Ric Buchers FA predictions

• hoops23

  

  -- There's a 95 percent chance LeBron stays in Cleveland. Because of what happened he's compelled to stay there. His brand is irreparably damaged if he leaves Cleveland and has to say "I wasn't able to do it." The perception has been that he was going to lead the Cavs to a title. Every decision has been made with either LeBron's approval or request. So at the end of the day the only way LeBron achieves his iconic status is if he stays, says he is not going to do a movie this summer and dedicates himself only to winning a title. Short of doing that he becomes a guy who is an entertainer. He becomes a Wilt Chamberlain in physical talent but he doesn't have the gene that says winning is supreme.
  
  -- Bosh isn't what Cleveland needs. They're in a tough spot. But the attraction you have is LeBron James and a team that is perennially winning and an owner willing to spend whatever it takes. And you have Chinese ownership that is now up to 30 percent of the franchise. What LeBron needs is a closer. He's Magic Johnson. He is a fantastic playmaker. But he cannot close the door. Until he gets a Joe Johnson type or Dwayne Wade type LeBron isn't going to win a title. What he needs is a deadly shooter. (More on that later)
  
  -- Nobody can overstate the impact Varejao's injury had on this series. When he plays at full-strength and they can use their athletic bigs, the Cavs are very good. The problem is that when Shaq isn't playing he's in the locker room asking guys: "How many rings do I have? And how many rings does Mike Brown have? And I'm the one not playing?" And I guarantee you the players are listening more to Shaq and not Mike Brown. We know Shaq was unhappy about his role. But the way they needed to play in this series was to keep Shaq on the bench. But Brown couldn't afford to do that because he risked losing his locker room and he risked losing Shaq for the next round.
  
  -- All the people killing Brown need to realize he's dealing with some of the most massive egos in the NBA. And because he's not Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich, he doesn't have the rings to say "LeBron sit down and shut up. If you want to get a ring, follow me." Brown doesn't have that authority. And when things started to unravel it was a lot like what happened with Stan Van Gundy and Shaq in Miami.
  
  -- LeBron wants a coach who is going to do his bidding. And that's exactly the wrong way to go. We just talked about how difficult it was for Brown to coach LeBron because in the Cavs pecking order it's Dan Gilbert, LeBron James, Danny Ferry, Mike Brown. The John Calipari rumor would be a disaster. The Mike D'Antoni talk is great for running and putting up numbers. But if you want to win a championship then that's a different story. You need a different coach.
  
  -- If LeBron is going anywhere it's going to be a sign and trade. LeBron's not leaving money on the table. Put it in these terms: Let's say you live in Phoenix and make $75,000. A company in New York offers you $60,000. Are you going? Of course not. Anyone suggesting LeBron is going to walk out the door and play somewhere else is suggesting he'd leave that kind of money on the table. Nobody does that.
  
  -- Free agent predictions this summer:
  
  LeBron: Cleveland
  Wade: Miami
  Dirk: Dallas
  Pierce: Boston
  Ray Allen: Cleveland - He's the kind of shooter the Cavs need.
  Bosh: LA Lakers in a sign and trade for Gasol -- Bucher is saying there's a strong contingent in LA that isn't happy with Gasol.
• Rotinaj

  

  How could anyone in LA not be happy with Gasol?
• 2quik4u

  

  LTrain23 wrote: -- There's a 95 percent chance LeBron stays in Cleveland. Because of what happened he's compelled to stay there. His brand is irreparably damaged if he leaves Cleveland and has to say "I wasn't able to do it." The perception has been that he was going to lead the Cavs to a title. Every decision has been made with either LeBron's approval or request. So at the end of the day the only way LeBron achieves his iconic status is if he stays, says he is not going to do a movie this summer and dedicates himself only to winning a title. Short of doing that he becomes a guy who is an entertainer. He becomes a Wilt Chamberlain in physical talent but he doesn't have the gene that says winning is supreme.
  
  -- Bosh isn't what Cleveland needs. They're in a tough spot. But the attraction you have is LeBron James and a team that is perennially winning and an owner willing to spend whatever it takes. And you have Chinese ownership that is now up to 30 percent of the franchise. What LeBron needs is a closer. He's Magic Johnson. He is a fantastic playmaker. But he cannot close the door. Until he gets a Joe Johnson type or Dwayne Wade type LeBron isn't going to win a title. What he needs is a deadly shooter. (More on that later)
  
  -- Nobody can overstate the impact Varejao's injury had on this series. When he plays at full-strength and they can use their athletic bigs, the Cavs are very good. The problem is that when Shaq isn't playing he's in the locker room asking guys: "How many rings do I have? And how many rings does Mike Brown have? And I'm the one not playing?" And I guarantee you the players are listening more to Shaq and not Mike Brown. We know Shaq was unhappy about his role. But the way they needed to play in this series was to keep Shaq on the bench. But Brown couldn't afford to do that because he risked losing his locker room and he risked losing Shaq for the next round.
  
  -- All the people killing Brown need to realize he's dealing with some of the most massive egos in the NBA. And because he's not Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich, he doesn't have the rings to say "LeBron sit down and shut up. If you want to get a ring, follow me." Brown doesn't have that authority. And when things started to unravel it was a lot like what happened with Stan Van Gundy and Shaq in Miami.
  
  -- LeBron wants a coach who is going to do his bidding. And that's exactly the wrong way to go. We just talked about how difficult it was for Brown to coach LeBron because in the Cavs pecking order it's Dan Gilbert, LeBron James, Danny Ferry, Mike Brown. The John Calipari rumor would be a disaster. The Mike D'Antoni talk is great for running and putting up numbers. But if you want to win a championship then that's a different story. You need a different coach.
  
  -- If LeBron is going anywhere it's going to be a sign and trade. LeBron's not leaving money on the table. Put it in these terms: Let's say you live in Phoenix and make $75,000. A company in New York offers you $60,000. Are you going? Of course not. Anyone suggesting LeBron is going to walk out the door and play somewhere else is suggesting he'd leave that kind of money on the table. Nobody does that.
  
  -- Free agent predictions this summer:
  
  LeBron: Cleveland
  Wade: Miami
  Dirk: Dallas
  Pierce: Boston
  Ray Allen: Cleveland - He's the kind of shooter the Cavs need.
  Bosh: LA Lakers in a sign and trade for Gasol -- Bucher is saying there's a strong contingent in LA that isn't happy with Gasol.

  the fuck is this
• 2quik4u

  

  can i get a link please?
• hoops23

  

  I dunno, a few points made me LOL.
  
  LeBron needs a guy like Joe Johnson? When did Joe Johnson become a closer? He usually fades away.
  
  LeBron is a very good closer, one of the best scorers with >5 minutes remaining. Also, LOL @ Bucher implying Magic wasn't a closer.
  
  I mean, he makes some good points, but come on..
  
  And BTW, I've been calling Ray Allen to Cleveland for a couple of weeks. However, it only has a chance to happen if the Celtics lose to Orlando.
  
  Boston has a lot of questions regarding their team next season.
• hoops23

  

  2quik4u wrote: can i get a link please?

  It's not an article. It's a summary of his interview on Colin Cowherds radio show today.
• I Wear Pants

  Ray Allen would be awesome in Cleveland.
• 2quik4u

  

  damn.. thanks
• sleeper

  

  This whole "closer" bullshit and other useless intangibles like "killer instinct" are so overblown in today's media the average sports fan doesn't have a clue. This is why supposed stars like Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant exists, not because they are good, but because they've been over hyped and overblown with useless intangibles.
• 2quik4u

  

  sleeper wrote: This whole "closer" bullshit and other useless intangibles like "killer instinct" are so overblown in today's media the average sports fan doesn't have a clue. This is why supposed stars like Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant exists, not because they are good, but because they've been over hyped and overblown with useless intangibles.

  Iverson atleast winning a finals game lol's at you
• sleeper

  

  Allen Iverson is nothing more than an ant on the Planet of Lebron James.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Never really thought Bucher knew his shit, and this just proves my point even further.
• jpake1

  

  He'd an idiot. Cool article/interview LTrain nonetheless. I think Ray would really help that team out, I just don't know if I see it. Wouldn't they have to do some trading, or give him the MLE if they have it? I still see Ray staying with Boston for another year or two. Or maybe going to another team that is "closer" to being a champion team. Nobody really knows that because they have to play the guys, but even these guys have to go on their gut as to who is the best.
• jordo212000

  

  Joe Johnson is not a closer. He is a nice player, but this past series against Orlando showed me everything I needed to know about him
• hoops23

  

  Ric Bucher is an idiot.
  
  I think Ray Allen is a possibility with the MLE, but the Cavs do have AP, West, and Sebastian as expiring contracts to package with a guy like JJ or something. We DO have pieces to work with.
  
  I truly believe we're a head coach away (if LeBron stays) from being a true championship caliber team. contrary to popular belief after this Boston series, Cleveland HAD the talent to get it done. They choked, point blank.
  
  I don't know what's happening though. It's fun to speculate, but who knows really? We'll see what happens.
• jordo212000

  

  So, why does everybody feel like Ray Allen is leaving? Can Boston not afford him? You'd think after the postseason the Celtics have had, everybody would come back for one final run.
• hoops23

  

  Boston has a lot of questions regarding their free agents. The point is, if they want to overspend, especially if they lose to Orlando.
  
  I know Perkins, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen are up to get reworked.
  
  I think they keep Perkins and PP, but Allen has been in so many trade rumors with Boston that they may look in another direction.
  
  Again, nobody is saying for sure, just pure speculation.
• jpake1

  

  I like Brown, I think he's good enough to win a championship if he has the players. While the Cavs players are good, I just don't see them having "it" as a whole. I don't think the had the talent, but to each their own. I don't put much into the regular seasons, because I've seen too many champs do the same. Too many of them (Cavs players) have had that deer in the headlights look. Hate to say it, but a few key guys seem to just have theregular season play. When the pressure is one, and the going gets tough, the weak get running. Not too many of those guys have stepped up for 48 in really crunch games. I think they'd end a bit short even with Phil, Pop, or Pat for that matter. Now I think a guy like Allen would really help them. He's a got that can get cold, but he's very real clutch in more games. I don't know if Ray would leave just for that. That might be enough time to buy 3 more years from LBJ, even tho Allen would be getting old.. so I don't know.
• hoops23

  

  Mike Brown is good enough to win a championship, but I think his time with Cleveland ran it's course. I think he'll be even better during his second job, just as I'm sure the Cavs would be better with a more established coach. We need the coach to get over the hump and Mike Brown needs a fresh start to re-establish his career.
• jpake1

  

  I agree he needs a fresh start, but that's as much on his players and FO as it is him. I think he's a PERFECT coach for a younger team or a coming up team. He most definitely CHANGED the culture in Cleveland to play defense. I think that is one of the hardest things to do.. make people but into what you do and reach down and play D. I think the Cavs need a new coach as much as they need some new players. I think he should end up in Atlanta, whether JJ is there or not, get that team playing tough.
• hoops23

  

  He could end up in Atl. I was always in favor of Mike Brown. I defended him countless times against certain posters on here, but he was outcoached point blank. Not only that, he lost the locker room which is the biggest cardinal sin in the NBA.
  
  Another place Mike could end up in is New Orleans.. Or maybe even the Philly/Charlotte loser on Larry Brown.
• jpake1

  

  Yea that is the sin in the NBA. Which I don't think helps him in NO. If no head coaching job, he needs to be the right hand man on a contender with his defense.
• Sage

  

  Wut shaq had a falling out with his coach and team? I can't believe that.
• Sage

  

  And who the fuck is unhappy with gasol? Clearly Bucher knows more ppl in the NBA than I do, but I thought I would have read something by now.
• ironman02

  Since there are about a billion LeBron/Cleveland/Free Agency threads, I wasn't quite sure where to post this, so here it is.
  
  Does anyone think there is any significance to LeBron's jersey number change? I know it seems kind of irrelevant, but could LeBron be tipping his hand as to where he's going to sign? He's switching from #23 to #6 to sort of honor Jordan, but could that be because #23 is retired in Chicago? With Chicago being one of his potential destinations, the Calipari to the Bulls rumors, and the fact that the Bulls have a solid nucleus with the potential to sign another star, it kind of worries me as a Cavs fan. I really hope to see LBJ in Cleveland next year, but I think he's probably leaving, and right now I think Chicago is probably the likely destination. Hope I'm wrong.