Post LeBron James basketball has arrived in Cleveland. While most experts had the Cavs pegged for 12-25 wins, the team stands at 3-3 after 6 games and is tied for first place in their division. While it's still early, there are some good and bad observations I've had about this team already. Here is the early (really early) season report card for our Cavaliers.
The mindset of the team: Losing the 2-time league MVP left a ton of questions about this team. Which player(s) would step up and fill the scoring void left in the wake of James' departure? Was there anyone of value on the roster to fill a leadership role? Who would take and make big shots late in games? It was a scary thought that after 7 exciting years of Cavs basketball, the days of Shawn Kemp, Ricky Davis, and Lamond Murray could be right around the corner again. Early on, the team has found a 1-2 scoring punch of J.J. Hickson and Mo Williams. With the exception of the second game of the season in Toronto versus an underrated Raptors team, the Cavs have been in every game. Coach Scott has them focused hustling, and they seem to be embracing the underdog role as the "Non-LeBrons". Early Grade: B.
Coach Byron Scott: None of us were really sure if he took the job under the impression that James would be back, or if he's just using Cleveland as a practice ground until the Lakers come calling for his services. So far, I like what I see from Coach. His offense implores ball movement, something we only saw glimpses of under Mike Brown. While complex, the players have demonstrated an understanding of how it works. I've also noticed plenty of in game adjustments. Coach Scott isn't afraid, as he demonstrated opening night against Boston by calling a timeout just 3 minutes into the game, to give his guys an earful if they aren't producing. Compare that to how Mike Brown used to try and let his guys play through rough spots during the game, and we have a world of difference. The team is young, and Coach Scott doesn't seem like he's going to let many teachable moments pass by, especially for his guards. Early Grade: B+.
Team Offense and Defense: Ok, here's the good, the bad, and the ugly. The thing to remember here is that both these factors need to work together to produce the best results. The team's defense will help fuel it's offense. By that I mean if the Cavs can get stops and turnovers, they will always try to turn those into runouts. The tempo is going to be fast, fast, fast. This is one of the reasons Coach puts a big emphasis on conditioning. However, on the other side of that, if they don't get stops, and are forced to play a half court game, things change drastically, at least at this point they have. We have a quick set of guards and they need to be pushing the ball up court, not walking it up. Combine that with the fact that we really don't have much of an inside presence, and the early result has been a lot of jump shots off motion. We've been able to knock down a high percentage, but that certainly won't continue when we start facing the league's elite. So far, the offense has been surprising, averaging just under 100 pts. per game, with a high of 126 points against Philadelphia. The defense is giving up 102 pts. per game. Surely that recipe will need to work itself out more if this team wants to win more games and play in May. Early Grades: Offense: B-, Defense: C-.
In Game Concentration: As expected, the early games have been a tale of two halves. The Cavs have pushed the needle into the red a few times with over 60 pt. first halves in games vs. Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Washington. The third quarter continues to kill this team. As in the past, big leads at the half have vanished in minutes with uninspired play in the third quarter. Under Mike Brown, this was always a problem, and early on, Coach Scott and his staff haven't figured out a way to cure it. There have been plenty of wasted possessions where players are dribbling the ball around, and taking shots early in the shot clock without finding the open man. The team has been able to dig deep and pull itself out of some double digit deficits against Boston and Atlanta (winning just the Boston game), which is a credit to their mental toughness and past experiences in big games. While the schedule hasn't been tough, with winnable games against, Sacramento, Philly, Washington, and now a back to back with the Nets, the margin for error is going to shrink in matchups with Miami, Orlando, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, along with the top teams in the West. Execution at both ends will be a must if this team wants to survive. Early Grade: C-.
The Fanbase: One of the biggest keys to this season will be fan support for this team. While they are searching for their identity, there are going to be plenty of ups and downs. This team will certainly be better at home than on the road, and a big part of that will be the fans. On opening night, the crowd definitely helped will the Cavs to a comeback win over the Celtics, and it will no doubt be insane when Miami comes to town on Dec. 2. Coach Scott is surely preaching team basketball to his young players along with "family" and helping each other. The fans are going to need to be part of the fiber of this team. While basketball in this city is in a fragile state, it's still got plenty of talent to be excited about. To this point, the fans have been awesome, and they'll need to be all the way through the season. Early Grade: A+.
Early Season Surprises: Top of the list; J.J. Hickson. He's hitting the mid-range jumper, and slashing to the basket. I always worry about his lapses in concentration, but so far, he's been great. It makes me wonder how he couldn't crack Mike Brown's playoff rotation last year, after starting 72 games and nearly getting traded. Daniel Gibson has thrived in the new offense. He's been right in the thick of some big rallies early on, but sometimes his shot selection is questionable. Nevertheless, he's re-emerged after becoming the forgotten man the last few years, and he's in the best shape of his career.
Good, but not Great: Mo Williams has been solid since returning from a pulled groin, but I still need to see a little more from the guy who contemplated retiring after LeBron left. I worry about his toughness in crunch time. He seems more serious this year though. Andy Varejao continues to be the energy man. He's been active on the defensive end out on the perimeter, which has caused him to disrupt some passing lanes. He needs to stay healthy for us to do well. Not sure about him squaring up for jump shots though.
No Man's Land: Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Ramon Sessions, and Ryan Hollins. All have flashed some signs of brilliance, but all still have much to prove and a lot of work to do.
Incomplete: Leon Powe. Year 2 off knee surgery, we haven't seen a lot of him. I like his toughness, but I'm not sure he's in this team's future. Antawn Jamison. Thought to be the final championship piece last year, knee soreness has kept him to limited action this year. If things go South for this team, he'll be the first to be traded because of his huge contract. He wasn't the same player we saw in Washington.
Biggest Disappointment: Jawad Williams. Not sure what is going with him, but he looks awkward on the court. He seems to be struggling to find his place in Coach Scott's new system, as well as his rotation. If you ask me, he's on borrowed time with this team.
Overall Team Grade: C+. I could have been more generous, but it's early, and I've seen typical ups and downs with a young team in a new system with a new coach. I think they can contend in the Eastern Conference, probably no higher than a #7 seed, but in the first year without LeBron, a playoff appearance would be higher than most expected.
You: A++
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