Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

.7% chance and you land the #1....... Ties perfectly with real life.

Redd seems to be the safe choice with the hopes that your #2 or #3 pick falls to #5. Lot of different things you could be doing.

Yeah, I've actually had my association file saved just after the lottery since March, so when I saw that the actual Cavaliers had a similar outcome it made me laugh. I'll be posting an article weighing my options with the #5 pick, so many possibilities, although if Price falls to me I think I'd be too tempted to pass that up.

Should have the draft complete and posted up tomorrow most likely.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Wow, great job landing the #1 and #5 overall picks! I'd go with Redd #1 and try to get Slater (highest potential) with the 5th pick. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch, in that mock draft he's projected to go at #4.

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron



PICTURED (L to R): Jerome Sharp, Konrad Stokes, Eric Keefe

CLEVELAND -- As the 2011 NBA Draft draws nearer, there is the annual frenzy around the league speculating who is going to draft whom. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, it is looking like their first pick, number 1 overall, will be used to select Notre Dame small forward Quinn Redd. In a recent poll, 71% of fans voted in favor of Redd being the top selection. Now the question remains, what should the Cavaliers do with their fifth pick? Let's examine some of their options.

1.) Stay Put
Right now, the Cavaliers are looking at Jerome Sharp, Bradford Thorpe and Bradford Lane being available at number 5, and any of the above would be a great replacement for the potentially departing Alonzo Gee, who is a restricted free agent. There also lies the possibility that one of the top power forwards, perhaps Stuart Price or Vin Slater, could fall to them at the fifth pick. If either of them are available, I imagine Cleveland would be very reluctant to pass over them in favor of a trade.

2.) Move down, draft Konrad Stokes
After Ramon Sessions, the Cavaliers currently do not have a true point guard on their roster and their scouting department thinks very highly of the young Australian. Stokes is currently expected to go to the Sacramento Kings with the ninth pick, so they would have to swing a deal with either the #7 Nets or #8 Wizards. Alvin Carlson is also another solid point guard prospect in the draft, who is expected to come off the board soon after Stokes is taken.

3.) Move further down, draft Eric Keefe
Keefe is the top-ranked center in this years draft class, a weak one for that specific position. With an aging Anderson Varejao, a near-ancient Brad Miller, and an incredibly raw Semih Erden currently at the position, the Cavaliers could stand to get a boost of youth at center. Scouts question just how high Keefe's ceiling is, but at the very least he's expected to be a serviceable defensive big man.

The Cavalier front office surely has their hands full when it comes to determining which direction to go with their 2011 draft. Either way, things are looking to be on the upswing for the organization as their rebuilding process is beginning to hit full stride.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

When's the draft going to be up? I think if you don't get one of the top PF prospects at #5, you should trade down and get a PG then try to get a young SG in free agency (I'm sure you have a lot of cap space).

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron






2011 NBA Draft Results

2011 NBA Draft - Round 1

PICK	TEAM	NAME	AGE	POS	HT	WT	SCHOOL/COUNTRY	GRADE
1		Quinn Redd	20	SF	6-8	219	Notre Dame	A+
		Redd gives the Cavaliers their young star in the wake of LeBron's departure. Should start immediately but will have to compete with Terrence Williams and J.J. Hickson for touches.
2		Dante Keller	22	PF	6-8	237	Mississippi St	B+
		Although Keller is a great player and should contribute from day 1, this pick makes little sense with Blake Griffin already at starting power forward. Perhaps Keller will be used as part of a trade.
3		Cesar Padillo	21	SF	6-7	242	Argentina	A
		Will be a great compliment to DeRozan, Davis, and Bargnani. Offers an immediate improvement to the Toronto starting 5 and plays well on both sides of the ball.
4		Vin Slater	22	PF	6-9	253	Auburn	A+
		Slater will team up with Greg Monroe to become one of the best young front-courts for years to come. Although he may take some time to adjust to the NBA game, his potential is sky high.
5		Stuart Price	20	PF	6-10	247	Kansas	A
		The addition of Price provides an instant boost to Cleveland's depth in the middle. Will likely come off the bench most of the season but should see time at center. He's got a bright future in this league.
6		Bradford Lane	23	SF	6-7	233	Virginia	B-
		With Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner already on the roster, this pick is a classic example of taking the best player on their draft board rather than filling a need. Unfortunately, the 76ers have some holes to fill.
7		Jerome Sharp	20	SG	6-3	221	Minnesota	A+
		The addition of Sharp gives the Nets a talented scorer to team up with their young nucleus of Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, and Damion James. Could contend for Rookie of the Year.
8		Bradford Thorpe	21	SG	6-8	212	Seton Hall	B
		Thorpe is a skilled young player, but the Wizards could have stood to improve in other areas before adding another scorer. But aside from that, Thorpe really is one of the most complete athletes in the draft.
9		Konrad Stokes	20	PG	6-3	179	Australia	A+
		The Kings selected who everyone pegged them taking all along. Stokes is the perfect fit for Sacramento and allows them to keep Tyreke Evans at shooting guard as they should form a dynamic duo.
10		Alvin Carlson	23	PG	6-2	187	Michigan State	B+
		Carlson should challenge D.J. Augustin for a starting job right away and improves point guard depth drastically. May have been better served drafting for a more pressing need, but Carlson will be an impact player.
11		Vlado Olic	20	PG	6-1	188	Serbia	A
		The Trail Blazers did a good job of drafting to fill their biggest hole, especially since Andre Miller looks to be leaving in free agency. Olic won't be a star, but has all the intangibles to be a solid NBA point guard.
12		Eduardo Esparza	21	PF	6-9	243	Mexico	A
		With David West leaving via free agency next year a real possibility, the Hornets made a wise move selecting this high-upside power forward. He should have a year to develop before being cast into the fire.
13		Nelson Stockton	23	SF	6-10	234	UNC-Charlotte	A-
		Although the Warriors' most pressing need is in the front-court, Stockton is a perfect fit for their uptempo offensive gameplan. Reggie Williams is a free agent, so he'll only have to compete with Dorell Wright for minutes.
14		Louie Keller	21	PF	6-9	250	TCU	A
		Zach Randolph is out of the picture, so now Keller should compete with Darrell Arthur for the new starting power forward position. Could be a force in this league if he improves his defense.
15		Magnus Eklund	22	SG	6-6	219	Sweden	C
		Wing players are not a need for the Knicks as that is currently their strength. They would have been better served selecting the likes of power forward Francis Carroll or center Eric Keefe.
16		Louie Crawford	22	SG	6-5	201	Kentucky	B+
		Was a great leader at Kentucky. The Suns passed up Carroll because they feel Crawford can be their captain and primary scorer of the future. May start right away filling the void left by Vince Carter's departure.
17		Francis Carroll	21	PF	6-9	233	Stanford	A-
		Carroll finally comes off the board and may compete with Ersan Ilyasova to start immediately. He and Andrew Bogut will form a great rebounding tandem in Milwaukee.
18		Zach Ervin	20	SF	6-7	211	Tulane	B-
		Many expected Houston to go big with the 18th pick rather than add another wing player to their already deep rotation. However, if Ervin can kick the character issues, he might wind up being a steal. That's a big "if", though.
19		Bryce Jones	20	PG	6-3	202	Kansas State	A
		The biggest hole in Atlanta for quite some time has been at point guard. Although he'll need time to develop, Jones is a big, physical playmaker who may develop into the player the Hawks have been missing.
20		Christopher Bell	21	PF	6-11	251	Penn	A
		The Magic filled a glaring need by selecting one of the more underrated power forwards in the class. Solid defensively and on the boards, and should improve on offense with the help of Dwight Howard and Patrick Ewing.
21		Anderson Wallace	20	SG	6-6	224	Washington St	B+
		Should provide a great shooting spark off the bench, but will need to continue to improve his defense if he wants a shot at the starting shooting guard position in Chicago.
22		Bryan Cohen	23	SG	6-3	210	IPFW	B
		Many were surprised that the Nuggets passed up on power forward Albert Lucas, but if Cohen ever gets a chance at their crowded 2 guard position, he could be a diamond in the rough.
23		Bryant Lucas	23	PG	6-0	182	IPFW	D+
		One of the more surprising picks in the draft, the Lakers attempted to fill a need by reaching quite a bit for Lucas. Apparently they were attempting to trade out of the 23 pick, and perhaps had to force a last minute selection.
24		Albert Lucas	22	PF	6-10	244	Wake Forest	A
		The Pacers drafted to fill a need and were fortunate enough to land a power forward who slipped down a few picks passed when he was expected to go. Will challenge Tyler Hansbrough for minutes.
25		Eric Keefe	22	C	7-0	260	Boston College	A
		Now that Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess appear to be on their last leg, the Spurs made a wise move taking the top center in the draft. He'll have time to learn from the best before being expected to start.
26		Dillon Nichols	21	C	6-10	241	Marquette	A-
		After trading Brendon Haywood last season, center depth became a position of need in Dallas. Nichols may never be a full-time starter but, with help from Tyson Chandler, could evolve into a dominant post defender.
27		Stan Moran	21	SG	6-6	199	Oregon	C
		Moran doesn't fill a real need for the Thunder, who are already crowded at shooting guard. They would have been better served drafting a big man or attempting to trade out of the spot.
28		Alfred Robinson	22	SG	6-2	175	Indiana State	B
		The Celtics are faced with the daunting task of needing to find a future replacement for when prolific scorer Ray Allen retires. Although Robinson is one of the better scorers in the draft, his size may put him at a disadvantage.
29		Freddy Stokes	21	SG	6-7	225	Australia	B
		The Jazz have a solid roster with not too many holes. Stokes can split time at small forward coming off the bench until he eventually challenges for the starting shooting guard spot.
30		Kris Larson	22	PG	6-1	184	Tulsa	A
		Miami may have gotten a real sleeper, as some scouts view Larson as a good project point guard. With some maturation, Larson could be the perfect role player to team with the big 3 en route to multiple championships.

2011 NBA Draft - Round 2

PICK	TEAM	NAME	AGE	POS	HT	WT	SCHOOL/COUNTRY
31		Hugh Columbus	22	SF	6-6	225	Northwestern
32		Mitchell Potter	22	SF	6-8	224	Minnesota
33		Dexter Rowland	21	PG	6-1	217	UNC-Charlotte
34		Eddie Rush	20	PG	6-2	194	Vanderbilt
35		Kenneth Cooper	23	PG	6-2	193	Arkansas
36		Sergio Chavez	23	SG	6-5	215	Mexico
37		Lionel Burks	23	SF	6-7	212	Oklahoma
38		Evan Emerson	21	SG	6-5	202	G Washington
39		Alan Davenport	20	SG	6-6	219	Penn State
40		Allan Childress	23	PG	6-0	192	Maryland
41		Darnell Floyd	21	SG	6-5	220	Iowa
42		Stan Jackson	20	SG	6-7	228	Colorado
43		Sheldon Newsom	22	SG	6-7	206	Missouri
44		Tim Carson	21	SF	6-6	215	South Carolina
45		Wendell Haston	22	PF	6-10	243	Xavier (OH)
46		Leonard Clark	21	SG	6-4	207	Cincinnati
47		Landry Cage	22	SF	6-6	240	Tennessee
		Acquired from Phoenix with '12 first round pick in exchange for C Ben Wallace
48		Tony Tucker	22	SF	6-8	203	Minnesota
49		Marion Lawrence	22	SG	6-5	228	Northwestern
50		Christian Clancy	20	SF	6-8	210	Wake Forest
51		Otis Mullen	22	SG	6-5	191	South Carolina
52		Ruben Goodrich	23	PG	6-1	185	Mississippi St
53		Nick Berry	23	PF	6-10	225	G Washington
54		Alfred Lowe	22	C	6-11	250	Oregon State
		Acquired from Indiana with '12 1st round pick in exchange for C Anderson Varejao
55		Dante Snow	23	PF	6-11	264	Maryland
56		Loren Fuller	22	PF	6-8	241	Texas A&M
57		Don Robinson	22	PF	7-0	225	Kentucky
58		Lamar Baldwin	23	PF	6-9	214	Cincinnati
59		Troy Harmon	21	PF	6-9	250	California
60		Ryan Conner	22	PG	6-2	204	Penn

2011 Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Picks

PICK	PLAYER	NAME	AGE	POS	HT	WT	SCHOOL/COUNTRY	GRADE
1		Quinn Redd	20	SF	6-8	219	Notre Dame	A+
		Redd gives the Cavaliers their young star in the wake of LeBron's departure. Should start immediately but will have to compete with Terrence Williams and J.J. Hickson for touches.
5		Stuart Price	20	PF	6-10	247	Kansas	A
		The addition of Price provides an instant boost to Cleveland's depth in the middle. Will likely come off the bench most of the season but should see time at center. He's got a bright future in this league.
33		Dexter Rowland	21	PG	6-1	217	UNC-Charlotte	B
		The Cavaliers hope Rowland can develop into a dependable backup point guard down the road. Although his game isn't flashy, he has the necessary intangibles plus some added toughness that could make him an asset
54		Alfred Lowe	22	C	6-11	250	Oregon State	C+
		The true value of this pick won't be seen until next year when they use the first rounder acquired from Indiana. Short-term, trading Anderson Varejao will be a serious blow to their ability to compete.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Looks like you need some major help after trading away Varejao, now you need help at PG, SG, and C. Maybe you should post the overalls and letter grade potentials of your draft picks after FA.

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Draft Day Trade Breakdowns

Trade Details

Phoenix	Detroit
Suns Get: C Ben Wallace	Pistons Get: '11 2nd round pick (47) '12 1st round pick
Trade Analysis: The Suns add Wallace's experience to likely backup Marcin Gortat at center, but give away a future first rounder in the process. For the rebuilding Pistons, this move gives the Pistons a potential lottery or mid-first round pick in next years draft that could give them another young asset to team up with Greg Monroe and Vin Slater.

Trade Details

Indiana	Cleveland
Pacers Get: C Anderson Varejao	Cavaliers Get: '11 2nd round pick (54) '12 1st round pick
Trade Analysis: The Pacers gain some much needed depth in the paint by adding the veteran center. It is kind of surprising on the part of the Cavaliers as they trade away their starting center, who is one of the faces of the franchise. The move does free up a decent amount of cap space; Varejao's contract was worth $25 million over the next 4 years. However, the first rounder next year is likely to be in the mid-late twenties, so it begs the question how much do they really gain towards rebuilding with the trade.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Nice job freeing up salary in the Varejao trade, hopefully you can make a huge splash in free agency.

Also, the Pistons' front court looks amazing, and that trade with the Suns makes them better. You could see the Pistons atop the conference in a few years (if you go on that long).

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron




CLEVELAND -- The Cavaliers organization made a big leap towards the future in Thursday's draft. In addition to landing a top 2 prospect in small forward Quinn Redd, Cleveland was also fortunate enough to have big man Stuart Price fall to them at the fifth pick. Fans in Ohio are hopeful that Redd will soon evolve into their new star to replace LeBron James, but selecting Price might be the pick that has the biggest impact in the long-term.

Cavaliers fans won't miss Varejao for long if they land a top center in next year's draft

The Cavaliers' current starting power forward, 2010's Most Improved Player J.J. Hickson, will be playing out the last year of his contract in the 2011-12 season. With the rate that he's been growing as a player of late, he could command quite the pay raise and general manager Ron Arens and company may be facing a tough decision. If Price pans out and plays well as a rookie, the Cavaliers may be looking at a big savings if they feel comfortable letting Hickson walk.

With the trade of Anderson Varejao to the Pacers for a 2012 first round pick, the Cavaliers now hold 2 first rounders in the draft, the other coming from Chicago. The 2012 draft class is expected to be very deep at center, and they are hopeful they can land a nice complement to Hickson and/or Price in the middle. Although they very well may really miss Varejao this season, their future is looking very bright all thanks to one Thursday evening.

As for their second round selections, the team is optimistic that Dexter Rowland will eventually evolve into a reliable backup point guard in the future, although they're looking to sign a veteran to fill that role in the upcoming season, so Rowland's time may be delegated to the D-League for the time being. Alfred Lowe, the center from Oregon State, is likely destined for the same.

Overall, the 2011 NBA Draft is looking like a success for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Draft Grade: A

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Nice job freeing up salary in the Varejao trade, hopefully you can make a huge splash in free agency.

Also, the Pistons' front court looks amazing, and that trade with the Suns makes them better. You could see the Pistons atop the conference in a few years (if you go on that long).

Unless 2k12 makes some huge improvements, I might wait a bit before buying it and instead play out a few more seasons of this. But yeah, Monroe+Slater will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. If they can add two more talented young pieces in the next draft they're gonna be scary moving forward.

Should get a free agency recap up tomorrow.

[Getty51]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Pretty Solid draft, I'm interested to see who you goafter in Free Agency to fill out the rest of the team, obviously with Varejao being gone there is a new hole to fill but who knows.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Unless 2k12 makes some huge improvements, I might wait a bit before buying it and instead play out a few more seasons of this. But yeah, Monroe+Slater will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. If they can add two more talented young pieces in the next draft they're gonna be scary moving forward.

Should get a free agency recap up tomorrow.

I think sports games should allow you to import your My Player/RTTS Player/Superstar, etc. and Franchises/Dynasties/Associations into the next game. It'd probably be a nightmare for the developers but it'd be amazing for continuation's sake.

[bichettehappens]

I think sports games should allow you to import your My Player/RTTS Player/Superstar, etc. and Franchises/Dynasties/Associations into the next game. It'd probably be a nightmare for the developers but it'd be amazing for continuation's sake.

Yeah that would be awesome. You would think it could be something similar to importing NCAA draft class into Madden but on a more advanced scale, but Madden apparently still hasn't gotten that right lol. Maybe next gen, who knows.

Like for instance if there was a specific export/import point after an offseason but before preseason it would really only be porting over rosters, player data and ratings rather than having to import draft classes, schedules, box scores etc as well.

But anyways, that's a whole different thread topic lol

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

Yeah that would be awesome. You would think it could be something similar to importing NCAA draft class into Madden but on a more advanced scale, but Madden apparently still hasn't gotten that right lol. Maybe next gen, who knows.

Like for instance if there was a specific export/import point after an offseason but before preseason it would really only be porting over rosters, player data and ratings rather than having to import draft classes, schedules, box scores etc as well.

But anyways, that's a whole different thread topic lol

Exactly, that'd be amazing and you would see 30 year dynasties spanning 4 games lol. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the free agency recap.

[bichettehappens]

Re: Cavalier Chronicle: Life After LeBron

2011 Free Agent Signings

TEAM	PLAYER	NAME
		SF Tayshaun Prince 4 year, $15.29M
		C Kendrick Perkins 6 year, $75.22M
		PG Delonte West 3 year, $18.24M
		SF Matt Barnes 2 year, $3.41M
		PG Andre Miller 1 year, $1.85M
		C Samuel Dalembert 1 year, $2.07M
		PF Kenny Adams 1 year, $532K
		SG J.R. Smith 6 year, $41.94M
		SG Marcus Thornton 4 year, $28.38M
		PG Earl Boykins 2 year, $6.28M
		SG Vince Carter 1 year, $9.32M
		C Spencer Hawes 4 year, $41.12M
		SG Larry Hughes 4 year, $6.86M
		PG Rafer Alston 2 year, $1.89M
		SG Michael Redd 2 year, $7.56M
		PF Zach Randolph 4 year, $46.81M
		SG Shannon Brown 4 year, $33.95M
		SG Alonzo Gee 3 year, $17.79M
		SF Josh Howard 4 year, $7.55M
		SG Tracy McGrady 2 year, $17.08M
		SF Jonas Jerebko 5 year, $30.26M
		PF Luc Richard Mbah a Moute 4 year, $7.07M
		SF Thaddeus Young 4 year, $31.73M
		PF Troy Murphy 2 year, $3.63M

2011 Cleveland Cavalier Free Agent Signings

PLAYER	NAME	ANALYSIS
	SF Matt Barnes 2 year, $3.41M	Barnes has hoped to re-sign with the Lakers, but Los Angeles opted to move in a different direction. The Cavaliers hope he will contribute well off the bench behind rookie Quinn Redd and replace the whole left by Alonzo Gee's departure.
	PG Andre Miller 1 year, $1.85M	A somewhat surprising signing for Cleveland. Perhaps the Cavaliers front office and Miller himself see him challenging incumbent Ramon Sessions for the starting job, or at the very least earning 6th man minutes.
	C Samuel Dalembert 1 year, $2.07M	Dalembert will likely be the starting center for the Cavaliers, splitting time with Brad Miller. The coaching staff is hoping that his defensive prowess will fill the hole left in the middle by the Varejao trade.
	PF Kenny Adams 1 year, $532K	The Cavaliers released 2nd round draft pick Alfred Lowe in order to make room on the roster to bring back Adams. A decent bench scorer with a smooth shot for a big man, Adams will likely see little time on the court but the team likes him as an extra weapon.