How shocked are you the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t made A SINGLE MOVE in free agency yet?

How shocked are you the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t made A SINGLE MOVE in free agency yet?

we are now over a week into the free agency period and outside of assembling a staff the Cavs have made no roster moves to improve or to make the roster worse they are exactly the same team as currently constructed as they finish the season as they are today guys how surpris you that we are this far into the off season and the Cavs have yet to make a single move outside of resigning Donovan Mitchell I Tech I mean well I’m not surprised at all because I don’t know what there was to do they have no cap space they their move is to make trades potentially and there’s still plenty of time to do that whether it whether it’s eventually doing a sign in trade with Isaac aoro or making some sort of Blockbuster move for Jimmy Butler I obviously they need to make changes to the team and if we get to the start of the season and the roster is unchanged I think we’re all going to be disappointed but I’m not going to kill them yet because I don’t know what they’re going to do remember the do ofan Mitchell trade didn’t happen till when Mike uh end of the summer yeah same L marketing earlier and Jimmy Butler’s probably going to be traded this off season so I still think it’s a possibility that Cavs can be in the mix for that while other teams have done big things and so we could be critical of them now if we want that’s fine but what is it that we expected them to do at this point I it’s what I said I think that they’ve made the decision that they have woefully underachieved the last two years based on their roster construction it took them to me it took them an extra year to figure that out I we were there last year we were after the playoffs last year when they went in with 54 wins or whatever they had in the regular season and they get in there against the Knicks and lay an egg I had seen enough it it reminds me of it’s one of the most important you’ll know this one of the most important positions of a NASCAR team is their Chief mechanic their their their their crew chief right okay why well all the car parts are the same right everything for the most part it’s pretty regulated it’s how you put those parts together that’s what makes the difference between winning a race and losing a race and to me I think the Cavaliers have figured we’ve given our crew chief a garage full of winning Parts mhm and the car keeps breaking down we’re not we’re not doing anything with these all these parts so we’re going to bring in a new coaching staff and we’re going to go all in on this coaching staff and to your point pay them well right and now we’re going to see what this crew chief how he puts these parts together and what that car looks like yo I got to bounce off that analogy some people ain’t gonna like this but I use I use uh Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s team right okay their drivers are Bubba Wallace and Tyler reic yes they got the same equipment they’re in the same garage right everybody for sentimental reasons want to see Bubba succeed they would love that but Tyler reic is out here killing it yep you see what I’m saying I know exactly the difference the difference between is he has a better crew chief than what Bubba has both drivers have talent but his crew chief is 10 times better in my opin that’s the difference cuz that’s theol that experiment right there there it is right there so I think that’s the perfect analogy to that yeah and and look I don’t know I’m not going to make any wild guesses as to how they’re going to do but I I I’m confident in this to the question of like what what moves were they going to make I think when they told us at the end of the year in their breakout news conference we all got the Vibes that oh core 4 is coming back I don’t I mean know I don’t think they’re going to make any drastic moves to move on from Darius or move on from Jarrett I think that that’s exactly where we are they when they did the autopsy they said you know what we like this roster we saw stretches where this team looked as good as anybody in the NBA but it wasn’t sustainable when they started mixing and matching all these parts the experiment blew up in their face let’s bring in a new professor a new crew chief and make see how he puts these pieces together and see if we can get that January February magic that we got out of the Cavs see if we can get that for the whole year or at least in the playoffs I you know I I threw you know I I like your analogy fellas I really do I the the NASCAR that was something new we haven’t heard on the show it was brilliant but that was just that was just from my man Earl that was just you set it up you threw the O Earl was coming out with the with the locks everywhere I said bro this free throw this NBA James y’all got y’all got move set up now something McNuggets you didn’t you listen you didn’t tell me about this did I miss the pregame anywhere two now listen that sound great that that was beautiful but uh see in nashcar all the parts are the same mhm in the NBA that doesn’t work the same it’s the equival what they’re given are the same Parts but it’s what you how you engineer cuz you can engineer those parts differently and that’s the one that’s the crew chief that wins the race were the Cavs right now now they got the a nice Chevy you like Chevys I love Chevy Ain’t Got You can’t do nothing with no Lambos nothing with the mercy ofos nothing with nothing with the souped up engines so right now if I look around the landscape the Chevy look good in Cleveland but over in Boston they got the Lamborghinis they got 6 fo sevs and 6’8 and seven foot Shooters playing ball hey hey look shout out to the 76ers they went out and just got them another Wing guy to mix up to to throw in with with Jo mbid and Maxi signed his contract and Eric Gordon signed up for him listen it sound great but these other teams is going out getting more putting engines and Nitro in their cars we still got the Chevy talking about we working last year that that Chevy during that 19-2 stretch set records for this franchise on margin of Victories and I know it was the regular season I get that I I get that there you go but we all agree we were we bought the hype we’re like oh this team’s a contender but you’re missing something those were the parts but you’re missing something no they actually didn’t do what they were supposed to if they was looking at it the chief mechanic should have said what was we doing when we was 18 and two oh Moy and Garland went playing H funny how our our our engine is working a lot better with Donovan Mitchell and Jared Allen yeah which is why I was a proponent of keeping it that way and just using those guys off the bench and the nutshell what G is saying is the Cavaliers overperformed a mile and a half tracks there it is that’s exactly of frustration I disregard that stretch last year because it’s the regular season to me it’s a totally different story and but I keep asking the question what would we have liked them to do at this point like how can they have could they have gotten better and I don’t think there’s an easy path to getting better and that’s part of the problem you ever you ever heard somebody tell you this yeah when you screwed up when you was 21 yeah it changed the way you you lived when you was 28 the Cavs screwed up way back when when they put the pieces together when the way the NBA works is if you pick a guy and Darius Garland they picked him they chose him over Colin seon they paid him the money right right when you put that tag on him and say he’s a max player and he don’t live up to Max ta money they’re for their know out he’s you’re never going to get the return on investment because you put the Shadow on him you said he was a Max guy now every other team is looking at it like he’s not really a Max guy the caps but the Caps know he’s not a Max guy and they getting nothing for it and that’s why it maybe as much as it pains me they if if they believe this coaching staff can get the best out of the players they have that the best opportunity for them to win might be getting Darius Garland back to being an All-Star which he was and getting the most out of Evan Mo that they thought they were getting coming out of college now that may not happen but that might be the BET like trading darus scarland just to trade him is is not necessarily going to make them better if they turn them into different parts no you got to get a part that’s going to help right your machine it’s not just about trading them it’s about trading them for guys that will help you more that’s not easy to do here’s the situation right we keep talking about this cor stand together and we useing NASCAR allies and car parts right so let’s say the core 4 is the engine the engine is what makes everything run the problem that the fans are having right now they keep coming to Pit Road and getting gas only they not changing the tires cast fans want to at least to see them take two tires off season just started right but what I’m saying is when you want to see them take two tires is because you’re looking at every other car coming down Pit Road and they get four tires gas every single time the teams theast have gotten better right and you see your competition how can not compete when they got fresh tires and I got the same damn tires and all I’m doing is there’s no competition until November competition’s not now no but championships are W in the off season but the offseason just started it’s not over it hasn’t just started no I think it’s I think the the moves the big moves are over but what big move that was made was something the Cavs could have done Mike what could they have done let well let’s ask Mike your original question what what what would you have wanted them to do so in order to acquire a piece that was going going to completely change the trajectory of this team which is what a playmaking wing whoever if it was going to be a Jimmy Butler or Brandon Ingram or anyone in that caliber they had to break up both guys that are still available once I get that I’m just saying to get one of those guys you’re not getting them with an aoro Levert Nang second pick I I did a whole thing no no I did a whole thing yesterday on the ultimate Cav show what is like what what how much is aoro what’s his value right like you’re not getting anyone that changes the trajectory of your franchise for a Coro Levert in three seconds you’re just not so to Earl’s uh analogy which I think is a very good one you can run back to coure 4 but it’s the ancillary pieces and the fact that the Cavs haven’t gotten anything in free agency granted they have a mid-level exception that’s not a ton of money but now you’re left with the the bargain deals that no one is exactly excited about a guy like and I’m just going to name a couple names who they could have afforded had they decided to pursue said player in fre agency which once again wouldn’t have raised the ceiling from this team from a 50- win team to a 60- win team or a 40 win team to a 50- win team but just gives you more depth and options couple of names that we talked about when it started potentially a buddy healed Malik Beasley signed a one-year $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons he’s not a great player he’s not a great player so you’re so so if they had signed Malik Beasley or buddy hee G’s fine with the whole team now no but the Cavs are better today the Cavs are better team today take he let’s stop it you made this whole big thing about all these teams getting better they’re still not better if if they don’t internally improve they’re still not better than any of the teams you mentioned by adding one of these guys canally improve and not see this cuz I you’re right would you concede that the tent posts for Success are here like I hope they are I don’t know I don’t know how good Evan m is the thought is that there when you have Garland and Mitchell and Allen and Moy that’s a really good building BL but the rest of the pieces can be gotten later so so yeah you’re right and those are the pieces to to to Mike’s point we are at the point now where you’re not going to add a player that’s going to add 10 wins to your regular season you’re not because of where they are they’re not a 25 win team they’re a 48 or 50 win team so you’re not going to go from 50 to 60 that guy’s not out there but what you need to Mike’s Point is Buddy heel when he goes to Golden State how much does he complement what Steph does so and that’s it you’re looking for complimentary the first time he went to a playoff team he went to Philly he didn’t do anything there I I was just naming names it wasn’t him a perfect example now uh the Cavs need a big three and D wi right yes Derrik Jones Jr signed a threeyear $30 million deal Clippers that fits into the mid-level exception he was just the primary defender on big wings on the team in Dallas who lost in the championship he he can’t shoot he’s not even really a three and D wi he’s more just a big defensive Wing would have been all excited about Derk Jones J it doesn’t change your team but it does give you more versatility Bowl in a sense that at this’ done nothing and you’re going to run it back with the same team and that’s all they can do they’re not going to add a premier Marquee name I know you’re looking for star power with the name I don’t think that guy’s out there unless it’s if Butler is okay that’s that’s fine but the the I think where they where they need to improve and what they need to get them to the next level are the tweaks and the complimentaries and the role guys that play specific role I don’t mean hold in specific to specific to your point somebody I was doing a show somebody said g Bush on Saturday he said just just look at the the guys you got coming off the bench I remember this you got Sam Marill he’s a guy Dean Wade is a guy stru is a guy Nang is a guy Tai Jerome don’t know what he looks like he’s a guy Isaac aoro can’t shoot he’s a good solid player he’s a guy you got six people I just Nam right now that don’t move the needle zero but Derek Jones Jr moves to needle he’s better than everybody else’s better thanis it’s the right it’s the right F and by the way Caris LT he’s a good player but some days he give you 20 and some days he what do Derrick Jones Jr give you is he giving you 20 he just went to the NBA finals was a big reason why they got there Mike you’re telling me they can’t get an equivalent player to Derrick Jones J you’re still no what he saying is they haven’t done it boy so what they haven’t done it you can’t sit up here and say so what who cares when every other team in the East conf doesn’t matter we’re not starting the season today yeah but it does matter because the longer that you get into this process and you know you have limited uh drol is smaller your drying pool gets smaller smaller and smaller you opened it up with the NASCAR analogy right all these teams in the Eastern Conference got strong engines what they’re doing that the castle is not doing they’re changing their tires and if you know anything about Nas car that makes a huge difference when you’re on the track our role players needs to be upgraded we know what our core four is right we got four players that’s capable of making an allstar game so what the Cavs need to do now is to get length shooting guys that space creators and Cutters that complement the core four that we have you know what the Cavs have that those other teams don’t have is they have two players who for the last two years the the coaching staff was not able to get the best out of those players that’s true that’s why I say that’s on the coaching that’s what’s going to make them significantly better well in the end you absolutely might be right that’s why I think the organization has made that they they came to that conclusion and they said it goes It goes hand in hand though because B you’re right to get Moy and Garland and Allen and Mitchell to jail to the maximum of their abilities raises the ceiling how about we use max the way Miami used them and all those so getting Ken a and the staff to get the most out of them helps right d it also helps if you could have another guy on your bench and I’m I use Malik Beasley for example he wasn’t the all end all Beall but just having another guy who can defend and shoot 40% from three is never a bad option especially in depth in the regular season all I’m saying is I’m not going to get pissed about it now I’ll get pissed about it if they don’t do it but if tomorrow or the next day or next week they get a guy of that similar ilk then what what did they get worked up for what percentage of the moves are done would say most of the free agency moves are going take this full are the best remaining free agents left these are and so the only reason we’re saying that is the drawing pool now was a lot but those guys are just as good are they not but if you’re picking like if this was a draft you wouldn’t want to pick 15th you wouldn’t want to cuz that what then you got leftovers be active be be one of the first and get the guy that you think because of the cap they didn’t they probably couldn’t have got all no they could have got one so this is why one this is why I I I I talk all the time and people laugh at me I’m the dude that say hey it’s raining the flood’s coming they’re like G Bush you your knees are shaking again Duke a knee jerk this is why when you laugh at me about immani Bates I keep telling you either you’re going to go out and get somebody it’s only one or two ways you can do this you could go get somebody you could go spend the money you could trade for somebody everyone has told us we don’t have the money and you don’t want to trade your core for so what ways do you get better you can either take the guy who has a really nice skill set that’s a nice young player who’s about 20 years old who’s put 20 lbs on and can shoot the lights out and give him an opportunity or you can run it back with dang and stru and get smoked but once again Bonnie Bates is the guy streu was a good player for the Cavs maybe not as good as we thought he’d be he’s a bench guy but we used him wrong he’s a bench guy okay but there’s a new coaching staff now so hopefully they’ll use him the right way that’s my hope my hope is that Atkinson in his interview said my God what were you guys doing last year with stru playing you you you guys took a round Peg and kept trying to jam him in a square hole a lot of these guys were talking about the Cs could have signed we wouldn’t have been that excited about those guys Craig Porter Jr he’s another young guy I want to see what he got going on I want to see the big boy from you’re screaming about it that as if it might not happen maybe they will give amanii Bates a real opportunity there it is I don’t maybe bull bull are you on camera advocating that Amion Bates should get a legit he just said maybe they will are you advocating that I honestly have no clue whether he’s good enough to actually play in the NBA or not I don’t know it seems like he’s not well are you but I have no problem if this coaching staff thinks he can play Then you you you check all figure it out on bull has said he will have a watch party with ammani Bates he’s going to watch every summer league game I can’t I can’t speak with J no he and I won’t either real quick we got two super super chats I got a question for B real real quick then we get super chats that be the only summer league watch party ever ever ever bu how what would you grade the Cav’s bench last year real quick um I give him a d I’d say a c all right so there’s room for improvement absolutely hey that was a nice nuggets for the win I never once said the C shouldn’t do anything I’m just saying there’s still time and the guys you talked about were not are I just don’t know that they’re any better players than the guys you could still get now okay

The Eastern Conference is getting better, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to make a move to improve its roster.

How surprised are you that Koby Altman has been as patient as he has thus far in the offseason and is that the right approach for the Cavs?

We’re just over a week into free agency. It’s a good time for the Fear the Sword staff to provide a temperature check on where we feel things stand for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The exercise is simple. We voted on a scale of 1-10 on how much confidence we have in the five categories below and why we think that way.

There should be a split on how we view the front office this summer. On the one hand, they’ve taken their victory lap and won the bet of re-signing Donovan Mitchell after staking the bulk of their future on his long-term commitment. Then, they hired Kenny Atkinson and ushered in sweeping changes to the coaching staff. Finally, we can presume an Evan Mobley extension is on the way – securing one of the best defenders in the NBA at just 23 years old and setting the stage for Cleveland’s foreseeable future.

Conversely, there is growing unease at the general lack of activity from Koby Altman. The Cavs have stood idle through the start of summer while other teams, notably the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, have upped the ante by acquiring new talent. The front office is doubling down on its commitment to the core, in a move that could be just as risky as shuffling the deck.

This summer will likely be the defining moment of Altman’s tenure. His patience may be rewarded heavily if the core reaches its ceiling under a new coaching staff. Not to mention, adding another first-round draft pick in Jaylon Tyson to potentially contribute. Yet if all of this patience leads to stagnation – the front office will have fumbled a prime opportunity to be a contender in the post-LeBron era.

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