Well folks, this is pretty much the kind of year we're going to have. Although I do think that the team is still piecing much of the offense together, it's obvious that the team is going to struggle at times through the year. Good news is that all three losses were without pretty key players, the first missing Mo and Andy, second missing Mo, and the third Jamison.
Now one thing that has become readily apparent to me is that Jamison is unhappy with the situation he's in, whether it's being on a non-contending team, coming off the bench, or both. I honestly don't see him on the team by the end of the year, which is a shame. Furthermore, his health is probably something that will be in question for the rest of his career, however long that may be.
The bright spot so far has been JJ though. This kid has been on fire, and against the Hawks, we got to see what a future (present?) all-star on the team will look like. He's stroking his jumper beautifully, he's working in the post, and flows very well with the offensive pace of the game. He still needs to pick up his game on the defensive end and bring his rebounding up if he truly wants to be an all-star, but there's still plenty of time for the 22 year old. All I have to say is that it's fairly obvious who is going to be picking up the slack this season for the scoring that left the team this summer.
Now on to other topics, the entire team should be back for the first time on Friday, which will be a relief to see. Andy is looking as active as ever and just needs the offense to flow properly so he can pick up his scoring. Jamison... eh already talked about that... should contribute in some way. And Mo, who will most likely be the most key missing player.
Even though Mo looked a little rusty in the Hawks game, its clear he knows what his role is and how effective he can be in this system. After a few more games, the shots that he missed will start to fall and we will once again have an extremely effective scoring option running the point. Ramon is pretty good, but he still doesn't know how to effectively run the offense, often times running into the lane recklessly without any clue what he is going to do with the ball. Now, this sometimes can lead to a heavy scoring game from the young point-guard, but against the better teams it just won't cut it. Mo on the other hand has complete control of the game and a great sense of when to push. Not only that, but he can hit an open jumper, as well as jump shots off the dribble, which is not something you see from any of the other guards on the team.
While I'm not expecting miracles, I still have hope for a playoff Cavs team this year. When Mo, Andy, Jamario and JJ start to really click, the offense is a monster. The crucial point that the Cavs need to work on to truly be competitive is to consistently have a strong defense. When the Cavs really show up on defense there aren't many teams that can run an effective offense on them. If the Cavs can consistently run a strong defense, I will be convinced they are a playoff team, but it isn't there yet.
Anyways, Cavs vs. Sixers on Friday... Hoping for a blowout, but I was hoping the same thing for the Raptors game, so we'll see.
Until next time
No comments:
Post a Comment