Tag Archives: Mike Krzyzewski

USA BASKETBALL SHOWCASE SCRIMMAGE THOUGHTS

Posted: Aug 1, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 32 Comments

Kyrie Irving started for “Team White” with Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, James Harden and DeMarcus Cousins.

Kyrie Irving USA 2

Kyrie Irving started opposite Derrick Rose at point guard and held his own in the first quarter with a bucket and a couple of assists.

Kyrie Irving with a sweet dribble- drive through a number of defenders in the 2nd quarter for a lay-up and he also played some defense tying up Steph Curry for a jump ball.

Love Tom Thibodeau screaming on the sideline, “Dead, dead, dead” and “Deny, deny, deny”  as he’s trying to get these guys to play defense.  Hopefully Kyrie Irving is listening.

Derrick Rose looks like he’s 100% healthy. He blew by a number of players for a lay-up early and then exploded for a serious two handed throw down off a nice pass from Kenneth Faried.

Kevin Durant is indeed the “Baddest” scorer on the planet with unmeasurable range and he the ability to throw down on Anthony Davis like he did in the scrimmage.

Hard to believe that Kevin Durant and James Harden were on the same team in the NBA and Oklahoma City broke that tandem up.  Harden, like KD, can score the ball from almost anywhere.

Team USA’s “Bigs” are the team’s biggest question mark after Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. Finding a 3rd and a 4th big from Andre Drummond, DeMarcus Cousins, Kenneth Faried and Mason Plumlee will be interesting. Remember this, even though Kevin Love isn’t with the team now doesn’t mean he still can’t make this team as one of the bigs.

Almost didn’t recognize Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward as he has hit the weights and go all swolled up.

Gotta love that Kyrie is getting more coaching from his old college coach Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Thibodeau as he gets ready to play for David Blatt and with LeBron James.

Irving looked like he was trying to be more of a facilitator for his team, which is a smart move since that’s the team is probably looking for as they decide on who their final point guard will be.

The scrimmage ended early because of a worst case scenario happening, as Indiana’s Paul George was seriously hurt attempting to block a shot and landing awkwardly on his right leg and it bent in a way that it shouldn’t. Thoughts and prayers go out to George as he recovers from this horrible injury.

CAVS TIP INS

Posted: Jul 31, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 32 Comments

As I’ve been saying for a while now, it’s not a matter of if Kevin Love will be traded to the Cavs, it’s a matter of when and for who. It’s funny how when some local media members report this, it doesn’t carry much weight, but when some national media members report it, after being late to the party again, it’s gospel. Just remember a lot of those same national media members with the exception of Chris Sheridan, didn’t think LeBron James was coming back to Cleveland when a number of us local media members had it on good authority that “The King” would return.

Andrew Wiggins Jersey Photo 6-27-14My sources tell me that Cavs G.M. David Griffin is still trying to do everything he can to not include Andrew Wiggins in the Kevin Love deal. However, the Cavs understand that it may end up costing them this year’s number #1 overall pick, as well as last year’s first overall choice, Anthony Bennett along with at least one first round pick in 2015 to get Flip Saunders of the T-Wolves to channel his inner Monte Hall and say, “Let’s make that deal!” As I’ve been saying for weeks now, don’t be surprised if the 76ers and the name Thadeus Young surface should the Love trade need to involve a third team.

Saunders, who is Minnesota’s “Mr. Basketball” now – part owner, president of basketball ops and head coach, realizes he must replace a franchise type player in Love with another franchise type player in Wiggins. None of the other deals from Chicago or Golden St. include a player who has the potential to be a franchise caliber player like Wiggins, who they can control for a while with a player friendly contract. Remember the earliest a deal could happen involving Wiggins because of the 30 day NBA rule involving rookie players who have signed their contracts is August 23rd.

The Cavs are trying to convince the Timberwolves that Dion Waiters is also a franchise type player and they’re hoping his play during the Team USA select squad practices will back up their argument. So here’s hoping Waiters is performing well in “Sin City”.Dion Waiters Interview Photo

Speaking of Waiters, while I wasn’t a proponent of taking him with the 4th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, I have to give the Cavs shooting guard credit for what I’ve seen and heard from him this off season. Waiters has lost weight and looks ripped. He is part of Team USA’s young  select squad that is practicing against Team USA’s varsity squad if you will in Las Vegas, and at least sounds like he understands he’ll have to change and improve his game somewhat in certain areas to become a better player. The latter is based on these comments he made recently in Vegas –

“I have to make adjustments. I like to have the ball, and we have Kyrie, and he likes to have   the ball. So I have to find ways to impact the game without having the ball. I’m planning to go watch tape to see what D-Wade did when he played with LeBron. I need to learn how to be effective out there with him.”

This is the same Waiters though who recently told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that, “I want to start and I believe that I should at the two.” I don’t have a problem with that comment because almost every player in the NBA wants to start and believes they should. Plus if Andrew Wiggins has to be included in the Kevin Love deal, Waiters would be the Cavaliers best option to start at the two, even though I think his best role is coming off the bench as the 6th man.

Kyrie Irving Bench PhotoIf Kyrie Irving doesn’t make Team USA’s basketball squad, might that benefit him more in the long run because it should humble him and motivate him to work even harder on his all-around game? Uncle Drew is reportedly in a tough battle with Derrick Rose, John Wall and Damian Lillard for the two pure point guard spots that Team USA director Jerry Colangelo wants to fill on the squad. However, don’t discount the fact that his former college coach Mike Krzyzewski, remains as Team USA’s head coach, and that may carry some serious weight in the decision making process.

New Cavs head coach David Blatt spent some time recently talking about his new job with the gang from NBA-TV in Las Vegas at a Team USA practice. Watch Here – – 

 

 

 

PODCAST – TRADE FOR A #4 HITTER, START HOYER AND DO ALL YOU CAN TO KEEP WIGGINS

Posted: Jul 21, 2014 by . Filed under Audio, Feature Articles, Podcasts | 70 Comments

My advice to: the Indians on what to trade for, the Browns on the Hoyer/Manziel competition and the Cavs on how to handle to the Kevin Love trade situation.

Roda ABAO Photo 2 2-6-14 - Copy

THE CAVS SHOULD HIRE MIKE D’ANTONI AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Posted: May 1, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | Leave a comment

Call me crazy if you want and lord knows I’ve been called worse, but let me be the first to throw this out there, I think Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers should hire Mike D’Antoni as Mike Brown’s offensive coordinator now that he is no longer the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

If your Dan, you go to Mike and say, your still my head coach, but I’m going to get you some help on offense and bring in one of the best offensive basketball minds out there to make us better as a team. That way you can focus on what you love – DEFENSE, as well as being the head coach and let D’Antoni work with the players on offense.

I thought D’Antoni was a bad hire for the head coaching job in L.A., but I have always respected his offensive mind. When he was the head man in Phoenix his teams were always fun to watch because of how potent they were on offense. Not only did those Suns teams score a lot of points led by a ball dominate point guard in Steve Nash, they also were pretty good, reaching the Western Conference Finals twice. But when you thought of the Suns you thought offense.

Mike Krzyzewski thought enough of D’Antoni and his offensive mind to have him on his USA Men’s Basketball staff as an assistant coach for the team that won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. Besides dealing with mega superstars in the Olympics and while with the Suns and Lakers, don’t forget D’Antoni also was the head coach in New York with Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks and also in Denver.

So if indeed Dan Gilbert will do anything to help the Cavs win a championship and Mike Brown’s goal is to make the Cavaliers better and win a championship, then why not go and offer one of the best offensive basketball minds around a job as an assistant coach with the Cavs and put him in charge of helping this team score points.

Granted D’Antoni may turn the offer down. If he does, at least you made an effort. But if you’re the Cavs and you’re watching teams like Washington and Toronto pass you during the regular season and win playoff games in the post-season, don’t you owe it to the organization, the players, the fans, this city to try everything you can to improve this squad and make them a playoff and championship contending team again?

Yes you do!