How much will Michael Brantley play in the playoffs?
August 18, 2017Monday’s preseason game will likely be final audition for QB battle
August 21, 2017When news of Kyrie Irving’s trade demands came to light, fan emotions ranged from shock and surprise down to anger and dismay. Wherever one fell on the spectrum, almost all of what he or she felt was rooted in confusion. Why would a player in today’s era of Championship or Bust want to leave a situation that effectively plugs his team into the Conference Finals before a regular season game is even played? Why would such a talented offensive player not want to play alongside of the best passing forwards to ever play in the league? And what about all that “we’ll be back” talk?
Amidst all of the rumors and speculation surrounding Irving, his desires, and the Cavaliers’ current place in the league, so little made any sense at all; most of it made none. At least until now.
From a timeline standpoint, all of the Irving news has been very front-loaded into the offseason. It’s been a very quiet situation over much of the last couple of weeks, outside of a singular quote from (former?) Cavs guard Dahntay Jones and current FS1 reporter Chris Broussard.
From Jones, we have word in an interview with Sirius XM Radio that nothing is beyond repair and the animosity between Irving and LeBron James could be rectified with a “small conversation.”
A day or so later, we have word from Broussard that Irving may have caught wind of pre-draft trade talks and read those tea leaves as James wanting Irving sent packing.
“Kyrie Irving finds out about the deal. […] And he rightly assumed that there’s no way the Cavaliers are doing this unless LeBron gives consent. That’s why he got mad with LeBron. He thought LeBron was in on it.
“LeBron’s take was more, ‘Look, I’m not trying to trade Kyrie Irving. He’s great. But that’s a heck of a deal—Eric Bledsoe and Paul George. So if you do it, hey, that’s a great deal.’ But Kyrie took it as LeBron wanted him out of there.”
You can’t fire someone if they quit, right? Leave it to the NBA to potentially have the biggest story of summer be one that is all rooted in a giant misunderstanding. Players have changed teams, uniforms have been redesigned, GMs have been hired, yet it’s Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers that have dominated the headlines — and there’s a chance it could all be for naught? Where Drama Happens.
If any Cavaliers teammates are locked in to what is going on inside the head of LeBron James, it’s Dahntay Jones. His words are either being used to make fans believe 1) James is innocent here, and if we’re controlling the narrative, making it sound like it’s Irving who is unwilling to fix things is the best way to ensure James comes out looking just fine, or 2) He’s really on to something and that if the two players got together, James could explain his side and Irving could either buy back in, or turn his back for good. While many fans of the NBA will want to take Broussard’s report with a mountain of salt, it fits in with the Jones quote, as what’s more fixable than some hypothetical trade scenarios?
The silver lining in the Cavs’ getting very little in the way of attractive offers for Irving is that they didn’t feel the need to panic and send the All-Star point guard packing before potentially finding out that all may be OK. With Cavaliers’ training camp set to tip off in five week’s time, if this situation is truly fixable, that’s a decent-sized window. If it’s not, however, it’s going to make for one hell of a Media Day.
This Week in #ActualSportswriting:
- “The Fallout from Sportswriting’s Filthiest F*ck-up” by Jeff Pearlman (Deadspin)
- “How SBNation Profits from an Army of Exploited Workers” by Laura Wagner (Deadspin)
- “Booker T’s Raw Life” by Mike Wise (The Undefeated)
- “A PGA Champion and Columnist Lock Horns over Harsh Critique, and learn from it” by Alan Shipnuck (GOLF Magazine)
This Week in #ActualNonsportswriting:
- “Can Rotten Tomatoes Crush a Movie at the Box Office” by Sean Fennessey (The Ringer)
- “Instagram’s Kevin Systrom Wants to Clean up the Internet” by Nicholas Thompson (WIRED)
- “Julian Assange: A Man Without a Country” by Raffi Khatchadourain (New Yorker)
- “Down the Breitbart Hole” by Wil S. Hylton (The New York Times)
This Week in Announcements:
- Good news: While others are “pivoting to video,” we’re still writing things! You can continue to support WFNY in any way you feel comfortable. Head to our Patreon page to check it out. Just last week, our Patreon subscribers had early access to three separate podcasts as we continue to work on how we can make it worth your while.
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22 Comments
“He’s really on to something and that if the two players got together, James could explain his side and Irving could either buy back in, or turn his back for good.”
Never going to happen. It’s not the millennial way.
I still go back to Lebron leaving. If Kyrie really wanted to get out from under Lebron’s shadow, why wouldn’t he just wait a year and it would be his team. Not only that, he’d be the new “king” of Cleveland. The one who has been here for the long haul, won us a championship and the one to lead the team after Lebron leaves for the second time.
I hope that at the end of all this we can see James, Irving and Love jerseys hung up at the Q.
I know. Us millennials are horrible when it comes to communication. Hopefully LeBron won’t want to meet before noon or so because we need our sleep. Better, maybe they can just text.
“But that’s a heck of a deal—Eric Bledsoe and Paul George.”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3be50b37e58944c73b9ec94ab9aa3a27ec00eb63afaf615d214aa8ac7a62b93.gif
I see nothing in the behavior of either to disprove the stereotype.
With LeBron, at least there’s a precedent.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2f06f41f449686d3e2fb272496acd72856765f1d70fcf40349bcf3a4f2155634.jpg
Here, your highness, let me fetch you a chair.
Poor Kevin. I wonder if King James made him wash his boat.
Remember all those times Kevin Love threw a fit after being involved trade rumors?
I tend not to trust a single thing Broussard ever says/writes/speculates.
Wait a minute. Lebron and Kevin love met in LOS ANGELES! and they didn’t both join the Lakers?
…don’t tell ESPN
Wait…. Lebron is infamous (aka more than famous) for holding meetings (aka colluding) with other players during the off-season. This young generation should look to their elder statesmen, like Kobe and Shaq, to see the right way to handle things.
Go to clubs and rap terrible lyrics about the other player?
Or go to random fans at a mall and go on a rant you allow them to record about a player and non-trades that are made?
Neither of those two should ever be confused with proper adults.
So, did anyone catch that disaster on GoT, last night?
I go back and forth on whether or not it’s a disaster given the fact that it has to wrap up is not negotiable.
– Are ridiculous things happening for bad reasons? Yes.
– Am I happy that storylines are being wrapped up, even if the endings are no where near as finely crafted as the beginnings? Yes.
– Am I glad we never have to watch anything about Dorne again? Yes.
Just imagine how far ahead they could be if they basically cut Dorne from the show in Season 5. Man…I hate Dorne.
They basically traded a dragon and Beric’s limitless lives for proof that White Walkers exist.
Not sure they won that trade.
And speaking of Dorne, I can’t imagine the writers are just going to let Ellaria Sand just fade away in Cersei’s dungeon.
Yes, being an a-hole isn’t a generational thing.
I liked Dorn(e) so much better when he was just a ballplayer. If he wants be on GoT now that’s none of my business. But some of us still need this team. Now listen to me! This is my last shot at a winner and for some of the younger guys it could be their only shot. I don’t know what happened to him. But if he ever, ever tanks another play like he did today, I’m gonna cut his nuts off and stuff em down his *beeping* throat!
Uptick for Three Amigos reference
Huh, didn’t know Albert Belle and John Hart were millenials.
Scott, you may not have seen the story but millennials have ruined internet comments as well. Please cease and desist
Same…in regards to your first two bullet points. I’m fairly indifferent towards Dorne.
Man, there were so many leaps of faith:
– They showed them walking for what seemed like days on end through knee-deep snow and treacherous terrain, but homeboy can sprint back?
– Seemingly only one nights worth for him to get to the wall, get the raven out, Dany to read it and respond, and get there.
– White walkers have miles-long, naval-grade chains on hand for some reason, but don’t have the wherewithal to test ice density
– All of that said, the theatrics were quite impressive, and I am looking forward to next week, of course