, who thanks in part to their young star are off to a surprising 6-7 start after winning 19 games last season.

Irving can do the routine and the spectacular, performing both with uncanny ease. He’s not afraid to take big shots, something LeBron James never mastered in Cleveland and continues to struggle with in Miami. When things get tight, Irving not only wants the ball — he demands it.

He can seemingly drive to the basket against any defender, and his ability to finish at the rim with either hand makes him a nightmare to guard. His mid-range jumper is better than advertised and Irving’s not afraid to pull the trigger on a 3-pointer.

The game doesn’t seem too big, which is remarkable since Irving’s college career at Duke consisted of 11 games before a significant foot injury cost him his freshman year and probably prevented the Blue Devils from defending their national title.

It all appears to be coming easy for him, but Irving insists that isn’t the case.

“Not at all,” he said with a grin. “It’s been tough.”

Irving is taking it all in stride as he steers through his first season as a pro. Cleveland coach Byron Scott didn’t name him a starter until hours before the opener, and Irving hasn’t given Scott any reason to regret the decision. Irving didn’t come in expecting any handouts or promises. His only goal was to earn Scott’s faith.

“I work hard every single day and just earn his trust as much as I can in every single game,” he said. “He understands that I’m young, but he trusted me enough to go out there and start and run the team, so it’s an honor and I just want to continue to grow, especially with coach Scott.

“It’s a perfect system for everybody. It’s a young team with some good veterans on it, but I feel like this team can be really special.”


Scott has been careful not to pour too much praise on his point guard prodigy, but sometimes Cleveland’s second-year coach can’t help himself. Scott played with Magic Johnson, coached Chris Paul and Jason Kidd and knows special talent when he sees it.

Irving is the complete package, and already plays with the courage and confidence of a seasoned 10-year veteran.

“It’s rare,” Scott said. “The last guy I had like that was CP (Paul) and he was 20 at the time — fearless. Kyrie has that same attitude. The way he gets to the basket and can finish is kind of amazing. It’s very rare that you see a guy like that and when you do see one, it’s a guy who is going to be pretty special.”

Cleveland went 3-4 on its longest road trip this season and at every stop, Irving showed signs he may soon move in among the league’s elite guard class.

Thrilled by the chance to play against one of his idols, Steve Nash, Irving schooled the two-time MVP, scoring 26 points as Cleveland beat Phoenix. During one stretch in the first half, Irving scored 12 consecutive points and showed off his full array of spins and drives during the solo surge.

The next night in Los Angeles, he scored 21 against the Lakers, who needed 42 from Kobe Bryant to hold off the Cavs.

“I tell you what, Kyrie Irving is very good,” said Lakers coach Mike Brown. “Think about it, he really didn’t play a full year of college basketball, but he seems like he’s a four-year guy, the way he plays and the confidence he displays on the floor. He doesn’t seem to get rattled at all, so you talk about a quality person as well as a quality player, and you have a superstar in the making.”

Irving’s defense needs work. Scott will help with that.

His offensive game only needs some fine tuning. He forces shots at times, but he’s also shown great daring in taking others.

Leading a 5-on-2 break in Charlotte, Irving had several options as he dribbled into the front court. But instead of passing to any of his open teammates, he pulled up and drained a 3-pointer that effectively put the Bobcats away.

As Irving released the ball, Scott had one thought.

“It better go in,” Scott said, chuckling. “It showed me where his mind is, ‘I’m going to put the dagger in ‘em.’ That showed me a lot as well.”

Irving’s certainly not above criticism. On Tuesday night, he had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists but had six of Cleveland’s 25 turnovers in a loss to Golden State. However, afterward he owned up and didn’t make another mistake by dishing blame.

“It starts with me,” Irving said.

This kid is growing up quickly.

NBA AM: Not Tearing Apart The Cavs
By Steve Kyler
Managing NBA Editor & Publisher
EmailPrint2 Comments
How ‘Bout Those Cavs: Cavalier fans continue to ask when the team is going to trade off some of their veteran assets. The problem is that’s not at all where the Cavaliers’ thought process is at.

If the NBA season ended today, the Cavs are a playoff team. They are the 7th-best team in the East and that’s exactly where they want to be.

Fans might be drooling over the 2012 draft class with dreams of another high draft pick, but management in Cleveland is more concerned with winning than getting draft picks. That’s why players like Anderson Varejao and Ramon Sessions are not being considered in trade talks, and why the Cavs want to hold the line on moving out veterans.

There is a belief within the Cavs that winning games will help move the franchise along faster than letting their young guys experience a lot of losing.

If you look around the NBA, perennial losers seem to continue losing because their young guys forget what it takes to win.

The Cavs are very aware of this cycle and want to avoid that as much as possible.

When it’s all said and done its unlikely that the Cavs will end up in the playoffs, and as the March 15th trade deadline approaches selling off veteran may become a necessary reality. For now the Cavs don’t seem overly interested in making changes, because winning games may be more valuable developmentally than tanking the season for a draft pick.

The Cavaliers have just $31.7 million in salary commitments next season, meaning they will have ample cap space to add players. With Kyrie Irving looking the part of franchise playmaker, things are looking up for Cleveland, so don’t expect them to tear things apart until it’s obvious that they have to.

Irving better than Paul, LeBron as rookie?
January, 19, 2012
JAN 19
1:44
PM ET
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By Justin Havens


Last fall, USA TODAY published an article about the Duke men’s basketball team, in which head coach Mike Krzyzewski compared then-Duke star Kyrie Irving to NBA All-Star Chris Paul.

When told of those comments last month in an interview with USA TODAY, Irving paused, then said,

“There’s only one Kyrie Irving.”

While a comparison to Paul may be bold, Irving’s performance through his first 13 games can draw comparisons not only to Paul, but is also surpassing what LeBron James did as a rookie for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The New CP3?
Highest Player Efficiency Rating
Rookie Guards Since 1979-80
PER
1984-85 Michael Jordan 25.8
2005-06 Chris Paul 22.1
1979-80 Magic Johnson 20.6
>>Kyrie Irving: 21.8 PER this season

Irving has backed up his comparisons to Paul in his rookie season. As a rookie in the 2005-06 season, Paul’s player efficiency rating was a 22.1, the second-highest among rookie guards in the three-point era, beginning in 1979-80, trailing only Michael Jordan.

Irving’s pace is just a tick behind Paul’s, at a 21.8 through his first 13 games. But that would still be enough to put him third, ahead of the current third-place on the list, Magic Johnson.

Among all rookies with a minimum 2,000 minutes played, Irving’s 21.8 PER would put him eighth in the three-point era. Along with trailing Jordan and Paul, you can add players like David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan to the players Irving is trailing.

Who Needs LeBron?
Previous to Irving, the last time the Cavaliers had the first pick in the NBA Draft, they took LeBron James, and we all know how that turned out.

Kyrie Irving vs LeBron James
Per 36 Minutes Played as Rookies
James >>Irving
PPG 19.1 22.5
APG 5.0 6.7
eFG pct 43.8 52.2
PER 18.3 21.8
WS per 48 min .078 .157
>>Through 13 games

The good news for Cleveland fans is that Irving’s performance as a rookie is on pace to best what James did his first year in Cleveland, outdistancing James in scoring and assists per 36 minutes, as well as Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares per 48 minutes.

In fact, his current 21.8 PER would place him 11th on the all-time Cavaliers list, not just among rookies, among players with at least 2,000 minutes played.

When you limit it to non-LeBron James seasons, Irving would jump to fifth, trailing only the best seasons for Brad Daugherty, Terrell Brandon and Mark Price.

Renaissance in Cleveland
It’s clear what kind of impact LeBron James’ departure had on the Cavaliers. From 66-16 and 61-21 in his last two seasons with the Club, to 19-63 last season in Cleveland’s first year without him.

Cavaliers Offense This Season
With and Without Kyrie Irving
On Court Off Court
>>Off rtg 101.5 95.2
Ast ratio 16.7 13.5
TO ratio 11.5 14.8
eFG pct 49.2 45.4
>>Points scored per 100 possessions

At 6-7 this season, Cleveland still has a lot of room to go to return to their previous glory, but the Cavaliers nearly have a third as many wins as they did all of last season.

After ranking 29th in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season, the Cavaliers rank in the top 20 in the league in both categories this season.

There’s also a noticeable improvement for Cleveland when Irving is on the floor, showing he’s one of the main components of their turnaround. Cleveland is averaging 101.5 points per 100 possessions while Irving is on the floor, 95.2 when he’s not.