Point of interest: To go with 16 pts, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 for 8 shooting in a 1 point loss to the Clippers, Stephenson was +16, leading in +\- among the starters by more than 10 points. Danny Granger, who only played 18 minutes and shot .500 from the field, was a -25.
Lance Stephenson: better than you thought. The cavaliers: better than you deserve!
Kyrie/Isaiah Thomas
Stephenson/Ellington
Barnes/ Tobias Harris
Ryan Anderson/ Tobias Harris
Bynum/Zeller/Greg Smith
It's odd, I haven't seen eye to eye with you on one of your rosters in a while, IP.
I love Irving, and I don't feel the need to speak about why.
I thought Barnes was a steal of a pick when you got him, and I think Ryan Anderson would be a terrific fit for an Irving offense. Then the front court back ups are wise in case you do need to get tougher.
Bynum's a miserable addition. I'm sorry, he just is. Here's the best I can explain it - We know how good Irving is now, we can only speculate on his roof. If that's the case, why bother with a gamble? Why lock up 17 million dollars in salary with the biggest question mark in the NBA? It's just not worth it.
To me the upside isn't worth the downside. The up is that you get Bynum and he's a monster, but in his role, will he be THAT much better than someone you could've had in the second like a Hibbert? The downside, he gets hurt, you tie up 17 million dollars of salary and Kyrie Irving does the Decision 2.0.
The thing is, Bynum is that much better than Hibbert. Just short of elite defender, best offensive center in the NBA. Clear-cut number 2 positional center in the league. And young.
I see the downside, and let me tell you, I am literally starting to get depressed reading all the stuff out of Philadelphia searching for good news. Maybe I could've played it safe, if it was a league where I had to explain in painstaking detail why your team was flawed and morally corrupt, while my team was balanced, skilled, and crapped rainbows, I probably wouldn't have taken on a liability like Bynum.
But as it sat, I had Irving, Tristan Thompson, and a middle-round pick. I'd resolved to make a big trade early and go from there, and when Bynum came up and I did the math in my head, would I rather have a Kawhi Leonard or Chandler Parsons in the first to go with Irving and a cut rate center like McGee or a separate injury risk like Bogut or Varejao, or should I swing pour le fences?
From the standpoint of the Cavs, it was easy to justify. Bynum was coming off an injured year, he's not going to get max money.
Bynum was a keeper, and since I traded for him, he's obligated under the rules to resign with me.
If I were the actual Cavs, I'd be looking at a pick in the early to mid-teens this season, with a resigned (on the cheap) Bynum, and one more year of development for Barnes, Stephenson, Zeller, Harris, Irving, etc...
So if I am actually tasked with doing whats in the best interest for the Cavs, I think I accomplished that.