Daily Archives: May 28, 2023

Jordan Elliott needs to step it up in 2023

Posted on by
Advertisements

There is a group of players on the 2023 Cleveland Browns who need to prove their worth in the upcoming season and that includes Jordan Elliott. Elliott has not quite lived up to expectations after being drafted in the 3rd round the 2020 NFL Draft. Expected to play a meaningful role on Cleveland’s defensive interior, it just has not come together yet and the pressure is on Elliott to start playing better.

In 49 career games Elliott has 77 total tackles, 35 of which were of the solo variety. It took until year three for Elliott to register a tackle for loss, making five such tackles last season. The encouraging aspect is that as Elliott’s playing time has increased, going from 29% of snaps as a rookie to 44% in year two and 65% last season, total pressures and sacks have increased. Elliott had zero sacks as a rookie and just three pressures. In his last two seasons those numbers have increased to 0.5 sacks in 2021 to 2.0 in 2022 and five pressures to eight last season. There are encouraging signs, but he still has to put it all together.

Cleveland’s front office is very aware of the shortcomings of the defensive interior. After actively dismantling this group since taking over, Andrew Berry and co. finally addressed the defensive front in an adequate manner. The Browns added Dalvin Tomlinson, Za’Darius Smith, and Ogobonnia Okoronkwo to their current group which also features one of the best pass rushers in the league in Myles Garrett. If Elliott is unable to produce when the talent around him is the best it has been during his time with the Browns it will be a clear indicator to move on and look for someone else to take his place.

Pressure is on Heat going into Game 7

Posted on by
Advertisements

Could the impossible actually happen? Are the Miami Heat going to become the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead? Judging by the way the previous three games have gone, all signs point to yes (shoutout David Puddy).

Losing a Game 4 with a 3-0 lead happens. It is usually the last gasp of life left in a team before falling flat and being blown out in Game 5, but that has not been the case. Miami had a superior Boston team with their backs up against the wall fighting for their playoff lives, and they let them back in with little resistance. This is not the type of play that a championship caliber team should be showcasing before advancing The Finals to take on a well rested Nuggets squad.

If Miami blows this and lets the Celtics win it will go down as one of the bigger choke jobs in NBA history. Not quite up to the level of the 73-9 Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead, but maybe Yankees blowing a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. While losing this series should not cost Erik Spoelstra his job, it would be one hell of a blemish on his coaching record.

There are conversations that should be had, but that is it, just conversations. Any sort of coaching change down on South Beach would be surprising and should be met with harsh criticism. Additionally, if Spoelstra were to be relieved of his duties and wanted to continue his coaching career he would not have a hard time finding a new job.

The winner of this series is going to be gassed and Denver should be the favorite in The Finals no matter the opponent. The Nuggets just look to be better all around and have not appeared prone to the shortcomings of these Heat and Celtics teams. That being said, that series still has to be played and anything can happen, including an unlikely Heat or Celtics victory.

Cavs intend to bring back Osman and Stevens

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cavs have no intention of letting Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens go elsewhere as the team wants to bring both players back according to a report from Sam Amico of Hoops Wire. Amico originally wrote columns about Osman and Stevens and their future in Cleveland, with this report about the Cavaliers intentions coming after.

“Since writing each column, I’ve heard that the Cavs intend to bring both players back, if for no other reason than their team-friendly contracts. If the Cavs can’t shore up the small forward spot, expect them to look at some cheap options to add to the backcourt or bigs. Perhaps Timberwolves center Naz Reid, an unrestricted free agent, would be a fit.”

The key phrase is team-friendly contracts. Besides that aspect, there really is not really a whole to be excited about here. Osman is a very frustrating player as his cold and hot streaks seemingly run at a five-to-one ratio who often has been a detriment to the Cavs coming off the bench. While the times he is actually beneficial are exciting, they do not happen nearly enough. Stevens is another bench player who has seen playing time increase since coming to Cleveland. It just seems like the overall better path forward overall is to pick one or the other, not both.

Perhaps being lost in the shuffle here is the future of Isaac Okoro. Ideally Okoro as a bench defensive specialist option would be his best role. The harsh reality about Okoro is that his shooting is simply not there, and while only 22, a meaningful step forward would have been nice to see at some point and it just has not happened. The Cavs exercised their option on Okoro for next season before he becomes a restricted free agent.

What it all comes down to is that the Cavs need to find a real solution to their starting small forward position to go along with the rest of their starters. The Cavs can get away with Okoro in that role due to the likes of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, but just because they can does not mean they should. Cleveland needs to clear out the logjam one way or the other if they want to have a deeper run in the postseason run next season.