Cleveland Cavaliers (S3): [37-23] (Trade Deadline)

February 2014 Summary

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't enjoy February much, but there were some positive signs at the end of the month. They came away with a courageous win against the seventh seed Bobcats, and they almost upset the best team in the league (Miami Heat). They fell a few places in the East (11th), but they are still in with an outside chance, as they're only one and a half games away from the 8th seed.

While Cleveland had a couple of additions to the line-up, neither player has made much of an impact so far. Austin Daye was acquired from the Grizzlies in exchange for C.J. Miles. Even though he seems a lot happier with his situation than Miles, Daye's minutes with the Cavaliers have been rather forgettable. The Cavs also signed Mike Bibby, who has yet to register a game this season.

On the injury front, the Cavaliers go into March with Dion Waiters to potentially miss 1-2 weeks with a sore knee. Even though he can play through, it's unlikely that he will, as Byron Scott will look to save him for an end of season run. With that in mind though, the Cavaliers can't drop many more games before they're out of the playoffs picture all together. March could be a make-or-break month for them.

Standings

East

Heat 40-16
Bucks 38-20
Bulls 36-22
Raptors 32-22
Pacers 31-25
76ers 30-27
Pistons 27-31
---
Knicks 26-30
Hawks 25-30
Cavaliers 27-33
Nets 25-33
Wizards 22-35
Celtics 22-36
Magic 18-40

West

Nuggets 38-21
Thunder 36-22
Timberwolves 35-22
Warriors 34-25
Rockets 30-26
Grizzlies 30-27
Clippers 29-31
Suns 28-30
---
Hornets 28-31
Spurs 27-32
Jazz 25-30
Mavericks 25-34
Trail Blazers 24-33
Kings 24-35
Lakers 22-37

Monthly Awards

Player
East: [NYK] Carmelo Anthony
West: [OKC] Kevin Durant

Rookies
East: [WAS] Matthew Burks
West: [PHX] Toby Robins

So unlucky to lose to the Heat! Especially against the Cavs that game must be extremely fun and intense.

Mike Bibby and Austin Daye,
What was wrong with the jerseys at all-star weekend?

antho, Miami is always a team I really want to beat, particularly in this case, with LeBron's history with the Cavs.

Woogie98, I particularly like the Bibby signing. I've always liked signing veterans towards the end of their career. As for the jersey's... I'm not sure what happened there. I think I might need to change them at the team selection screen. In saying that, the All-Star Weekend is probably my least favourite time of the season in any NBA game.

5 Simmed Games

CLE@SAN

SAN: 127 (Parker 28, Blair 26, Ginobili 19)
CLE: 91 (Irving 22, Redick 17, Shaw 16)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Tony Parker 28 points (7-13 FG) 2 rebounds 9 assists 1 steal

Rebounds
SAN: Blair, Duncan, Leonard 9
CLE: Varejao 9

Assists
SAN: Parker 9
CLE: Irving 6

CLE@NOH

NOH: 119 (Augustin 27, Davis 25, Gordon 19)
CLE: 118 (Neal 25, Irving 19, Shaw 19)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Anthony Davis 25 points (9-15 FG) 7 rebounds 2 assists 3 steals

Rebounds
NOH: Aminu 11
CLE: Varejao 8

Assists
NOH: Augustin 8
CLE: Irving 15

Injury Report
Marreese Speights - Sore Knee - Day-to-day

Note: Speights will be rested, with Villanueva getting his minutes.

TOR@CLE

CLE: 99 (Irving 23, Neal 15, Thompson 15)
TOR: 92 (Gay 17, Terry 15, Williams 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 23 points (9-23 FG) 6 rebounds 9 assists 4 steals

Rebounds
CLE: Irving, Thompson, Villanueva 6
TOR: Valanciunas 11

Assists
CLE: Irving 9
TOR: Williams 6

MEM@CLE

MEM: 91 (Conley 17, Taylor 16, Gasol 12)
CLE: 70 (Irving 17, Redick 10, Neal 9)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Mike Conley 17 points (5-11 FG) 8 rebounds 7 assists 2 steals

Rebounds
MEM: Gasol 10
CLE: Varejao, Zeller 8

Assists
MEM: Conley 7
CLE: Irving 6

CLE@LAC

LAC: 95 (Crawford 17, Griffin 14, Bledsoe 12)
CLE: 74 (Irving 26, Neal 10, Shaw 10)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Blake Griffin 14 points (4-9 FG) 9 rebounds 5 assists 1 steal 1 block

Rebounds
LAC: Jordan 15
CLE: Varejao 9

Assists
LAC: Bledsoe 9
CLE: Shaw, Villanueva 2

Record: 28-37

Cavs Courageous in Defeat


T-Mac tried to inspire the Cavs in the 4th.

The Cavaliers came close to causing an upset in Oklahoma City, but eventually went down by 116-111.

Kevin Martin was the high-point scoring for the Thunder, scoring 27. But it was Russell Westbrook who was the outstanding player for OKC. He was 2 rebounds off a triple-double, with 20 poitns, 8 rebounds and 14 assists. Kevin Durant was restricted to 18 points, as he fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter. Luckily Kevin Martin and Russell Westbrook did a good job taking over the game. Serge Ibaka (17) and Jeremy Lamb (14) were also influential in their win.

Tristan Thompson continued his good form, abusing Kendrick Perkins inside as he scored 22 points. Tracy McGrady sparked the Cavaliers fourth quarter run, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the final term. Kyrie Irving was restricted to 14 points, but found other ways to get involved, as he had 4 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals. Tyler Zeller (12) and Gary Neal (10) provided solid contributions off the bench, while Mike Bibby enjoyed his first game for the Cavaliers, scoring 9 points and assisting 5 plays.

CLE@OKC

OKC: 116 (Martin 27, Westbrook 20, Durant 18)
CLE: 111 (Thompson 22, McGrady 18, Irving 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Russell Westbrook 20 points (8-19 FG) 8 rebounds 14 assists 2 steals 2 blocks

Rebounds
OKC: Westbrook 8
CLE: Varejao 7

Assists
OKC: Westbrook 14
CLE: Irving 11

Injury Report
Kyrie Irving - Twisted Ankle, Day-to-day

Injury Ravaged Cavs Win


Bibby turned back the clock.

Despite missing Kyrie Irving (twisted ankle), J.J. Redick (flu) and Chuck Shaw (knee tendonitis), the Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a 115-112 win over the Phoenix Suns.

It was an inspired scoring effort by the role players, as Tracy McGrady (19) and Gary Neal (18) helped fill the void the injured stars left. With Irving out, Dion Waiters was the marked man, but he stepped up and had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. But the incredible story of the game was Mike Bibby. In just his second game of the season, he started in the place of Kyrie Irving and the Phoenix crowd saw his best game in years. He had 16 points, 13 assists and 3 steals, and was named the Jordan Performer of the Game. Alonzo Gee (14) stepped up in Shaw's absense, while Austin Daye and Tristan Thompson added 10 each.

In contrast to Cleveland's shared scoring, only three players from the Suns scored in double figures. Michael Beasley showed another glimpse of his star potential, as he had 29 points and 11 rebounds. Shannon Brown also proved to be dangerous, scoring 21. Rookie Toby Robins added 15.

CLE@PHX

CLE: 115 (McGrady 19, Neal 18, Waiters 18)
PHX: 112 (Beasley 29, Brown 21, Robins 15)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Mike Bibby 16 points (6-10 FG) 3 rebounds 13 assists 3 steals

Rebounds
CLE: Varejao 7
PHX: Beasley 11

Assists
CLE: Bibby 13
PHX: Marshall 10

Cavs Fall in Double Overtime


Dion Waiters stepped up in Kyrie's absence.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 135-131 in a double-overtime classic against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Damian Lillard had a career game, scoring 31 points and assisting on an incredible 18 plays. Nicolas Batum also had a huge performance, with 28 points. Andre Iguodala (22) and LaMarcus Aldridge (20) rounded out an excellent effort by the Trail Blazers, while Joel Freeland (9 points, 14 rebounds) was also integral to their win.

Dion Waiters had the best game of his career in the loss. He had 38 points and 8 assists. He also scored the basket that forced the game into a second overtime. Cleveland had four other double-digit scorers, with Alonzo Gee (18 points, 7 rebounds), Tracy McGrady (14), Mike Bibby (14 points, 15 assists) and Austin Daye (10) all contributing to the cause.

CLE@POR
(2OT)
POR: 135 (Lillard 31, Batum 28, Iguodala 22)
CLE: 131 (Waiters 38, Gee 18, Bibby 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Damian Lillard 31 points (11-16 FG) 3 rebounds 18 assists 1 steal

Rebounds
POR: Freeland 14
CLE: Varejao 9

Assists
POR: Lillard 18
CLE: Bibby 15

Record: 29-39

Looks like the playoffs are slowly slipping out of your grasp. Injuries obviously aren't helping, but at least Waiters is showing some promise and your vets are plugging the gaps somewhat.

Whether you make the playoffs or not I'm looking forward to seeing what you do during the off-season.

Phil89, it seems like my IR keeps getting filled up with injured players. At the moment, I always seem to have at least 3 players who are hurt. But it's a part of the game I enjoy. I hated that nobody ever got injured in my NBA Live 10 dynasty. And yeah, I'm liking Dion Waiters a lot more now. I was tempted to have him as my sixth man - since he was one in college IIRC - but him starting and Redick being the 6th man seems to be a good balance.

The off-season is my favourite time, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. Whether it's after a playoffs run or not shall be determined soon I guess.

Nets Close Out Cavs


Bibby continues to be productive for Cleveland.

The Brooklyn Nets outscored the Cavaliers by 30-19 in the 4th. The final score of the game was 113-102.

Deron Williams was the instigator for the Nets win, scoring 27 points and assisting on 8 plays. Joe Johnson had a strong all round game, with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block. Kris Humphries (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Gerald Wallace (11 points, 8 rebounds) provided the Nets enough toughness on the boards to give them a +7 advantage on the night.

For the Cavaliers, J.J. Redick had a good game back from injury, scoring 20 points. Dion Waiters and Mike Bibby also provided the Cavaliers strong guard play, as they added 17 points each. With the absence of Tyler Zeller, Cesar De La Cruz made the most of his extended minutes, as he scored 15, while Tristan Thompson added 10 points an 7 rebounds.

BKN@CLE

BKN: 113 (Williams 27, Johnson 21, Humphries 14)
CLE: 102 (Redick 20, Bibby 17, Waiters 17)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Deron Williams 27 points (10-18 FG) 3 rebounds 8 assists 1 block

Rebounds
BKN: Humphries 11
CLE: Varejao 9

Assists
BKN: Williams 8
CLE: Waiters 8

Cavs Fly Over Hawks


Cesar De La Cruz was a dominant defensive force, with 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

The Cavaliers were able to win one on he road, with a 110-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Dion Waiters was the high point scorer for the Cavaliers, with 24 points. Charlie Villanueva picked up some extra minutes in the absence of Marreese Speights and scored 17. Kyrie Irving (14 points, 9 assists) was close to another double-double, while Mike Bibby and Tristan Thompson both added 10 points each.

Lou Williams was the dominant player for the Atlanta Hawks. He scored 27 points and assisted 7 plays. But no one else was able to get in the groove he was in, as Devin Harris (12), Al Horford (12 points, 14 rebounds), Stephen Jackson (11) and Jeff Teague (11) only registered minor contributions on the offensive end.

CLE@ATL

CLE: 110 (Waiters 24, Villanueva 17, Irving 14)
ATL: 102 (Williams 27, Harris 12, Horford 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Dion Waiters 24 points (9-14 FG) 3 rebounds 5 assists 2 steals 1 block

Rebounds
CLE: De La Cruz 9
ATL: Horford 14

Assists
CLE: Irving 9
ATL: Williams 7

Free Throw Miss Costs Wizards; Cavs Keep Season Alive


Kyrie caused major problems for Delonte West

The Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a 106-103 win in the nation's capital. With the game tied at 103, Bradley Beal had the chance to put the Wizards in a commanding position. But he missed the first of his two free throws. On the other end, Kyrie Irving hit a layup to put Cleveland up by one. Beal missed on the following possession and Kyrie closed out the game from the free throw line.

It ended up being Kyrie Irving's day, as he had 26 points, 9 assists and 6 steals. Dion Waiters (15) and Anderson Varejao (14) were also influential for the Cavaliers down the stretch. Bench warmers Charlie Villanueva and Cesar De La Cruz once again stepped up in the rotation due to injury and they both had 12 points each.

For the Wizards, Bradley Beal had a great game before those last couple of plays. He had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Nick Young was once again explosive off the bench, scoring 22 off 9-14 shooting. Emeka Okafor (18 points, 7 rebounds) and Trevor Booker (18 points, 12 rebounds) both provided a strong inside presence for the Wizards. Delonte West (13 points, 9 assists) started in place for John Wall and almost had a triple-double. Unfortunately, the stat he picked up his double-double with was in the turnover column, as he lost the ball 10 times.

With only 11 games left in the season, this was a crucial win for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They still have an outside shot of making the playoffs, as they're only 1.5 games behind the 8th seed.

CLE@WAS

CLE: 106 (Irving 26, Waiters 15, Varejao 14)
WAS: 103 (Beal 24, Young 22, Booker 18)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 26 points (11-14 FG) 2 rebounds 9 assists 6 steals

Rebounds
CLE: De La Cruz 8
WAS: Booker 12

Assists
CLE: Irving 9
WAS: West 9

Record: 31-40

Injury Update

Chuck Shaw - Knee Tendinitis, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Marreese Speights - Twisted Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Tyler Zeller - Inflamed Elbow, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)

Cavs' Comeback Against Jazz


Kyrie outplayed former Cavalier Mo Williams.

The Cavaliers outscored the Jazz 33-18 in the 4th quarter to win 95-92.

Kyrie Irving was influential in the comeback, as he was named the Performer of the Game with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. J.J. Redick was also efficient in the win, scoring 14 points, which included 2-2 shooting from beyond the arc. Power forwards Tristan Thompson and Charlie Villanueva created problems for Utah's interior defense, as they scored 12 and 11 respectively. Alonzo Gee contributed 10 points and 5 rebounds.

For the Jazz, journeyman Corey Maggette was the top scorer, with 20 points. Gordon Hayward was the best for Utah, as he had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Derrick Favors and Mo Williams (10 assists) also scored 12 points, while Paul Millsap scored 10 off a perfect 5-5 from the field.

UTA@CLE

CLE: 95 (Irving 25, Redick 14, Thompson 12)
UTA: 92 (Maggette 20, Favors 12, Hayward 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 25 points (10-16 FG) 5 rebounds 5 assists 2 steals

Rebounds
CLE: De La Cruz 8
UTA: Millsap 7

Assists
CLE: Irving 5
UTA: Mo. Williams 10

Cavs Momentum Halted by Celtics


Gary Neal played well in his first start for the Cavs.

The Cavaliers winning streak ended at three, as they lost 117-107 against the Celtics.

It was Jordan Crawford who created most of the headaches for Cleveland. In the absence of Rajon Rondo, he filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block. Jeff Green also had a strong game, with 18 points and 5 steals. Paul Pierce (17), Avery Bradley (16) and Kevin Garnett (12) all played significant parts in the win for Boston.

For the Cavaliers, Gary Neal and Kyrie Irving shared the top scoring honours, as they had 23 points each. Neal made his first start of the season, as he came into the starting line-up for the sick Dion Waiters. J.J. Redick also played well, scoring 15. The real story for Cleveland though was Cesar De La Cruz. He seems to be improving every game and in this one, the Cavs looked better defensively when he was on the court. He had 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal. Where De La Cruz excelled, Anderson Varejao was under-par, with only 3 rebounds to go with his 10 points. Alonzo Gee also added 10.

BOS@CLE

BOS: 117 (Crawford 30, Green 18, Pierce 17)
CLE: 107 (Irving 23, Neal 23, Redick 15)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Jordan Crawford 30 points (13-26 FG) 5 rebounds 7 assists 2 steals 1 block

Rebounds
BOS: Garnett 7
CLE: De La Cruz 10

Assists
BOS: Bradley 9
CLE: Irving 10

Rose Dominates Against Cavs


Gary Neal was the only Cavalier to score more than 20 points.

Derrick Rose proved that he was back to his best, as the Bulls beat the Cavs 114-101 in Chicago. The humble MVP was unstoppable, with 32 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Carlos Boozer also provided Chicago a great scoring option, as he scored 21 points. Taj Gibson (17) and Luol Deng (15) were also efficient on offense for Chicago.

For the Cavs, it was Gary Neal providing the spark once again, as he scored 21 points. Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving both added 14 each, while J.J. Redick (4-13) had a horrible night from the field, but managed to score 12.

CLE@CHI

CHI: 114 (Rose 32, Boozer 21, Gibson 17)
CLE: 101 (Neal 21, Irving 14, Thompson 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Derrick Rose 32 points (14-28 FG) 5 rebounds 10 assists 2 steals

Rebounds
CHI: Butler 9
CLE: Varejao 6

Assists
CHI: Rose 10
CLE: Irving 8

Record: 32-42

Injury Update

Dion Waiters - Flu, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Chuck Shaw - Knee Tendinitis, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Tyler Zeller - Inflamed Elbow, Day-to-day (Hurt)

March Summary

Despite the fact they went below .500 in the month of March, the Cavaliers are still in the hunt for a playoffs berth. They were also hit by numerous injuries and illness throughout the month - in fact, the only person who has played every game for Cleveland in the 2013-2014 season is the person nobody would have bet on, Anderson Varejao. But despite his durability, the emergence of Cesar De La Cruz could see Varejao as a trade chip in the upcoming off-season.

The eight remaining games are the following:

@Boston
@Philadelphia
@Utah
Chicago
@Milwaukee
Washington
New York
@Brooklyn

It's an uphill battle for the Cavs to make the eighth seed, but with a bit of luck, Cleveland could make a real run at it in the concluding month of the season.

Standings

East

Heat 54-19
Bucks 45-27
Bulls 44-28
Pacers 42-30
76ers 42-31
Raptors 39-33
Pistons 36-38
Bobcats 34-40
---
Hawks 32-41
Knicks 32-41
Nets 32-41
Cavaliers 32-42
Celtics 29-44
Magic 26-48
Wizards 25-48

West

Nuggets 50-24
Thunder 47-27
Warriors 44-30
Rockets 41-32
Timberwolves 41-33
Grizzlies 40-33
Spurs 36-38
Clippers 36-38
---
Jazz 33-39
Trail Blazers 33-40
Hornets 33-40
Kings 33-41
Mavericks 32-41
Suns 31-43
Lakers 25-49

Monthly Awards

Player
East: [MIA] LeBron James
West: [OKC] Russell Westbrook

Rookie
East: [WAS] Matthew Burks
West: [SAC] Walt Rice

Wow, 10 games below .500 and you can still make the Playoffs this late into the season. Good luck.

You've still got some winnable games left and could catch those Bobcats. Hope you can sneak in, although a series against Miami could be quite tough.

Which draft class is coming up on this game? Hopefully the Wizards can out-tank the Lakers in the remaining games.

Martti., you never realise how weak the Eastern Conference actually is until you control a team from it. In the West, I'd probably be close to being ineligible at this point.

Phil89, I always loved the idea of a series against Miami. It'd be such an epic confrontation. But yeah, those games coming up are definitely winnable.

I'm using a 2013 draft class I found in the downloads section. I think it was made a while ago though, because I did a mock draft with it and it's quite different to how it actually turned out. In fact, I don't think I even saw Anthony Bennett in it. But anyway, it's still quite a good draft class.

Speights Inspires Cavs Revenge Over Celtics


Marreese Speights had a huge fourth quarter.

An incredible performance by backup power forward Marreese Speights saw the Cleveland Cavaliers win 103-96 in Boston. Speights provided problems for the Celtics interior defense, as he scored 26 points off 10-12 from the field. But like just about every win the Cavs have had this season, Kyrie Irving was named the Performer of the Game. Irving was 3 rebounds away from a triple-double, with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists. J.J. Redick had a better night from the field, scoring 16 off 5-9 shooting, while Anderson Varejao (13) and Tristan Thompson (11 points, 7 rebounds) both had minor contributions on the offensive end.

Jordan Crawford was the Celtics spark once again. This time, he was equalled in scoring by Paul Pierce, as they both had 21 each. Brandon Bass (12) and Kevin Garnett (11) had minor scoring contributions, but were both troubled by the energetic performance off the bench by Marreese Speights.

CLE@BOS

CLE: 103 (Speights 26, Irving 17, Redick 16)
BOS: 96 (Crawford 21, Pierce 21, Bass 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 17 points (8-10 FG) 7 rebounds 10 assists 2 steals

Rebounds
CLE: Gee 8
BOS: Bradley, Garnett 5

Assists
CLE: Irving 10
BOS: Bradley 6

Sixers' Guards Wreak Havoc


Anderson Varejao battled hard against Andrew Bynum.

The Philadelphia 76ers powered their way to a 111-94 win over the Cavaliers.

Jrue Holiday was just 2 rebounds away from a triple-double, as he led his team with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists. Courtney Lee and Toney Douglas were just as deadly for the 76ers, as they scored 16 and 15 points respectively. Andrew Bynum (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Andray Blatche (11 points, 10 rebounds) dominated the paint, while Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner scored 10 each.

The Cavaliers had a well rounded effort as well, as 5 players reached double-digits. But nobody had more than 20 points, as Gary Neal top scored with 19. Marreese Speights had another productive night off the bench with 14, while J.J. Redick and Anderson Varejao scored 12 each. Chuck Shaw had a decent night in his game back from injury, as he had 11 points and 5 rebounds. Even though he only had 8 points, Kyrie Irving did a great job getting everyone involved, as he assisted on 17 plays.

CLE@PHI

PHI: 111 (Holiday 20, Lee 16, Douglas 15)
CLE: 94 (Neal 19, Speights 14, Redick 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Jrue Holiday 20 points (10-14 FG) 8 rebounds 12 assists 1 steal 1 block

Rebounds
PHI: Bynum 11
CLE: Varejao 8

Assists
PHI: Holiday 12
CLE: Irving 17

Cavs Edge Jazz Again


J.J. Redick set another career high.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a 116-111 win against the Jazz in Utah.

It was the Kyrie and J.J. show in Utah. Redick scored a career high 38 points, hitting 11-18 from the field and 10-11 from the stripe. Kyrie Irving was also outstanding, as he had 28 points, 6 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. With the majority of the scoring being done by Redick and Irving, the only other double-digit scorer for Cleveland was Cesar De La Cruz. The rookie centre added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench.

The Jazz on the other hand had 6 double-digit scorers. Al Jefferson was causing problems for the Cavs, as he scored 28. Veteran forward Corey Maggette also had a great game against Cleveland, with 22 points. Gordon Hayward (13) and Randy Foye (12) provided solid scorer from the off-guard position, while Mo Williams registered a double-double with 11 points and 13 assists. Paul Millsap registered 10 points and 7 rebounds.

With both teams just outside the playoffs picture, this was an important game for Cleveland to pick up. They're still one and a half games away from the 8th placed Knicks, with just 5 games left in the season. The Jazz are now in a similar predicament, as they find themselves one and a half games away from the Clippers in the West.

CLE@UTA

CLE: 116 (Redick 38, Irving 28, De La Cruz 10)
UTA: 111 (Jefferson 28, Maggette 22, Hayward 13)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 28 points (13-18 FG) 1 rebound 6 assists 5 steals 3 blocks

Rebounds
CLE: De La Cruz 6
UTA: Millsap 7

Assists
CLE: Irving 6
UTA: Mo. Williams 13

Record: 34-43

Injury Update

Tristan Thompson - Twisted Ankle, Day-to-day

Coming up next: The last five games will be simmed. Will the CPU find a way to get the Cavs into the Playoffs? Or will they be looking towards the lottery?

Yeah, that's the trouble with using draft classes long before the real life draft happens. I've got Bennett in the 2014 class on my game. If Noel is in the draft I hope the Wizards get him, for obvious reasons.

Hope the sim engine treats you well in those last five games.

I don't have Bennett in mine either and Shabazz is Top 3. But I like him a lot so I'm not complaining.

As you're simming,I think you'll be in the lottery.

Phil89, from what I've seen, this one has most of the class covered, just a few people going higher/lower than expected. I know it has my favourite name in the draft; the man I call "Kentavious Prime".

Martti., it's funny because earlier in the season, the simming was the only thing that kept me in the season. But the later games seemed to favour the opposition a bit more.

Was that patch made before all the controversies he had? Because I can understand that if that was the case.

5 Simmed Games

CHI@CLE

CLE: 94 (Irving 29, Villanueva 13, Shaw 10)
CHI: 75 (Deng 22, Rose 18, Boozer 8)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 29 points (10-19 FG) 2 rebounds 6 assists 2 steals 1 block

Rebounds
CLE: De La Cruz 8
CHI: Deng 8

Assists
CLE: Redick 7
CHI: Deng, Rose 4

CLE@MIL

MIL: 95 (Howard 26, Ellis 17, Ilyasova 15)
CLE: 80 (Irving 26, Shaw 12, Waiters 10)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Dwight Howard 26 points (10-16 FG) 11 rebounds 1 steal 3 blocks

Rebounds
MIL: Howard 11
CLE: Zeller 11

Assists
MIL: Calderon 9
CLE: Redick 6

Note: The Cavs had to start Tyler Zeller at power forward in this one, as Tristan Thompson (Twisted Ankle), Marreese Speights (Lower Back Strain) and Charlie Villanueva (Twisted Ankled) were all injured.

WAS@CLE

CLE: 95 (Redick 23, Irving 20, Daye 13)
WAS: 69 (Wall 16, Burks 14, Seraphin 13)

Jordan Performer of the Game: J.J. Redick 23 points (8-13 FG) 3 rebounds 4 assists

Rebounds
CLE: Zeller 8
WAS: Seraphin 12

Assists
CLE: Irving, Waiters 5
WAS: Burks, Wall 3

NYK@CLE

NYK: 105 (Anthony 33, Felton 24, Shumpert 18)
CLE: 91 (Irving 32, Neal 10, Redick 10)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Carmelo Anthony 33 points (15-26 FG) 8 rebounds 5 assists 1 block

Rebounds
NYK: Chandler 9
CLE: Varejao 9

Assists
NYK: Shumpert 8
CLE: Redick, Waiters 5

CLE@BKN

CLE: 123 (Irving 34, Waiters 22, Shaw 14)
BKN: 108 (Williams 28, Lopez 23, Johnson 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 34 points (13-20 FG) 2 rebounds 9 assists 1 steal

Rebounds
CLE: Thompson 8
BKN: Humphries 12

Assists
CLE: Irving 9
BKN: Williams 12

Record: 37-45

13-14 End of Season Wrap

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was the case of so close, so far. The team was only one game away from seeing their first post-LeBron playoffs campaign. Strangely enough, if they did make it, their first round matchup would be against the King.

Despite this near miss, the Cavaliers have a lot to look forward to. Both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters had great campaigns and are well and truly on the rise. The Cavs also have some great complementary players who will be with the team next season, such as J.J. Redick, Tristan Thompson, and Chuck Shaw. For now they will watch the more elite teams compete for the NBA Championship, but with the talent the Cavaliers have, it's not likely that they'll have to wait long for their turn.

Final Standings

East

Heat 59-23
Bulls 50-32
Bucks 49-33
76ers 48-34
Pacers 45-37
Raptors 44-38
Pistons 40-42
Knicks 38-44
---
Bobcats 37-45
Cavaliers 37-45
Nets 36-46
Hawks 36-46
Celtics 31-51
Magic 30-52
Wizards 30-52

West

Nuggets 56-26
Thunder 51-31
Warriors 48-34
Rockets 47-35
Timberwolves 46-36
Clippers 42-40
Grizzlies 42-40
Jazz 39-43
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Spurs 39-43
Trail Blazers 38-44
Kings 37-45
Hornets 37-45
Mavericks 36-46
Suns 34-48
Lakers 28-54

League Leaders 2013-2014

Points/Game: [NYK] Carmelo Anthony 29.1
Rebounds/Game: [LAC] Blake Griffin 11.4
Assists/Game: [BOS] Rajon Rondo 9.9
Steals/Game: [CLE] Mike Bibby 2.3
Blocks/Game: [MIL] Dwight Howard 2.1
Minutes/Game: [MIA] LeBron James 37.94

Cavaliers guard J.J. Redick was judged as the best 6th man of the 2013-2014 season.

While Redick was the only individual award winner for the Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving was named to the first teams in both the All-NBA and All-Defensive categories. Chuck Shaw also picked up a selection in the All-Rookie First team.

Awards

MVP
[MIA] LeBron James
26.5ppg 8.6rpg 5.6apg 1.8spg 1.1bpg .520 FG .757 FT .335 3PT

Are we surprised anymore? LeBron James is a beast. Nobody can dispute that fact. The King will be a highly sort after free agent if he decides to opt out. But what are the odds of that, right?

Rookie of the Year
[PHX] Toby Robins
12.9ppg 8.4rpg 3.2apg 0.5spg 1.2bpg .481 FG .576 FT .364 3PT

Matthew Burks was probably my pick for Rookie of the Year, as he won the East Rookie of the Month. But along with the more competitive teams, the West also had a more competitive rookie race. The Suns were pretty awful this season, but with Toby Robins, they have another solid prospect to build their franchise around.

6th Man
[CLE] J.J. Redick
15.1ppg 2.7rpg 3.6apg 0.5spg 0.2bpg .448 FG .923 FT .391 3PT

For a while there, it looked like the Cavaliers would make their first post-LeBron playoff run and J.J. Redick was a big reason behind that. He was the leader off the Cavs bench, and was ranked third in the team for points per game. He also had the second best free throw percentage in the league. Redick has been a good role player in the league for a while now, so it's nice to see the former Duke standout get some recognition.

Defensive Player of the Year
[MIL] Dwight Howard
10rpg 1spg 2.1bpg

Howard's previous season with the Lakers appeared to be an aberration, as this season he was back to what he does best. Dwight was a massive defensive presence for the Milwaukee Bucks and helped them to become the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

Most Improved Player
[SAN] Dejuan Blair
15.3ppg 9.1rpg 1.1apg 1.1spg 1.1bpg .502 FG .626 FT

The 2013 champions took a big fall this season, finishing 9th in the West. But the improved play of Dejuan Blair showed that the Spurs might still have a hope in the post-Duncan era.

Coach of the Year
[DEN] Mitchell Peacock
56-26

It was a Denver Nuggets coach once again to win the accolaides. Peacock managed to get the Nuggets to a 56-26 record without Andre Iguodala.

All-Nba

First Team
[OKC] Russell Westbrook
[CLE] Kyrie Irving
[MIA] LeBron James
[OKC] Kevin Durant
[MIL] Dwight Howard

Second Team
[HOU] James Harden
[LAL] Kobe Bryant
[NYK] Carmelo Anthony
[LAC] Blake Griffin
[PHI] Andrew Bynum

Third Team
[MIA] Dwyane Wade
[PHI] Jrue Holiday
[MIN] Kevin Love
[POR] LaMarcus Aldridge
[DET] Greg Monroe

All-Defensive

First Team
[LAC] Eric Bledsoe
[CLE] Kyrie Irving
[MIA] LeBron James
[NOH] Anthony Davis
[MIL] Dwight Howard

Second Team
[NYK] Iman Shumpert
[DEN] Corey Brewer
[UTA] Paul Millsap
[LAC] Blake Griffin
[LAC] DeAndre Jordan

All-Rookie

First Team
[PHX] Toby Robins
[SAC] Walt Rice
[WAS] Matthew Burks
[DET] Jonathon Baker
[CLE] Chuck Shaw

Second Team
[NOH] Clark Samuel
[ORL] Lonny Marks
[POR] Ray Lane
[ORL] Joel Wingate
[BOS] Gregory Daniel

2013-2014 Player Review

It's that time of the season where I evaluate the performance of every player that is currently on the roster. I also give an insight to what possibly might happen to them in the following off-season.

Kyrie Irving
71 games (71 starts)
21.7ppg 8.2apg 2.1spg .536FG%

Although he was hit by a few injuries, Kyrie Irving still played the most games in a season in 2013-2014. And his season was pretty spectacular. His points per game number was slightly lower than his 2012-2013 mark, but his efficiency was incredible. In fact, he led all guards in field goal percentage, with an incredible 53.6 percent success rate from the field.

He also picked up a few accolaides as well. He made his second All-Star appearance and was selected in the first team for both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Kyrie has an exciting future ahead of him, and let's hope his best years are with the Cavaliers.

Dion Waiters
72 games (72 starts)
16.5ppg 4.5apg .514 FG% .842 FT%

Waiters had an awful start to the season. The difference between his best and worst games was massive; one game he looked like the second coming of D-Wade, and the next, he couldn't hit a shot. But as the season progressed, he became far more consistent and he also picked up a lot of the slack when Kyrie Irving was injured.

Dion Waiters has All-star potential and with Kyrie Irving, could be a part of one of the most lethal backcourts in the league.

Chuck Shaw
68 games (68 starts)
7.6ppg 3.5rpg .515 FG%

His numbers don't jump out at you, but his presence cannot be underrated. Shaw is a guy who can do it all. His athleticism sees him make highlight plays, but it also helps him block shots, get rebounds and dive onto loose balls. He doesn't see many plays run for him, but he is a more than capable 3rd or 4th option behind Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

Tristan Thompson
78 games (78 starts)
11ppg 6.4rpg 0.9bpg .545 FG%

He's a little short for the power forward spot, but his leaping ability more than makes up for it. Sorry; I've been hearing that a lot this season. Apparently every coach in the league also thinks he's a guy you can't fall asleep on. But no matter how repetitive, it's all true; underestimate Tristan Thompson at your own risk.

The best way to describe Tristan is deceptive. Just when it doesn't seem like he's doing much, he's dropped 15 points. He's a guy who can slip under the radar when everyone else is paying attention to Irving, Waiters and Redick. He also provides the Cavaliers with a lot of second chance opportunities. All in all, Tristan Thompson is a valuable piece of the puzzle.

Anderson Varejao
82 games (82 starts)
7.2ppg 7.5rpg 0.8bpg .542 FG%

After playing just 25 games in 2012-2013, Anderson Varejao was the only player for the Cavaliers to play all 82 games. His points and rebounds per game practically halved from the season before, but his constant presence in the game made this a career season for him if his stats didn't.

With all that said though, Anderson Varejao is a guy on the wrong side of 30, with two young prospects behind him in the rotation. If the Cavaliers pick up his team option, they'll owe him 9 million in the 2014-2015 season. A sign-and-trade looks to be a great possibility at this time.

J.J. Redick
77 games (13 starts)
15.1ppg 3.6apg .448FG% .391 3PT% .923 FT%

J.J. Redick ended up being the team's biggest acquisition for the season, and this was recognised by the NBA, as he received the 6th man award. Redick's ability to hit open threes was a big factor in the Cavaliers getting closer to the post-season.

Marreese Speights
50 games (2 starts)
5.9ppg 3.4rpg .592 FG%

He didn't get much love on offense at the beginning of the season, but towards the end. Speights' role in scoring increased. One advantage he has over Thompson is his mid-range shot is almost automatic if he's left alone. In fact, it could even be argued that Speights is more skilled than Tristan Thompson.

Speights has a team option that's around about the mid level. The Cavaliers would gain an effective bench big if they choose to execise the option.

Alonzo Gee
76 games (14 starts)
7.4ppg 2.8rpg 1.9apg .560 FG% .322 3PT%

It seemed like Gee made so many big plays, but he didn't receive the credit that was due to him. From day one, he was underestimated and probably had a chip on his shoulder ever since. The fact is, he's probably the best finisher on the team. He's also very active on the defensive end, getting in the way of passing lanes and stripping the ball away from players in the paint. Here's hoping he can remain patient with the franchise, because he is quite a good player.

Gary Neal
36 games (5 starts)
7.6ppg .429FG% .353 3Pt%

Neal was primarily signed as an insurance policy, as Kyrie Irving got injured. This led to him not particularly fitting in at any point of the season. He had no designated role, and this will probably lead him to search for another team in free agency. In saying that though, he had some outstanding games when he starting at shooting guard. If the franchise wasn't so high on Dion Waiters and J.J. Redick, Neal could have a significant role in Cleveland for many seasons to come.

Tyler Zeller
57 games (2 starts)
4.8ppg 4rpg 0.8bpg .532 FG%

Tyler Zeller finds himself in an awkward situation. He backed up Anderson Varejao for most of the season, but never got a starting opportunity because of Varejao's surprising durability. But when Zeller got injured, De La Cruz did a great job in his absence. Because of this, a decision needs to be made on one of the centres in this squad, because it's hard to see them all co-existing. Tyler Zeller is a solid centre on both ends, and if Varejao leaves, there's a good chance he'll be the starting centre. Unless Varejao gets traded for another centre.

Cesar De La Cruz
25 games
4.8ppg 4rpg 1.3bpg .590 FG .913 FT

Cesar was regarded as the worst player to be picked in the 2013 NBA Draft, but the Cavaliers took a chance on him. The chance paid off defensively, as the Cavaliers looked better when his 7'3 frame was protecting the rim. Offensively, he has less range than Tyson Chandler, but is strangely one of the best free throw shooters on the team. With this said, there have been worse players in the NBA selected because of their height, and with more work on his offense, De La Cruz could be something special.

Tracy McGrady
24 games
5.4ppg 1.2rpg .483 FG% .650 FT%

It's shocking to see that Tracy McGrady only played 24 games. But with his game well and truly on the decline, he was never expected to play every game. He had the odd game where he provided the Cavaliers with an offensive spark, but he mostly looked sluggish on the court. He's stated in the media several times that he'll be looking elsewhere next season, so this is the last we'll see of T-Mac in a Cleveland jersey.

Charlie Villanueva
53 games
6.5ppg 1.9rpg .450 FG .355 3PT

Villanueva is an interesting case study. At his best, he can provide Cleveland with a bunch of points in a hurry. He could average 20 points a game if he had more court time. But the deficiencies in his game are glaring. For a guy his size, he's a terrible rebounder; or at least far worse than Tristan Thompson or Marreese Speights. Cleveland has an offensive structure that revolves around good guard play, so he's not the greatest complement to that.

Austin Daye
69 games
5.9ppg 2rpg .436 FG .408 3PT

Austin Daye had a few good games for Cleveland, but for the most part, he didn't get into much of a rhythm. This probably has something to do with how Byron Scott used him. His height often gets him pidgeon-holed as a power forward, when he's really a wing player.

Mike Bibby
11 games (3 starts)
7.2ppg 4.5apg 2.3spg .458 FG

Who would have thought the guy who had a two year break from the league would come back and lead the NBA in steals per game. Bibby came to Cleveland with no expectations placed on him whatsoever. He was an extra body for the Cavs, who'd likely pick up garbage minutes. Instead, he was thrown right into the deep end, as he started his second game back in the NBA. To everyone's surprise, he contributed straight away.

There's speculation that this was Bibby's last season, but if he chooses to go around for one more, he could find his way back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Shocked to see Bibby lead the league in steals but good for him. Can't wait for the offseason!

Lamrock, that was really surprising to me as well. Looking back, I think the fast break is how I scored most of the points with him, because his perimeter shooting is pretty woeful in the game.

[Kenny]

Denver Wins it All


In an incredible turn of events, the Denver Nuggets swept the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals to win their first Larry O'Brien trophy. With the departure of George Karl and Andre Iguodala, many questioned their viability as a playoff team. But that doubt was laid to rest when they won 56 games and cemented the top seed in the West.

Ty Lawson won the Finals MVP, averaging 19.2 points and 8.8 assists per game. He shot 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from behind the arc.

Duncan, Garnett Headline Retirees

The two greatest power forwards of their era, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett have both decided to retire. It was hard to tell whether Duncan's retirement announcement was serious, as he made it on April 1st, but after his Spurs were eliminated from playoffs contention, he confirmed the fact. Another future Hall of Famer in Steve Nash also chose to call it a day, after two forgettable seasons with the Lakers.

[CHI] Rip Hamilton (15)
[BOS] Kevin Garnett (19)
[ATL] Stephen Jackson (13)
[NYK] Vince Carter (16)
[MIA] Shane Battier (13)
[LAL] Steve Nash (18)
[LAL] Antawn Jamison (16)
[DEN] Andre Miller (15)
[SAN] Tim Duncan (17)

Coming up next: The off-season. Who will remain with the team? And who will be recruited? Is LeBron coming back?

Last edited by Kenny on Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.