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Cavaliers Notes: Lue, Drew, Injuries, Zizic

March 20th, 2018 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Tyronn Lue announced on Monday morning that the head coach would be taking a leave of absence for health reasons, and that was just the start of another eventful day in the life of the 2017/18 Cavs. Later, Cleveland confirmed that Kevin Love would be making his long-awaited return from a hand injury on Monday night. The team later went out and grabbed a dramatic 124-117 win over the Bucks, with LeBron James posting a rare 40-point triple-double.

As Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes, the day was emblematic of the Cavaliers’ season as a whole, which has been filled with ups and downs, with one thing happening after another all year long. While the roster appears to be getting healthy as the regular season nears an end, the same can’t be said for its head coach, whose health will be the franchise’s top concern in the coming weeks. Lue hopes to return well before the playoffs get underway, according to Bontemps.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Before Lue’s leave of absence was announced, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com wrote in a mailbag that he doesn’t think the Cavs’ head coach is on the hot seat. As long as Lue is healthy, Vardon assumes that he’ll continue to be the coach in Cleveland next season.
Interim head coach Larry Drew found out at 1:30 on Monday morning that he’d be taking over for Lue for the time being, Vardon writes in another Cleveland.com article. Vardon notes that the process of having Lue step down temporarily was initiated by GM Koby Altman, adding that it’s expected to take about a week for Lue’s body to become accustomed to the new medication he’s on.
With so many players set to return from injuries for the Cavs, Drew plans to give Lue a call to get his input on some lineup decisions, per Vardon. “We’ll talk about it,” Drew said. “He’s got the final say-so. Whatever he wants, then that’s what we’re going to go with. But if he tells me to make a decision, then I’ll have to make a decision.” Although Love is back, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance, Tristan Thompson, and Cedi Osman are all still dealing with various injuries.
Speaking of Thompson, given the way Ante Zizic has been playing during the veteran’s absence, the Cavs will soon have to figure out how to balance the frontcourt minutes, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Zizic posted 13 points and six boards during Cleveland’s win on Monday, and has been making a case for a more regular role.

Kevin Love Returns To Action Monday

March 19th, 2018 at 4:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will play on Monday for the first time since breaking a bone in his left hand, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.

Love has been sidelined since suffering the injury during the first quarter at Detroit on January 30th. He was expected to miss eight weeks, so Love recovered a little quicker than expected. He has missed 21 games.

This is welcome news for a team that just lost its coach for an unknown period of time. Tyronn Lue was given a leave of absence on Monday to deal with health issues.

Love will be on a minutes restriction, according to Zillgitt, but he should give the floundering team, which has lost seven of its last 13 games, an immediate jolt. He was averaging 17.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG prior to the injury. He’ll have to blend in with a variety of new teammates who were acquired after Love was sidelined.

Tyronn Lue Taking Leave Of Absence For Health Reasons

March 19th, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

10:31am: Lue will be on a one-week plan to address his health issues, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). For now, the hope is that Lue will be able to return to coaching next week.

10:04am: Tyronn Lue is taking a leave of absence from his job as the Cavaliers’ head coach for health reasons, he announced today in a statement. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Lue had been considering this option for several weeks, but had resisted until now. Associate head coach Larry Drew will take over for Lue on an interim basis, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“After many conversations with our doctors and [GM] Koby [Altman] and much thought given to what is best for the team and my health, I need to step back from coaching for the time being and focus on trying to establish a stronger and healthier foundation from which to coach for the rest of the season,” Lue said in a statement. “I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year. Despite a battery of tests, there have been no conclusions as to what the exact issue is.

“While I have tried to work through it, the last thing I want is for it to affect the team,” Lue continued. “I am going to use this time to focus on a prescribed routine and medication, which has previously been difficult to start in the midst of a season. My goal is to come out of it a stronger and healthier version of myself so I can continue to lead this team to the Championship we are all working towards.”

As Lue noted in his statement, he has been battling health problems for several months. The Cavs’ head coach didn’t return to Cleveland’s bench during the second half of Saturday’s game against the Bulls — he has now missed multiple shootarounds, parts of multiple games, and at least one practice this season due to his illness, per Cleveland.com.

It’s not clear at this point how much time Lue will have to miss. We wish him the best during his recovery.

Okaro White Signs 10-Day Deal With Cavaliers

March 19th, 2018 at 8:17am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 19: The Cavs have officially signed White, according to a press release from the team. The signing was finalized on Sunday, so White’s 10-day deal will run through next Tuesday, March 27.

MARCH 18: The Cavaliers will sign forward Okaro White to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

White, 25, started the season with the Heat, but played just six games before being traded to the Hawks and then waived last month. He appeared in 35 games for Miami last season and is averaging 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds throughout his career.

The Cavaliers needed to make a roster move to reach the NBA minimum of 14 players. The league permits teams to drop down to 13 for up to two weeks, which is where Cleveland has been since Marcus Thornton‘s 10-day deal expired March 3.

The Cavs are short handed with Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Rodney Hood all injured and Kyle Korver away from the team on a family emergency, but have been hesitant to add anyone to the roster because each move increases their tax penalties.

Cavaliers Notes: Lue, White, Calderon, LeBron

March 18th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

For the third time this season, an undisclosed illness has kept Tyronn Lue from coaching, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Lue remained in the locker room after halftime of Saturday’s win over the Bulls as chief assistant Larry Drew ran the team. LeBron James called Lue’s condition one more distraction in a season filled with them.

“I mean he’s the captain of the ship, so absolutely,” James said. “We worry about his health, obviously. That’s way more important than this game of basketball. We know he’s been doing everything he needs to do to stay healthy — [maybe he should] take even more measures to get himself right. Everything that’s been going on with our year, it’s just another one.”

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Between salary and tax penalties, today’s signing of Okaro White will cost Cleveland about $400K, Vardon tweets. The 10-day contract for the former Heat forward was necessitated by a league rule that allows teams to drop their roster to 13 players for just two weeks at a time.
Veteran point guard Jose Calderon continues to be a steady, if often overlooked, producer for the Cavs, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. With Kyle Korver tending to a family emergency and Rodney Hood sidelined with back issues, Calderon posted nine points, six assists and seven rebounds Saturday while playing a season-high 36 minutes. Cleveland is 18-8 this year when he starts and 21-10 when he plays at least 10 minutes. “I know everything lately is about stats, but it’s more than that,” said Calderon, who will be a free agent this summer. “Just for me, like I always say since Day 1, my job is to be ready, to help these guys in whatever situation they need.”
James, who has a chance to play all 82 games for the first time in his career, seems to be healthier than ever at age 33, relays Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. He no longer takes anti-inflammatory injections for his back and he has gotten past the knee pain that used to force him to take time off during the season. “I’m having a heck of a time playing the game right now no matter who’s in the lineup for us,” James said. “We’re not winning as much as we would like, but we’re still figuring out ways to get wins, which is very tough in this league. We already know that. But the joy of the game is very high for me right now.”

LeBron James: Cavs Miss Kevin Love

March 16th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

After going on a brief hot streak following the trade deadline, the Cavaliers are once again slumping, posting a 5-7 record since the All-Star break. Following Thursday’s loss to Portland, LeBron James pointed to Kevin Love‘s absence as one big reason for Cleveland’s struggles, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “It’s been a long time since I haven’t played with another All-Star on my team,” James said. “So, having Kev out has been very challenging for all of us. Kev has a big usage rate on our team. He’ll get the ball when things get tight, chaotic; we can throw it to him in the low post and get some things going.” Love is aiming to return from his hand injury next week.

Roster Move Required Soon For Cavaliers

March 16th, 2018 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will have to add a player to their roster in the coming days in order to get to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players (not including two-way contracts). Cleveland is currently carrying 13 players on standard NBA contracts.

The NBA’s roster rules allow a team to carry fewer than 14 players for up to two weeks at a time before getting back up to the minimum. The Cavs took advantage of that rule after the trade deadline, carrying a 13-man roster for nearly two weeks in February before signing G Leaguer Marcus Thornton to a 10-day contract. Thornton’s 10-day deal expired overnight on March 3, and Cleveland has once again been carrying 13 players since then — with the two-week mark right around the corner, a signing will be required.

It makes sense that the Cavs have been reluctant to fill the final two spots on their roster, despite being hit with some injuries. The team already has a projected luxury tax bill of $50MM+, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted (via Twitter) at the time of the Thornton signing. While a short-term minimum salary deal wouldn’t have a significant cap hit, it would cost the franchise exponentially more due to tax penalties.

It remains to be seen how the Cavs will fill their 14th roster slot, but another 10-day signing like Thornton seems like a viable possibility. Then the team could wait until near the end of the regular season to fill one or both of its open roster spots with veteran help for the playoffs.

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Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavs Notes: Lillard, Lineup Changes, Roster

March 15th, 2018 at 10:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

Prior to the Cavaliers‘ primetime matchup against the Trail Blazers on Thursday, LeBron James discussed point guard Damian Lillard and his impact on the court. Lillard has thrown his own name into the MVP discussions and while he’s an elite player, he sometimes flies under the radar.

Per NBA.com, James spoke highly of Lillard and even quipped that he could use his own talents to show how valuable of a player Lillard can be — even if he’s underrated by some.

“No, I don’t think so,” James said of the idea that Lillard is underappreciated. “I don’t think so, but he definitely uses that. I like how he uses that. If you’re a true basketball [mind] — there’s not a lot of true basketball minds and people that understand the game — but for me, I understand it. I know. Give me Damian Lillard. I’ll show you how appreciated he’ll be.”

In 60 games this season, Lillard has averaged 26.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 4.5 RPG.

Check out more Cavaliers notes below:

Head coach Tyronn Lue’s handling of J.R. Smith is the latest example of the Cavs’ communication issues, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes. Departed point guard Isaiah Thomas addressed those problems during his brief stint with Cleveland and he seems to have had a point, Fedor notes. Lue said he talked with Smith about benching him, but the struggling guard had a different version of the story. “We didn’t talk,” Smith said. “He sent me a text (Monday), and I told him, ‘No problem.’ I didn’t know that it was a ‘talk.’ That’s all right, though. I’m not upset about it. I just wish there would have been more dialogue, I guess.”
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer examines the Cavaliers’ current situation and questions whether or not they should be in panic mode. While Cleveland did add younger players and improved its roster at the deadline, the team is still waiting for Kevin Love to return from injury. Pluto also discusses the Cavs’ rebounding and the recent rash of injuries.

Nance Says He's OK After Tweaking Hamstring

March 14th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Larry Nance Jr. left Tuesday’s game early after he tweaked his right hamstring, relays ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The Cavaliers center said he’s “absolutely fine” and plans to play tomorrow in Portland.

Kevin Love Hopes To Return Next Week

March 14th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who has missed 19 games with a broken bone in his left hand, is planning to return to action next week, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

Love was projected to miss six to eight weeks when he suffered the injury, and March 26 will mark exactly eight weeks. He told reporters last night that he is hoping to be ready for a March 23 game against Phoenix, but isn’t ready to set an exact return date. Cleveland will also play on March 21 against Toronto and on March 25 against Brooklyn.

The Cavaliers have gone 10-9 without Love, who earned an All-Star selection by averaging 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds in 48 games. Cleveland underwent a roster upheaval in his absence, acquiring George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson in three deals at the trade deadline.

“I just want us to get as healthy as we can get,” teammate LeBron James said, “so I know and obviously our coaching staff knows and we all know what we can become.”