Author Archives: James Mastrucci

About James Mastrucci

James Mastrucci covers the Browns, Cavaliers, Guardians, Monsters, Hornets, Packers, Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens. Find written work at This Is Believeland, Away Back Gone, Lombardi Ave, Swarm and Sting, and Full Press Coverage.

Jarvis Landry sets world record

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry set a world record with some assistance from former Browns quarterback Brady Quinn

Jarvis Landry can now add world record holder to his resume. During the CBS Sports pregame show Landry set the world record for most one-handed catches in one minute. Landry caught 48 passes with one hand to set the record.

Landry got some assistance from former Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn. Quinn threw passes to Landry in the pregame segment which now has Landry in the record books. Landry also appeared beforehand to discuss tonight’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

Is the record a bit arbitrary? Absolutely. It seems like that the Browns connection between Jarvis Landry and Brady Quinn was used to put together a world record that many were previously unaware of. Although having a former Browns player throw passes to a current Browns player is a bit of feel good moment.

Is this a recruiting ploy from Jarvis Landry?

As mentioned previously, this could also be an effort by Jarvis Landry to recruit for the Browns. Baker Mayfield is also aiding in this effort. Although this is a more public display other than social media posts. Appearing on a national broadcast to set a world record is quite the platform to recruit if that is truly the case.

Browns players are doing everything they can to show that this is not the same old Browns. Appearing on a pregame show for the Super Bowl can only help change the perception of a once downtrodden franchise. This may be only the first of many displays to portray the Browns in a different light and recruit elite players to come to Cleveland. As long as this helps bring at least one player to Cleveland it is a success.

Jordan Clarkson leads reserves in double-digit scoring

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson is one of the NBA’s best when it comes to scoring off the bench

Bench scoring may not be the most popular aspect of the NBA to discuss, but it is an important part of the game. Jordan Clarkson leads all NBA reserves in double-digit scoring efforts this season. Clarkson has scored in double-digits 46 times this season.

Jordan Clarkson has appeared in 52 games for the Cavaliers this season and has not broke the double-digit barrier only six times. Being able to score 10 or more points in all but six contests this season is quite impressive. Considering how poor the Cavaliers have been this season, it has been a necessity.

Clarkson is shooting a career-high 45.6 percent from the field. This conversion rate has also led to a career-high 16.8 points per game. In fact Clarkson is Cleveland’s leading scorer among players who have played in five or more games. This excludes Kevin Love’s average of 19 points in four games.

While it is good see Jordan Clarkson succeed in this manner, it speaks volumes about how poor the Cleveland Cavaliers have been this season. The team has one of the worst records in basketball. Of course some of that is due to injuries to key players, but overall poor roster construction is also to blame. Successful NBA teams do not have scoring attacks led by a bench player. Bench players are complimentary pieces to starters who lead the offense. Unfortunately the Cavaliers are working backwards in this regard. Clarkson is leading the offense while the starters are acting as complimentary pieces. This is not a recipe for success.

Jordan Clarkson is succeeding this season and putting up some of the best numbers of his career. Clarkson’s individual accomplishments should not be overshadowed by the bad team he currently is a member of.

Cavaliers unable to stretch win streak to three

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The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 111-98 on Saturday and the Cavaliers win streak stops at two games

The Cleveland Cavaliers and win streaks have not been synonymous with each other this season. Cleveland is unable to compete with most teams on a nightly basis, much less for multiple games in a row. The fact the team owned a two-game win streak was a minor accomplishment in a dismal season. Cleveland’s win streak stopped at only two games after a 13-point loss to Dallas Saturday.

Jordan Clarkson led the Cavaliers scoring attack with 19 points off the bench. When the leading scorer comes off the bench that is usually not a good sign for the outcome of the game. Clarkson is a talented scorer, but he can not be the leading scorer for Cleveland if they want to win games.

Collin Sexton continued his rough stretch Saturday. Scoring 13 points on 4-17 shooting, Sexton has experienced a decline in quality of play as each month has passed. While it is a bit of a concern, Sexton is still a rookie and has plenty of time to improve as time goes on.

Three-point shooting an issue for Cavaliers

Surprisingly the Cleveland Cavaliers rank 12th in the NBA in three-point shooting. With this knowledge Saturday’s performance from deep comes as a surprise. Cleveland went 4-23 from three-point range and shot an uninspiring 17.4 percent. This is less than half of the season average for the team (35.4 percent). It is a tough task to win in the NBA with shooting this poor.

Cavaliers notes

David Nwaba returned from injury and scored 12 points in 15 minutes on 5-6 shooting from the field and making two of four attempts from the free throw line.

Kevin Love is getting closer to returning but if he does return this week his minutes will be limited.

Tristan Thompsons is still out for the time being and could return after the All-Star break.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 11-42 on the year and currently own the third-worst record in the NBA.

Cleveland’s next game is at home against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday February 5th at 7 P.M.

Indians need Leonys Martin in 2019

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Cleveland Indians outfielder Leonys Martin only appeared in six games for the Tribe in 2019 before a life threatening infection ended his season

Leonys Martin may be the most forgotten about outfielder on the Cleveland Indians. Martin came over in a trade from the Detroit Tigers last season and appeared in six games. While Martin was productive at the plate during those six games, a life threatening infection ended his season prematurely. Now the Cleveland Indians will lean on Martin to produce at a similar rate in 2019.

During Martin’s six game stint in Cleveland last year he put together a fairly impressive slash line. Granted it is from the smallest of sample sizes, but a .333/.353/.733/1.086 slash line is nothing to scoff at. Martin homered twice, drove in four runs and scored three times.

Defensively Martin spent five games in center field and one in right field. Martin’s versatility will be quite valuable next season. The Indians outfield is relatively unsettled and needs all the help it can get. Along with Martin, the team will depend on Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin next season.

What can Leonys Martin provide the Indians in 2019?

Baseball reference projects Leonys Martin to relatively pedestrian at the plate next season. Slashing .236/.302/.382/.683 next season. This is more in line with his career averages when compared to his six games in Cleveland last year.

Additionally the projections show Martin with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, two triples, 35 runs driven in and scoring 48 times. Considering where Martin will bat in the order this is not terrible, but it is not great either. Martin will most likely bat near or at the bottom of the order since Francisco Lindor is the leadoff hitter for the Tribe.

Martin batting near the bottom order gives Cleveland a more traditional leadoff type hitter for others to drive in. Modern baseball strategy dictates that the best hitters get the most at-bats, which is not necessarily the type of the old school set the table type of player that many still think that Martin is. Putting this type of player at the ninth spot in the order allows Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana the chance to drive them in.

As long as Martin can be fairly productive at the plate as part of an outfield the platoon that is more than acceptable for the Indians next season. The team just needs someone who can put the ball in play occasionally and get on base at a decent clip. Leonys Martin can do just that and that is what the Cleveland Indians need in 2019.

No All-Stars for Cleveland Cavaliers

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In one of the least surprising developments of the NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers do not have a single All-Star

Coming into the 2018-19 NBA season the Cleveland Cavaliers had one All-Star hopeful on the roster. That hopeful being Kevin Love. Unfortunately Love suffered an injury and has been absent since the fourth game of the season. Love’s injury essentially shut the door on any Cavaliers player making the All-Star Team.

Of course this does not include the Rising Stars Challenge. Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman is a member of Team World. While this event does occur during All-Star Weekend, it does not mean Osman is an All-Star. Osman could potentially find his way into the All-Star Game in the future, but for the time being the Rising Stars Challenge will have to do.

This is the first time since the 2011-12 season which Cleveland does not have an All-Star selection. The team also did not have an All-Star during the 2010-11 season. These years were of course immediately after LeBron James left for Miami and before Kyrie Irving ascended to superstardom. The fact that this is the first season without either player and the team does not have an All-Star is not entirely a surprise.

As of now the team really does not have an All-Star candidate on the roster outside of potentially Kevin Love. Collin Sexton may end up in this game in the future, but a lot has to change before this conversation can really get started. Sexton has struggled as rookie and it was covered previously. Cedi Osman is also a candidate to make it in the future, but like Sexton improvements must come before that happens. It may be some time before the Cleveland Cavaliers have another player in the All-Star Game, but that drought is unlikely to last forever.

Twitter poll results: Browns draft edition

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A Twitter poll with four options was posted and Browns fans voted for which position the team should take with the 17th pick in the draft. 2,037 votes were cast and some of the results were a bit surprising.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsBrowns/status/1089861633093054465

Defensive Tackle

At 36 percent defensive tackle was the number one vote getter. This is hardly a surprise considering how vulnerable the middle of the Browns defensive front was at times last season. Larry Ogunjobi is a great talent at the defensive tackle position, but he can only do so much. Trevon Coley and Carl Davis are not exactly making game changing plays either. Finding another player to start over them would be a wise investment.

Granted the Browns could address this position in free agency, making this pick available for other positions. However if there is another run on other positions leaving a plethora of quality defensive tackle options at 17 it will be hard to pass up.

Linebacker

Unsurprisingly linebacker came in second with 25 percent of the vote. The opinion of Jamie Collins varies from person to person. Christian Kirksey is another player that also falls into the same category as Collins. While Collins may not be on the roster next season, Kirksey figures to be a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

Some expect there to be quality linebacker options available when Cleveland picks in the upcoming draft. This opens up opportunities for the team make improvements to one of the teams weaker defensive units. When Joe Schobert missed three games the defense as a whole struggled. Granted Kirksey was also absent during this time, but this speaks volumes about how badly this unit needs help.

Wide Receiver

Coming in third place is the wide receiver position at 22 percent. This is a bit of old thinking. Some of the comments in regards to this pick are in support of finding a true number one receiver, a big receiver or other basic rhetoric. The fact of the matter is that the team has a quarterback in Baker Mayfield who does not need that. Mayfield produces no matter who is out there catching the football. Sure, drafting a “true number one receiver” is a good thought, but it is not a necessity. The team will be able to succeed in the passing game with receivers taken later in the draft or signed in free agency.

Offensive Tackle

The fact that offensive tackle came in a distant fourth place is a bit surprising. With only 17 percent of the vote, Browns fans thought that the 17th pick should not be used to improve the offensive tackle position. Greg Robinson has showed he is more than capable of holding down the fort for the time being, but he is not a realistic longterm solution. Chris Hubbard performed admirably as the right tackle, but like Robinson is not an elite tackle by any means.

The results which put offensive tackle last could be influenced by the team drafting Austin Corbett last year. Corbett appeared in 11 games, but it was in more of an additional lineman role. Some are unsure of Corbett’s future, but he could in fact be the teams future center. That is if the team moves on from JC Tretter in the near future. Corbett’s uncertain future may have impacted how fans voted and essentially voted for other positions in order to “not waste a pick on another offensive lineman who will not play”.

Mayfield, Landry recruiting for Browns

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Baker Mayfield and Jarvis Landry are reportedly attempting to recruit players to come to Cleveland and play for the Browns

Even just one season ago attempting to recruit players to play for the Browns was an impossible task. Playing in Cleveland was not on a lot of players wishlists. Now that is no longer the case. Behind the superb play of Baker Mayfield the Browns are now a place people want to come play.

When a team has a franchise quarterback recruiting players is much easier. Players will want to come play for team led by Mayfield. Players will also want to play with someone like Jarvis Landry. Landry is a great personality for Cleveland and helps pump up his teammates. Landry’s enthusiasm can be contagious and attract players to come to Cleveland.

The Browns are now an attractive team to come to so recruiting players is a much easier task. No longer will the front office have to hand out contracts with large amounts of money attached. The team does not have to overpay for marginal players. Actual quality talent will want to come to Cleveland and play for the Browns.

The real question is how much will John Dorsey spend in free agency. If we are to believe what Dorsey has said, the team does not expect to spend a lot in free agency. This could complicate the whole recruiting process. Sure the team will spend, but not to the degree that many may expect. Cleveland has cap space, but could end up reinvesting into the current roster instead of going outside to acquire multiple players.

At the end of the day Mayfield and Landry can realistically recruit a couple of players to Cleveland. Cleveland is trending upward and have a good core group. Players want to come play for the Browns. Mayfield and Landry are just opening the door, it is up to them to come in.

Performances from Collin Sexton trending downward

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Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Collin Sexton has been trending downward in regards to on-court performance since November

Collin Sexton has endured a rough rookie season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the worst teams in the league and Sexton is being tasked with leading a relatively uninspiring unit. Besides playing for a team with an awful record, Sexton experienced his worst month since turning pro.

In the month of January Collin Sexton only made 36.2 percent of his shots. In fact Sexton’s field goal percentage has dropped in consecutive months. From 45 percent in November to 40.2 percent in December and now 36.2 percent in January. This drop in efficiency is not a good trend for the Cavaliers rookie.

Coinciding with Sexton’s drop in field goal percentage, points scored per game have also dropped in three straight months. Sexton scored 16.1 points in November, 14.8 points in December and now 13.3 points in January. These numbers are hardly encouraging and quite a cause for concern.

A drop in minutes per game could hypothetically be to blame, (31.3 minutes in November, 30.7 in December, 29.5 in January), however just under two minutes less per game is hardly to blame for such a sharp drop in performance quality.

Collin Sexton may be a victim of circumstances in Cleveland

To put it bluntly the Cleveland Cavaliers are a bad team. The team has also dealt with injuries to key players several times this season. Kevin Love has been out since the fourth game of the season. Tristan Thompson has suffered two injuries which have kept him out for an extended period of time. With the team lacking veteran experience it is quite difficult for Sexton to not head into a negative direction.

It is not entirely out of the question to consider that if Love and Thompson have not missed as much time as they have that Sexton could be playing better. While the team has benefited from quality play from Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and Alec Burks, they can only do so much from the guard position. Ante Zizic has played fairly well, but his contributions have come in spurts and has not really impacted Sexton in a positive manner.

Collin Sexton is an unfinished product and has a lot of time ahead of him as an NBA player. Sexton is also only 20 years old and will develop as his career progresses. Cleveland surrounding Sexton with more quality players will also help his development. Of course that is if they select the right players and not draft the wrong players.

Will Collin Sexton’s downward slide continue? Probably not. Although the downward trend is concerning. The best practice for the time being is patience and allowing the rookie to learn from his mistakes.

Larry Nance Jr. playing well with more minutes

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Larry Nance Jr. is playing a career-high 25.3 minutes per game and is playing at or above his career averages

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is playing more this season than he ever has at the professional level. Nance’s previous high was 22.9 minutes per game during the 2016-17 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even with the increase in playing time Nance is playing at or above his career averages.

Nance is averaging 8.7 points per game, which matches his career-high set in 2017-18. This production is coming with a career-high 6.6 field goal attempts per game. While Nance’s conversion rate has dropped a bit, the fact he is still finding ways to score is encouraging. Three-point shooting is not really a strength of Nance, but he is making 31.7 percent from deep this season. Granted Nance is only attempting one three-pointer per game, but Nance is not needed to be a threat from deep. There are several other players on the Cavaliers roster who are depended on to make three-pointers.

Nance’s 7.5 rebounds per game is also a career-high. The previous career-high was actually last season with 6.8 per game. 5.3 of Nance’s rebounds are coming on the defensive end of the floor, this number is also a career-high.

Assists do not normally come from a player playing the power forward position, however Nance is also putting up career-high numbers in this category as well. With 3 assists per game, Nance is actually third on the Cavaliers when it comes to assisting teammates. Matthew Dellavedova (3.6) and Kevin Love (3.5) are ahead of Nance in this category. While this actually speaks more about the Cavaliers inability to assist on baskets, Nance succeeding in this area is good to see.

Injuries to the Cavaliers big men have given Larry Nance Jr. more playing time

Granted Larry Nance Jr. was going to see more playing time to begin with, he has been afforded more playing time due to injuries to other big men. At various times throughout the season the team has been without Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Ante Zizic. These injuries have left the Cavaliers with a lack of big men. Nance has appeared in more games this season than any other Cleveland big man. This is even with missing time due to an injury of his own.

Even when Love and Thompson return Nance should continue too see his increased playing time. The skill set of Larry Nance Jr. is extremely valuable coming off the bench. The Cleveland Cavaliers continuing to give Nance meaningful minutes is best for both parties. The team needs to continue to play someone like Nance and Nance needs to continue producing with the opportunities he is being given. As long as the minutes keep coming his way, Larry Nance Jr. should continue to put up some career-high marks.

Greg Robinson can provide Browns stability

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Greg Robinson stepped in as the starting left tackle position midway through the season and provided the Cleveland Browns with competent play

Greg Robinson was not the starting left tackle for the Cleveland Browns when the season began. That job belonged to undrafted rookie Desmond Harrison. After eight games with mixed results and a coaching change, Harrison went to the bench and was replaced by Robinson.

Robinson is a journeyman of sorts. Once a high pick in the draft, Robinson has mostly disappointed in multiple stops in his career. Playing for three teams in five years, Robinson has struggled mightily for every team he played for. Except the Cleveland Browns. Robinson actually was somewhat successful. Robinson’s somewhat successful campaign is actually a bright spot in his career.

Now, Robinson is not an elite left tackle by any means. Above average is still a stretch. Pro Football Focus ranks Robinson as the 63rd overall tackle with a grade of average. To compare, Harrison ranks 67th with a grade of average.

Harrison’s rookie season was a disappointment. While he is still considered raw, a raw left tackle at the age of 25 is not a good combination. In fact it is not desirable at all. Many of the flaws Harrison displayed in college rang true in his eight games as a professional. While powerful, Harrison is technically flawed. Harrison’s shortcomings hindered the Cleveland Browns offense throughout his eight starts.

Once Robinson came in to start the offensive line was no longer an obvious liability. The line actually performed as one of the better units in the league over the final eight games of the season. Without a doubt credit belongs to the coaching staff, but Robinson also deserves some credit. Ridiculous penalties which Harrison seemed to commit every week were no longer present.

Cleveland may want to re-sign Greg Robinson for stability purposes

Stability has not been synonymous with the Cleveland Browns since 1999. Maintaining stability should be a primary objective for Cleveland to help build upon the success of the last eight weeks of 2018. Re-signing Greg Robinson can help maintain stability. Even on a one-year deal signing Robinson would be beneficial.

Greg Robinson is not likely the franchise left tackle the Browns seek. At best he may just be a stopgap until they can find their longterm solution to the position. Robinson is not the best left tackle in the league, but he is head and shoulders better than a lot of options out there.

Cleveland cannot go into next season with the same gameplan in regards to the left tackle position. Starting Desmond Harrison or a player similar to Harrison would be a bad idea. The team cannot hope to luck into another player such as Robinson. Instead of hoping for the best with lesser options, it is better to keep Robinson around for the time being.