CLEVELAND WINS ! – Page 14 – A sports blog with Ohio roots

Dan Gilbert did EXACTLY the right thing for the Cavs

Those questioning Gilbert need to rethink their analysis

I have been frankly appalled by the simplistic analysis rendered by so many of the media after the recent decision by Dan Gilbert to fire Chris Grant. Although this type of criticism of a powerful figure sells “papers” and radio sound bites, it rings hollow when broken down with logic. I get the impression that the usually placid media in Cleveland have been reveling in the joy of second guessing struggling franchises. In most cases, I am right there with them. In this case, I can not add to the din of distrust they have spewed out.

Let’s first look at the decision itself and how it makes perfect sense. Then I will expand that by going into some specific criticisms and addressing them. I recognize that this is now “old news” but the media continues to maintain simplistic criticisms even as of last night on the radio with Bill Livingston. Not to throw Livingston under the bus as he is one of the most balanced commentators out there. It is just that the media “marvels” at the fact firing the GM might actually energize the players and allow them to play better. The GM does not coach them nor does he interact with them consistently (I will address my speculation on that later) so how could firing the GM possibly be the right move? To all of those media and fans in “wonderment”, I will do my best to explain it in a workable way.

Dan Gilbert is the CEO and majority owner of the Cavs. As a CEO and owner, you must think like an owner or CEO to make competent decisions. Most of us have never been placed in that position and are unaware of the proper way to publicly and privately portray tough decisions. It is clear that Gilbert was fed up with the status quo and felt he must step up to make a change. Most of the media felt that the obvious sacrificial lamb in this public execution needed to be the head coach. He was the one leading the team on the court and it was on the court that the Cavs had under performed and remained uninspired. The fans and media thinking that were, of course, correct about the play of the team on the court and the lack of clear and consistent effort by the players. Certainly it was not apparent that the General Manager was not performing up to expectations. so why make the GM the fall guy in this mess and not the head coach or demand that this under achieving team get broken up?

The difference here is that Dan Gilbert, no matter what you might think of him, is a very experienced and competent owner. He owns with his group dozens of companies and must find a way to navigate them to success. So, just like everyone is excited about the Indians finally getting an experienced and successful manager on the field, the Cavs have a very experienced and successful owner upon which to base their operations. As an owner, I think he saw the same on the court flaws that we all could see. Now, do you think those terrible performances were because the coach was not telling them the right things to do or because the players were not accepting the message from the coach? Or was it because they accepted the message and did not have the skill or intelligence to execute the game plans put before them? Gilbert knew Brown was a tireless worker. Many have commented on how no one outworks Mike Brown as a head coach. By all reports those who have spoken with Brown acknowledge how detailed and high level his knowledge is of the game of basketball. So Gilbert, after weighing all of those factors, decided that to fire the coach who had had less than a year to drive his message home was ill advised and would send exactly the wrong message to his players. Remember, he had seen Byron Scott preach many of the same things about heart and effort and desire for three years without any budge from the players.

So….. if it is the players that couldn’t receive the message of how to be a professional and how much effort it takes, then the message needed to be sent to the players when the ax came down. That can be done by breaking up the team and “selling low” to get the pieces rearranged. Even that may not work because if key pieces remain that don’t understand the importance of driving relentlessly at a goal, you will still fail even with some new pieces. Also, the other teams in the NBA would be perfectly happy to rip off the Cavs when they knew they had entered a “fire sale” just to change the culture of the players. That would have placed the Cavs in a terrible position of leverage and Grant would not be able to hold other teams for ransom as he had done in the past with trades. Also, Chris Grant’s reputation of “overvaluing” his players would be awful if the team needed to be broken up. Seeing all of that, Gilbert recognized that keeping the same management and breaking up the team would be messy and would devalue his team in the short and long term. That was a place that he decided he didn’t want to go.

The other way to send the message directly at the players is to fire the man who hired them. Anyone who has worked at a business knows that if the man that brought you there is terminated, you could be next. That situation is completely out of your control. In other words, you could be traded to another crappy team or a good team. If your role with the team increased compared with the Cavs, you probably got traded to a crappy team. If your role with the new team decreased substantially, it might be a good team but your standing as an individual player could drop. Since the Cavs have a ton of young players, they would have almost no say in what fate lies before them. So you need to decide, make a situation that you are already in better or keep screwing up and giving poor effort so you can suffer a completely unknown fate with a new team. You might say the veterans would see this as an opportunity to get out and that chance could be improved by playing with poor effort and going to a better team. The problem there is that the veterans on this team have matured to the point that this childish logic is not part of their DNA. Jack, Miles, Deng, and Andy simply can not bring themselves to take that coward’s way out. So, if Gilbert gauged his players maturity correctly, that result was highly unlikely.

Of course it was the GM that “hired” all of those players by trades, free agent signings and drafting. The players know this and can’t help but respect the man who “wanted” them on his team. Dion Waters said exactly that after the firing. Now they had a new GM who they didn’t know as well but were stuck with the SAME COACH. They didn’t know what the new GM thought of them and even what the owner thought of them after Grant was fired. That kind of uncertainty challenges people. They either decide to fight to make it better or sink further to the bottom. Sometimes it is this kind of a test that finally wakes talented young people up and they decide to take another path from the one they were taking. What decision the players took would become obvious fairly quickly and Gilbert was hoping that might clarify who they had to move, if anyone.

Firing the coach would have sent EXACTLY the wrong message. That would simply say that “you guys are fine” we just haven’t found the coach talented enough to lead you. We have kept all of you but fired the coach who was sending you the message about hustle and defense and effort and intensity. Gee, that was the same message sent to you from Byron Scott so it must be the wrong message. We will simply change the coach, change the message, and you guys will be just fine. We are on our way to the playoffs!! For all of you that favored firing the coach instead of the GM, can you see how that message would have been completely wrong and misguided? It is the players that needed the wake up call and not the coach! I am not a big Mike Brown fan and, in fact, was not particularly comfortable when they hired him. But I can certainly see the folly in firing him after less than one season and sending that message of acceptance to the players. It made infinitely more sense to fire the GM who brought all of those players to Cleveland and send them the message that this is not acceptable.

I can go on and on why this decision made so much sense. But I would be remiss if I didn’t address now the most illogical objection to the GM firing that has been repeated over and over and over again to the point of my nausea. It is like everyone just parroted the logic and accepted it as fact even though it is illogical itself. After the firing of the GM, Dan Gilbert said that he liked his coach (Mike Brown) and his players. That he BELIEVED in them and thought they could turn it around. That has been universally panned as illogical and a sign that Gilbert is out of touch. Again, you need to think like a CEO or owner to understand this logic. The common logic says “Well, if you like the players and the coach, why fire the man who put them together.” Here is why. After you make a dramatic decision as a CEO such as firing the man charged with running the basketball operations, you need to decide what message you want to send publicly next. If you imply that the coach might be next and you are not confident, the players continue to tune him out thinking he is a lame duck anyway. As the owner, you can’t afford to send that message or anything close to that message. So it would have made no sense to say anything negative on that topic. You want the players to know that “Mike Brown is going to be your coach so you had better get along and make the best of it.” Secondly, what sense in any way does it make to imply that you don’t like your players and that you think they will fail? What CEO does that? I can tell you that a smart CEO does not do that because the message has already been sent publicly by firing the head of basketball operations. Now you need to build up your troops and support them publicly. Privately, you will charge your new GM to do other things to send personal more individual messages to your players and coaching staff. Make no mistake about it, I am 100% certain those messages were sent. And I don’t mean all negative messages. I am sure that many of them were positive and productive.

So, while the press would have been overjoyed if the CEO took pot shots at everyone including the coach and the players in his press conference, he absolutely would have been a moron to do so. That approach would have been similar to the infamous “LeBron comic sans letter” that he wishes he had never sent. It makes for headlines but it undermines the fabric of the very organization he has spent so much money to grow and promote. As a fan, I might have liked him to challenge everyone in his presser but as a leader I realize it makes no sense at all.

Now that I hope I have debunked the most public objection to Dan Gilbert’s decision I want to talk about some of the subtleties that makes it the right first step toward placing the organization on solid footing. First of all about Grant. Most observers had no real objection to Gilbert firing Grant. It is just that they felt others were more deserving of the ax (eg Coach Brown). Grant had been with the organization longer and had placed his stamp on it more than any single individual. Despite that fact, other organizations had clearly leapfrogged the Cavs in their development with arguably fewer “assets” and certainly not as much luck. The Cavs won TWO draft lotteries under Grant’s tenure. Plus, most agree that Grant had garnered a reputation of overvaluing his players and trying to “outsmart” other GMs. Powerful people do not like to be made to look stupid and Grant, actually by accident to a degree, had done that a couple of times. Gilbert probably knows but we don’t know how many trades Grant did not make when put before him that might have propelled the Cavs forward. This is speculative but it is certainly plausible. What is less speculative is that Gilbert may have known that Grant’s reputation around the league could hinder his ability for future trades. Some GMs have been quoted as saying they would avoid talking trades with Grant. Finally, from a “culture” standpoint (something also panned by the media when Gilbert mentioned it with the firing), Gilbert probably saw it deteriorate under Grant this year. Even at his last press conference as GM, I thought Grant sounded smug, distant and detached from his and the team’s detractors. He almost acted like he was “above the crowd” on this and that he knew the way even if we didn’t. That detached attitude might have been privately manifest as well with less personal contact with the players and the coach. I think Grant had been distancing himself from this job for awhile based on what I could see. If true, Gilbert’s changing the culture comments may not have been as far off as some speculated after his press conference.

Gilbert had also gotten to know David Griffin through his several years with the organization. He knew that he was more of the “go out and touch” kind of guy in terms of his management style. I get the impression Gilbert is similar. That is a good fit. Also, Gilbert had undoubtedly asked around the league about the reputation of Griffin before making the switch. For those who think Gilbert has not been contemplating this move for awhile, I would beg to differ. He was just waiting for the proper time to pull the trigger where it would have the greatest impact. If the team had improved, he would have waited. When the team was embarrassed by a depleted Laker team, the time was right.

Griffin, who I hope Gilbert retains for the long haul, has the right approach to young players IMO. He will privately let them know what he expects of them and what might happen if they cannot produce results. I am also certain the same type conversation occurred with Mike Brown and his coaching staff. This is the “culture change” Gilbert was referring to based on what Griffin himself said about his “different” approach from Grant. He clearly distanced himself from the “hands off” approach, which implied that may have been Grant’s style. The often speculated conversations that he supposedly had with Kyrie and Dion makes perfect sense based on what we have seen since he took over. It is speculated that he took Kyrie and Dion aside separately or collectively and told them that the club had no intention of trading either one of them and he felt they BOTH were core pieces going forward. It is my opinion that Dion and Kyrie have wondered that ever since Dion was drafted. They can not help to have heard the incessant chatter in the background from ESPN and other media sources saying that they were a “bad fit” together and both needed the ball so they did not belong on the same team. Now it may turn out that it is entirely true that Dion and Kyrie can not coexist on the same roster, but Griffin sent the exact right message going forward to allow him to see if that is true. Similar to why Gilbert could not trash the coach or players after firing Grant, Griffin needs to see if Dion and Kyrie can coexist. So he told them, you WILL coexist so see if you both can make the best of it. If it fails, then one will be gone but we will all know why and can live with the result. So can Griffin and Gilbert if that happens. What has happened is a much more cohesive Kyrie and Dion on the court, a much more public display of support from each player for the other, and a private practice Friday before the All Star festivities. Those are all good first steps.

The Cavs needed to send a message of accountability throughout the organization and the clear leader of the company needed to emerge to make that happen. Gilbert did just that at the right time and sent the right message. This is just the beginning. My analysis of why Gilbert was right has no connection to the current 4 game win streak. Although welcomed, it can be just as short lived as many other signs of hope we have seen. I am absolutely certain that Griffin, Brown, and each player will be held accountable for the results. And, if the results don’t improve, then more definitive action will be taken. No one is safe. No one should be coddled. I think Gilbert sent that message loud and clear. Let’s hope he will follow-up with whatever is necessary to stabilize the ship going forward. Because the changes MIGHT have just begun.

Cleveland – A Place Where Pride Should Prevail

Cleveland has every right to be a proud city

There was some more bad news that struck the city of Cleveland today and it had nothing to do with its sports teams. That, in itself, is an interesting contrast. United Airlines is pulling their “hub” from Cleveland and our flights from that airline will slowly decline. This should not come as a complete shock to anyone as the airline industry, in their “consolidation phase”, is seeking to screw the consumer at every conceivable turn for the sake of their shareholders. That sounds awful but it is truly the American Way. Any company’s Board of Trustees and CEO are bound to do what they can to enhance shareholder value. That is their duty. Not to make consumers happy or enhance their value unless it concurrently enhances shareholder value. You don’t need to be an economist to recognize that that convergence rarely happens.

Consumer flight costs are going up and our convenience is going way down. Now the industry can come up with some odd constructed statistics where they claim that is not happening, but you only need to be a consumer of air travel to recognize the obvious. Since August 10, 2012, United Airlines stock price has risen from 17.78 to 45.84 as of Friday. That is a rise of almost 158% since the late summer of 2012. Even with the huge rise in the stock market for 2013, it is clear that United has outperformed even one of our most bullish market years. So the CEO and Board of Trustees are doing their job. How can we really complain about that? One reason might be that we are much more likely to be consumers of United Airlines in Cleveland and not shareholders.

It is not surprising that this announcement comes right on the heals of a lavish article in the United Airlines magazine about Cleveland. I suppose Clevelanders should think a well constructed article eases the pain of the loss of hub status. The way our sports teams are being portrayed lately, United probably does think that is a fair trade. If you really think about it, maybe some of the research that went into the article was used to determine that it was time to pull the plug on hub status for Cleveland. A bizarre twist Cleveland area residents should well appreciate.

So, despite the bad news about the United hub and the living hell that is our sports teams, we need to look forward at the positives of the Cleveland area and there are many. These have been well innumerate in other places but I will attempt this brief list as a reminder in these rather difficult times. In case there is any doubt, this is not an attempt to be cute or deferential about Cleveland or to provide comic relief. I honestly believe these things are real and palpable. I believe these things mean something. I believe they translate into improved quality of life and a better place for our families. Other cities might be able to claim more lavish examples and greater quantity but rarely greater quality.

1) Let’s start with the weather. Cleveland is the butt of many jokes and barbs about this by people in Los Angeles and Miami:

Yes, Cleveland gets winter and snow and cold temperatures. But Clevelanders also know how to deal with it and rarely are stopped by it. The streets generally remain open, commerce can continue, and residents know how to stay comfortable at uncomfortable times. Plus, Clevelanders know how to DRIVE in that weather. A fact that is sometimes overshadowed by an idiot on the road but confirmed by far fewer multicar disasters like happened in sunny Atlanta recently.

When was the last hurricane, mud slide, wild fire, Tsunami, tropical storm, earthquake or other similar massively destructive weather disaster in Cleveland? We do have flooding from time to time and certainly have tornados but our level of destruction from those disasters is generally well confined with a few people being devastated but not large populations. The number of deaths is more limited as is the destruction of property. Now I lived through a tornado with 5 homes destroyed in my neighborhood so I am not minimizing the destruction just putting it in perspective.

Our summers may from time to time seem pretty hot and uncomfortable but not nearly at the level of those in most climates where they chirp about our winters.

Clevelanders see the seasons change and the leaves turn and nature renew itself year after year. Some of our smug detractors rarely see such things and marvel when they do.

2) Cleveland area residents live near one of the greatest fresh water bodies of water in the world! There are beaches to go to in the summer that are a few miles away instead of days away. The boating community is alive and well in Cleveland and hundreds of boats travel in and fish our waters throughout the warmer seasons. We have homes overlooking the water and lavish views. No, it is not Hawaii, but I would bet that other areas would love to have Cleveland’s access to water.

3) Another more unusual angle of Cleveland’s access to Lake Erie is the fact that fresh water is probably one of the rarest assets in the world and certainly in our country. It is absolutely essential for life but few large bodies of fresh water exist. Plus, right now, we have abundant rainfall to supplement our supplies. If I were to pick an area likely to survive tough atmospheric times, it would be our area. I know this sounds crazy to discuss, but it is a valid point that cannot be disputed if you dare to think about it.

4) If you are sick, are there many places you would rather be than living in the Cleveland region? Cleveland has multiple major health systems in our area all of which have received huge accolades. Although one system garners most of the press, the medical community knows that there are huge World Class medical assets in Cleveland that reach far beyond the borders on any one system. Research and advances in medicine abound from Cleveland. Some may argue that they are equivalent, but no area can clearly declare medical superiority over Cleveland.

5) Despite huge changes in Cleveland’s automobile transportation connections and suffering through a major necessary change in its highways, Cleveland commerce has maintained and thrived. Yes, there have been major headaches but rarely causing time consuming tie-ups like in Chicago or New York or Washington or Los Angeles. Cleveland residents should be proud of the fact that commerce is rarely withered by our highways and 2 hour commutes. I have been in many cities and it is one of the easiest to both navigate and arrive on time.

6) Ignoring sports for the moment, Cleveland can brag about huge assets in the entertainment industry with our emerging movie making presence, the Theater district, the Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center, as well as being the home of Rock and Roll. Our cultural assets are all reasonably impressive with quality museums and access to the arts.

7) Being a Midwest community Cleveland can honestly say that it has great places to live and great places to raise a family. Despite our struggles with the Cleveland School District, suburban schools are of very high quality and we have every reason to believe the inner city districts will continue to improve. We have multiple colleges and universities within miles of Cleveland and in Cleveland. Our medical school at Case Western Reserve is one of the best in the country.

8) All around Cleveland are huge agricultural regions with fresh food available throughout the growing season. Tropical foods and seafood need shipped in but much of what we eat can be grown or produced locally. Drive outside Cleveland or a suburb and see how long it takes you to reach miles and miles of farms. It is not long.

9) Avoiding professional sports for the moment, there is no doubt that athletes and athletic events thrive in Cleveland. We have some of the best high school sports events in the country and our college events, although on a more minor scale, are top notch as well. Just ask any Mount Union supporter, whose university is only a little more than an hour away. A normal commute time in Chicago.

10) Finally in my top 10 is Cleveland professional sports!!! And, although I blog about this topic most often, I admit that the luster of Cleveland professional sports in this article is best positioned to simply say that we have three professional sports franchises. This is the one area where other cities can certainly say that they have greater quality as well as in some cases quantity of professional sports. The sad thing is that this is one of the most visible pieces and projects a shadow over Cleveland that is neither deserved nor accurate.

There was a reason why Cleveland was one of the greatest cities in early industrial America. The resources and advantages I have outlined here are many of those reasons. Rapid transportation and a digital society have seemed to wipe out the advantages so desperately sought by our ancestors. But, when you actually look at this logically and not in the squalid light that outsider’s project, you see a fine place to live, a fine place to love, and a fine place to support. No corporate decision or sport’s franchise ineptitude can change that fact. Stay classy Cleveland (as a great newscaster might say) and never forget that we have much more to be proud of than to decry.

Dan Gilbert needs to do some soul searching about the #Cavs

Dan Gilbert cannot be a happy man !

I really did not think it would come down to this, but Dan Gilbert needs to seriously think about every aspect of his basketball team. He has spent the money and displayed the passion every Cleveland fan dreams about from it’s sports franchise owners. Gilbert has also visibly supported the decisions of his General Manager, Chris Grant, and has done nothing to undermine him. That is something a passionate owner can sometimes do to overstep his bounds as an owner. He also clearly supported the decision to rehire Mike Brown and has been very vocal in his support. In fact, that might be something that Gilbert himself initiated.

Now, over halfway into the season, Gilbert is seeing the same exact signs of disarray that caused Byron Scott to be fired and Brown to be hired. Since the coaches are different and the results basically the same, it is a critical time for a completely fresh review of all aspects of the Cavalier’s organization. This includes intense scrutiny of Chris Grant, Mike Brown, and essentially every player on the Cavalier’s roster. Admittedly this is something generally reserved for the General Manager of a franchise and not the owner but Gilbert has no choice given that Grant should be one of the critical pieces reviewed. He may need to call some high level contacts around the league that he certainly must have developed and ask them to please provide an assessment of Grant, Brown, and the players on the Cavaliers. Although this would certainly need to be “off the record”, it should be possible to get an experienced view or two of the problems facing the Cav’s franchise.

I personally do not have all the answers but I am observant enough to realize that this just isn’t working. The Cavaliers should be dramatically further in their development given the good fortune they have had with number one picks and the shear number of pics they have had over the past several years. Grant has squandered opportunities in the second round of drafts and may have made the ultimate blunder in this year’s draft by squandering the number one overall pick. He seems to be very good at acquiring “assets” to use in the future but not as adept at using those assets efficiently. Maybe his picks will all turn out to be All-Stars and Bennett may eventually turn one of the worst busts into a decent player. But, given the lack of progress on this team, those fortunate scenarios seem less likely by the day.

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal made a compelling case also that Kyrie Irving himself should not be absolved from blame for the Cavs abysmal record. Certainly anyone who has seen point guards around the league blowing by Irving like he is standing still recognizes that blame clearly resides with our All-Star point guard.

So no one should be immune from this evaluation, including Irving. But, given his immense talent, a preferable solution to this mess would be one that includes him over one that excludes him. Irving often says exactly the right things but there is no conviction or passion coming from his words. They seem hollow in most interviews. This is in contrast to the interviews of Tristan Thompson that show obvious passion and disgust for losing. He says the right things and you can feel what he is saying. With Irving it sometimes sounds like a recap of Mike Brown’s beliefs and observations void of conviction. This is a bad sign and similar to the progression of the “one that left” only much earlier in his development. You almost get the feeling that Kyrie is “plotting his departure” long before that even makes sense financially. Now that is probably just Cleveland fan pessimism speaking, but it also could be true. As far as Irving is concerned, he needs to be sat down and told what is expected of him and what he needs to do to help the team win. Not what he needs to do to promote his “brand” or get more awards that doesn’t include the team winning. If he can’t do it, then the trade block might be the best way for him to help the Cavs win games. He would command a substantial return in any trade. Far better than letting him walk away for a few draft picks.

It probably would be ill advised for Gilbert to replace Grant or Brown or Irving at this time. Those kind of moves would be “Browns like” and I don’t mean that in a good way. So, once he does his research, he needs to talk with Grant and give him a solid chance to get the franchise out of this mess. By that I mean to the end of this season. He needs to be clear his job is on the line and he needs to bring a winner to Cleveland this year without mortgaging all of our future. That is possible but we might need to trade a valuable asset. If we can get valuable assets in return that will help the Cavs win sooner than later, that might be worth the risk. As far as whom to trade, that is a difficult decision and greatly depends on what other teams might offer in return. Everyone but Irving should be fair game for now and, if Irving does not do what he needs to do to advance the team, he should be right there with the rest.

Brown needs to know that there is no three year plan here. He needs to get this team going quickly or he might end up being “one and done” like Chud. Again, this is not an ideal alternative but is preferable to continuing to accept a losing result. Part of the Brown discussion should include the oft talked about “offensive coordinator” that needs to be added to his staff. Brown has never shown the necessary aptitude on the offensive side of the ball.

I guess my major point is that there must be consequences clearly outlined for each member of the Cavalier’s organization. Those consequences will include not being a part of this franchise going forward. Expectations must be set and, if not met, the pink slip will follow. The players need to know that this is their last chance to prove they can win with this group of teammates. If not, then their teammates or they will be traded until a winning group of players emerges.

No one would be more disappointed than myself if this entire organization needed blown up in order to instill the clear message that winning is the only acceptable outcome. Anything less will not be tolerated. As Cleveland fans, we should demand no less and expect no less. I really like Dion Waiters and Andy and Tristan and Kyrie and most of the players on this roster (not including Earl Clark). But if one or more of them needs to go to advance the franchise forward and into the playoffs, I am all for it. It’s about time don’t you think!!

Things #Cavs Mike Brown needs to learn fast

Mike Brown needs to adjust some things

Here are some things Mike Brown needs to learn quickly. The season is moving fast and last night’s loss was pretty ugly. So here are one fan’s suggestions:

1) At any position, Earl Clark is a near disaster on the court. He doesn’t have the skill sets necessary to play a substantial role on this team. He can do some things that are helpful, but only if he can shoot.

2) If starters suck and defensive energy is low, sub in second team early and make sure Delly is on the floor. You waited WAY too long to sub out the starters in the third quarter particularly.

3) If the team doesn’t know defensive intensity wins games, don’t remove Delly from rotation. It appeared to me that Delly was either out of the rotation or nearly so until garbage time. His energy is amazing on the defensive end. So you need to reward the players who follow your philosophy with minutes. Not set them on the bench.

4) If team doesn’t pick up full court when they should, tell them to do it! You are the coach!! In your post game presser you mentioned that the team should realize that they needed to pick up the intensity and should have spontaneously picked their man up full court. The ONLY player that does that was on the bench. So you could have considered telling them to pick up full court at a well staged time out. I thought coaches did that?

5) If you need to yell at them to push the ball every possession, someone isn’t listening! I admire that you are very vocal and yell “push it” every possession, but it seems to me that you shouldn’t have to say it more than a couple of times. If it isn’t happening, the point guard needs to kick some butt and make it happen. If he doesn’t, then maybe he isn’t listening.

Well, those are just a few suggestions. I know that I am just a fan and blogger, but the performance from Brown’s team last night makes me feel like a thoughtful fan who played basketball might have a valid suggestion or two.

Either way, I certainly hope that last night’s game is not a reflection on what we will see the rest of the year. I actually don’t think it will be common and Luol Deng summed it all up in his post-game interview quite well. The Cavs needs to realize when a team makes a run, they must STOP THEM to close out the run and not try to OUTSCORE them. If that is true, Brown needs to play the players that embody that philosophy when these runs occur instead of players who take the other approach. I know they need to learn but Byron already tried the approach of letting them swing on the vine and it failed. The only way Brown can make his point is to take away or add minutes on the court. Then explain to them when reviewing the film why he did what he did. It might just work.

The Cavs Season Begins NOW

Cavs now have a window of opportunity with Deng

I certainly know that much has been written since Chris Grant decided to make a run for the playoffs this year. Many have said that Grant made that decision to attempt to save his job. While that may be true, the result was a new beginning for the Cavs season and a fan base infused with excitement. There are many reasons for this result but it was not just getting a quality player for Bynum. It was the exact player they received in return and the fact that no quality Cavs player was involved. The only “assets” used were other teams draft picks and a potential draft pick swap in 2015.

Anyone who questions this deal in any way is not looking logically at the Cavs desperate situation. The Cavs have PLENTY of draft picks going forward and may acquire more in future deals. What they don’t have are wins!! And do not be deluded that the Cavs could have gone through another year of “tanking”. My observation as a season ticket holder is that the Cavs fan base was growing weary of the continued losing. Another year at the top of the lottery was going to drive many fans that have remained loyal since LeBron to depart discouraged and dejected. Sure I know many hard core fans like those I brush elbows with in Twitter would have been just fine with another tanking season. But I don’t think the majority of the fans could understand or support it. The boos would have slowly intensified as each putrid loss flew by. The attendance would have dipped as well.

Now you could say that the Cavs might have turned it around without a deal so all that gloom and doom talk is unjustified. And, as I have said in past posts, the team might have turned it around by Irving leading with increased intensity and improved defense. In analyzing the season so far, I was becoming increasingly concerned that nothing was going to turn the losing around this year baring a miracle.

The Luol Deng trade has changed the possibilities for this year and potentially for years to come. That could happen with or without Deng signing long term. Here are the reasons why this trade was far superior to any other possible trade:

1) Pau Gasol is a fine player who was having arguably the worst season of his career and played in a position that the Cavs had minimal need. To have added him in a similar trade with little chance of resigning would not have changed the Cavs fortunes. Gasol is also considerably older than Deng.

2) The Cavs added a player who is in his prime, having the best scoring year of his career thus far, has unquestioned high character, and is a defensive force on a team that needs more intensity on both ends.

3) The Cavs added a player in a critical position of need where the players were so forgettable that, if they cut both Gee and Clark tomorrow, no one would shed a tear.

4) Offensively the team now has another quality option who knows how to move the ball and cut to the basket without the ball (an area of critical need for the Cavs)

5) The long offensive lapses of no points for 8 minutes on the clock should fade away with Deng added to our other options

6) The Cavs have more than a remote chance of resigning Deng because of the type of character he has and the fact the Cavs will be able to make a very attractive offer.

7) The players will be energized because the management has made a commitment to winning THIS year and not just looking way into the future. This will be very important to help the players realize that there is no hidden agenda to “tank” again and that the organization EXPECTS them to win.

8) Irving will be able to feel the commitment of the team to building a winning culture instead of the draining losing he had seen thus far.

9) Most importantly – And I mean most importantly – The Cavs management and coaches now have the opportunity to see how this team will be able to play with a legitimate small forward. Something none of us have seen since the departure of James.

The thing that will derail all of these good vibrations is not winning. There is no guarantee that the team will begin to win consistently even with Deng. He is a fine player and I think the trade was fantastic, but that does not guarantee even one win. The Cavs still need to exert maximal effort for 4 quarters in order to string significant wins together. They have to play better and harder on the road. So there are many things we don’t know and many things we can hope for.

So even though the results are still in question, the fact remains that the Cavs season starts again now. The interest will never be higher and if the results are favorable on the scoreboard, we may remember this trade fondly for years to come. If for no other reason than allowing us to find out how good the Cavaliers can be with a real small forward.