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After losing for the fifth time in seven games, LeBron James expressed frustration with his team’s roster, calling it “top heavy” and in need of a “playmaker.” Guys, who is LeBron angling for? Carmelo Anthony? Dwyane Wade? Someone else?
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Steve Aschburner: If LeBron’s angling for Rajon Rondo, I’m sure that can be arranged (Rondo surely is capable of, er, leveraging his way out of Chicago with the Bulls’ stuck for his salary). Neither Anthony nor Wade can be termed a playmaker, so I’m assuming it’s a point guard he’s seeking who can facilitate and, even more important, defend. That might be Rondo if properly motivated in the defending champs’ culture and by James’ demanding expectations.
Fran Blinebury: Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Bob Cousy? LeBron gets offended when people say he’s the de facto GM of the Cavs. Yet here he is whining again about David Griffin not doing the job to his satisfaction. So how can we say this gently: Shut up and play.
Scott Howard-Cooper: I don’t know who he is angling for, but I do know who he is crashing into and knocking over: David Griffin. The face of the franchise starts talking about how roster changes are needed, and the pressure on the GM goes through the roof. Besides, the question isn’t who LeBron would like to add (Chris Paul). It’s who the Cavs can get. It’s not as though they have a ton of options.
Shaun Powell: LeBron is stricken with midseason-itis. GM David Griffin has done a remarkable job over the last three years, and given the Cavs’ massive payroll, adding additional help is quite a challenge, especially at midseason. Does LeBron expect miracles? And isn’t he the playmaker? The Cavs don’t have what it takes to get ‘Melo and D-Wade. Best bet is someone on the cheap, like another Kyle Korver.
John Schuhmann: The only way to get Anthony or Wade is by trading one of the other two stars or by sacrificing depth, so that’s not happening. The Cavs need a back-up point guard and miss Matthew Dellavedova, who didn’t play much in the last three games of The Finals last year, but was really important in the regular season. The lack of depth isn’t all David Griffin’s fault, because coach Ty Lue hasn’t exactly developed the Cavs’ bench, using a short (nine-man) rotation for most of the season. One of the reasons the Spurs continue to have the best bench in the league despite a lot of roster turnover is that Gregg Popovich gives young guys opportunities to play. I’ve always assumed that Mario Chalmers was bound for Cleveland whenever he was healthy, but Shelvin Mack (Jazz) and Tim Frazier (Pelicans) are two decent point guards that are currently out of their teams’ rotations and have salaries that would fit into one of Cleveland’s trade exceptions. And wasn’t Shabazz Napier (Blazers) LeBron’s favorite player in the 2014 Draft?
Sekou Smith: Carmelo certainly doesn’t qualify as a playmaker in the traditional sense of the word. And Wade is a stretch, though he could certainly serve that purpose on a loaded Cleveland team. It’s hard to read LeBron at times like this. You know he’s agitating for a reason, even if he doesn’t have a particular player in mind. Part of me thinks LeBron is poking the entire organization just to make sure they keep their collective edge up, just so no one gets too comfortable with the idea of being the reigning and defending champs. It’s noble in one sense, because it would be easy to sit back and appreciate all of the hard work that’s gone into creating a championship culture in Cleveland. But if LeBron is really looking for that ideal backup veteran point guard/playmaker who could give the Cavaliers a boost on the floor and a jolt in the locker room, why not just call Jarrett Jack?
Ian Thomsen: Of course he would like to be joined with Anthony or reunited with Wade, and clearly those players would take pressure off James and Kyrie Irving. But is it realistic that the Cavs will be able to acquire a big-timer? The key standard is whether any new playmaker would be capable of cracking their rotation in an NBA Finals against the Warriors. Is Derrick Rose a more likely candidate than Anthony? The one thing we know for sure is that Cleveland will be making some kind of a deal over the next month.
Lang Whitaker: David Blatt? Chris Bosh? Honestly, I have no idea. But you know who’s already a great playmaker? LeBron James! And Kyrie Irving isn’t so shabby, either! I’d imagine having J.R. Smith healthy would help allay some of LeBron’s concerns. If a “top-heavy” roster gets you the best record in the conference, maybe it’s a good thing? While they could clearly seem to use a backup point guard, having a ball-dominant scorer doesn’t seem all that necessary in the current Cavaliers’ universe.
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