Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Cleveland Cavaliers

Derrick Rose's Role on the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland is in a tough situation right now. Kyrie Irving has demanded a trade ( and more importantly, he unfollowed LeBron on Instagram ).  The Cavaliers signed Derrick Rose, a former MVP, to a 1-year contract. Maybe they signed him to replace Kyrie, maybe it's just because they needed another point guard. In this article, I'm going to be discussing all of the potential roles that Derrick Rose can play for Cleveland, based on how well he performs next season and also on his health. The Alpha Dog The only way this can happen is if LeBron James has a season-ending injury and Rose returns to MVP form. So basically, it's just not going to happen. Probability: 0.001% The Sidekick (The Second Option) For the past few seasons, Kyrie has been the second option for Cleveland after LeBron.  With Kyrie leaving, can Derrick Rose step up as the starting point guard and the second option? This means that Rose will have to step up every time Le...

9 Kyrie Irving Trade Scenarios

Kyrie Irving wants a trade. This news caused Twitter to explode with memes, trade scenarios, and complaints from Cavaliers fans.  Nobody really saw this coming. Not even LeBron. Will LeBron leave Cleveland next offseason? Is he going to go to the Lakers? What about Kevin Love? For now, nobody knows the answers to these questions. The only question whose answer we can speculate about is: Where will Kyrie Irving get traded? Let's find out: 1.Philadelphia 76ers: Kyrie Irving Joins the Process *The 76ers would also include their 2018 First Round Pick In this trade, Philadelphia includes two young big men in Saric and Okafor, and throws in a solid role player in Robert Covington, as well as their 2018 First Round Pick in exchange for Kyrie Irving. This would solidify the 76ers as the NBA's next big team (after the Warriors dynasty comes to an end). However, the only way Cleveland would do this is if they know LeBron is going to leave and they...

NBA Matchup #4 (Finals Edition): Warriors vs. Cavaliers

In 2015, the Warriors won the NBA Finals and took the Larry O'Brien Trophy home to Oakland. In 2016, LeBron James and the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a championship for the city of Cleveland. In 2017, the third episode of this historic rivalry will begin on June 1st. Will the team led by arguably the best shooter in NBA history (and 2-time MVP) in Stephen Curry and a prolific scorer (and 1-time MVP) in Kevin Durant prevail? Or will they be offset by one of the greatest players of all time (and 4-time MVP) LeBron James and his partner in crime, Kyrie Irving? Let's find out using  WhatIfSports's NBA SimMatchup Basketball Tool , which allows for simulations of real NBA games, with play-by-play summaries of every single one. Note: This simulation is the outcome projected by the NBA SimMatchup Tool, not my predicted outcome. Game 1 (Oracle Arena) This game had many lead changes, with the score being 58-53 at the half. However, Curry and Du...

NBA Matchup #3: 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers vs. 2012-13 Miami Heat

Kobe Bryant retired on top, scoring 60 points in his final game . Bryant will go down in history as one of the best scorers of all time, and one of the best players of all time in general. Some say he is the greatest basketball player since Michael Jordan, and the proof is obviously there: 5 NBA Championships, 18 All-Star selections, and 1 MVP award. The only other player who can even touch his legacy as the greatest player of the 21st century is, of course, LeBron James. James is also one of the greatest to play the game, accumulating a variety of accolades, most notably: 3 NBA Championships, 3 NBA Finals MVP Awards, and 4 MVP awards. LeBron has said he is aiming to be better than Jordan , and establish himself as the greatest player of all time. So which of these future Hall-of-Famers is truly going to go down as the best player to step foot on a basketball court since Michael Jordan? Let's settle it by having them play each other in a 7 game series, simulated using WhatIfSpo...

NBA Matchup #1: 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors

On June 19th, 2016, history was made. The team with the best regular season record in NBA history lost in the NBA Finals at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, since that day, a lot has changed. Both teams have made moves in the offseason, with the most notable move being the Warriors acquiring superstar Kevin Durant, making them better than ever. If the Warriors and Cavaliers square off in the NBA Finals in 2017, can LeBron James still pull off a victory against Durant and the Warriors? Let's find out. We will be using WhatIfSport's NBA SimMatchup Basketball Tool , which allows us to simulate games between NBA teams. We will simulate a best of 7 series between the Warriors and Cavaliers. I have updated both teams' rosters to resemble their 2016-17 season rosters. Note: This simulation is the outcome projected by the NBA SimMatchup Tool, not my predicted outcome. Game 1 (Oracle Arena) The first game takes place in the Warriors' home ...