King James Gospel Roundtable Discussion: Week 6
King James Gospel is back with its weekly roundtable discussion.
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks the shot by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
King James Gospel is back with its weekly roundtable. This week has an eye on healthy rest, J.R. Smith and Christmas as KJG’s site experts and contributor collaborate to give their views on the latest Cavs news.
This week features answers from three newcomers. Co-expert Nathan Beighle, formely of FanSided’s “Nugg Love” and contributors Dan Galinsky and Simon Hannig have joined King James Gospel recently and have varied amounts of experience but a lot of insight on the Cavs. Regular contributor Daniel Opacich and myself, Quenton Albertie, also tune in with our takes.
Without any further ado, here’s this weeks rountable discussion!
Dec 14, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Jax Mross and Braedyn Duffel, both 8, of Harrisburg, Ark., watch the Cleveland Cavaliers warm up for their game against the Grizzlies. The game was Duffel
What did you think of LeBron’s postgame comments regarding his healthy scratch in his lone visit to Memphis? What did you think of the situation in general?
Simon Hannig: I think his comments are okay. He’s right. He has paid his dues to the league over a legendary 14-year career. I think fans need to realize that resting players help prolong their careers and that the Cavs can’t afford to have one of the three main players injured or fatigued when the playoffs start. That means that the Cavs, who are on a championship run and can’t afford to have their stars injured, should be allowed to sit in what’s pretty much meaningless regular season game. In the future, I think getting rid of back-to-backs will certainly get rid of the “rest” situation. I don’t get the Kings resting DeMarcus Cousins, however. They will not be playoff team come March and April.Daniel Opacich: I thought the resting of players early is proactive rather than reactive. I think it’s a good thing to do on a back to back every now and then. When fans complain about LeBron not playing, I tune it out. It’s negativity that our championship team doesn’t need.Dan Galinsky: Let’s be clear on this situation: This is LeBron James we’re talking about here. I understand that fans of opposing teams, particularly in the Western Conference, want to see the King out there playing. It’s a legitimate gripe but at the end of the day, LBJ is on point. He has been in this league for 14 years, as he alluded to in the post game interview. Older fans have had their opportunities to see him play and a regular season matchup in December is inconsequential to the outcome of this season. Therefore, I’m 100.0 percent on LeBron’s side. There should be no argument at all, head coach Tyronn Lue did the right thing in sitting the players. Besides that, Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale did the same thing in sitting notable players in the game before in the Grizzlies game in Cleveland. So that just ends the discussion for me.Nathan Beighle: I thought that it was smart. With Memphis getting Marc Gasol back into the lineup, that game was an obvious loss. LeBron, who is now 32, will need to stay rested, and the back-to-backs are tiring. I presume Lue will continue to rest LeBron in several of the back-to-backs.Quenton Albertie: For the first time in a long time, I think that James was crass in his assessment of being a healthy scratch in Memphis. While it makes sense for players to be rested and it made since for James to at least play in Cleveland, in front of the home crowd and while the team was in the midst of a five-game win streak, it made no sense for James not to travel with the team. In addition, while older fans have had plenty of opportunities to see James it’s unwise for James especially to act as if every fan will always have the money to see him play. There are also much, kids who have never had a chance to see James play live and James, in not even being in the arena, didn’t even treat young fans to the sight of their favorite player.Next: Is J.R. Smith Finally Turning A Corner?
Nov 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) gestures after making a three point field goal against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Cavaliers won 105-94. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Is J.R. Smith turning a corner?
Simon Hannig: I think so. J.R. is finally returning to J.R. form and hitting a lot of threes. He will go through a cold streak during the periods of a long regular season. It’ll just happen. If it happens again, I just don’t want people freaking out over it.Daniel Opacich: J.R. Smith has found his shot. What concerns me about him is his troublesome knee. I think putting forth the effort into having an elite defense has been dialed back a bit because of the long season. Still, Smith is a steal for the Cavs and has become a team stalwart. Will he hit more threes this year and break his own record?Dan Galinsky: J.R. Smith has had his ups and downs in an eventful 12-year career. “J.R. Swish” has traditionally been a guy who can come off the bench and light it up but he’s become a pretty reliable starter in his time in Cleveland. He’s been averaging 30.7 minutes per contest tith the Cleveland Cavaliers, nearly four more minutes than his career average. That said, he’s taken a step back in this season as he’s only accounting for 8.8 points per game, but I’m going to give him a pass for now. He’s been dealing with nagging injuries on both knees. Nonetheless, he has not shot the basketball well for the season’s whole, as he’s hit just 33.7 percent of his shots. For him to be getting the money he wanted after a lengthy holdout, that’s not going to cut it. Luckily, he has been better from deep in December as he’s gets healthier. This month, Smith is hitting 50.0 percent of his threes and that’s what matters with him for the Cavs. J.R. is a guy who is all about confidence and he hit some huge shots against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. His production will be back soon.Nathan Beighle: Nope. J.R. Smith will hopefully come around sometime in the playoffs, but he’s had a dismal year. This is certainly the worst season of his career and it hopefully it’s just a shooting slump. With his injury tonight, it may be a while until we see the J.R. Smith we all love.Quenton Albertie: Hitting 50.0 percent of your shots in December after he bottomed out in November is a good sign for the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, regardless of his shooting, Smith will need to at least be an average defender. He doesn’t seem to be able to close the space between himself and the ball-handler and that’s on shooting guards. How he’ll deal with the point guards Irving finds himself unable to slow down is another question. In a silver lining sort of sense, Smith’s thumb injury could give him enough time off the court to let his knee fully heal up. He won’t be available on Christmas Day, i don’t think. However, he should be available for the Cavs January 16th rematch against the Warriors. It will be fair to reassess Smith then.Next: Chris Andersen's Injury A Big Deal?
Nov 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Chris Andersen (00) glances at the basket before attempting a three point basket late in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Is Chris Andersen’s injury a big deal?
Simon Hannig: Chris “Birdman” Andersen‘s injury is a big deal. This leaves the Cavs with only three true bigs on the roster: Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye. To make matters worse, this is dead money for the Cavs on both the tax apron and cap because the Cleveland Cavaliers fully guaranteed Birdman’s contract. I feel bad for Birdman because this injury will probably end his career.Daniel Opacich: It helped having Andersen for situational rotations and as a solid mop up minutes big. He will be missed when a injury forces a big out. For instance, K-Love was recently held out against the Milwaukee Bucks because of leg contusion.Dan Galinsky: Chris Andersen has found a way to carve out a 14-year career in the NBA. He is a veteran presence in whatever locker room he’s in, and he’s been a grinder in postseason play in his career. At 38 years old, an ACL tear is not going to be a small task to return from. This might be it for “Birdman.” It’s too bad that the Cavs couldn’t have Andersen for what is going to be another deep playoff run when the bench depth is crucial. Furthermore, Birdman is somebody who demonstrated he could still provide a presence at the rim when Thompson was out for a breather. If the Cavs don’t make a move to sign or trade for a backup big, the loss of Andersen is a bit more of a blow than one might realize in a long, grueling season.Nathan Beighle: Nope. Birdman wasn’t a crucial part of this team. He appeared a mere 12 times and scored under 3 points per game in those appearances. His minutes could easily be replaced by a guy like Iman Shumpert in a small-ball lineup. Andersen honestly may not even be replaced until the Cavaliers show that need.Quenton Albertie: Chris Andersen’s injury is a big deal. If the Cavs lose just one more big it’ll force them to play more of Love or James and to hope that no injury ever happens to Thompson. More minutes for Love at center isn’t the best idea for the Cavs defensively. More minutes for James isn’t the best idea for the Cavs in the long run. Andersen’s injury gives the team a conundrum that they need a solution to. They already needed help inside, as the three-game losing streak showed the nation. In limited minutes, Andersen was one of the Cavs’ best low-post defenders though it didn’t always look pretty.Next: Cavs-Warriors
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots the the game winning shot during the fourth quarter against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Cavs- Warriors on Christmas Day, what do you want/expect to see?
Simon Hannig: All I want to see is if Love can be effective against the powerhouse Golden State Warriors, especially on defense.Daniel Opacich: When the Warriors come to Cleveland for the Christmas matchup, this should be a matchup-intensive game. Meaning that the team that gets out-coached by the opposing teams won’t win. I want to see if LeBron will continue in shutting KD down, or if the coaches find a better matchup for him, such as the distributor Draymond Green.Dan Galinsky: Ahhhhh, the one we’ve all been waiting for, the King going up against what has become his latest arch rival in the Golden State Warriors. This one has all the glitz and glamour fans could ask for: it’s on what is perhaps the best day of the year and James gets his first taste of the super team the Warriors have assembled. Objectively speaking, the Warriors’ Kevin Durant experiment has as amazing as advertised, if not better. KD is shooting the ball at a scorching rate and knocking down a career-high 53.8 percent of his shots. The Warriors have often times looked unstoppable with their ball movement and frenzied pace that can get team sent home early. With that said, the Cavs won their last three games against this team. Durant wasn’t on this current Dubs roster though, so this one could be the most compelling regular season game of the year. All things considered, I hope Kyrie Irving can get himself and his teammates involved early and often to give the King some rest, as he’ll be dealing with Durant and Warriors’ “Energizer Bunny” Draymond Green. Going with potentially a bit too much heart here, I’m going with the Cavs to win a thriller at home.Nathan Beighle: A fight. This Warriors team could easily go down as the most talented team in NBA history. The Cavaliers have the ability to beat them, and this Christmas Day game will be a huge step for this Cavs team. I expect LeBron to be in full attack mode like something we have yet to see this season. I want to see LeBron get a triple double and J.R. Smith finally return to his full form.Quenton Albertie: I think that, without Smith, this game will resemble the 2015 NBA Finals series with a twist. Love and Kyrie Irving are back in (what the Cavs needed to win in 2015) and DeAndre Liggins is providing the suffocating defense on Stephen Curry. The starters, along with Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson are destined to play heavy minutes. I don’t expect to see much of Frye although I do expect to see a lot of Love on Green. I want to see a lot of Love on Green because that means Love isn’t being a defensive sieve. If Smith does play, I expect a loss as the Cavs fail to get out of the gate quickly enough against the Dubs or stop the Dubs from scoring quickly themselves. 125-115. If Smith doesn’t play, I expect a win. 115-105.Next: What Do You Want For Christmas?
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Kevin Love (0) celebrate the 93-89 and series victory against the Golden State Warriors following game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
What do you want for Christmas?
Simon Hannig: A Kendrick Lamar-J. Cole collab album if it comes. In all honesty, I just hope everyone has a great and healthy Christmas with their family and friends and a Cavs W!
Daniel Opacich: Very simply said, I want a Cavs win over the Warriors for Christmas. It makes those having doubts anyone can run with them think twice about that.
Dan Galinsky: For me, Christmas is about obviously the fam, friends, and watching basketball for most of the day. I’m generally not a dessert before dinner kind of guy, but this day is the exception, with too many options to choose from, I can’t help but to get sucked into cookies galore with my AM coffee. Most of the time, I have had a smile ear-to-ear later in the day when watching our hometown hero LeBron James act as a ‘de facto’ Santa Claus, with his pinpoint passing and breakaway dunks. I want to see him grind his way to a Christmas Day victory in which he posts a triple-double against Steph, Klay, and company more than anything. I also wouldn’t mind getting some Swenson’s Drive-In coins to further push my Galley Boy addiction. If you’ve never heard of Swenson’s, ask LeBron about it.
Nathan Beighle: Personally, I want an Amazon Echo. Those things are just alluring. If you don’t know what they are, look them up. And no, I don’t get paid for this free advertisement. ????
Quenton Albertie: I need the Cleveland Cavaliers to beat the Golden State Warriors so that I can tweet freely without being trolled. I also want to see my family. It’s been a long time!
Do you have any questions for KJG? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
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