Your Average Joe: Cavs Stand Pat
By JOE GILROY
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 15)Well three o’clock came and three o’clock passed – and only the sound of crickets could be heard outside the “Q” in Cleveland.
LeBron James has been ever so gently nudging the Cavaliers brass to make a move to fill in an empty roster spot with a capable playmaker. James’ desire for another contributor has been the source of much trepidation for the pundits around the league.
Charles Barkley was the first to speak up and slam James for his desires. According to Barkley since James is the best player on the planet the Cavaliers should not make a move to help offset the 2016 NBA Championship runners-up as the Golden State Warriors signed perhaps the second-best player (Kevin Durant) in the league over the summer.
There was talk of the team making a run at Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. Anthony entered the NBA after leading Syracuse to a National Championship in the same draft as James,
Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. As everyone knows Bosh, Wade, and James formed a bond and became friends off the court, which led to them joining forces in Miami. Anthony and James too became good friends and have long desired to play with one another on the same team someday.
As the deadline approached it was once again not to be. The Cavs must rely on the players that are currently on the roster and those who will be returning from injuries as the playoffs approach.
Mark me down as being happy they didn’t pull the trigger on Kevin Love for Anthony. Prior to getting injured, Love found his stride within the team. He became the double-double monster that we were accustomed to seeing him be in Minnesota.
The team will instead treat a trio of players (J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, and Derek Williams) as their deadline deals as they near the playoffs. Smith who is currently on IR should return just in time to make some noise when it counts. Anyone who follows the Cavs know that when he is on, he can score points in bunches and take pressure off the big three.
Korver was a stroke of genius by David Griffin. They obtained him from the Hawks weeks ago, while he doesn’t count as a deadline deal, he is a huge addition. Korver stretches the court and creates opportunities for Kyrie Irving and James to slash and either dish the ball out for the open three or take score the ball on their own.
Finally, we come to the signing of Williams. Perhaps the most intriguing of all the moves the Cavs have made this season. Williams was in the same draft as Irving and was in serious consideration for being the team’s pick before they settled in with Kyrie. Williams has played for many teams and many coaches since then, but the one thing that has been constant has been his production.
Williams has not lived up to the hype of a possible number one overall pick, but he has been a solid pro. His time in Cleveland marks the first time that there has been no pressure on him to be “the man.” Instead, he has been able to assimilate into the offense and through five games the results have been good. He is averaging nearly 10 points a game, shooting 57 percent from the field, and hitting 38.5 percent from three-point range through five games.
While none of these players are Kevin Durant, they may combine to have a Durant-esque result. One thing is for sure – I’m all in with these Cavaliers!
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