Butler wants Cavs - BR

[playdream]

Butler has no pride and no sportsmanship in regard of competition, i am happy about this

[tonydelk]

Why do the Cavs think Butler will be such an upgrade over Love? Butler will decrease their spacing and their rebounding. He also needs the ball in his hands as much as Kyrie or Lebron, and the game is still played with only one ball

Might be a panic move in order to get a premier wing defender, after being so thoroughly smacked by the Warriors' wings.

I agree though, the loss in rebounding and floor spacing would outweigh whatever Butler would bring to Cleveland.

Not necessarily.  If LBJ plays more PF replacing Love or they sign a cheap vet PF who can rebound they are fine.  You are replacing Love and JR Smith with Jimmy Butler and (Zach Randolph, Taj Gibson, David Lee)  One will chase a ring.  Smith goes to the bench strengthening it and the Cavs have a really good defensive starting 5 with Kyrie, Butler, LBJ, Tristan and a FA PF. 

To me it makes a lot of sense.  The Cavs got killed on ball movement and need another wing player who can switch.  Butler is an elite Defensive player and he can guard 3-4 positions.  I believe he makes the team better.  Imagine him driving to the hole and LBJ and Thompson cleaning up a missing because no one in the NBA blocks out.  I like it for them. 

[chiken Green]

if the Cavs move Love, cant they get back Butler and Bobby Portis?

[Moranis]

Just for the record, I don't find any fault at all with Butler on this article.  He doesn't live under a rock.  He hears the trade rumors.  He knows he is likely to be traded.  So if you knew you were likely to be traded, wouldn't you want to go to the best team possible and the one that gives you the best chance to win.  I mean it isn't like Jimmy Butler just woke up one day out of the blue and started demanding that he be traded to Cleveland. 

[celticsclay]

Butler and Lebron and Kyrie all need the ball in their hands to be at the their most effective. Getting rid of Love for Butler also makes the Cavs awful on the boards. If they somehow did this I would be thrilled. I think it opens up way more  issues for them then it solves. Also has a team ever been in full blow panic like this after a finals trip before? It is pretty awesome.

[RJ87]

Just for the record, I don't find any fault at all with Butler on this article.  He doesn't live under a rock.  He hears the trade rumors.  He knows he is likely to be traded.  So if you knew you were likely to be traded, wouldn't you want to go to the best team possible and the one that gives you the best chance to win.  I mean it isn't like Jimmy Butler just woke up one day out of the blue and started demanding that he be traded to Cleveland.

Exactly. You can't be mad at Paul George for not wanting to win and be mad at Jimmy for wanting to go the ECF champions.

[mef730]

New NBA rules: We guarantee Cleveland and GS spots in the ECF. They don't have to play a game all year. Then, the remaining teams play a full season for the other finals position.

Once the ECF and WCF are determined, each one of the four teams gets to pick their own superteam just for the playoffs by choosing players from the teams that didn't make it. Whichever team wins their conference gets the bye the following year.

Mike

[jpotter33]

Butler would be such a terrible fit on that team. He'd essentially be a glorified 3 and D role player that doesn't really shoot the three all that well.

That being said, I don't see a deal getting done anytime soon. No way they'll find a third team to give Chicago the extra assets they want for Butler.

[Moranis]

Butler and Lebron and Kyrie all need the ball in their hands to be at the their most effective. Getting rid of Love for Butler also makes the Cavs awful on the boards. If they somehow did this I would be thrilled. I think it opens up way more  issues for them then it solves. Also has a team ever been in full blow panic like this after a finals trip before? It is pretty awesome.

Tristan Thompson averaged 9.2 rebounds a game playing next to Love.  Lebron James averaged 8.6 rebounds a game playing next to Love and Thompson.  Al Horford led Boston at 6.8 rebounds a game.  Horford, Bradley, and Crowder combined for 18.6 rpg.  Those were Boston's 3 leading rebounders.  James and Thompson alone were 17.8 rpg, and that is with Love taking rebounds that would have otherwise been available for Thompson. 

I'd fully expect Thompson to get in the 11 to 12 range without Love.  James I would expect in the 8 range again.  Butler is a solid rebounder in his own right grabbing 6.2 last year (would have been 2nd on Boston).  Cleveland won't lose much on the boards because they have multiple + rebounders on their team.  I mean even Channing Frye grabbed 11.4% of available rebounds.  Horford was at just 11.8%.

Love is a great rebounder without question, but it isn't like the Cavs are devoid of credible rebounders and rebounding was never a problem for them and won't be next year without Love.  They will lose some of that skill obviously, but no where near what they would gain elsewhere.   

[celticsclay]

Butler and Lebron and Kyrie all need the ball in their hands to be at the their most effective. Getting rid of Love for Butler also makes the Cavs awful on the boards. If they somehow did this I would be thrilled. I think it opens up way more  issues for them then it solves. Also has a team ever been in full blow panic like this after a finals trip before? It is pretty awesome.

Tristan Thompson averaged 9.2 rebounds a game playing next to Love.  Lebron James averaged 8.6 rebounds a game playing next to Love and Thompson.  Al Horford led Boston at 6.8 rebounds a game.  Horford, Bradley, and Crowder combined for 18.6 rpg.  Those were Boston's 3 leading rebounders.  James and Thompson alone were 17.8 rpg, and that is with Love taking rebounds that would have otherwise been available for Thompson. 

I'd fully expect Thompson to get in the 11 to 12 range without Love.  James I would expect in the 8 range again.  Butler is a solid rebounder in his own right grabbing 6.2 last year (would have been 2nd on Boston).  Cleveland won't lose much on the boards because they have multiple + rebounders on their team.  I mean even Channing Frye grabbed 11.4% of available rebounds.  Horford was at just 11.8%.

Love is a great rebounder without question, but it isn't like the Cavs are devoid of credible rebounders and rebounding was never a problem for them and won't be next year without Love.  They will lose some of that skill obviously, but no where near what they would gain elsewhere.   

I mean, to be honest Moranis, I think we both know the Cavs could pass gas on a piece of bread and you would call it a great sandwich. They just lost a really good GM days before the draft. Their star player liked that GM and did not want to see him go. Now they are considering breaking up a championship core that has been to 3 straight finals and won when all they need to do is upgrade their bench and get a bit younger. Not to mention these series of moves in the last few weeks seem to have made it increasingly clear there is a chance Lebron leaves at the end of next season (which was previously unthinkable)

[celticsclay]

Butler would be such a terrible fit on that team. He'd essentially be a glorified 3 and D role player that doesn't really shoot the three all that well.

That being said, I don't see a deal getting done anytime soon. No way they'll find a third team to give Chicago the extra assets they want for Butler.

I agree with this. They have been criticized for making Love a spot of shooter at times, which he is actually elite at. Wasting Butler on on their team doesn't utilize his greatest skills, having the ball in his hands and driving and finishing. It forces him to do something he is only average at (shoot the 3's). It would be great for them weaken themselves like this.

[Moranis]

Butler and Lebron and Kyrie all need the ball in their hands to be at the their most effective. Getting rid of Love for Butler also makes the Cavs awful on the boards. If they somehow did this I would be thrilled. I think it opens up way more  issues for them then it solves. Also has a team ever been in full blow panic like this after a finals trip before? It is pretty awesome.

Tristan Thompson averaged 9.2 rebounds a game playing next to Love.  Lebron James averaged 8.6 rebounds a game playing next to Love and Thompson.  Al Horford led Boston at 6.8 rebounds a game.  Horford, Bradley, and Crowder combined for 18.6 rpg.  Those were Boston's 3 leading rebounders.  James and Thompson alone were 17.8 rpg, and that is with Love taking rebounds that would have otherwise been available for Thompson. 

I'd fully expect Thompson to get in the 11 to 12 range without Love.  James I would expect in the 8 range again.  Butler is a solid rebounder in his own right grabbing 6.2 last year (would have been 2nd on Boston).  Cleveland won't lose much on the boards because they have multiple + rebounders on their team.  I mean even Channing Frye grabbed 11.4% of available rebounds.  Horford was at just 11.8%.

Love is a great rebounder without question, but it isn't like the Cavs are devoid of credible rebounders and rebounding was never a problem for them and won't be next year without Love.  They will lose some of that skill obviously, but no where near what they would gain elsewhere.   

I mean, to be honest Moranis, I think we both know the Cavs could pass gas on a piece of bread and you would call it a great sandwich. They just lost a really good GM days before the draft. Their star player liked that GM and did not want to see him go. Now they are considering breaking up a championship core that has been to 3 straight finals and won when all they need to do is upgrade their bench and get a bit younger. Not to mention these series of moves in the last few weeks seem to have made it increasingly clear there is a chance Lebron leaves at the end of next season (which was previously unthinkable)

I just don't see a team that has a well above average rebounding center and the best rebounding SF in the game (and really since Bird) as likely to miss a well above average rebounding PF, on the glass, at least all that much. 

I do think the biggest area of loss in those potential trades, is in low post offense.  Not that the Cavs used Love all that much there, but Love is a very good offensive post player and he could get baskets there when they needed them.  Butler or George is clearly not that type of offensive player. 

[jpotter33]

Butler would be such a terrible fit on that team. He'd essentially be a glorified 3 and D role player that doesn't really shoot the three all that well.

That being said, I don't see a deal getting done anytime soon. No way they'll find a third team to give Chicago the extra assets they want for Butler.

I agree with this. They have been criticized for making Love a spot of shooter at times, which he is actually elite at. Wasting Butler on on their team doesn't utilize his greatest skills, having the ball in his hands and driving and finishing. It forces him to do something he is only average at (shoot the 3's). It would be great for them weaken themselves like this.

And given our particular skills and weak areas, I feel a Butler/Love trade would make us much more likely to seriously compete with the Cavs this coming year, especially if we make a bigger trade or sign Hayward. Love always killed us. We have the pieces to deal with a Butler, not as much with Love.

[jpotter33]

Butler would be such a terrible fit on that team. He'd essentially be a glorified 3 and D role player that doesn't really shoot the three all that well.

That being said, I don't see a deal getting done anytime soon. No way they'll find a third team to give Chicago the extra assets they want for Butler.

I agree with this. They have been criticized for making Love a spot of shooter at times, which he is actually elite at. Wasting Butler on on their team doesn't utilize his greatest skills, having the ball in his hands and driving and finishing. It forces him to do something he is only average at (shoot the 3's). It would be great for them weaken themselves like this.

And given our particular skills and weak areas, I feel a Butler/Love trade would make us much more likely to seriously compete with the Cavs this coming year, especially if we make a bigger trade or sign Hayward. Love always killed us. We have the pieces to deal with a Butler, not as much with Love.