Monthly Archives: October 2019

Cavaliers pick up, decline options on Sexton, Zizic

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have picked up the third year option on point guard Collin Sexton and declined the fourth year option on center Ante Zizic.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made some decisions about the future of their team. First, picking up the third year option for Collin Sexton.

Collin Sexton is clearly an integral part of Cleveland’s future. Sexton averaged 16.7 points per game on 43% from the field as rookie. This included 40.2% from three-point range. Sexton has improved upon his rookie campaign. Through four games this season, Sexton is averaging 17.5 points per game on 46.4% shooting. Sexton’s shooting from deep is just about the same this season (40%). The only criticism of Sexton is the lack of assists. While this is a fair criticism, Sexton is a scoring first combo guard. Any assists from Sexton are a bonus. Sexton will look to score first and pass second. It will be crucial for Collin Sexton and Darius Garland to mesh together if the Cavaliers are going to come out of the basement of the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland also decided to decline the fourth year option of Ante Zizic.

Ante Zizic was one of the players that came over in the Kyrie Irving trade. The other players included were Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. The draft pick that came over turned into Collin Sexton. The only part of the trade worth anything is Collin Sexton. The Cavaliers declining the option on Zizic hardly comes as a surprise.

Ante Zizic is not a player who necessarily works in the modern NBA. Zizic is big, slow and cannot shoot outside the paint. Sure, Zizic can rebound. So can most tall guys in the NBA. If this was 1984 this would be a much bigger deal due to his style of play. The skill set of Zizic is not one that the Cavaliers believe will be a crucial part of their future.

Browns stand pat at trade deadline

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The Cleveland Browns decided to stand pat at the trade deadline. John Dorsey resisted the temptation to overpay to make a move that would have a minimal impact. 

Cleveland was rumored to be in on Trent Williams for some time. There even was a time when it was expected that Williams would end up in a Browns uniform. Well, Bruce Allen does not know what the hell he is doing. Washington is now stuck paying someone who has zero intention on playing for the Redskins. 

The trade demands from Washington were absolutely outrageous. Denzel Ward plus picks?! If that was their demand to every team no wonder nothing happened.

There is no way John Dorsey would part ways with Denzel Ward and picks for Trent Williams.

The fact that it was reported that teams wouldn’t engage Washington on trade talks now is poetic justice. Washington refused discussions about Williams all summer.

After burning all their bridges earlier they had nobody willing to enter trade talks with them at a moment when they had all the leverage. If there is anything that exemplifies the current state of the Washington Redskins it is this.

The value and demand for Trent Williams will only depreciate from this moment on. Since Williams reported his contract will now toll. Williams can be an unrestricted free agent after 2020. If Williams did not report he would have to wait until 2021. If the Redskins were to get substantial value for Williams, that time has now passed. Now they will get 50 cents on the dollar for him if they are lucky. An aging left tackle with an injury history isn’t exactly all that enticing. Williams is not Joe Thomas after all. Very few left tackles are able to get the haul that Washington was seeking. 

Trent Williams would not have fixed other more important issues

Now onto the issues with the Browns. They have problems with discipline and execution. There is also a notable absence of a winning culture. It is not about Cleveland having a losing culture. It’s just the absence of a culture of winning. Overpaying for someone like Trent Williams may have been a bandage and not much else. Williams would help one problem the Browns have, but it would not cure all. 

John Dorsey clearly told the coaching staff that he believes that they have enough talent to win now and he is right. It is possible to scheme around their issues on the offensive line. The coaching staff will just have to an install a game plan that works around their issues. Most notably a game plan that does not rely on big chunks of yards at a time. The presence of Todd Monken may make that difficult. However, there is a way it can be worked around.

Cavaliers fall to Bucks in Milwaukee

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were unable to climb above the .500 mark as they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 129-112.

The Cleveland Cavaliers competed with the Milwaukee Bucks for the majority of the game. Unfortunately, Milwaukee pulled away in the 4th quarter and Cleveland fell to 1-2 on the season. Cleveland was just bested by one of the most complete teams in the NBA. There is nothing glaring that pops out as “the reason” why Cleveland lost. This is just a game that a young team with a new head coach that they are unable to win at this moment in time.

Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson both posted double-doubles again. Love scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Thompson added 17 points and 13 rebounds of his own. This is another impressive performance from Thompson. Although, it is worth noting that if Thompson is the Cavs second-leading scorer that can be a bit of a problem. It will be difficult to win consistently if Thompson is towards the top of scoring leaders for the team.

Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers scoring attack with 18 points on 8-15 from the field. Sexton made two of five three-point attempts and rounded out his performance with three rebounds and one assist. Ideally Sexton’s assist number should be higher, but that is not necessarily the type of player he is. Eventually this number should improve, but for the time being this is what you’re going to get.

Jordan Clarkson did exactly what was expected of him, scoring 17 points in 25 minutes. Clarkson went 6-13 from the field, including 2-6 from deep and made both free throw attempts. This is the type of stat line that Clarkson will finish with on a regular basis. Scoring in the mid-to-high-teens on a fairly sizable volume of shots.

Cleveland returns home to take on the Bulls Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Cavaliers defeat Pacers in 90’s throwbacks

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers Saturday and got head coach John Beilein his first NBA win in the process.

Maybe it’s the uniform. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their home opener over Indiana 110-99 in their 90’s throwbacks. 

This was a much improved performance over the season opener which saw the Cavs struggle to convert from the field.  Cleveland made 50% of their field goal attempts, including 11 three-point range. The Cavaliers made 29 of 49 shots from two and were able to score 50 points in the paint. 

At one point the Cavaliers were up by 24 points. This was a lead that was not expected. Yes, the Pacers were without their best player in Victor Oladipo, but Cleveland getting that type of lead was surprising.  

The Cavaliers just seemed to click and that is how it is with a young team and a rookie head coach. Some games will have everything go their way.  Other games will have everything go against them. 

Cleveland was led by an unexpected player

The Cavaliers were led by Tristan Thompson.  Thompson finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Thompson even made his first career three-pointer. This certainly got Kevin Love hyped up. 

Kevin Love added 21 points of his own and also had 13 rebounds in the contest. Love finished one assist shy of a triple-double. Perhaps Love may be able to get a triple-double later this season.  

Sexton and Garland contributed but still have room to improve

Collin Sexton did not have the best night shooting the ball (6-14), but did manage to finish with 18 points thanks to making two shots from deep and converting four of six free throw attempts.

Darius Garland scored 12 points on 5-12 shooting. The two three-pointers from Garland certainly helped, but the rookie still needs to work on being efficient when shooting the basketball.

Sexton and Garland will have plenty of opportunities as the season progresses to work on their efficiency.

Jordan Clarkson is back to being Jordan Clarkson 

Jordan Clarkson bounced back from a bad opening point performance with 15 points on 5-8 from the field. This is what was expected from Clarkson this season, not the abysmal shooting performance this past Wednesday. Hopefully Clarkson will be able to build upon this outing and continue being productive in their next game.

If the Cavaliers are able to keep putting up shooting nights like this in these 90’s throwback uniforms, maybe they should wear them often. 

Greg Robinson benched by Browns

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After six games, the Cleveland Browns have benched left tackle Greg Robinson. Robinson’s replacement has not yet been named.

It is about damn time. Greg Robinson has been benched by the Cleveland Browns. The team has not yet named his replacement at left tackle.

Robinson was brought back after a surprising 2018 season which saw him at least be capable of being a left tackle in the NFL. Cleveland attempted to catch lightning in a bottle twice. They missed.

Last season was apparently the outlier as Robinson reverted back to being sub-par. There is a reason Robinson has bounced around the league and it is not because he is in high demand.

Is Greg Robinson 100% to blame for his struggles? Absolutely not. Freddie Kitchens and Todd Monken have done him absolutely no favors with the play calling this season. Robinson simply cannot block well enough, long enough for deep passing routes to develop. Robinson is not the only lineman who has struggled due to play calling. Eric Kush and Chris Hubbard have also looked terrible this year. Again, this is on those in charge of calling plays.

It is the responsibility of the coaching staff to know what their team can and cannot do. The Browns offensive cannot block for long periods of time, yet they continue to call plays that require that. Quick developing routes and passing concepts can combat their issues, but they are not utilized as much as they should be.

Will Greg Robinson’s replacement be any better than him? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. What is known is that Robinson’s replacement will have a tough time this Sunday against the NFL’s best defense.

Tristan Thompson trade should be considered

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Tristan Thompson is in the final year of his contract and could be a trade target for contending teams looking to improve their roster.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers were a team with higher expectations this may not be a conversation worth having. The reality is that the Cavaliers will struggle and a trade of Tristan Thompson should be considered. Thompson is in the final year of his contract which might motivate Cleveland to move him during the year.

Tristan Thompson is a rebounding machine. There has been only two seasons in which Thompson has failed to average at least eight rebounds per game. 2011-12, his rookie season and 2017-18. Even in those down rebounding seasons, Thompson at least averaged 2.4 offensive rebounds per game.

Tristan Thompson did average a double-double last season (10.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG). That type of production is certainly coveted by every team in the league. Thompson is consistent crashing the boards and can chip in his fair share of points when necessary.

The concern when it comes to Thompson is health. Over the past two seasons Thompson has missed 68 games. That is a pretty sizable chunk of the season. Prior to 2017-18, Thompson only missed four games from 2012-2017. This sudden lack of durability in a big man may scare some teams off.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a spot where they can get a reasonable return for Tristan Thompson it has to be considered. It is all about building for the future and finding core players for the next phase of Cavaliers basketball.

Browns secondary gets some help

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The Cleveland Browns are getting some help in their secondary. Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams are expected to return this week.

This is great news for the Cleveland Browns. Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams are practicing and are expected to return this week.

It is worth noting that just how much they play is still undetermined.

Evan a little bit of Ward and Williams will go a long way for the Browns secondary. Cleveland got as much as they could out of T.J. Carrie, Terrance Mitchell and others. The Browns are currently allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game. Part of that is that they are also allowing the third-most rushing yards per game. The lack of passing yards allowed is 100% related to the amount of rushing yards they allow.

Cleveland has allowed the eighth-highest quarterback rating this season (102.6). The Browns defense has essentially managed without their two best cornerbacks with their zone scheme. Steve Wilks has been able to work around the absences of Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams. Adding them back into the fold should only help Cleveland’s secondary.

Even with Ward and Williams back the secondary, they may still struggle. They are facing Tom Brady and the Patriots after all. This is more of a long-term outlook than an instant boost. Part of that is that Damarious Randall has a leg injury.

If Randall is not able to play it will hurt. Randall is an excellent safety even though he has not played his best this season. There is still the possibility that Randall could suit up on Sunday, as he has not been ruled out yet.

At some point the Browns will have their full compliment of secondary players on the field. It may not happen this week, but it certainly appears to be something that happens sooner rather than later.

Browns need to get Nick Chubb going vs Patriots

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It will be crucial for the Cleveland Browns to make sure that Nick Chubb gets going against the New England Patriots Sunday.

This is much easier said than done. Nick Chubb needs to have a big game against the Patriots on Sunday.

The obstacle that the Cleveland Browns face is that the New England Patriots have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game this season (74.7). Something that lends itself to that number being so impressive is that the Patriots have faced the fewest number of rushing attempts this season (126). New England is playing from ahead so often that rushing the ball is not the best strategy. Opponents frequently have to play catch up and that lends to more passing attempts than rushing attempts. It also makes the 4.2 yard per carry that New England allows a little less significant.

New England’s 4.2 yards per carry allowed is right in the middle of the pack of NFL rushing defenses. If Cleveland can stay in the game long enough they could find themselves in a situation where Nick Chubb could get plenty of carries. Chubb is averaging over a yard more per carry than New England has allowed this season.

Nick Chubb was the second leading rusher in the NFL after Week 6. Now that the Browns had a bye, Chubb is now fourth with 607 yards. Chubb is 42 carries behind Dalvin Cook, 30 behind Leonard Fournette and 13 behind Christian McCaffrey. The three running backs currently ahead of Chubb in rushing yards.

Nick Chubb could find his way and carry the Browns offense in New England on Sunday afternoon. New England’s rushing defense is not weak by any means, but running the ball against the Patriots seems to be much better idea than passing against a dominant secondary.

Cavaliers extend Cedi Osman

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are being proactive when it comes to ensuring they have players they believe in staying in town. Cedi Osman has agreed to a four-year $31 million contract extension. 

Cleveland believes that Cedi Osman can be an important part of their future. The 24-year old small forward still has plenty of room to develop. Osman is still a raw player but can improve in multiple areas. 

At this moment in time, Cedi Osman is sort of jack of all trades type player. Competent in many areas but is not above average in any of them. Cleveland is clearly betting on Osman improving over the next few seasons. 

In regards to his contract, this is a great deal for the Cavaliers. The contract value de-escalates, making it less expensive as time goes on. The fourth year of the deal is non-guaranteed. If things do not work out, Cleveland has an out. 

The Cavaliers clearly believe that Cedi Osman can be an integral part of the team moving forward. It is hard to really find fault in a deal with this type of value. Osman is not highly paid amongst small forwards or NBA players in general.

Osman improved upon his rookie campaign in 2019-20. Increasing his points per game by just over nine and contributing in multiple areas. Cleveland is counting on Osman continue his development over the life of his contract extension.

Cedi Osman now has financial security and the Cavaliers have someone that they can build around. Having players like Osman are important to the framework of building a team. The Cavaliers do not need Osman to be superstar. They need Osman to help in multiple areas, allowing his teammates to excel in others.

Jarvis Landry didn’t guarantee win over Patriots

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All it takes is one person to misquote (possibly on purpose) and everything goes haywire. Jarvis Landry did not guarantee a win over New England.

Jarvis Landry was simply speaking about how the Cleveland Browns are coming out of the bye week. There was nothing specific about Sunday’s game in New England. That did not stop from an overreaction due to an incorrect tweet.

The context of what Mary Kay Cabot is presenting the quote in is not accurate. Cabot added another tweet about Landry’s quote.

The video of Jarvis Landry responding was posted by Jake Trotter of ESPN.

This video proves that the he did not specifically guarantee a win over New England. Does it imply the team will turn things around and win more games over the next 10 weeks? Yes, it does. What it does not mean is falling into the all too familiar trap of guaranteeing victory over the NFL’s best team for nearly two decades.

Dov Kleiman chimed in about the quote from Jarvis Landry.

The Patriots do not need bulletin board material. That is not how they operate. The best head coach in the history of the league does not need to lean on this cliche that so many cling to. The only teams that rely on bulletin board are unmotivated and lack preparation. Those two words have not described the Patriots under Bill Belichick.

What is important to remember is that Jarvis Landry did not specifically guarantee a victory over any team. This includes Sunday’s game against the Patriots. A game that will be difficult enough without broadcasting what some are wrongly interpreting as a guarantee.