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October 19, 2013Grantland released their annual NBA League Pass Rankings this week with the Cavs coming in as the league’s 8th most watchable team. To calculate the rankings Grantland Editor in Chief Bill Simmons and Grantland’s lead NBA staff writer Zach Lowe each awarded teams 1-10 points in the following five categories:
- Relevancy to the playoff picture
- Stylistic/Systemic Appeal
- League Pass Experience
- Individual Player Appeal
- Unintentional Comedy/Irrational Affection/Personality Intangibles
Simmons starts the analysis of the Cavs by stating, “The Cavs are living proof that there’s hope even after one of the best 10 players of all time rips your heart out and defecates on it.”
Followed by Lowe ranking the eight “Things That Will Fascinate You The Most About The 2013-14 Cavs On League Pass”.
“(1) Anything Kyrie-related — Year 3 and crunch time. I gave the Cavs a “10” in the “star power” category, because when this guy is on, crossing dudes up and canning 25-footers, there really isn’t anything quite like him in the league. (2) Anthony Bennett. Mike Brown hasn’t exactly said flattering stuff in preseason, and the Cavs gambled a bit with this pick. (3) Tristan Thompson’s hand switch. (4) Andrew Bynum’s hair/play/health/suits/etc. It’s old now, but it’s still entertaining. (5) Dion Waiters heat checks. He becomes an interesting trade chip if the Cavs start poorly, panic, and seek veteran help. He’s explosive and long, with a clear skill set, but he also has very shaky judgment. (6) Mike Brown. He can coach defense! And (7), LeBron and divine hatred. There’s no question the Cavs think they have a shot, and they’re set up so that Plan B — not getting LeBron — isn’t so bad, provided they don’t do anything dumb between now and then, or after striking out on him (if that’s what ends up happening). But I’m just not stoked to live through this again.”
Below is Grantland’s top 10, along with their scores.
1. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: 89
2. CHICAGO BULLS: 83.5
3. L.A. CLIPPERS: 83
4. MIAMI HEAT: 81
5. BROOKLYN NETS: 80
6. DETROIT PISTONS: 79
7. MINNESOTA T-WOLVES: 76.5
8. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: 75
9. NEW YORK KNICKS: 74.5
10. HOUSTON ROCKETS: 74
The Cavaliers will be featured on national tv nine times this year, with three games on ESPN, one game on TNT and five games on NBA TV. Their nine national television games ranks them 17th in the league, and is an improvement upon last year when the Cavs were only scheduled to play four times in front of a national audience.
[Related: 2013-2014 Cleveland Cavaliers Season Preview]
3 Comments
This ranking makes sense. The Cavs are probably the biggest question mark in the entire NBA. In a best case scenario, Kyrie, Andy, and the rest stay relatively healthy, Bynum gives them 60+ games, Dion and Thompson continue to improve, and Bennett shows going #1 was no accident. In that scenario I could see them pushing for the #4 or #5 seed in the East, especially if the Cavs make a big in-season trade with all of their assets (see Gasol, Pau.)
In a worst case scenario, Kyrie and Andy continue to miss large chunks of the season with injuries, Bynum gives the Cavs next to nothing, Dion continues to make terrible decisions and Bennett’s play calls to mind other failed #1 picks. In that scenario they Cavs will be Riggin’ for Wiggins.
Either way, it is going to be interesting to see what happens this year.
That second scenario does not sound interesting.
A worst case scenario probably involves Bynum being a huge distraction as well…but it will add to the national mystique surrounding this team.