Media Day is not the official start of a season, but it’s the first glimpse of what a team could be. Expectations and emotions usually are high among fan bases at this time of year, and a profound or outlandish quote will usually stir up the masses.
Most Cleveland Cavaliers fans have seen the body/dash cam footage of team president Koby Altman’s arrest for OVI, and if they haven’t, can here. This was an embarrassing look for the organization, and fans and media want answers, but he pled not guilty at the Cleveland Municipal Court.
If found culpable, will he be suspended, fined, forced to apologize (like he hasn’t already), or receive the same treatment as a player under the CBA? But any update is doubtfully coming from the team. In fact, more answers on the location of the lost Ark of the Covenant are likely to surface.
Despite this shame brought on the Cavaliers, there is little chance 2023 Media Day turns into a circus like it’s expected for the Philadelphia 76ers, who will probably be without James Harden. There are still matters of interest to Cavaliers supporters that don’t involve reckless behavior.
Let’s begin with the first two that come to mind next.
In 2022-23, the Cavaliers finished fourth in the East, securing home-court advantage through round one, but lost in five games to the New York Knicks. The work done from October through April was a step in the right direction, but it wasn’t enough, and lacking physicality was a factor in the demise of the Wine and Gold. It wasn’t just an early exit; New York’s rebounding advantage was obscene.
For the record, in 2023-24, the team payroll is $173 million. Making a jump from first-round exit to conference winner is an unrealistic progression, but competing for it is another story. The Bucks have likely regained conference supremacy with Sub Zero’s (Damian Lillard) arrival in the land of cold winters and daytime drinking.
Getting to the East semifinals would work for most rebuilding squads in year two post-blockbuster trade, but that’s too modest for Cleveland. Heavy investments were made already in the future of the club, and it must be validated before Donovan Mitchell’s deal is up in 2026. The Conference Finals are the objective.
Cracking 50+ wins was nice, especially after five years since the last time it happened (2017-18) for the Cavs. But is it wiser to reach for the one seed, looking to play a weaker opponent, or is getting to the NBA Playoffs rested (within the rules) more important to the squad?
The Bucks might attest to the former as a dangerous scheme, and others will tell you that reduced court time affects synchronicity. I present the 2020 LA Clippers as evidence for the latter.
Players usually get in the lab or weight room, working with trainers and instructors, or even by themselves. Open runs with other NBA players sharpen their skills, too.
But what does a coach do? Is it as simple as consulting with different minds or dusting off some old tapes of sets run decades ago? If I were running things by the way, I’d study Jack McKinney, the architect of Showtime who has been forgotten through time and died of complications from his brain injury in 2018. The Cavaliers had the slowest pace in the league in 2022-23, and no one can convince me they don’t have the personnel to play faster.
I would also study the great legends of the low post so Evan Mobley could be taught some unstoppable moves. One-dimensional shooters these days get too much credit for spacing the floor when opposing defenses are sagging away from the three-point line. The threat on the low block that needs immediate help is the ultimate floor spacer.
A lot of media members are vultures looking for soundbites. Questions about him not signing his extension are coming, yet he still has two years left before he can opt-out via player option.
On Sept. 4, ESPN reporter Andrew Lopez pointed out that “The Donovan Mitchell to New York Knicks rumors still haven’t gone away,” even with Cleveland’s move for him before last season.
Then, on the 21st, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst said, “I do not expect him to sign an extension with the Cavs this summer.”
For all this subject’s attention, Mitchell seems content in The Land. How he answers this question or a version of “Why didn’t you commit long term?” could greatly extinguish or amplify the noise.
71 percent of Strus’ attempts come behind the arc. This was a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous season (2021-22) as he was involved in more fastbreak plays and 37 possessions with halfcourt cuts. Strus is a better athlete than advertised. Next to the gravity of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, Strus should have no trouble getting involved in more inside cuts when his defender is spying on one of them or when he gets loose from an off-ball screen.
In his last year with the Heat, he had 15 games, regular season and playoffs combined, logging at least four assists. Perhaps he can improve as a playmaker, executing quick reads on the go, or as a scorer inside the arc. His upgrades since 2021 prove that he’s not done learning new skills.
FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook already have the Milwaukee Bucks as the team to beat post-Lillard trade. In these books, the Cavaliers have the seventh, 12th and 11th-highest odds to win the NBA championship. Those four matchups with Cream City’s outfit this upcoming season will surely be a measuring stick for the potency of the Cavaliers’ defense.
Will the Bucks turn into a rival that each team gets up for, like that night it’s playing for the title? I bet Jrue Holiday, wherever he ends up, is ready for hunting season. But how much will the Cavaliers be? Bringing in Lillard could prevent Giannis Antetokounmpo from leaving when his contract is up if the veteran guard is still balling like today.
If that’s the case, Milwaukee isn’t going anywhere as a roadblock.