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Episode 29 - "Have You Two Met?" The Bench Guys are back with another killer installment! This week the boys are all fired up because it's FINALS WEEK!! Game 1 goes tonight, and The Bench has got you covered! Also on this week's show:
This young man played his high school ball in New York before moving on to play at Rice and then helping to lead the #1 Villanova team this past season. He has now transfered to Oregon where he will step in as the new lead guard. His younger brother Tyler is currently in the NBA playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Our guest is the very charismatic Dylan Ennis! Dylan has a great personality and some awesome insights on the game. This is an interview you don't want to miss!You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunes, TuneIn or on Aha! You may also download the direct link to the MP3. |
Showing posts with label Cleveland Cavaliers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cleveland Cavaliers. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4
Thursday, February 19
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Episode 16 - "Double The Garys!" The Bench Girl Vanessa B is away this week on assignment, but to make up for it - Donnie, JK and Curtis being you not one ... but TWO, TWO Gary Trents!! (Read that in the voice of The Count from Sesame Street and it'll be funnier!) We are joined once again by our boy, former NBA power forward Gary Trent. Gary is blunt and honest as he talks ball and tells it like he sees it. Then, we shift gears and chat with Gary Trent Jr, who happens to be a top 20 high schooler in the Nation and is already considered an NBA prospect! Also on this week's episode: •Has KD foreshadowed his departure from OKC? •Draymond Green playing dirty pool •LeBron's new job •Plenty of Adam Silver news •Buyouts, buyouts everywhere •PLUS lots of talk around today's trade deadline! There's all of that and more on this week's episode of The Bench! You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunes You may also download the direct link to the MP3. |
Thursday, January 15
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Episode 11 - Sharpen Your Axe! @TheBenchGuys are back with another HUGE episode! Along with your host Donnie DaSilva, John Kyle @KyleOnTheBench and Curtis @CurtisDAnthony are ready to crank out a show you won't soon forget! On this week's show:
Reggie is an outstanding person and he shares thoughts on players who never managed to establish themselves at the NBA level, his time in the league, his thoughts on the incident involving Dwight Howard and his former teammate Kevin Garnett, and so much more! This is an awesome interview!
Our thoughts go out to our Bench Girl, Vanessa B @TheBenchGirlVB who couldn't be with us this week due to a family emergency. We hope to have her back in studio next week!
You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunesYou may also download the direct link to the MP3. |
Thursday, January 8
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Episode 10 - Looking back on 2014 Happy New Year Benchwarmers! We are back with another mega episode! This week, the bench guys touch on all the big stories in the NBA from the past week, we answer YOUR questions in our email segment and we review 2014, with JK's picks for the top stories, all stars and more! This is a fun episode, Come hang out with us! Don't miss this episode!! You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunes You may also download the direct link to the MP3. |
Tuesday, January 6
It
has been discussed on The Bench repeatedly that malcontents Dion Waiters and JR
Smith would be moved at some point this season; it was really a question of
when and where as opposed to if.
The move finally happened last night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks have swung a three team trade that sees former Orangeman Waiters head to OKC.
Smith and injured Knick teammate Iman Shumpert will be taking their talents to Cleveland, and the Knicks pick up Alex Kirk, Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas.
Both The Knicks and Cavs were originally looking to pick up Reggie “I’m a starter dammit” Jackson, but the Thunder pulled him off the table at the last minute.
Both teams were apparently so anxious to move Smith, Shumpert and Waiters, that the removal of the best player in the trade wasn’t enough to break the deal.
The Knicks have also waived unhappy injured center Samuel Dalembert.
The move finally happened last night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks have swung a three team trade that sees former Orangeman Waiters head to OKC.
Smith and injured Knick teammate Iman Shumpert will be taking their talents to Cleveland, and the Knicks pick up Alex Kirk, Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas.
Both The Knicks and Cavs were originally looking to pick up Reggie “I’m a starter dammit” Jackson, but the Thunder pulled him off the table at the last minute.
Both teams were apparently so anxious to move Smith, Shumpert and Waiters, that the removal of the best player in the trade wasn’t enough to break the deal.
The Knicks have also waived unhappy injured center Samuel Dalembert.
So what does this trade really do?
It
would appear that the Thunder have acquired a new starting 2 guard, which is
sure to make Waiters happy as hell.
Waiters attitude has been borderline destructive in Cleveland ever since he was demoted to the bench.
Since Jackson and star point guard Russell Westbrook often play off of each other, there could be a major change in minute distribution / chemistry.
While Waiters is a defensive nightmare, the Thunder may be able to insulate him the way they did James Harden.
Jackson who has not been happy with his role for quite some time could combine with Waiters to really upset chemistry. My suspicion is that Waiters will be on his best behavior and that Jackson will either be moved or walk at the end of the season.
The Cavs desperately need front court help, and in this trade they didn’t address that need at all. Instead they picked up a pair of swingmen. One who is known for his defensive ability (which haven’t been present for almost 18 months) and one who is known as a selfish stat stuffer and fancies himself as a guy who CAN play the power forward spot. As a 4, Smith will offer dump ins and post ups, but zero resistance.
It is believed that the Cavs will look to sign Dalembert after he clears waivers, but that's assuming nobody else claims him first.
Conventional thinking is that Shump will give the Cavs some toughness on the wing, and that Smith will smarten up with LeBron around – however, that’s also what people said about Waiters.
As far as The Knicks go – they’re a damn mess. Period.
Waiters attitude has been borderline destructive in Cleveland ever since he was demoted to the bench.
Since Jackson and star point guard Russell Westbrook often play off of each other, there could be a major change in minute distribution / chemistry.
While Waiters is a defensive nightmare, the Thunder may be able to insulate him the way they did James Harden.
Jackson who has not been happy with his role for quite some time could combine with Waiters to really upset chemistry. My suspicion is that Waiters will be on his best behavior and that Jackson will either be moved or walk at the end of the season.
The Cavs desperately need front court help, and in this trade they didn’t address that need at all. Instead they picked up a pair of swingmen. One who is known for his defensive ability (which haven’t been present for almost 18 months) and one who is known as a selfish stat stuffer and fancies himself as a guy who CAN play the power forward spot. As a 4, Smith will offer dump ins and post ups, but zero resistance.
It is believed that the Cavs will look to sign Dalembert after he clears waivers, but that's assuming nobody else claims him first.
Conventional thinking is that Shump will give the Cavs some toughness on the wing, and that Smith will smarten up with LeBron around – however, that’s also what people said about Waiters.
As far as The Knicks go – they’re a damn mess. Period.
Saturday, November 8
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| Even their fist-bumps are out of sync... |
Earlier this week reports surfaced that LeBron James was
bracing himself for “a long process” as he begins the task
of taking his newly formed Cleveland Cavilers and developing them into
a perennial championship contender.
Not even two weeks into his first season back, it’s clear that BronBron has his work cut out for him.
To say the Cavs have merely stumbled out of the gate in the early going, is putting it lightly.
Sure, struggles are often a part of the process for any team, especially ones put together as quickly as this one but any time a LeBron-led squad is put on the court, they're going to be placed under the microscope. Like a high-powered digital LCD-microscope.
Add to that mix fellow All-Stars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and this group will continue to face a plethora of unrealistic expectations for the entirety of the 2014-15 season.
To that point... this past week we “witnessed" (see what I did there?) the media storm that follows when things don't go according to script. Following the team's 101-82 loss in Portland, the media was going crazy with initial reports that James and his point guard, Kyrie Irving, had an exchange of words in the locker room.
Eventually someone close to the situation came out to say the conversation was dubbed a “healthy” one and that LeBron just wants 'Uncle Drew' to be a better facilitator for the team. Still, I can't help but wonder how long LeBron will allow his young pupil to run the Cavs offense at an ineffective rate before finally taking over himself.
I can't be the only one who is thinking this either. Which is why what happened the following night is so interesting...
With the Cavs trying to avoid opening the season 1-3, another low point was reached when Gordon Hayward drilled a right-wing jumper at the buzzer to give the Jazz a 102-100 victory.
So why is this so awesome to watch? Well it seems as if the talk from LeBron went completely unheeded. Against the Jazz, Kyrie Irving dropped 34 points on 23 shots but also recorded a massive GOOSE EGG in the assist column despite being on the floor for 45 minutes!
Not exactly a confidence booster for fans and LeBron alike, expecting to see Kyrie facilitate the Cavs offense which currently ranks as one of the NBA's most selfish.
Be patient, Cavs fans. At least if the team continues its struggles, we'll be in for an entertaining ride!
In Abdul-Rauf’s case there is no accusation. He flat out told the NBA he was refusing to stand for the anthem due to it being a symbol of oppression and tyranny. With Dion Waiters however, the claim is that it is a big misunderstanding.
On November 7th Dion Waiters told reporter Chris Haynes, of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, that he missed the national anthem on the November 5th game against the Utah Jazz because of his religion.
The reporter openly admits that he never recalled Waiters missing a national anthem in the past but Waiters was claiming a re-dedication to his faith. So, like any decent reporter he asked if Waiters intended to carry this tradition on for the season. Waiters, accordingly to Haynes, said “Yes, I do.”
This lead to the story of Dion refusing to stand for the national anthem which instantly had people, much like myself, thinking of those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.
I remember the fall out of Chris Jackson / Abdul-Rauf. He was suspended by the NBA over his stance to refuse to stand for the anthem. Granted the suspension lasted all of a day but it could have been much worse. An agreement was settled between the NBA and Abdul-Rauf where he would stand for the anthem but he could look downward to the floor to not acknowledge the flag.
Abdul-Rauf stated he often would say a Muslim based prayer during this time. Abdul-Rauf would be traded in the off-season from Denver to Sacramento despite scoring 19.2 points a game and 6.8 assists a game.
In Sacramento his minutes would be cut drastically over the next two year where he went from starting 53 games, of the 57 played in Denver, to 0 games started with 31 games played in two years later. He would then leave the league for 2 years under the guise of retirement before returning for one season to the Vancouver Grizzlies, and then ultimately going back to Europe.
However, Dion has a different claim.
His is one of miscommunication, and the reporter who broke the initial story isn’t disagreeing.
According to Haynes both he and Waiters had a long conversation on Saturday about both
Wednesday’s incident and the story that broke. Haynes openly admits that when he asked Dion about continuing his pregame ritual he meant the skipping of the anthem that occurred on the game played on Wednesday the 5th.
Waiters admitted he thought that the question referred to his prayer and meditation time before games. Waiters then admitted that he would be present for the anthems going forward and he just lost track of time for that one game. He also admitted he’d like to move forward and past this situation. Since then he hasn’t missed an anthem.
It is interesting to note, that Dion losing track of time or protesting or whatever ... coincided with the him being removed from the starting line up and sent to the bench.
So the question is what version of Dion do we believe?
Was he misunderstood, did he mean what he said but buckled under the backlash that followed, or was he simply pouting over the losee of his starting spot, and his faith became a convenient scapegoat?
Thursday, October 23
The title made reference to the Cleveland Cavaliers newly acquired power forward Kevin Love stating that he needs more touches to get his game going.
Certainly Love had what most of his fans would deem a slow start to the pre-season, before coming on with bigger numbers over his last two games.
The interesting part about this is - many analysts within the basketball community have wondered for months - how would Kyrie Irving, Lebron James, Love and the big ball stopper, Dion Waiters manage to share the rock?
Four men who are all used to getting the lion's share of the work on the offensive end. In Waiter's case, he did it regardless of what his coaches or teammates wanted him to do.
When LeBron formed the unholy alliance in Miami, they struggled until Wade and Bosh agreed to subvert their own needs in favor of James - allowing him to take the majority of the big shots.
A month or so ago, Chris Bosh gave an interview where he spoke about Kevin Love going from Minnesota to being LeBron's teammate, and referencing how hard it will be for Love emotionally when his statistics start taking a major hit.
Well, the complaining has started - in preseason.
Perhaps this is just the team's early growing pains, and things will iron themselves out - but it's hard to imagine both Love and Irving willingly giving up open looks to get LeBron an even better one.
In the article, Love also referenced changes to his game that he knows he will have to make this season. I found this intriguing, so I read on. Much to my chagrin, the changes he referenced are on the offensive side of the ball.
"Yeah, the offense is built that way but I just have to make a conscious decision to get myself in there," Love said. "There are a lot of times where I just find myself fading to the three-point line. For me, it's a mentality and that's easy to fix.
"We've been putting in stuff like different pin-downs, cut-across and cross-screens to get me open in there. You'll see a lot more of that during the season. That's always how I played and I know that coach wants me to play that way, as well."
Does this dude care about anything more than filling up the box scores?
I was hoping to hear (even if it was just lip service) "I know that I have to be better on the defensive end - keep my man in front of my and rotate quicker to provide help and protect our rim".
Instead, he's worried about where he's getting his touches.
There has been a lot written this off season about Kyrie Irving's maturation process and the growth he experienced as part of Team USA.
What of Love's maturation? His desire to get the ball in the spots he wants above and beyond everything else is disappointing.
Here's hoping that after a few more bigs blow by him on the way to an uncontested dunk, LeBron will give him enough hell that he'll have an epiphany.
Stop ball - win games.
No stop ball - lose games.
Simple as that Big Kev.
Friday, October 17
The Bench Guys were not responsible for retrieving nor had any involvement for the extraction of said document.
However it is well within our journalistic rights to share the document with our readers.
If you want to read the full page, please click the image below.
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD
But there is something more important than Lebron winning his third ring and third Finals MVP.
During the final moments of the finale, the Cavalier players are writhing in pain, because the Champagne has been replaced with some sort of acid, blinding most if not all of the Cleveland Cavalier roster except Lebron, who was conveniently in a private room conducting an interview.
During the final moments of the finale, the Cavalier players are writhing in pain, because the Champagne has been replaced with some sort of acid, blinding most if not all of the Cleveland Cavalier roster except Lebron, who was conveniently in a private room conducting an interview.
Many questions are raised rather than answered from the leaked page.
Who would tamper with the celebratory champagne?
Did Lebron have foreknowledge of the attack to leave the locker room area?
Did Lebron finally shave his head?
Are we still going to be doing the Shmoney Dance in June 2015?
Why did a wolf howl?
Hopefully these questions will be answered in the NBA 2015-2016 Season. Conspiracy theories are surely to be conjured.
Wednesday, October 15
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Episode 1 - Finally! The first episode. The guys cover a whole host of topics including:
Don't miss this historic episode! |
Monday, September 29
Yes, real games are slated to start in around five weeks but when its Cleveland Cavaliers media day you know basketball has arrived.
The summer league was a preview and the FIBA World Cup was a
lay-up. The day Lebron James is introduced, means that things are about to get
real.
I can't decide what was more surprising today. Was it seeing James in a yellow and red Cavaliers Uniform? Was it seeing a slimmed down version of James? Maybe it was seeing his new hairline peeking through his white headband?
I kept wondering why wear a headband if you just had hair replacement surgery. We all know you got it done. We all know you will have to keep getting it done and most importantly we all know you will eventually shave it all off. I hope Wayne Rooney of Manchester United fame is listening and I am sure Karl Malone of Rogaine fame can add his comments.
Today, what I find the most surprising are fans and the media alike questioning whether James can lead the Cavaliers to the NBA finals. I am shocked that some still believe basketball is purely a team game and that an individual can't make the biggest difference.
Since taking his talents to Ohio, James has been fielding questions about when and how he can get back to the finals with the Cavs and if he can win it all.
Do you think he would've come back if he didn't think he could immediately? Do you think he wasn't the one that orchestrated the Kevin Love trade?
He only chose Cleveland because he knew it gave him the best shot at winning this season.
Basketball is one of the few sports where one man can make a
difference. Now some will say the San Antonio Spurs dispel that notion. Do you
think the Spurs would have won their first title without Tim Duncan?
He changed a franchise that already had David Robinson on it. Do you think Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker would have had the same careers without Duncan? Do you think Gregg Popovich would be the coach he is without the 'Big Fundamental'? No, none of the above would be true.
He changed a franchise that already had David Robinson on it. Do you think Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker would have had the same careers without Duncan? Do you think Gregg Popovich would be the coach he is without the 'Big Fundamental'? No, none of the above would be true.
James instantly makes the Cavs the best team in the East. By
adding Love they are favorites to win the entire thing. Who will challenge them
in the Eastern conference?
It won't be the Paul George-less Indiana Pacers.
The
Toronto Raptors can't match-up and the Chicago Bulls are one slip away
with Derrick Rose from falling back to the mediocrity stage.
Yes, there is still the Miami Heat
but we all know how that will end up with James taking out all his frustrations
lighting up the scoreboard.
So let's end the talk of the Cavaliers needing time to get back to the finals. James and the Heat went there in his first season on South Beach with arguably less talented players.
Put your money on James. The east goes through Cleveland. Who would have thought that statement would ring true again?
Friday, September 19
Going into the new season all the talking heads on various radio
stations and podcasts are discussing what the major story lines will be this season in the
National Basketball Association.
Each local market and local sports talk show
personality focuses on what effects their team or their listeners; free agency, off court drama, pending trades or just what their training camp will look like.
Looking nationally, there are only three major talking points heading into the 2014-15 season:
Looking nationally, there are only three major talking points heading into the 2014-15 season:
- can the San Antonio Spurs repeat;
- can Lebron James lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a title;
- and sadly when will the first, second and next crime occur by an NBA player.
The first two questions have been on everyone' mind since
the season ended and since Decision 2.0 occurred. The last one has only arisen
recently with the horrible events and news coming out of the National Football
League.
I am sure commissioner Adam Silver will address the NBA Players’
Association and each team's executives about how not to be like the NFL, if he
hasn't already.
What can Silver do or say that the athletes haven't heard
since they were kids. I am sure most of them understand exactly what is going
on with their cohorts in football. Personally I believe it's only a matter of
time before one player is accused of something and sadly I believe it won't
just be one.
Football and basketball players in America are cut from the
same ilk. In general they come from the same economic and family upbringing.
They have unbelievable talent and desire which they use this to excel in all
parts of their lives. They are treated as special and live a privileged life
were what they want is always given. It is this sense of entitlement that le's
them get away with doing and saying things others couldn’t and wouldn't.
Nothing changes as they get older other than being exposed
to more people, fame and money. Basketball and football players tend to hang
out even more. The women get older, wiser and more conniving looking for that
quick payday.
Let's talk even more honestly. When I said that both sets of
players come from the same economic and family backgrounds what I was really
saying is that most are African-American. People will call that statement
racist or not politically correct but by just using your common sense you will
see what I am saying is true.
So all of that means basketball and football players have
run in the same circles since they were kids. They have the same friends, the
same hanger-ons and the same groupies. So if a trend is prevalent in one set
then of course it is in another.
We all know the ugly behavior of NFL players has been occurring
for years. Therefore we can extrapolate that the same has been occurring in the
NBA. Therefore, only using common sense, we should see the rise of these
incidents, arrests and situations with basketball players this season.
Obviously Silver has a head start, where commissioner Roger
Goodell was blind-sided by the events this off season. We'll maybe he wasn't
blind-sided because I am sure he knew what was going on. Only now with flourish
of social media, camera phones and the public's desire for gossip have we
became as knowledgeable as the people in power.
Basketball and the NBA have done a good job of cleaning
things up in recent years with dress codes, heavy suspensions and so called
social media training. They know the amount of dollars than can be lost with
one simple error or situation. If the association was smart they could use the
fire storm that is happening to the NFL to their advantage. They have an
opportunity to take sponsors dollars away from football.
Silver has to heed the warning signs and nip issues quickly.
He did just that with the help of Larry Bird as they quickly shot down Paul
George's twitter support of Ray Rice. Basketball players in this day and age
believe they can do no wrong and never ever care about how their actions will
influence how others think of them. Why should they? Would you if you were
making a couple of million dollars? If you were I am sure you wouldn’t hesitate
to state your opinion about something.
But with strict guidelines and
suspensions that stupidity is what the association and Silver can control.
What they can’t is what is going on in the NFL. According to
the Federal Bureau of Investigations a woman is battered every fifteen seconds
and two to four million women are abused every year. That is the ones we know
of. So if that happens in the general public, by using common sense that
probably happens in the NFL and NBA. I don’t even want to get into child abuse
because that is a big grey line that needs its’ own discussion.
The NBA needs to have a pre-strategy about what they will do
if something comes up. If a player is accused of something. The association
needs to do the, as the executives of the Minnesota Vikings said thirty
times in their press conference, “right
thing” the first time.
Personally do I want something to happen? Of course I don’t
but do I think something will happen? Of course I do.
This is a turning point in how people see athletes. The NFL
has taken a hit and if the NBA doesn’t as well then that will be a miracle.
Shahab Khan
@schoolboyshebeWednesday, September 3
Before Lebron 'came home', remember how people clued in on his eventual decision to go back to the Cavaliers by his wife's Instagram post?
The NBA True Detectives could not contain themselves.
This was a clear prophecy of Lebron James' intent to return to “The Land”. All the answers were in that Instagram post.
How could anyone not see it at the time?
This was a clear prophecy of Lebron James' intent to return to “The Land”. All the answers were in that Instagram post.
How could anyone not see it at the time?
And what about this Instagram post by Lebron himself, six months before he made his 'decision part deux'?
In his touching message to Dwyane Wade, he says “No matter what happens in the future, we stuck together like brothers for life.”
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS?
How were we so blind? The clues were all there.
He might as well as said, “Thanks for the rings, I'm out!” By the way, that “no matter what” line is almost a complete reworded rip off quote from the Michael Bay classic, “Bad Boys II”.
You are no Will Smith, Lebron. And, you are no Martin Lawrence, Dwyane Wade, which is good because Gabrielle Union would have been your sister in said movie.
How were we so blind? The clues were all there.
He might as well as said, “Thanks for the rings, I'm out!” By the way, that “no matter what” line is almost a complete reworded rip off quote from the Michael Bay classic, “Bad Boys II”.
You are no Will Smith, Lebron. And, you are no Martin Lawrence, Dwyane Wade, which is good because Gabrielle Union would have been your sister in said movie.
As evident by Lebron's post; who else is leaving cryptic messages in various social media posts that could answer a lot of questions now?
For instance, Bench Guy founder, Donnie DaSilva wrote a great article, “Where's Rondo Going?” If we dissect some of Rondo's activities on Twitter, one may stumble across the answer.
Eh? Eh? What the hell is Rajon Rondo doing in Albany, INDIANA?
Indiana, the home of the Pacers? To buy fireworks? Puh-lease!
Who spends their July 4th Holiday in Indiana unless they are from there?
A quick Wikipedia check told me, yup, he is from Louisville, Kentucky.
And then a google search told me that, Louisville is actually across a river from Albany, Indiana.
So you would think the theory is debunked. Rajon Rondo is not going to the Indiana Pacers, right? Think again. Explain this post...
@darty24 asked “Who yo Favourite Comedian?” and Rajon answered Kevin Hart and Mike Epps. Everyone loves (well, some what) Kevin Hart but Mike Epps? Black Doug from The Hangover? Naaaw, no way.
Rajon is meticulous with his Twitter responses as he is on the court.
There is a reason, he chose Mike Epps.
If you did not IMDB him by now, Mike Epps is from Indianopolis, Indiana.
The same city Rondo will demand a trade to in the coming months.
The stage has already been set. Rajon Rondo is ready to be an Indiana Pacer, well according to the interpretations of his twitter.
Another burning hot topic is, how will the Miami Heat do this season without Lebron?
Will they win another title this year?
Will they rise up without the king, and prove the strength of a TEAM is greater than any one individual?
We can venture into Chris Bosh's Instagram Posts to find the answer to that question.
Many of us are hyper aware of Kevin Durant's impending free agency in 2016.
The All Star has been bombarded with questions of whether he was going to play for his home town Washington Wizards or even the suddenly popular dark horse, Toronto Raptors.
Filtering through a plethora of tweets and Instagrams, one will find that Andre Iguodola's post was most conclusive of Kevin Durant wearing a Raptor Uniform...
The All Star has been bombarded with questions of whether he was going to play for his home town Washington Wizards or even the suddenly popular dark horse, Toronto Raptors.
Will Kobe Bryant beat Father Time? Can he play in season 2024-2025?
This can be answered by a recent twitter post from the Black Mamba himself, observe...
In that video post, Kobe takes an ice cold water plunge bringing the ALS bucket challenge to a next level. But read between the lines guys, Kobe did not just do that to support ALSA.org.
No, Kobe is preparing to cryogenically freeze himself a la Demolition Man/Austin Powers to battle a new dynasty in the future.
A dynasty up north, in the form of Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Ennis, and other high flying Canadian Super Stars (none of whom will be named Kevin Durant) in Raptor uniforms.
The clues are out there, pay attention or you'll be lost like Team USA observing a Hakka dance.
Join us next time, when we review, "Stephon Marbury the Musical: A Tale of Making It in Beijing"
Budda Perera
@Prabudda on Twitter and Instagram
Tuesday, September 2
Stephen Curry, the exceptionally gifted point guard from Golden State, made a claim on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he was a better offensive player than LeBron James.
It should be noted that he didn’t come out with a puffed up chest, full of bravado and swagger to make this statement.
Dan Patrick asked Stephen a simple question – “Who is the best offensive player in the NBA – Stephen or LeBron?”
Curry calmly digested the question and answered it without having an air of cockiness but definitely carrying himself with assurance he stated he’s the better offensive player. Instant reaction is to scoff at this claim until you do a little comparative research.
"A better offensive player, me or LeBron? That's the first time I've ever been asked that question. Me," Curry said. “He obviously demands a lot of attention on the floor, but I like to say I can distribute, get my teammates involved and be a playmaker as well.”
A quick rough comparison and you would think Curry is blowing smoke out of everyone’s backside. LeBron scored 27.1 points a game compared to Curry’s 24.0 a game. But what if we break it down beyond that immediate stat? Let’s also take into account assists, turnovers, assist-to-turnover ratio, offensive rebounds, free-throws as well as shooting percentages. Basically if there is an offensive statistic we’re going to look at it from last season.
LeBron played 77 regular season games and Curry played 78 and there is only 1 minute difference in their average playing time so when we compare totals there really isn’t a great disparity for numbers considering that one game and one minute.
Let’s compare their scoring ability first. LeBron was good for an average of 27.1 points a game which definitely beats Stephen Curry’s 24.0 points a game total.
So we’ll say LeBron 1 and Curry 0.
LeBron also was shooting at a rate of 56.7% from the field. Curry, on the other hand, shot 47.1% from the field. Both men fired up more than 1350 shots this season, LeBron with 1353 and Curry with 1383, so even that is comparable.
This is where things start to change a little. Once both men go beyond the arc into 3 point land LeBron isn’t looking so hot.
LeBron fired 306 shots from the land of 3 but only hit 116, or 37.9%.
By comparison Curry launched 615 shots from the 3 point arc and nailed 261 of them for a 42.4% success rate.
LeBron 2. Curry 1.
When it comes to free-throws I wasn’t sure what stat to use – shots made/taken or percentage. Both men made over 300 trips to the line, but to me percentage was the key.
Shaquille O’Neal made a lot of trips to the line every season too but it was also because the odds were better that Shaq would miss which strategically made it more sense to foul him.
So using the percentage number Curry beats out LeBron by shooting 88.5% to LeBron’s 75.0%. We now have a tie at 2-2 based on stats.
When it comes to turnovers there isn’t much of a comparison. In the span of 78 games Curry had a total of 294 turnovers. LeBron in his 77 games had 270 turnovers.
LeBron takes the lead 3-2. But what if we make those turnovers relatable to another offensive stat? The assist-to-turnover ratio tells a different story.
We have a tie again at 3-3.
Offensive rebounds see LeBron take the lead again. LeBron pulled down 81 offensive rebounds compared to Curry’s 46 offensive rebounds.
But then again with LeBron having a 5 inch height advantage and outweighing Curry by 70 pounds any other result would have been even more shocking than Curry’s answer to the question.
So with LeBron leading 4-3 we go into the category of assists. LeBron dished the ball for 489 assists, giving him 6.4 a game which really is a very good number. Curry, however, dished out 666 assists which game him a total of 8.5 assists per game. We again have a tie at 4-4 between the two.
So we need a tie breaker. There has been a long going debate, going back to John Stockton actually, that what if in the scoring tally that players were awarded points similar to that of players in the NHL. For clarity sake we’ll assess each assist 2 points much like a player would get 1 point for assisting a goal, which is only worth 1 in hockey, since it leads to 2 points most times.
Adding LeBron’s 489 assists to his scoring total of 2089 and LeBron gets an additional 978 points added to give him 3067.
How does Curry match up to this? Well his 666 assists add an additional 1332 points to his 1873 giving him 3205 points for the season.
So in theory Curry wasn’t lying that he’s a better offensive player when you look at the numbers. In reality? Well that’s what beers and sports bar debates are for.
Wednesday, August 27
Despite the fact that Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been retired for three seasons and the Cleveland Cavaliers retired his No. 11 last season, rumors surfaced recently that the lure of once again playing with his old pal LeBron James would entice Ilgauskas to make a come back.
Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy stated yesterday "Zyddy is old as hell. He’s done man. Like, so done. He’s not going to leave his hot-ass wife and go on the road for 10 months just to be an LBJ nut hugger".
Illgauskas also sent in a comment to us right here at The Bench, saying “I no nut hugger”.
Willing to get in on the nut hugging game are a few other prominent ex NBA players still searching for that elusive championship to fill the hole in their heart.
Dikembe Mutombo (full name Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo … no shit, that’s seriously his full name) has offered to take the veteran’s minimum to come in and play for the Cavs. Mutombo is an 8 time all star, and 4 time defensive player of the year.
Despite retiring in 2009 due to a torn quadriceps tendon of his left knee, Mutombo feels he is still currently better than anything the Cavs frontline can offer in terms of resistance against Eastern Conference big men.
When asked about the possibility of coming off the bench, Mutombo simply extended his index finger and waved it back and forth in this reporter’s face.
It’s no secret that the Cavs need some veteran help in their backcourt since Kyrie Irving plays worse defence than a doorman at a rave (I swear officer. I didn’t know she was 13) and isn’t really as much of a playmaker as he should be.
This opens up an opportunity for another legend to make a comeback.
One of the greatest playmakers to ever play in the NBA, “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Through his Ouija board interpreter, Maravich stated “If LeBron can get Kevin Love to play defence, he can bring me back from the grave. Put me in coach. Goodbye”.
The 12 year old girl operateing the Ouija board asked that no further interviews be requested since it took her 3 and a half hours to spell out that message letter by letter.
In the unlikely event that LeBron is unable to raise the dead, a third NBA retiree has emerged as a possible option.
Allen Iverson.
Recently spotted as a homeless man begging for change outside an Atlanta mall, Iverson offered to perform sexual favours to LeBron James in order to be added to the roster.He stated he would ask NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to waive the veteran minimum salary, and simply play for two Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki subs from Subway per day, and a bed at Motel 6.
Honestly, who could blame AI? Those subs are delish.
Clearly the lure of playing with LeBron James is even greater than any of us had realized.
Monday, August 25
My sources revealed to me this weekend that following the completion of the trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, the big lummox decided he would change his jersey number from 42 to 0.Zero.
As in:
- The number of people he gave an eff about in Minnesota.
- The amount of defence he intends to play during his stint as a Cav.
- The number of days he has spent this off season improving his game.
- The number of games post pre season that it will take Lebron to ask for Love to be traded.
- The number of championship rings he will win in his career.
When asked for comment about the trade and his new jersey number, Love candidly stated "I give zero craps about Cleveland. LeBron has some big man crush on me, and it was getting embarrassing, so I figured, what the eff? It can't be worse than Minnesota. Right?".
When asked to respond to Love's comments, Lebron James quietly said, "Shit."
Monday, August 18
While millions of casual fans have already crowned the Cleveland Cavaliers the 2015 NBA Champions, the truth is, there are some very real issues with the construction, and rumored final look of this squad.
Adding the best player in the game is obviously a huge accomplishment, but can LeBron James alone make up the difference for a team that was terrible defensively at all five positions last season?
Media personalities wondered if James would lure talent to Cleveland - something he failed horribly to do in his first run as a Cav.
The signings of Marion, Miller, Hayood and others would suggest that LeBron has more drawing potential amongst his peers than he has had in the past. Everyone wants to play with the king.
The signings of Marion, Miller, Hayood and others would suggest that LeBron has more drawing potential amongst his peers than he has had in the past. Everyone wants to play with the king.
The rumored (perceived to be completed) trade with the Timberwolves will bring in a prolific scorer who has never shown any interest in defending or helping his teammates on the back end.
Love will certainly not help the defensive woes of the Cavs. While a healthy Anderson Varejao is a good thing, he isn't the huge shot blocker a team should try to pair with a player like Love. Not to mention, Varejao is on the downside of his career, and has earned the title of being "injury-prone".
Tristan Thompson was far and away the best defensive forward for the Cavs last season, and was developing a rep around the league as one of the better defensive 4s. That grit and talent won't mean much if Kevin Love stays anywhere near the 36+ minutes per game he has become accustomed to.
Tristan Thompson was far and away the best defensive forward for the Cavs last season, and was developing a rep around the league as one of the better defensive 4s. That grit and talent won't mean much if Kevin Love stays anywhere near the 36+ minutes per game he has become accustomed to.
The signing of "The Matrix" Shawn Marion, appears to address some of the defensive concerns, but a quick look at their depth chart leads you to think that he'd be (at best) a third string winger and a possibly over take Thompson as a backup power forward.
The Cavs presumed depth chart for 2014/2015
Kyrie Irving/ Matthew Dellavedova / John Lucas III
Dion Waiters / Ray Allen
LeBron James / Mike Miller / Shawn Marion
Kevin Love / Tristan Thompson/ Shawn Marion / Dwight Powell
Anderson Varejao/ Brendan Haywood / Alex Kirk
No matter how good a defender Marion is, he can't do much with 7-9 minutes per game, not to mention he is playing behind the team's best defender and best outside shooter (in James and Miller). This would appear to be a case of horrible redundancy.
The Cavs also believe they will sign future Hall of Famer, Ray Allen. Allen would undoubtedly back up Dion Waiters, and while he can still stretch the floor, he is not much of a threat to beat anyone off the bounce or in transition like he once was.
Easy, quick lane baskets are crucial in a tight playoff series.
Easy, quick lane baskets are crucial in a tight playoff series.
Behind Kyrie Irving, a volume scoring point guard, are two men who will fight for minutes as the main backup, but since both are best suited as third stringers, they are not likely to provide much support.
John Lucas III is coming off of his worst shooting season as a pro, and undrafted free agent surprise from last season, Matthew Dellavedova is easily the hardest working defender of the group - but unlikely to steal many minutes.
Irving's defence is about as bad as a starting point guard can be. It has been seen time after time in the NBA, that if you cannot contain the point of the attack in this guard centric league, then you're putting your bigs in consistent foul trouble, and constantly playing from behind.
LeBron will be able to rescue some of those lack lustre performances with thrilling buzzer beaters and the "get on my back and watch me go" type of rally we have come to expect... but that isn't sustainable.
John Lucas III is coming off of his worst shooting season as a pro, and undrafted free agent surprise from last season, Matthew Dellavedova is easily the hardest working defender of the group - but unlikely to steal many minutes.
Irving's defence is about as bad as a starting point guard can be. It has been seen time after time in the NBA, that if you cannot contain the point of the attack in this guard centric league, then you're putting your bigs in consistent foul trouble, and constantly playing from behind.
LeBron will be able to rescue some of those lack lustre performances with thrilling buzzer beaters and the "get on my back and watch me go" type of rally we have come to expect... but that isn't sustainable.
As we saw in the finals this past season, a good defensive team will beat out a team of scorers. Hard work doesn't go through cold streaks.
While LeBron chose to go home instead of stick it out with the Heat, Miami was better defensively at every position last season (other than small forward) than the Cavs project to be this season.
Much maligned Mario Chalmers, is a defensive stalwart compared to Irving.
Chris Bosh has been criticized for his defensive intensity since he was playing north of the border, but compared to Kevin Love, he is Taj Gibson in his own end.
The Cavs would have been better served picking up guys like Thabo Sefolosha and a big defensive minded center like Tyson Chandler or the Birdman.
This frankenstein monster may very well make James a 3 time champion, but in my opinion, that's a sucker's bet. All basketball logic points towards a team that struggles to find itself defensively and struggles to get out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
This team could be the single most disappointing thing to land in Cleveland since Howard The Duck.
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