Monthly Archives: January 2020

Browns interview Mike McCarthy Thursday

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The Cleveland Browns are kicking off their coaching search by interviewing former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

The “new and improved” Mike McCarthy is interviewing with the Cleveland Browns Thursday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confided the interview is taking place Thursday.

McCarthy interviewing with Cleveland is not out of left field. The Browns need a new head coach and want to find out what the new Mike McCarthy is all about.

Mike McCarthy stepped way from football for a year in an attempt to adapt

The former Green Bay Packers head coach has taken this past season to work on and improve his approach to the game of football. McCarthy was widely criticized for his game plan and offensive play calling. It has been described that McCarthy was rather archaic and non-sensical. Aaron Rodgers would roll his eyes often when McCarthy would call a play that he did not agree with. McCarthy is trying to get away from that and transform himself in an effort to adapt to the modern game.

Mike McCarthy was reportedly difficult to work with in Green Bay. Why would that be different now? Are we supposed to believe that he had some magical transformation that made him a different person? Initially things may be different, but at the end of the day people do not change all that much.

The concern here is just how far removed from the modern game that McCarthy was. It is great that he is making an effort to modernize himself, but all this really says is that he is unable to adapt. What he has studied the past year could change drastically and all the time he spent would just be a waste.

There is nothing wrong with the Browns interviewing Mike McCarthy. Even if they don’t end up hiring him, it is worth finding out what they can about him in case they face him down the road. There are plenty of other candidates that the Browns will interview who did not have to put on some dog and pony show to make themselves relevant again.

Cavaliers: Love & Thompson on the move?

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Will the Cleveland Cavaliers trade veteran big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson to a contender before the trade deadline?

The NBA trade deadline is February 7th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going nowhere fast and have players that could interest contending teams in Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Even with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson the Cavaliers are not a good team. Cleveland has one of the worst records in all of basketball. It is not like the presence of either is helping them win games on a consistent basis. If Cleveland can get something in return for either player they should definitely explore those options.

Kevin Love has the ability to space the floor on offense and sees the floor well for a big. The issues with Love are on the defensive end of the floor. To be blunt, Love is a liability defensively. He is just unable to keep up with some of the quicker and more agile players that are growing in number in the modern NBA. A team that is already solid defensively and can hide his flaws could do so just for his abilities on offense. On the other hand, a team that is not great defensively could expose his flaws even more so.

Tristan Thompson could draw some interest due to his ability as an aggressive rebounder. Thompson is proficient on both ends of the floor when it comes to rebounding and is able to keep possessions alive for multiple shot attempts. Thompson may be appealing to a larger group of teams because of his defensive ability and steadiness on the offensive end, he knows what he is capable of and won’t go out of his comfort zone. Tristan Thompson will live on offensive rebounds, dunks, put backs, and getting fouled close to the basket. This is valuable to a team with championship aspirations.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in team building, long term, big picture mode. It is extremely unlikely that Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will be on the team when they are good again. It is also unlikely that they are anywhere near the level of player they are now when that time comes. Contending teams will come calling. They will probably offer draft capital in one way or another. It would be wise to seriously consider trading one or both players. Look towards the future, do not reminisce about the good times in the past.

Browns future at a crossroads

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The Cleveland Browns find themselves at point which will ultimately determine if they will find success or continue their strech of failures.

The Cleveland Browns are at a crossroads. Down one road is success, something that has evaded the franchise for 20 years. The other? The all too familiar stench of failure. Cleveland finds themselves in need of a new coach and general manager. The new coach and general manager will determine the direction of the franchise.

The player who will be affected the most is Baker Mayfield. The next head coach will need to provide an offense that gets the most out of Mayfield. Providing a scheme that plays to the strengths of the quarterback. If this cannot be achieved, the team will have to decide if their future is with or without Baker Mayfield. Mayfield did not play at the level he displayed as a rookie. Decision making and overall comfort seemed to decline in his second year, leading some to question his longterm viability. The new head coach will have to provide an unbiased assessment of the quarterback and whether or not the team needs to look into a new direction.

The general manager will be depended on to build the team in a sufficient manner. Something that John Dorsey did not necessarily do all that well. Dorsey provided flashy, big name players, but not the complimentary players that are required to build a team correctly. Both offensive tackles need to be addressed,. So does the right guard position. Depth on the defensive line is also an issue. The starters are great, but need quality backups. There is also the question about the futures of David Njoku, Kareem Hunt, Joe Schobert and Rashard Higgins. The new general manager will need to address these players accordingly and make a definite decision about their futures with the team.

Paul DePodesta is in charge of the coaching search

Finding the right people will not be easy. Just picking a name will not accomplish this. Plenty of research will need to be done and it will have to be someone that Paul DePodesta is comfortable with. Depodesta is now running the search process for the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Ultimately, the choice still belongs to the owners.

The fact that DePodesta is in running the process could point towards several candidates being elevated above others. Josh McDaniels could benefit from this search process.

Kevin Stefanski may also be one of the top options for Cleveland. DePodesta has previously suggested Stefanski for the head coaching position.

Jimmy Haslam trusting DePodesta with the process of searching for the next head coach is not necessarily surprising. DePodesta has played a role behind the scenes for some time now and appears ready to step into a larger one. Haslam must trust DePodesta to make an unbiased decision about the next head coach, considering his previous suggestion of Stefanski. DePodesta cannot just suggest someone to take a victory lap. Yes, he was right, but that is a terrible hiring practice. The last thing the Browns need is another person trying to satisfy their own ego. By all accounts, this should not be the case with DePodesta.

All of the pressure is on the Browns this offseason. Pick the right coach and general manager and the team will perform up to the level expected of them. If not, more of the same from the Cleveland Browns.

Cavaliers drop final game of decade in Toronto

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The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their final game of the decade north of the border in Toronto, falling to the Raptors by a score of 117-97.

The final result of the game seems a bit familiar. The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Toronto Raptors they also lost by double-digits. In fact, it was also by 20.

The real difference between the teams was three-point shooting. Cleveland and Toronto both attempted a near equal amount of shots from deep (37-38). The difference was that Toronto made 17 three-pointers compared to Cleveland’s 10, that amounts to 21 points. Toronto is a superior three-point shooting team, Cleveland did not really have a chance.

The Cavaliers were led by 22 points from Collin Sexton. Sexton went 5-11 from the field, 1-4 from three, and made all five free throw attempts. This was the first game since December 12 that Sexton attempted more than two three-pointers. It was only the third time in the month of December that more than two three-pointers were attempted. Collin Sexton only made three shots from long range (11.1%) for the month, not exactly what the Cavaliers expect from their 2018 first round draft pick.

Tristan Thompson was the most efficient Cavalier on the night, making five of six shots and four of five free throw attempts. Thompson did finish with a double-double (11 rebounds).

Cedi Osman made the most three-pointers of any Cleveland player with four. Osman was 1-4 on all other shots, this has been a pretty consistent theme this season. Osman also had four rebounds and four assists.

Darius Garland finished 12 points on 5-11 shooting (2-7 from three). Garland was tied for a team-high with four assists.

Kevin Love also had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds). Love struggled from the field, making four of 11 attempts and 1-7 from three-point range. With Love struggling in this manner, it would be difficult for the Cavaliers to keep the game close.

Cleveland returns home to face the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. as they look to kick this decade off with a victory.