Wednesday Wraparound: Ice Melts, Schwartz Saves, and New Terrace, Who Dis?

Remember a few weeks ago when I said I was going to start a new series and then didn't? Just me? That checks out. I started my Wednesday Wraparound series with the hope and promise of an idealistic small business owner popping up their food truck in front of the middle of the strip mall parking lot...and then no one came. Except it was me that didn't arrive last week, but I am here today, so imagine this post as the one and only Keith Lee answering the call from Frankenson's and changing it all around...just very much more low-key on it. ((If you still have TikTok despite the China user data issues, please give Keith Lee a follow. Wholesomeness to the T, and it will make you hungry and wish you lived in Las Vegas.)) Without further ado, your Wednesday Wraparound

OMG Okoro

CavaliersWhen the season started, Isaac Okoro was in the starting lineup on the wing. Okoro was heralded as a 3-and-D guy, but to that point in his career, he wasn't quite so much from the 3. Everyone expected a pump-up in volume type performance being surrounded by past and would-be All-Stars, imagining that not being tasked with so much of the scoring load like last year would be beneficial and all that was asked of him was to stand in the corner and hit corner threes. Well, the season started... and he missed his first 12(!!) attempts from deep. He would have been scuttled to the bench, but Darius Garland's eye injury kept him in the starting five.It's been a roller-coaster season for Okoro, in and out of the starting lineup for different combinations of Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Lamar Stevens once Garland returned to health, but we seem to be coming out of the muck and mire with the third-year player. He's reworked his shot on the fly and been able to provide stellar defense on the opponent's best backcourt players, allowing for Garland and Donovan Mitchell to conserve energy for offense.https://twitter.com/bowser2bowser/status/1615113962206502914?s=46&t=sJOeQs7ZiaIfCjQ2uhLwIgIf Okoro can keep up with this offensive performance, the front office can explore deals at the trade deadline to look for more depth rather than a starting wing. If you want cold hard numbers as to how good Ice has been of late, this is pretty much all you need to know: almost 50% from 3 is Steph Curry-esque.https://twitter.com/gregswartzbr/status/1615381009285156864?s=46&t=wnIz1EeorCEUcnideflZFwWhat's Next?: Cavs play tonight in Memphis, but lead scorer Donovan Mitchell is questionable to even make the trip with a strained groin. Okoro might need to carry a bit more of the scoring load.

Browns find their Lone Starr ((It's a SpaceBalls reference, give me a break.))

BrownsIf you are reading this, undoubtedly you have heard that the Browns found their replacement for deposed Joe Woods and hired Jim Schwartz to be the team's new defensive coordinator. As I mentioned in yesterday's discussion piece here on Waiting For Next Year, Brian Flores was my first pick for DC, but Schwartz was my 1b. I have always liked Flores and thought he got a rough shake at Miami, as it has proven he did, and I was hoping that Cleveland would be the next stop on his "rehabilitation tour" around the league. Schwartz is a pleasant "consolation" prize, a guy who has had success as a DC in the league, winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017 in the role. As #BrownsTwitter found out yesterday, he is a numbers guy ((READ: he does the Cleveland boogeyman word, "analytics")) but also is known for his fiery temperament and should act as a nice counterpoint to head coach Kevin Stefanski's Mr. Rogers schtick.Why is Schwartz a good pick? As much as I hate the diatribe around base defense, he is a 4-3 guy, meaning Myles Garrett will not be standing up and will continue to wreak havoc on quarterbacks with his hand in the dirt. His "Wide 9" technique is well-known and will help unlock even more of Garrett's game. He does employ two interior defensive linemen and so, as mentioned in the discussion piece linked above, expect the Browns to expend lots of capital, whether it be dollars or draft, on the DT position. Getting that push inside helps allow for the ends to be as wide as they are with clear lines to the opposing quarterback, but also expect Garrett and holdovers Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas to be moved around and inside the line as well. Imagine a roly-poly offensive guard having to try to guard Myles as he spins and shoots through the middle. Love the hire, love the fit.What's next?: Watching the Super Bowl? 

Progressive Field gets trendier

GuardiansHey, something to write about the Guardos! I wish it was the acquisition of Bryan Reynolds, but I'll settle for some stadium talk. The Guardians unveiled their new plans for the renovations to their aged facilities, highlighted by a new fit for the Terrace Hub, new open-air seating and mezzanine sections in left and right field, and also grab-and-go stations in the upper deck areas. The grab-and-go stations are where fans can grab a Pepsi product and a bag of peanuts at will and make it back to their seats before the player you like hits a home run and you miss it because your wife made you go with her to get said drink despite your pleas to stay in your seat so you can watch the home team at bat. ((Yes, this happened to me. I missed a Franmil dinger live and in action.))https://twitter.com/CleGuardians/status/1613598945980329989?s=20&t=eCcYugiBB3qmJJ-rBCOHkQThe proposed plans in right field will do away with a lot of the "shipping containers" that were part of renovations three times back, and will allow for more of a fun feeling to the game for locals and the youths. Many have been #madonline about losing seating or making it so the stadium is more "nightlife" than "night at the ballpark" but the sport in general and Cleveland more specifically is losing fans due to the lack of connection points. The changes being made to the park allow for less of a stuck-in-your-seat feel, something that I as a parent of two small children appreciates. The Corner section and SRO seating in right field made a ballgame way more accessible for 20-somethings that don't want to have to shimmy through seating every time they want a beer and the team sees the traffic in that area. It's good for the organization to get people into the seats, regardless of whether it's a park bench in the upper deck in right or a row behind home plate, and they have also said that all of the renovations going forward are not going to impact the already low seating number for the stadium. Change in this regard is good and opens up the game to more fans, which in case you didn't put two and two together, means more funny money for the club to spend.What's Next?: Pitchers and catchers report in 30 days. It's coming y'all.