Cleveland Cavaliers without Kyrie Irving

Fourteen games into the NBA season and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a record of 3-14. Their record is a bit misleading, as the Cavs have been competitive in most of their games. They have lost a number of heart breakers late in the fourth quarter. Of their five late game losses, three were against probable playoff teams (Milwaukee, Miami, and Memphis). Over their last three games the Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter tied or leading only to come up short.

Starting point guard Kyrie Irving has missed the last four games due to a fractured finger. Is it a coincidence that the Cavaliers have lost these last three games without Irving? Lets take a closer look.

According to ESPN Research, Irving led the league last year in usage during clutch situations. His usage rate of 47.2% of his team’s possessions during clutch situations was 19.3% higher than his usage rate for the rest of the game. Here’s the astonishing part, of the top five players in usage rating during clutch situations, Kyrie was the only one to boast a higher field goal percentage than in non-clutch situations.

So what can we make of all these statistics? Well, when the game is on the line, Irving will have the ball in his hands. Also, he is not affected by pressure; in fact, he thrives on it, as evidenced by his field goal percentage.

A strong argument can be made that Irving is sorely missed by his coach and teammates. Perhaps a few of those games may have ended differently with Irving on the court. For Cleveland fans, Irving’s finger can’t heal soon enough

2012 Eastern Conference Central Division Off-Season Update

Central Division champions of a year ago, the Chicago Bulls, did little to improve their team during the offseason. As point guard Derrick Rose continues to work his way back from a devastating ACL tear, the team must rely on their other four starters not wearing #1 on their jerseys. The Bulls lost Omer Asik, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, and C.J. Watson to free agency. The team faces an uphill battle playing without 2010 MVP Derrick Rose.

The Indiana Pacers lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After scratching and clawing for a shot at the title, the Pacers came up just short. Previous General Manager Larry Bird will be missed, but the team found an adequate replacement in Donnie Walsh.

The Portland Trailblazers tried to snatch up Indiana’s center Roy Hibbert to a four-year, $58 million deal. The Pacers matched the offer and retained their big man out of Georgetown. The team surprisingly traded point guard Darren Collison to the Dallas Mavericks for center Ian Mahinmi. They hope Mahinmi can bolster their interior defense.

Milwaukee didn’t make too many adjustments to their roster this offseason. The team will continue to forge a new identity after their blockbuster trade midseason in 2011. The Bucks traded center Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors for shooting guard Monta Ellis and small forward Epke Udoh. Milwaukee re-signed power forward Ersan Ilyasova. The team has faith in the combination of Ilyasova, standout point guard Brandon Jennings, and their other young players.

The Detroit Piston’s major acquisition this summer came on draft day. Detroit took center Andre Drummond out of Connecticut with the ninth overall selection. Drummond is one of the most physically gifted big men to come out the draft since Dwight Howard, but former coaches and scouts question his work ethic. If the young center can produce, he would create a respectable duo with Detroit’s starting center, Craig Monroe.

The Central Division in the Eastern Conference boasts some of the most dynamic young talent in the league. Point guards Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Jennings all have the ability to take control in a game. Hope is high in Cleveland as training camp begins. A once so distant playoff birth suddenly seems within grasp. Kyrie Irving believes the time has come.

“I have high hopes for us,” said Irving. “Obviously our No. 1 goal is to make the playoffs this year and were definitely going to attain that as long as we continue to get better and as long as we compete every single night.”

Cleveland Cavaliers 2012 Training Camp Position Battles

Aside from Kyrie Irving, there remains much uncertainty regarding the point guard position.

During the offseason the Cavaliers traded point guard D.J. Kennedy to the Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Jeremy Pargo, a second-round draft pick in 2014, and cash considerations. Free-agent Jonny Flynn was brought in during the offseason for workouts, but never signed with the team. Look for Pargo, Donald Sloan, and Justin Holliday to compete for the privilege to back up Irving.

Coach Scott has yet to name a starting shooting guard, and most predict that either rookie Dion Waiters, or C.J. Miles will claim the position. Kelenna Azubuike and Daniel Gibson figure to challenge for the remaining minutes.

The small forward position seems to be up for grabs with the main candidates being Alonzo Gee, C.J. Miles, and Omri Casspi. Casspi and Gee both started at the position for the Cavaliers last year, but it is evident that Gee has the upper hand after having the better season of the two.

The Cavaliers contain their most depth at the power forward position. Tristan Thompson will get his minutes. Look for Samardo Samuels, Jon Leur, and Michael Eric to compete for the remaining playing time.

Samuels has pushed himself this offseason by dropping 20 pounds and lowering his body fat from 15 percent to 6.5 percent. Expect the slim new Samuels to establish himself as a prominent role player for the team this season.

The Cavaliers learned the importance of having a capable backup center after Varejao went down last year. The team unsuccessfully attempted to use Semih Erden, who is no longer a Cavalier, to fill the gap. After the Erden experiment ran its course, they found a suitable solution by playing Thompson at the position.

The team has significantly upgraded since then with the addition of Tyler Zeller, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2012 draft out of the University of North Carolina. The former Tarheel runs the floor as well as any big man around and can stretch the court with his jump shot.

Cleveland Cavalier’s 2012 Off-Season Update

Player Updates

Fresh off of one of the greatest rookie seasons in recent history, Kyrie Irving is looking to pick up right where he left off this upcoming season.

Irving commanded the attention of veteran players and coaches this summer while he practiced with the USA Olympic squad.

“Kyrie always impresses me,” said USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski in an interview this summer. “This week, he’s been who I think he is, which is one of the top guards anywhere.”

“For me, Kyrie Irving has definitely stood out more than anyone,” LeBron James, the Cavalier’s former number one overall selection in ’03, told CBSSports.com this summer. “He’s a great talent. I see him in a couple years being one of the best point guards that we have in this league. He has all the abilities that all the great point guards have in our league. Ball-handling, quickness, shooting ability, his mind is really smart too,” stated James.

Irving’s summer was cut short due to a fractured hand sustained after he slapped a padded wall in frustration during practice. The injury sidelined him for the NBA Summer League, which would have provided an opportunity to develop chemistry with his two new teammates, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller.

Irving has since recovered, and is expected to participate in training camp without any setbacks.

Of the players who did participate in the summer league, first round selection, Dion Waiters, did little to reaffirm Cleveland fans that he was the best possible option when the Cavaliers drafted him at number four overall. Waiters shot just 30% from the field and appeared sluggish.

“Dion knew he was out of shape,” said General Manager Chris Grant. “When we talked to him about it, he agreed that he needed to get to work. He didn’t make any excuses, he didn’t run from it.”

Fellow teammates warned Waiters about the intensity of coach Byron Scott’s training camps. He has taken this advice and run with it, literally. Waiters will report to camp ten pounds lighter than he was this summer.

Swingman C.J. Miles, the Cavalier’s most significant offseason signing, will provide some much needed depth on the roster. Miles plays both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Utah fans had high hopes for Miles after the Jazz invested a second round pick on him back in 2005. Coach Byron Scott believes he can bring out the best in Miles.

“I just thought he has so much left in him basketball-wise and it’s really untapped,” said coach Scott said after Miles signed with the team. “There are so many things he can do on a basketball court. I thought he’d be a great fit for us.”

Power forward Tristan Thompson looks to build upon a promising rookie campaign. Thompson started 25 games last year at center due to the injury of incumbent starter, Anderson Varejao.

Thompson will enter training camp as the favorite to secure the starting power forward position vacated by Antawn Jamison.

Center Anderson Varejao finds himself in a similar situation to years prior. He will return as the starter, yet his name continues to permeate throughout the trading block. His hustle and “all-out” style of play has translated into a number of injuries over the past few seasons.

The most recent wrist injury caused him to miss the final 41 games last season. Varejao recently said that he will not alter his approach to the game in order to avoid injuries.

“It’s my goal to stay healthy this year,” Varejao said. “That’s the biggest thing this year. There’s nothing you can do to prevent it. I’m not going to change anything. I’m going to keep playing the same way.”

Small forward Alonzo Gee signed a three-year deal to stay in Cleveland this offseason. The Cavaliers hope Gee can continue to improve after averaging a career-high 29.0 minutes per game last season.

The Cavaliers acquired guard Kelenna Azubuike along with rookie center Tyler Zeller on a draft day trade that sent Cleveland’s #24, #33, and #34 selections to Dallas. Azubuike has only played in twelve games since 2009 due to a torn left patella tendon.

The Cavaliers lost Anthony Parker and his .404 career three-point shooting percentage to retirement during the offseason. The team is hoping that Azubuike can stay healthy and help fill the void.