Goombah,

How about a crayon for Carmelo? Carmelo is a throwback to the early 80s when high scoring SFs dominated the game. I agree that you cannot win with him....because he's a scorer and that's it.

Good luck to the Cavs GM for getting what he thinks he deserves. The perception is that you take water add Lebron and stir and teams will contend.
Cavs' struggles when he first left...and the Heat's struggles once he left seem to point to that, so coaches and GMs who work with him won't get their credit.

I feel for JR and what he's going through.

When the mini scuffle broke out in the last game..there were 3 Jersey guys there ,who all know each other out there talking trash....I wanted JR to smack the fake tough guy West. JR is a guy you want with you when it hits the fan.

Here's a hypothetical for you guys - If you're Cleveland and you have a chance to trade Love for an unnamed player who will make you a weaker team against most opponents but will make you match up better specifically against Golden State, do you make the trade? (I'll ignore specific debate about whos and hows for now)

Good question,Blonde.

I like Love's skill set..but this was the only year that GSW were vulnerable..either to growing pains of adding superstar to team of stars or to the Spurs beating them or wearing them out in WCF.
Parker and Ginobili are finished or on last legs...so as great as Leonard is..Spurs aren't serious contenders anymore.

GSW have to be favorites going into the next few seasons.

I think with a weaker Eastern Conference, you'd have to pull off the trade. Might take you more games to win the berth to finals but as constructed now, no team can match up with the Warriors.

I would have to agree for the most part, Gets. I think GS has to be the favorite next year, but I think they still have some vulnearability and the league is too fluid to project multiple years out. Consider that Curry is fragile - he's had ankle and knee issues; Durant hasn't exactly been the model of health over the past 5 years; Kerr's status as coach is iffy at best; and I think Klay Thompson will be doing a lot more pouting as his numbers continue to decline. Then throw in that they'll lose Igudola and Livingston this offseason.

I agree, Gets, that the Spurs are on the decline. But as long as they have Popovich, they are a threat. Even though I know you criticize him, Aldridge is still a Top 25 player. If they land Chris Paul to replace Parker, then they could be right back in the thick of things.

No way the Knicks would trade Porzingas. Melo wants out of New York and New York wants him gone so they can focus and build around Porzingas. Melo wouldn't give you any D, but he can spread the floor and be a #3 option for them. Hang around the 3 point line and hit 3's. I personally believe Melo would have a greater impact on the team than Jimmy Butler. George might be the best option but even with him, I still don't feel that's enough to overtake Golden State.

I'm hearing Durant is going to take less money so Golden State can resign these guys and Durant will make up the difference on the next contract. He seems committed to wanting to continue to win and keep this team together. I'll give him that that he's not going to cry about a few million dollars and would rather keep the team together than grabbing as much money he can for himself.

I definitely see your points...especially about Klay....teamwork,winning rings,etc is good but a young elite 2 way player in his prime is going to be the hardest guy to keep happy. When a team wins....other teams can generally poach their talent by offering obscene amounts of money and/or chance to showcase your talents fully.
I think Iggy and SL, basically journeymen at this point who've found and perfected their niche roles in the league are gonna be harder to poach. They won't find replacements for those guys if they do leave.They fit the system perfectly.
I think playing together is going to lessen chance of Steph of KD injuring their frail injury prone bodies. They blow people out of the gym early in games so less wear and tear during reg. season.

I have to agree with you about Pop/Spurs....he drafts and develops players as well as anybody in the league. Those young guys on their bench came into games against GSW with NO FEAR, so they are true Spurs. Aldridge is scared of the big moment. He,Carmelo, and Love to an extent are/were stats compilers. They played for years in low pressure situations and scored a lot of points and got lots of boards...but in high stakes moments they fold. Goombah, do you remember on Bron's first go round with Cavs....when they got Antawn Jamison ? That guy was scared in the playoffs and helped Lebron's decision to leave.
LA is gonna get points/boards but even though he's bigger and better than ANY front court player that GSW has...he was a non factor once KL got hurt.

Irish,

For a guy with as much offensive talent as Melo, he's very limited playing off the ball.I don't think he could be a spot up shooter. He's not afraid to go to the post, so that could help the Cavs but you can't win with Melo.He's a high volume scorer and that's it.

I think the Cavs should get some young swing men who are defense minded and not try to land a big name offensive star. They need more depth and for Bron to be able to rest on defense. They also need a post presence.

I understand that completely. I just meant that Porzingas is the only Knick worth anything. I wouldn't trade him either. Carmelo is the albatross around the Knicks, having taken the throne from Isaish Thomas running the organization into the ground.



I had forgotten Antwan Jamison, which is why nothing memorable is in my mind about his time here. He was part of a bad supporting cast: an overweight, last-legs Shaq; Delonte West; Drew Gooden; Mo Williams; Wally Szerbiak. No wonder LeBron never won prior to 2010.

In re: GS, I thought I read that the contracts for Iggy & Livingston were up. Since they need to sign Curry to the max, they won't have enough $$ to pay their bench guys.

I disagree. Melo was amazing in the last Olympics (and at times, carried that team) as a spot up 3 point shooter. He won't like getting the limited number of touches he may, but, he'd get his wish to compete for a ring.

Durant is going to take less money so Golden State has money leftover to sign Livingston and Iguodala. He wants to keep the team together and continue to win. The money for him will be made up in the next contract after next season.

Goombah,

I forgot who was on the roster back then, wow. All these years I blamed Jamison for Cavs losing in playoffs that year. Those names you mentioned sounds like the roster that Iverson carried to the Finals before.

How many more years do you see Bron playing? How many more years as a top tier player?and do you see him bolting again or retiring as a Cav?

Irish,
I caught some Olympic games over the years, and I do remember Melo dominating . If he's the leading scorer on Team usa, he was getting a lot of touches in addition to the spot up 3s.It will hard to transition into being a 3 point specialist.
He's talented and a mismatch for any defender but I'll have to see him buy into team basketball to believe it.

Don't get me wrong, the ball will definitely stop with Melo. I just think with LeBron or Kyrie driving to the basket, they can force the defense to collapse, thus creating open 3's for Melo.

I don't believe LeBron is leaving Cleveland. A coworker of mine thinks he may and I know he wants to win but he already left Cleveland once and was vilified for it. True he's brought them a title, but I just don't see him leaving. He wants to stay there and win. He'll have a talk with Gilbert about adding more pieces (similar to what he did before the trade deadline). Those words are ringing true now that he needed more play makers on his team.

Irish,

How about Melo coming off the bench for instant offense? Do you go as far back as the bad boy Pistons? Vinnie Johnson was the designated scorer on the second team and the role suited him well.

I think you can extend Bron's peak and career by bringing in a quality backup. Melo isn't Bron but he can damn sure score points.....so Bron can actually take a break.

As far as Bron leaving, you might be right. This offseason, we will see how serious the Cavs are about winning another title. They should be able to poach some stars from the West who know they have NO CHANCE to win the WCF.
Over the past 3 years....all types of trade rumors surface about Cleveland. Goombah usually has to come in and give us the actual rundown because espn and national sports outlets ALWAYS get it wrong.

I never thought about him coming off the bench. Maybe that role will suit him then? He'll obviously play fewer minutes but he could take the game over when LeBron is resting. I guess it'll just be up to Carmelo how badly he wants to win if he's willing to that arrangement. But they still need someone to start because LeBron and Kyrie aren't going to do it on their own.

I wonder if Dwayne Wade would come to Cleveland as well? I thought he had an opt out after his first year? I would have him come off of the bench. Save his minutes and he's a scorer as well (but definitely on the downside of his career).

I see LeBron trying to play until his oldest enters the NBA. So about 4-5 more years, unless LBJ experiences a sharp decline.

I could see LeBron leaving after next year. Not highly likely, but definitely a possibility. He might look at the Cavs as he did the Heat in 2014 - old and with limited financial options. The one thing the Cavs have in their favor is Kryie & Thompspon are both still young. Off the court, LeBron's oldest is starting high school within the next 2 years, so that might sway him to stay in Cleveland.

I hadn't considered Melo as a backup option. That's intriguing.

Irish - I don't see Wade coming to Cleveland. He wasn't willing to play for less last year and signed with Chicago. I think Wade is content with 3 rings and now wants to play where he grew up.

Been hearing the Knicks are listening to offers on Porzingis. If they trade them, they've LOST their mind!

Goombah,

interesting points, especially about Lebron wanting stability for his family. I see it like, if Bron never plays again....he is stamped, certified, as a winner and an alltime great.The greatest ever at his position. His best performance was the first time he collided with GSW with Kyrie gone after first game and Love out for entire Finals. Literally almost willed his team to a ring without the second and third scoring options.

Harder sales pitch for team trying to land his services/talents. Only thing they could offer is better weather.


Irish,

I laughed it off when I first heard it, but I keep hearing that rumor. It's stupid because you can definitely build a team around KP. Power struggle between Phil Jackson and KP's management.
Here's the thing, if you had a competent front office...you might pull the trigger if some fool GM offers you multiple years worth of picks. But trading a budding star player (who can ACTUALLY play) for 10 years worth of top picks won't mean anything if you have the current front office, they'd find a way to F it up.

They've been finding a way to F it up. Since 2000 the Knicks have won ONE playoff series. In 17 years, they've won one! And then they draft Frank Ntilikina from France? Who!? They pass up on Dennis Smith, Zach Collins, Malik Monk, among others. What are they doing there?

They are trying to one-up the Chicago Bulls on who can fuck up the most, and still make money out of it. Both franchises and fans are going to suffer for years to come.

Barely a week later and all that is off the table. It would not surprise me in the least to see LeBron leave after next season now that Gilbert has fired Griffin. And the longer Chauncey Billups contemplates, the less likely he will sign on to be Cavs president.

In 12 years, Gilbert is on his 4th GM and I've lost track of how many coaches. Mike Brown (twice), Byron Scott, David Blatt, and Ty Lue. I'm sure Lue's days are numbered given Gilbert's past history.

Goombah,

You know all this time,I thought Gilbert was a born and bred Cleveland guy...or at least an Ohio guy. The public letter to Lebron was classless but I thought it came from a native son who was genuinely hurt by the "Decision". Gilbert is a clown.

I didn't know there was that much turnover in the front office.Franchise is in disarray. Had Lebron not had a change of heart, Gilbert would have run the Cavs into the ground.

He's the NBA version of NFL team owner,Dan Snyder.

I think Gilbert is from Detroit. I'm positive that LeBron being from here is the only reason he returned. Otherwise he would have stuck it to Gilbert in 2014.

Dude just wrote in the shoutbox that Phil Jackson was FIRED!!!!

Goombah,

I saw some type of webseries that Lebron shot in a barbershop...with his business associates(who Phil Jackson called a posse) and Draymond Green of all people. He said that his mother and his wife told him NOT to return to Cleveland because of the bush league antics that Gilbert pulled, but he wanted to go back and win there.

Like you pointed out about Billups not accepting the GM offer yet, the bad business practices that Gilbert uses are coming back to bite him. I don't recall a guy with no front office experience turning down or dragging his feet about a GM job offer.

Until you pointed it out, I didn't think about the coach turnover there either.I thought the David Blatt firing was a one off.Mike Brown coaches there twice? Reminds me of when George Steinbrenner would hire and fire manager Billy Martin as often as he changed his socks.

Are the sports reporters and media going after Gilbert hard? sports people in NYC metro area go hard after coaches,gms, owners and try to make them accountable at least.

This is gonna be an active thread this summer.....

Teams cannot just stand still and expect to beat GSW so it begins


Chris Paul traded to Houston.

That's funny you mention Steinbrenner. That's exactly what I thought of, although Mike Brown would have to be hired/fired a few more times.

Chris Broussard was on the local show this morning. He insists that Billups to the Cavs is a done deal, but that he's recruiting players since he's not officially under contract. I'm not sure I buy that, but it's an interesting possibility.

The local media seems to be anti-Gilbert by about a 65-35 margin. Most agree that the timing of firing Griffin (just before the draft and 2 weeks before FA begins) was poor. They also say that Gilbert does not value a GM.

Gilbert does get a pass for being the only Cleveland owner to win a title. But I've heard it said many times that if LeBron was not from here, Gilbert would be seen in a worse light than Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. I'm not sure that is even possible.

First good move they've made since drafting Porzingis. I love Phil, but the results were what they were. According to his estranged wife, Melo wants to stay in New York to be close to his son. Now that Phil and the triangle are gone, I don't see him going anywhere until his contract expires in 2 years. He wants to win in New York. I'm just wondering, is the Phil firing something that couldn't have been done BEFORE the draft!?

Yes, it'll be an interesting offseason but I'm not worried about Houston. Paul and Harden aren't enough to get that team through Golden State. Plus, I think Paul's just a rental and will be gone next offseason when he's a free agent.

Chauncey Billups turns down the Cavs GM job.


Carmelo agrees to waive non trade clause for move to Houston or Cleveland.




EXPECT NBA version of musical chairs in weeks to come, because no team can bring back their 2016-17 rosters and expect to win a ring.

THIS IS GONNA BE A GOOD SUMMER