The Playoffs

[Coolbreeze44]

Oh boy...

@ChrisBHaynes: #Cavs GM David Griffin says surgery is an option for Kevin Love and he calls it a surprise if he could return for postseason.

That's a shame.

[kekgeek]

Oh boy...

@ChrisBHaynes: #Cavs GM David Griffin says surgery is an option for Kevin Love and he calls it a surprise if he could return for postseason.

That's a shame.

+1

[Carlos Danger]

Will be interesting to see how much of a drop off there will be with Tristan Thompson instead of Love. I think Thompson is pretty solid. I think they are both free agents after this year too....

[AbeVigodaLive]

Will be interesting to see how much of a drop off there will be with Tristan Thompson instead of Love. I think Thompson is pretty solid. I think they are both free agents after this year too....

The Wizards were the worst team in the league a few years ago. Look what they've done with a mediocre coach in just a couple years.

We need Pek to slim down and be our Gortat. A shrewd free agent signing and productive draft pick this year and we can be the next Wiz kids.

I hope. I hope...

Very very different players. Thompson can rebound and get those dump off buckets and garbage points. But spacing falls apart with him out there because he just doesn't scare anybody beyond 8 feet. So he could be a 15/10 guy... but in a very different way than Love.

And possibly at the detriment to Irving and James. Love opened the floor for those guys even when he was just standing over in the corner.

[Carlos Danger]

Very very different players. Thompson can rebound and get those dump off buckets and garbage points. But spacing falls apart with him out there because he just doesn't scare anybody beyond 8 feet. So he could be a 15/10 guy... but in a very different way than Love.

And possibly at the detriment to Irving and James. Love opened the floor for those guys even when he was just standing over in the corner.

We'll see. Players/Coaches are normally smart enough to figure out things like spacing at this level. I don't think it will be a problem myself. It will be interesting to watch and could play a factor in how they approach the off season with those two guys.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Very very different players. Thompson can rebound and get those dump off buckets and garbage points. But spacing falls apart with him out there because he just doesn't scare anybody beyond 8 feet. So he could be a 15/10 guy... but in a very different way than Love.

And possibly at the detriment to Irving and James. Love opened the floor for those guys even when he was just standing over in the corner.

We'll see. Players/Coaches are normally smart enough to figure out things like spacing at this level. I don't think it will be a problem myself. It will be interesting to watch and could play a factor in how they approach the off season with those two guys.

Yes. Defenses are incredibly smart and sophisticated at this level and at this stage. It's easier to defend a lack of spacing than to create it. Teams will dare Thompson to shoot. Not having to defend the PF (or C) beyond 8 feet lets defenders clog lanes that would otherwise be open.

The current NBA is very much about spacing. And for all his warts, that's one thing Love gives Cleveland. I do think Thompson helps defensively though. But I don't see the Cavs being a legit title threat without Love.

[Monster]

Very very different players. Thompson can rebound and get those dump off buckets and garbage points. But spacing falls apart with him out there because he just doesn't scare anybody beyond 8 feet. So he could be a 15/10 guy... but in a very different way than Love.

And possibly at the detriment to Irving and James. Love opened the floor for those guys even when he was just standing over in the corner.

We'll see. Players/Coaches are normally smart enough to figure out things like spacing at this level. I don't think it will be a problem myself. It will be interesting to watch and could play a factor in how they approach the off season with those two guys.

Yes. Defenses are incredibly smart and sophisticated at this level and at this stage. It's easier to defend a lack of spacing than to create it. Teams will dare Thompson to shoot. Not having to defend the PF (or C) beyond 8 feet lets defenders clog lanes that would otherwise be open.

The current NBA is very much about spacing. And for all his warts, that's one thing Love gives Cleveland. I do think Thompson helps defensively though. But I don't see the Cavs being a legit title threat without Love.

I will also add Love's passing helps the offense more as well. I happened to watch a long clip of the highlights of that late season game of them destroying the Grizz. Love was a huge factor in that. Cavs are pretty talented but losing Love is pretty big deal.

[Carlos Danger]

Yes. Defenses are incredibly smart and sophisticated at this level and at this stage. It's easier to defend a lack of spacing than to create it. Teams will dare Thompson to shoot. Not having to defend the PF (or C) beyond 8 feet lets defenders clog lanes that would otherwise be open.

The current NBA is very much about spacing. And for all his warts, that's one thing Love gives Cleveland. I do think Thompson helps defensively though. But I don't see the Cavs being a legit title threat without Love.

Not having to defend a guy beyond 8 feet can clog lanes. But it also provides rebounding and easy put backs. Somehow I think LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will still find a way to score without Kevin Love's epic spacing. Just a hunch by me....

[AbeVigodaLive]

Yes. Defenses are incredibly smart and sophisticated at this level and at this stage. It's easier to defend a lack of spacing than to create it. Teams will dare Thompson to shoot. Not having to defend the PF (or C) beyond 8 feet lets defenders clog lanes that would otherwise be open.

The current NBA is very much about spacing. And for all his warts, that's one thing Love gives Cleveland. I do think Thompson helps defensively though. But I don't see the Cavs being a legit title threat without Love.

Not having to defend a guy beyond 8 feet can clog lanes. But it also provides rebounding and easy put backs. Somehow I think LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will still find a way to score without Kevin Love's epic spacing. Just a hunch by me....

Not saying they won't. They're among the best players in the game. But there's a reason why Cleveland opted to use Love (one of the game's very best rebounders) 23 feet away from the hoop most of the time. It's not because he forgot how to rebound.

Maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe Blatt and Co. did research and dug the extra spacing that Love affords the Cavs for a reason. There are actually metrics now to show the impact that a guy like Kyle Korver has on spacing. Even a single step that Korer's defender devotes to him 25 feet way from the hoop can impact the other 4 offensive player's effectiveness.

As I said, I think Thompson can post decent stats as a drop-off and dunk guy. And I think he can make them better defensively. But I also think the Cavs offense will miss the spacing/shooting/passing that Love provides. It makes the Cavs a different team... and recreating on the fly in the playoffs is not usually ideal.

[Carlos Danger]

Yes. Defenses are incredibly smart and sophisticated at this level and at this stage. It's easier to defend a lack of spacing than to create it. Teams will dare Thompson to shoot. Not having to defend the PF (or C) beyond 8 feet lets defenders clog lanes that would otherwise be open.

The current NBA is very much about spacing. And for all his warts, that's one thing Love gives Cleveland. I do think Thompson helps defensively though. But I don't see the Cavs being a legit title threat without Love.

Not having to defend a guy beyond 8 feet can clog lanes. But it also provides rebounding and easy put backs. Somehow I think LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will still find a way to score without Kevin Love's epic spacing. Just a hunch by me....

Not saying they won't. They're among the best players in the game. But there's a reason why Cleveland opted to use Love (one of the game's very best rebounders) 23 feet away from the hoop most of the time. It's not because he forgot how to rebound.

Maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe Blatt and Co. did research and dug the extra spacing that Love affords the Cavs for a reason. There are actually metrics now to show the impact that a guy like Kyle Korver has on spacing. Even a single step that Korer's defender devotes to him 25 feet way from the hoop can impact the other 4 offensive player's effectiveness.

As I said, I think Thompson can post decent stats as a drop-off and dunk guy. And I think he can make them better defensively. But I also think the Cavs offense will miss the spacing/shooting/passing that Love provides. It makes the Cavs a different team... and recreating on the fly in the playoffs is not usually ideal.

True. But for me - it will be interesting to watch and I'm not ready to say they can't win without Love until I see it with my own eyes. And if they do well in the playoffs without Love - what does that mean for re-signing him?