The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

This season has been full of ups and downs, but mainly downs, for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Players have experienced injuries, causing younger guys getting some unexpected playing time.  Here is a list of the good, the bad and the ugly this season for the Cavs.  I know some gays some of the guys on the list can fall in a different category, but I have categorized them looking at their season production. 

Good

Kyrie Irving– He’s on top of the list right where he belongs. He leads the team in scoring, assists, steals and three-point percentage. He has kept us in a lot of games and has won a lot of games for us. He hasn’t ever shown his frustrations on the court for the poor effort his team puts fourth in some games. He has been a young leader, to a young team. Even veteran players listen to him and follow his lead on and off the court. He has hit some clutch shots for the Cavs late in games.

Jan 22, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson (13) dunks against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Tristan Thompson – Before the Anderson Varejao injury, he belonged on the ugly list. But since then, he has been one of our most valuable players. He is averaging nearly a double-double with 10.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, but more impressively, he is averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds in the last 10 games. What impresses me the most is that he has started every game this season for the Cavs – all 42. With Varejao out for the remainder of the year, he will continue to start and flourish in the role he’s in now.

Bad

Tyler Zeller – What made Zeller so attractive in the draft was that he appeared to be NBA ready. The Cavs quickly found out that that was not the case. He has been improving in the starting lineup, but as a starter he plays 35 minutes a game, and is only averaging 10 points. And his pathetic defense speaks for itself. But this doesn’t discourage me too much; his mid-range jumper has been impressive and he is shooting 74 percent from the free throw line. His mobility and shooting will be a great asset for this team, as soon as he toughens up a little down low.

Alonzo Gee – Honestly, there are some games where I don’t even notice that Gee is playing. He isn’t our ideal small forward, but he’s all we got at this point. Last year he got on Coach Scott’s good side by playing good defense, but this season he has looked a little sluggish defensively. Granted, he is always matched up with the opponent’s top scorer. But his poor play defensively and average shooting abilities make me believe he is nothing more than a role player for us who may be better suited coming off the bench.

Ugly

Byron Scott – I like Coach Scott, I really do, but there are times I have questioned him as a coach. His young team have come into games unprepared and unmotivated and frankly have looked pathetic. He is very much a player’s coach, so this very well could be a coaching method he is using on his young players. But as far as this year is concerned, it has been ugly. His job isn’t in jeopardy this season, but you have to believe that Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert aren’t going to put up with this next season with another high draft pick coming in.

Luke Walton – I like seeing this guy out on the court more than the next guy, but he just looks ugly out there. He is always uncertain with the ball, his shooting is below average and, not to mention, every time he gets into the game other teams ask themselves, “He still plays?” I blame it on Coach Scott for putting him into the game. Maybe they’re just showing him off so they can deal his expiring contract before the trade deadline, but the minutes he is getting deserve to go to another player who is looking to get more experience: like Omri Casspi or Kevin Jones. I know those three don’t sound any better than Walton, but we have to see what we have. All Luke Walton is to us right now is an expiring contract.