Cavs improved their team, as if that was possible

[ISIAH_THOMAS]

The Cleveland Cavaliers held a fiery team meeting in the practice facility locker room prior to Monday's practice, during which several players challenged the legitimacy of Kevin Love's illness that led him to leave Saturday's loss to Oklahoma City early and miss Sunday's practice, league sources told ESPN.

Several players were pushing for the Cavaliers' management and coaching staff to hold Love accountable for leaving the arena before the end of Saturday's game, and then missing Sunday's practice, league sources told ESPN.

The meeting was loud and intense, only calming down once Love spoke to those gathered in the room and explained himself, league sources said.

The meeting included Cavaliers coach Ty Lue and general manager Koby Altman, league sources said.

There was a sense that the team was largely accepting of Love's explanation, and that the airing out of issues could have a positive impact on what has become an increasingly fractured locker room. Within factions of the locker room, there has been blame for the Cavaliers' struggles directed at everyone from Love to Isaiah Thomas, to Lue and the front office, led by Altman, and owner Dan Gilbert, league sources said.

Cleveland is in a spiral, dropping to 27-18 -- only one game ahead of the Miami Heat for third place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland has lost six of its past eight games, and plays San Antonio on Tuesday night in Texas.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2218 ... s-meeting​

[shakespeare]

I don’t understand the negativity towards Cleveland. Again, I ask, does anyone believe Cavs won’t reach the NBA Finals?

I didn’t think so.

[dcapodic]

I don’t understand the negativity towards Cleveland. Again, I ask, does anyone believe Cavs won’t reach the NBA Finals?

I didn’t think so.

Exactly. It is almost like a script that Lebron and company come up with every year so he can "magically" pull them all together in the second half of the season and make a run to the finals again.

Cue the Tom Brady cut his hand in practice and this is the end of the Patriots segment....a lot of fodder at a boring time of the year. Could this be the year the run ends, yea. Do I think it will be, no. I like the Celtics but without a healthy Hayward I don't think they have enough.

[spree#8]

What is different this year though is, that LeBron is playing some of his best basketball, but the rest of the team doesn't have clear roles. There is only one other player averaging more than 30 minutes - J.R. Smith and he isn't even allowed to do what he does best (let it fly). So it is LeBron and a bunch of different guys getting 20plus minutes every night. How is that supposed to work against a GSW team with 4 guys playing over 30 and a bunch of role players who exactly know what they have to do when they are on the court?

Forget about the East: the Cavs job is to get closer to the Warriors and I think they lost their way this year. Maybe it'll change, but IMO not having clear roles outside of LBJ is not the right way. Even if they find the switch and Thomas and Love will be averaging close to 36 MPG and the rest of the guys falls totally in line, I'm not sure if they can get to the level needed so late in the year. In my mind they should've tried to get over 60 wins (which they haven't done since LeBron's return) to get some confidence. But we will see. For the NBA it would be great if you guys are right and they will be more competitive against the Warriors come June.

[taowave]

Rumor has it Kawai wants out..What do you think of the Cavs trading Love and the Nets pick for Kawai??

I didn't look at salary

[taowave]

Are you factoring in CLE trading the Nets pick,however unlikely??

Yeah, Boston vs. Cleveland sure will be a great series (with or without Hayward) if it comes to that. Back to Cleveland: I think they signed the wrong people to get closer. Wade is great because of his connection with LeBron and a line-up with those two, Korver (coming off the bench with Wade), Love and a filler can still be a killer line-up. But: Rose and Calderon don't fit what they need to get better. They need a defender at the one that can shoot. Calderon can't defend and Rose can't neither and you also don't need his penetration because you have LeBron, Thomas and Wade.

Then at SF/PF: You get a Crowder, but don't use him as your 30plus minute workhorse?! Why? May have to do with signing Green, so I'm also not sure he is a good fit, although he could probably add something. But if you find a spot for him you devalue Thompson and/or Frye even more. Smith and Shumpert are also confused about what their role is. So lots of problems to see right now...

Just not seeing how they will be better than last year ATM and if things go wrong, Boston should give them hell and might have an opportunity to win 4 games. Not betting on the latter though. Especially: even if Hayward comes back for the playoffs, he will be in no shape to help them after missing the regular season.

[NewlyKnicked]

Rumor has it Kawai wants out..What do you think of the Cavs trading Love and the Nets pick for Kawai??

I didn't look at salary

Kevin Love still has 72.3 M$ left on his contract with 3 years remaining.
Kawhi Leonard has 60.3 M$ left with 3 years remaining (last year being team option).

(Note: how the hell do the spurs get this sort of super-value contract?)

So the salaries are fairly similar.

The situation would have to be very very toxic (aka Cleveland toxic) in San Antonio for them to agree to this even with the Nets pick imo. They also already have Pau Gasol for 3 more years at 16M per (and everyone doesn't want an expensive C sub). Finally they are the Spurs with almost no history of midseason trades.

[shakespeare]

I believe Cavs will be in the NBA Finals. Not sure if their record will be better or worse than last season, but I’d guarantee they’ll be there.

Why?

Well, Cavs have the best player in the game and only the inexperienced Boston Celtics to contend in the Eastern Conference Finals.

[shakespeare]

I don’t understand the negativity towards Cleveland. Again, I ask, does anyone believe Cavs won’t reach the NBA Finals?

I didn’t think so.

We are all witnesses.

[taowave]

What a funny thread title....

the Cavs are in the Finals,as if that was possible after trading Kyrie for 3 guys who dont really play,let alone start

[dcapodic]

What a funny thread title....

the Cavs are in the Finals,as if that was possible after trading Kyrie for 3 guys who dont really play,let alone start

Cavs were the best team in the Eastern playoffs and they won, as expected. Who didn't expect a GSW/Cavs final from the start and this is what we got.

Not sure why all the surprise being shown now or the amazement at how it got there?!?!

[taowave]

If you told me they were trading Kyrie for IT and Crowder,and then trade Crowder and IT for 3 guys who ride the bench,I definitely would have lowered my expectations..

yet here they are :clap:

[shakespeare]

If you told me they were trading Kyrie for IT and Crowder,and then trade Crowder and IT for 3 guys who ride the bench,I definitely would have lowered my expectations..

The most improbable road to the Finals, I agree. I expected Cavs to be here due to the greatness and all around play of LeBron, period.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: LeBron could carry 11 members of NYKFP to the Finals. I read where this has been his most impressive playoffs performance thus far, not to mention it’s the single most impressive playoff performance by an individual in league history.

Take away LeBron and Cavs are a lottery team.

[NewlyKnicked]

Gotta give it to you shakes, I wasn't a believer of the Cavs getting in the Finals this year. LbJ is just too much for this conference

[taowave]

Im really pissed the Refs screwed up in game 1 and handed the game to GS

Gotta give it to you shakes, I wasn't a believer of the Cavs getting in the Finals this year. LbJ is just too much for this conference

[spree#8]

Did you watch a different game? The overturned call was a) Ok and b) didn't decide the game. Not making a free throw and not taking a shot after an offensive rebound played a role, but even if one or the other would've happened, the Warriors still could've won the game.

Which they did, because of better execution. Cavs have to look at themselves and nowhere else.

[taowave]

Did you watch the game ??

Bron was at least 2 feet outside the circle..It wasn't even close...that's number 1..

The league's review also said that Draymond Green should have been called for a lane violation when George Hill missed a go-ahead free throw with 4.7 seconds left and the game tied at 107

That's number 2

Green also should have been called for a foul against James with 12.1 seconds left, which would have put James at the line instead of Hill.

That's number 3..Other than those 3 blunders,I agree with you.

[spree#8]

LeBron moved sideways, so that's an OK interpretation of a bang-bang call (yeah, I agree with the refs). An offensive rebound was better than a lane violation (overtime guaranteed and a last shot to win the game instead of having to defend the Warriors for 4.7 seconds against a loss) and Hill is a better free throw shooter than LeBron. So what do you want to complain about?

The refs had nothing to do with the outcome. Zero, zilch, nothing.

[taowave]

The refs called an offensive foul but were blind to where Brons feet were relative to the restricted area,even though he was 2 feet away..That's what they were reviewing,not the actual play... Terrible, terrible call.Never would have happened in Cleveland..

The refs totally screwed that up.

LeBron moved sideways, so that's an OK interpretation of a bang-bang call (yeah, I agree with the refs). An offensive rebound was better than a lane violation (overtime guaranteed and a last shot to win the game instead of having to defend the Warriors for 4.7 seconds against a loss) and Hill is a better free throw shooter than LeBron. So what do you want to complain about?

The refs had nothing to do with the outcome. Zero, zilch, nothing.

[spree#8]

Not sure what you mean. If LeBron is inside, it is not an offensive foul, because he is inside the restricted area. So they reviewed the play whether he was inside. When they do that they also take a look at the actual play (of course they do) and look whether they made the right call. So even though he was outside, it was not called an offensive foul, because it wasn't one, because LeBron was moving sideways into Durant. That was what was called after review and what is correct.

So where is your beef? You rather have a wrong call, but no review? The review is in the rule book, so the refs did everything right in that instance. So we have review, but you don't want them to use it, to make the right call? Doesn't make any sense. If you use it, make the call the way you see it - which is exactly what the game crew did.