Board Game Review: 7 Wonders
November 14, 2014
LeBron, Kyrie, and Joe Harris steal one: Cavs vs. Celtics Behind the Box Score
November 15, 2014Joe Harris’ defense, effort and ability to knock down open shots has opened the eyes of a lot of Cavs fans, but also the Cleveland Cavaliers’ coaching staff. In back-to-back games, with the Cavs needing a huge fourth-quarter effort, head coach David Blatt has gone with Harris, the team’s second-round draft pick out of Virginia. Not Dion Waiters. Not Mike Miller. Joe Harris.
In Friday night’s comeback win over the Boston Celtics, Harris hit a huge corner three-pointer that brought the Wine and Gold within three. Following the game, Harris earned plenty of praise, but the most telling was a report from Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that says the floor-stretching rookie could soon join the starting five.
With the way he is progressing and as well as he is playing, Joe Harris will be the starting shooting guard sooner rather than later. Much sooner. As in within a couple of weeks (or less), one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking said. At least one member of the Cavs’ brain trust is already in favor of the switch. …
The bigger concern is getting Shawn Marion out of the starting lineup. The Cavs have had a hard enough time getting LeBron James out of games (he has played at least 40 minutes in six of seven games thus far). Marion is the one who is supposed to give LeBron a break, but that’s not happening when Marion is starting alongside him.
What seems clear at this point is Dion Waiters’ move to the bench is long term and Marion starting at shooting guard seems short term. Someone has to fill that spot and Harris, at this point, is the likeliest candidate.
In 19 minutes on Friday night, Harris scored 6 points on two shots, two rebounds, and had a team-best plus-24 point differential.
“Joe Harris is going to be a big piece for our team,” said James following the win. “He’s going to have his rookie mistakes, we know that, but mistakes can be covered when you play hard. That’s one thing that kid is doing.”
Lloyd says that a one player within the Cavaliers’ organization is already comparing Harris to Matt Harpring, the swingman who had a cup of coffee with the team after spending the bulk of his 12-year NBA career with the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic. There’s no telling if Harris can have a career as long and fruitful as Harpring, but has already become evident is that 6-foot-6-inch shooting fits alongside a team littered with ball dominating players.
This past Friday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst inferred that the Cavs have been making calls to other teams looking for perimeter players, likely with the goal of moving Shawn Marion back to his role as a reserve to spell LeBron James. If Harris can prove to be just that, not only is this another feather in the cap of David Griffin, but it could very well be that piece that finally allows the Cavalier rotations to start to gain a more permanent shape.
24 Comments
The next Mike Sanders –
At this point if I see effort like last night especially on the defensive end and if he can hit an occasional shot why not start him. Marion is playing out of position and frankly needs to come off the bench. Waiters is just an unknown. His body language and effort are horrible. James Jones must contribute something other then on the court because I have no clue why he was even signed. Get better soon Delly. Did I just type that?
I love the comment about “ball dominant” players. With Lebron/Kyrie/Love on the team, the Cavs don’t need anyone else to create shots for themselves. Very few people in the league can create shots as well as those guys can, and it doesn’t make sense to have other guys on this team create their own shots if those guys can do it better than they can. Get those guys as many shots as they want, and keep them happy. Especially for Kyrie and Love, who are not the best defenders. Maximize their value on the floor.
If Joe Harris or someone else can spread the floor by sitting the corner and hitting shots when Kyrie/Lebron/Love are double teamed, I think it makes a lot of sense to play him. He wouldn’t have to exert much energy on the offensive end, so if he can play defense with enough energy to be an above average defender, he would fit really well with the big three.
Admit it Sham. You have a Delly fathead posted on your wall don’t you?
😉
http://www.rantsports.com/nba/files/2013/10/Matthew-Dellavedova-Cavs.jpg
Do they even make one? Anyways no I haven’t been a supporter but after watching the Cavs defense and the play of Waiters I miss the little white guy. Actually I think off the bench playing defense is exactly how Delly should be used. That being said I keep toying with the possibility of trading Waiters for a big man and signing Ray Allen.
I agree Waiters is the odd man out plus I’m just growing tired of his act or perceived act which ever it may be. You know who the perfect guy for this team is (besides Ray Allen see comment above)? Kyle Korver. Ironically we’ll see Korver tonight with Atlanta.
Yea, I don’t have an issue with Waiters, but unless he wants to try to turn into more of a Tony Allen rather than a Ricky Davis, he doesn’t fit well with the big three. Love/Kyrie/Lebron averaged a combined 75 points last year, and scored efficiently. Why not let them get the same shots this year? Love and Kyrie’s values are diminished if they aren’t scoring.
I would argue that someone like Danny Green would be perfect for this team. If we can find a shooting guard that can make up for Kyrie and Love’s defensive liabilities and possibly relieve Lebron of having to guard the opponents best offensive guy, and maximize their offensive potential by spreading the floor, it would help.
Perhaps if the Cavs didn’t give up on Danny so soon…..
I think Fathead can make a Fathead from an uploaded Delly image, but I’m not really sure.
I would like to see if Waiters can readjust and adapt to his bench role under David Blatt’s system. It would be a shame to trade Waiters so soon after the season has started. Especially if he puts up stats that are similar or better than what he put up last season.
Waiters is the polar opposite of Tony Allen don’t get me wrong I still think the guy has a role on this team he just needs to lose the boulder on his shoulder. The Cavs as currently constituted need Waiters offense off the bench but I agree he doesn’t fit on the court with the big three. Perhaps as the season progresses Blatt will find a combination. If not I’m all in on moving Waiters for a big man and trying to bring in Allen.
I disagree on KI and KLove’s values being diminished if they aren’t scoring. Love has been in a shooting slump and still leads the team in rebounds. Irving has the ability to do more if he realizes it. Last night until the fourth when he went into video game mode he was playing PG although Rondo was outplaying him.
Not arguing that Dion is Tony Allen, and agree that he is close to a polar opposite. My argument is that Dion has to start doing some of the things that Tony Allen does for his team to fit in on the Cavs. He’s athletic enough. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see this happening.
And I’m not saying that Love/Irving are only valuable if they are scoring. They can both do other things well. My point is about maximizing their value. They are better offensively when they are used in bulk. They need their shots to be effective. I think part of the reason Kevin Love isn’t shooting well is because he is taking six less shots a game than he did last year. Why not let him take the same amount of shots as he did last year? What’s the point of letting someone else create shots if Kyrie, Love, or Lebron can create them more effectively? Its not like they need a rest on the offensive side.
Considering that we all know who owns fathead, it’s quite amazing the there isn’t already one available.
I like how I argued that Kyrie was a top-5 offensive player in the league and he goes out and has a game like that. I feel vindicated.
I wasn’t arguing either I was giving my opinion. My opinion is Waiters will never be like Tony Allen until he starts playing with his head and is probably on the downside of his career. He doesn’t strike me as a player who wants to do anything except what he wants to do. By the time he figures out he’s not as good as he thinks he is it’ll be to late.
As far as Love goes he’s been on the perimeter a majority of the time and has played a lot of talented big men. This means he’d naturally gravitate outside rather then be inside. Last night he played against two guys in Sullinger and Olynek who are basically clones of Kevin Love’s game. Was kind of interesting to watch.
There simply won’t be enough shots between the big three it’s what Chris Bosh was eluding to when he said Kevin Love will have to adapt. He will. Like I said earlier though the Cavs have played multiple teams with big men inside which has increased Love playing on the perimeter. It’s just going to take more games before they settle in as a group but frankly if Love can rebound like he has and play a little better defense I don’t mind him not scoring as much as he did in Minnesota.
Seems to me, he’s playing exactly the way his scouting report read. No surprise.
Go get ’em kid.
Good deal.. I’d hate to see the Cavs overlook another potential Danny Green.
was a small forward. With virtually no offensive game.
Yeah but he was the unexciting member of the starting 5 whose job was basically to not make mistakes.
Joe Harris IS our Danny Green. He’s the exact same kind of player. Committed defender and a sniper of a spot up shooter.
that’s certainly true. He’d start and then be subbed out first and not play much later, rarely at the end of games. Lenny used him just to set an early defensive tone, especially since so many opponents had good small forwards. Winston Bennett, same role.
Holding MJ to 30 instead of 35 made him our defensive ace. lol
Cant tell is serious or trolling…
His PER would put him around the 20th best small forward today, in comparison.
Neither. Drunk!! 😉