Sam Amico Answers My Cavaliers’ Questions
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the center of the off-season world, until Kevin Love is seriously on the market then until LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and a number of other players make decisions on their player options. Until then the Cavs fans get to soak in all of the what ifs, how coulds, and may we cans that the world has to offer. Sam Amico covers the Cavs and the NBA for Fox Sports Ohio. He does a weekly chat during the season and pretty often during the off-season that allows fans to ask him questions and he does a great job of getting to as many of the questions as possible. Sam and I have often communicated there, via Twitter and a couple of times via email. Needless to say I am appreciate his work personally and professionally (realizing some do not, and disagreement is okay).
This week he answered a few of my questions, even though he wasn’t happy about them (jokingly of course) so I thought I would share those communications here and encourage you to check out this week’s chats and join in on Wednesdays at noon when you can. He was also hungry this week FYI:
"12:13Comment From JaredKMuellerWould you trade 1 for 3 and Noel? I have lots today.12:14Sam Amico:Darn it, Jared! You’re making me think again! Haha. Yes. I may do that. Only way I wouldn’t is if I worked out all three prospects and said “I really, really MUST have Prospect X!” Then I take the guy because I’m sure."
He didn’t want to think but he answer is the same answer I have. Unless we MUST have Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker, if one of them had a completely separate grade, I would make this trade. The Cavs would be able to make this trade on draft night if they wanted to, assuming the 76ers really want Wiggins, by drafting Wiggins then making sure they were content with who was at #3. Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Jabari Parker and Nerlens Noel would make a pretty amazing young core 4 along with possibly signing a free agent small forward of their choosing. This would basically be a 2 for 1 talent build where the Cavs add a young, hopefully healthy shot blocker along with a wing scorer. Yet last year they passed on Noel so maybe there are concerns beyond the knee? Or maybe David Griffin loved him and Chris Grant did not. Would you make that trade? What if you got Noel and Embiid was the one who fell? Still okay with the 2 for 1 since Embiid can spread the floor a little bit, and less pressure on both players to play big minutes early?
"12:24Comment From JaredKMuellerShould the crop of available players at certain position, such as SF with James, Melo,Hayward, Parsons, etc, impact the Cavs #1 pick?12:24Sam Amico:Jared you’re banned.12:24Sam Amico:Haha!12:25Sam Amico:That is a great question, and something Griffin has to think about. But the bottom line is the draft is first. I say you draft the best guy (in your mind), then take it from there.12:26Sam Amico:For instance, taking Wiggins doesn’t mean you blow off getting another small forward. You can play two at once, etc."
And now I am banned. It is an interesting dilemma in the NBA where the draft is first then free agency. Instead of knowing what they can fill in free agency then go to the draft the Cavs have to go the opposite direction. In a perfect world they would have some idea of who they would/could/planned to sign and draft accordingly but Amico is right, you draft the best player and go from there. Worst case scenario is you have Wiggins and Chandler Parsons and play a little small ball with Parsons at the 4 and trade for a center of some kind. Knowing Griffin’s style a starting 5 of Irving, Waiters, Wiggins, Parsons and Spencer Hawes might be exactly what he wants, though very little defense a ton of shooting. What do you think of how free agency should impact the draft and vice versa?
Do you enjoy these type of chats? If so who do you tend to try to join for chats frequently?