Cleveland Sports Forum

Well, of course!

I note that the Nets have now acquired Drummond to replace Allen who they dealt last year. We win that exchange.

I believe every player in that James Harden trade from last year has been traded again other than Allen. That is a lot of players.

Nets appear to be kind of a mess. Likely to win the east they're now in the play in scramble.
Better than their local rival Knicks who broke out last year and broke down this season

One more chance for Allen for the All Star game. Harden as expected will not play.

I wish the game was not in Cleveland. This team needs a lot of rest. Mobley is running on fumes.

Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen will join Darius Garland in NBA All-Star Game 2022 after all, replacing the injured James Harden

For me i like the haul the Nets got very much.

Drummond gives them a legit presence in the middle they didn't have. Showed it last night.

Seth Curry - we know he is a deadly shooter. And Simmons gives them a Draymond Green type defensive player who can run the floor and pass.

With Kyrie and Durant he won't have to score in the halfcourt.

OH and 2 first rounders.

No doubt both teams got better........... I would take the Nets if both teams are healthy.

and if Kyrie could play home games

Could LeBron James return to Cleveland again? ‘The door’s not closed on that,’ he says

Jason Lloyd Feb 19, 2022 198


CLEVELAND — LeBron James is back home this weekend, back in the blustery cold and snow-covered streets of northeast Ohio. His picture is back on the building that hangs across from the arena he called home for 11 years as part of the league’s All-Star Game celebration.

Now the only question is whether another picture could go up there again someday. Could James return to Cleveland and play for the Cavaliers a third time?

“The door’s not closed on that,” James told The Athletic on Saturday following the East’s team practice on the campus of Cleveland State. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”

James, of course, is a free agent after next season. He is tethered to the Lakers for one more year.

After that? Buckle up.

James stressed he has not thought about a return to Cleveland, but he also wouldn’t rule anything out. Maybe it’s a one-day deal to retire a Cavalier someday. Maybe it’s more.

The landscape is far different this time for both sides. James bolted Cleveland in 2010 for a Heat team that advanced to four consecutive NBA Finals and won two championships. The Cavs, meanwhile, collected a war chest of draft picks and trade assets while struggling to piece together a competitive roster.

James returned anyway and delivered the city its first championship in 52 years.

Now it’s the Cavaliers in the thick of contention in the Eastern Conference without him while the Lakers are floundering in the West. James won another championship in Los Angeles after leaving Cleveland, which ultimately is what he wanted, but the Lakers’ roster is now a collection of old, expensive and underperforming talent. It’s hard to find a path out of it before James is a free agent again.

When the Lakers were blown out by the Bucks before the break, James acknowledged he doesn’t believe they can reach an elite level this season. They sat idle at the trade deadline and remain a sub-.500 team at the break just fighting to make the Play-In Tournament, although James said Saturday he believes the energy shifted in the locker room after the trade deadline and he liked what he saw out of the Lakers their last few games.

Cavs general manager Koby Altman, meanwhile, has organically built one of the best young rosters in the league over the last four years since James’ departure. The Cavs (35-23) enter the break fourth in the East, 2.5 games out of the top spot. They have two All-Stars this weekend in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen — which is one more than the Lakers have. It’s the first time Cleveland has enjoyed multiple All-Stars when LeBron wasn’t involved in nearly 30 years. James has certainly noticed.

“I think Koby and those guys have done an unbelievable job drafting and making trades,” James said. “I think big fella (Allen), that acquisition was amazing for them to make that trade. Obviously, Darius Garland is a big-time player. And I think the role that Kevin (Love) is playing right now has kind of uplifted those young guys, seeing a veteran that could sacrifice, a champion that’s won a championship, all the things that he’s done, to come off the bench and play this role. I am not surprised by anything that they’re doing right now.”

The Cavs snatched Allen from the Nets last season as part of the deal that sent James Harden to Brooklyn and watched him blossom into one of the best big men in the East. Love, after struggling through three injury-plagued rebuilding years without LeBron, is thriving in a sixth man role that he accepted to make room for Evan Mobley, who is the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year.

Garland, who shares an agent with James in Rich Paul, wants the Cavs to forge a new identity without LeBron and prove they can make the playoffs without him. That hasn’t happened since 1998.

“Our guys want to make our own legacy,” Garland said Saturday. “It’s a new look, a new feel. It’s a rebirth in Cleveland. It would mean a lot to all of us.”

Asked if he has ever discussed the possibility of James returning again, Garland laughed and said no.

Another return to Cleveland would be complicated, particularly with James still playing at an elite level. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has spoken frequently this season about the chemistry and the way this team plays for each other. James’ presence alters every locker room he enters.

He’ll be 38 next summer, although he’s still averaging 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season. The Cavs would struggle to fit James’ salary without dismantling what they’ve already built, which they seem unlikely to do. James, who returned to Cleveland in 2014 on a max contract, isn’t interested in taking a midlevel exception now.

“I don’t play midlevel basketball,” James said. “I don’t come back for anything below the top.”

There is one caveat to that, however. James said Saturday he’ll go anywhere to play with his son, Bronny James.

Bronny is a high school junior. Under the league’s current system, he wouldn’t be draft-eligible for two more years, leaving James in contract purgatory for one year. The league could change its stance to allow high school players to go directly to the NBA, which would align Bronny’s draft eligibility with James’ current contract status. The league changing the rule before then, however, seems unlikely.

Nevertheless, James’ message to all 30 teams Saturday was clear: If you want me, draft Bronny.

“My last year will be played with my son,” James said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

Now 19 years into his career, James has shown few signs of slowing down. He joked when he drafted Garland onto his roster for All-Star weekend that he needed him for protection after bolting Cleveland twice. James said when he returned in 2014 he wouldn’t leave again, that he couldn’t endure another round of free agency and he planned to finish his career here. Then he left again anyway.

Asked what changed and why he left again, James paused.

“Life. Life just changes,” he said. “You have a mission and you have more goals that you want to set out, you know? When I won a championship here, I didn’t think that I would go anywhere, because I felt like I was complete. And then I realized that I still wanted to, I wanted to reach another level. I wanted to reach another level, so it wasn’t done. My life goal wasn’t complete.”

Now he owns four rings and has guided three different franchises to championships.

He’ll spend this weekend at his palace in Bath Township, a suburb of Akron, reminiscing with all of his old classmates. His five closest friends from high school all attended All-Star practice Saturday and joined him for pictures on the court afterward.

This is James’ 18th All-Star Game, tied for second all time with Kobe Bryant. He was 12 years old living with his mother at Spring Hill Apartments in Akron the last time Cleveland hosted the All-Star Game in 1997. He couldn’t afford to attend any of the events. On Sunday, he’ll serve as team captain and will be among the top 75 players honored at halftime as part of the NBA’s diamond anniversary.

He’ll get on a plane and return to Los Angeles for the second half of the season. After that? Stay tuned.

“That’s a conversation that could be had later on down the line,” he said. “Because I’m still playing some damn good basketball.”

— The Athletic’s Joe Vardon contributed to this report.

similar story at ESPN quoting writers at the Athletic; suggested that breaking up Cavs chemistry even to get LeBron would not necessarily be a good idea: would the Lakers accept Sexton and Love and draft picks? Would the Cavs surrender them? Would the Lakers logically insist or Mobley or Garland: no way the Cavs would do that; they're building a team for many years not to win one and be done.

Garland out vs Detroit. It sounds like they plan to sit him down every few games especially against the bums. But the last time they played the Pistons they wound up losers. Levert also out tonight. So we're back to big minutes in the backup for Lamar Steven and Goodwin. Perhaps Okoro will work out of the backup tonight since I think Markinnen is expected to start again.

They will not suffer from the departure of Pangos to man the backcourt for the Putingrad Thugs.

Evan Mobley is guarding everybody. Could he be a Defensive Player of the Year contender? Mobley Mondays

Kelsey Russo and John Hollinger 3h ago 7
Welcome to the Mobley Mondays!

The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting back on track. Sunday night, the Cavs downed the Toronto Raptors 104-96 to snap a three-game losing streak. Prior to Sunday’s win, Cleveland had lost six of its last seven games and recorded some of the worst defensive ratings of the season.

Despite the Cavs’ rocky patch, Evan Mobley has shown flashes — especially on the defensive end — of his nightly impact.

“It’s just him asserting himself on the game, understanding the circumstances of the game,” J.B. Bickerstaff said of Mobley after Sunday’s win. “I think that’s what’s pretty amazing for a guy of his experience. Put something in front of him that has major consequences in the record and what we’re trying to do and for him to go out and do what he did tonight, that’s special. You don’t see a guy that understands the job that needs to be done at that age and that experience and then go out and do it. And then lose his running mate and have to do more and then go and do more. It’s special.”

For this week’s Mobley Monday, senior NBA columnist John Hollinger joined me to discuss Mobley’s defensive presence and where he stands in the NBA Rookie of the Year race. We also talked about where the Cavs’ rookie stands in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Could a rookie actually win DPOY?

Let’s dive in.

Russo: Thanks so much for chatting with me, John! So, while acknowledging the Cavs recent struggles following the All-Star break, Mobley has played a significant role in the team’s successful defense throughout the season. What has stood out to you overall about Mobley’s defensive presence?

Hollinger: The most amazing thing to me has been when Cleveland goes to a zone, because at times it feels like Mobley is guarding everybody. The only thing I can compare it to is how Minnesota would use Kevin Garnett sometimes when he was in his prime, but NBA defense has changed quite a bit since then. His ability to defend a guard on the perimeter — like, really defend, not just “good for a big” defend — and then slide back to the paint to help protect the rim and then get back out to the perimeter to contest a smaller player again, is something we haven’t seen a whole lot of in the league.

As with virtually any young player, areas for improvement remain. Obviously, he needs to get stronger, and there are times he could be better off the ball, and he’s still not quite in the ranks of the truly elite shot blockers. But it is incredibly rare for a 20-year-old rookie to make such an immediate impact defensively.

Russo: It’s been interesting to watch his growth on the defensive end in learning the Cavs’ system, where to be on the floor at the right time and how to use his length and athleticism.

I do find these numbers interesting for Mobley. He ranks third in the league in averaging contested shots per game at 12.2. The two players above him are Rudy Gobert (13.0) and Jakob Poeltl (14.5). He’s contested 671 total shots this season, also third in the league. On the flip side, he’s averaging 2.1 personal fouls per game. Have you noticed that aspect of his game about how he has a control when contesting shots? How unique is that for a rookie?

Hollinger: Yes, it’s one of several notable things that make him a special player: the ability to contest shots without fouling, and perhaps equally as important, the ability to contest shots without flying out of the play chasing for low-probability blocks. A lot of young players have a lot of trouble with those two issues; Mobley showed up able to do them from Day 1.

(Fun side note: Of the league’s top 20 shot blockers per minute, with a minimum of 1,000 minutes played, Mobley has the second-lowest foul rate. The lowest rate? Jarrett Allen.)

Russo: How do you see the ROTY race playing out, and where does Mobley fall in that mix? I think he’s the Rookie of the Year, and I’m hoping the other voters see it that way too. The “points per game” crowd is going to push Cade Cunningham, but I wouldn’t have him in my top three.

What about Mobley’s rookie season makes you rank him first?

Hollinger: The advanced metrics would rate the most effective rookies as Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner. Cunningham is a bit further down the list. He has the highest-scoring average of the bunch, but he’s shooting 40 percent with a massive turnover rate.

Since nobody watches the Detroit Pistons, I’m worried people are just going to look at his scoring average and the fact he was the top pick and assume he’s been pretty good. He’s been better of late, but the reality is that his body of work isn’t on par with the other three guys. Cunningham and Wagner also play on awful teams, which doesn’t help their case. (Although it probably does help their numbers.)

Barnes has a decent case vis-à-vis Mobley; their production and impact numbers are fairly similar. However, Mobley has done it in the context of a more successful team and arguably a more difficult role since the ball goes through him so much less. So, if I had a ballot today, it would be Mobley first, then Barnes, then Wagner.


Mobley finishes with 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the Cavs’ 102-95 win over the Raptors. (Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)
Russo: There was a recent thread on Twitter that was talking about who was in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. And in that thread, people were discussing Mobley. After I looked at the thread, it got me thinking — who was the youngest player to win DPOY? The youngest players to date to be named DPOY are Kawhi Leonard (2014-15), Dwight Howard (2008-09) and Alvin Roberston (1985-86). All three players were 23 years old. Mobley is 20.

Now, we’ve talked about Mobley being a ROTY candidate, but do you see him as a potential DPOY contender? Could a rookie win Defensive Player of the Year? Is that out of the question?

Hollinger: I think it is highly unlikely for a rookie to win DPOY just because reputation tends to be such a big factor in that vote, and that equity usually takes time to build.

The other huge reason, of course, is that NBA rookies usually are well behind the curve at the defensive end and need some time to figure out a game that is very different from the one they played in college. That’s even more true for bigs, many of whom stay rooted in the paint in conservative college schemes. For Mobley to come in and be this good, this early, as a big man, is truly impressive.

Can he eventually win DPOY? I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility. Take a look at another somewhat similar player, for instance, that I have a lot of experience with — Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr.

I’m not saying Jackson will be DPOY (although All-Defense is in play), but his development has been instructive. As a rookie who needed strength, he struggled with fouls and rebounding but has cut his foul rate and increased his rebound rate every year. Now as a 22-year-old, he has fine-tuned the shot-blocking part too (Jackson has the league’s second-highest block rate at 7.2 percent; as a rookie, his mark of 5.1 percent was similar to Mobley’s 4.4 percent). Relative to Jackson at the same age, Mobley is less foul-prone and more comfortable guarding the perimeter, and a more instinctive rebounder.

I also used Garnett as a comparison point above, for his ability to play the point in a zone and then zoom in to protect the rim. Mobley isn’t as athletic as young KG was, but few people are. The fact that he evokes those similarities already is a hugely positive sign.

All those things bode well for him eventually morphing into a DPOY-type of player by the end of his rookie contract. It’s still a tough mountain to climb (Spoiler: Only one player out of the 500-ish in the league wins DPOY), but his freakish ability to be both a rim protector and perimeter stopper may get him there.

Russo: That all makes sense and will be something to watch throughout the years as he grows as a player. What about an All-Defensive team honor? Does he make first or second team? Or is it similar to your previous answer where that seems more realistic in a few years?

Hollinger: I think it is unlikely this season … not impossible, but certainly unlikely. The last rookie to make All-Defense was Tim Duncan in 1997-98. With younger players entering the league, it’s a bigger hill to climb in Year 1.

Looking at the other bigs he’s competing against, it’s going to be tough for him to a) surpass them reputation-wise in terms of getting the votes, and b) I’m not sure he’s really at their level right now anyway. Mobley has a case for All-Defensive second-team votes, and I expect him to get at least a few, but I’m not sure how solid his case stacks up against some pretty impressive competition.

Jackson, again, would be an obvious comparison point, and even he is likely fighting for a second-team nomination. Among frontcourt players, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green (if he ever returns) would surely hog most of the first-team votes.

So … second team? Maybe, but there’s a crowd. Beyond those players above, guys like Jackson, Robert Williams, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid, Myles Turner, Maxi Kleber and Jakob Poeltl will all get strong consideration for the second team. (So would Jarrett Allen, but I’m assuming Mobley will be ahead of him in the hierarchy.) Even among rookies, New Orleans’ Herbert Jones could make a credible case that he’s been just as available at that end as Mobley.

I do think it’s very likely Mobley will make at least one All-Defense team before the end of his rookie contract. But I also think the odds don’t favor him getting that nod this year.

Related reading
Harper: Mikal Bridges, Rudy Gobert lead DPOY race

(Photo of Evan Mobley: Photo by Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

He is pretty darned good! That much we know.
And suddenly we have a team with a core group of an All Star; an All Star supplement; a probable rookie of the year; some very good extra parts and presto they're competitive for years to come.
If they can perhaps be healthy