Brave New World: Drafting and Winning in Cleveland

By: Scott Barkett

But I don't want comfort. I want God. I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin. 

-Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

We Prefer to Do Things Comfortably

Cleveland fans would do well to read a little Huxley this week, as the tired, huddled masses cope with last weekend's underwhelming NFL draft. The safe, traditional--dare I say comfortable--path that Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert followed during their brief stay in Barea is no more.

In its place, Browns fans have seen their team pursue and sign two of the top available free agents--a facet of roster building openly abhorred by Holmgren, et al. Then, during the 2013 NFL Draft--the yearly Super Bowl for Browns fans starved for hope--Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi opted to trade down, then out of the middle rounds for higher future picks and veteran wide receiver Davone Bess. They even traded with the Steelers, an ultimate sign of confidence for a franchise that has all too often cowered in fear and deference to the black and gold.

(And for the all the talk of Steelers drafting greatness, ask your local Steelers fan how that 2009 draft went for them. They'll tell you that it's not just Eric Mangini that can blow an entire draft.)

Despite Banner's active free agency period and confident if not arrogant patience with the draft, the pitchforks and torches are out once again among Cleveland fans.

You'd have thought Banner and Lombardi slapped Bernie Kosar across the face.

Episode 12

The one where Cavs fans choose their own Mike Brown adventure (For angry path, press play; For rationalizing path, press play too).

Topics: Mike Brown hiring reactions, mid-level free agent targets


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Episode 11

The one where Byron gets fired, and Mike Brown buys Bill Cowher's mansion in Strongsville.

Topics: Byron Scott's firing, potential replacements, Cavs' season in review, goals for next season.


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Our Very Thought-Out (unquestionably perfect) All-NBA Teams

Here's Logan and Scott's All-NBA first and second teams. Enjoy!

If you'd like to chime in with your own All-NBA squad, get in touch with us on Twitter: @TheBottomUpShow

Logan's All-NBA Selections
By: Logan Bednarczuk

Before I share my NBA first team selections, I would just like to point out that I believe, like the all-star game, that the selection process should get rid of the Center label and instead be allowed to pick 3 backcourt positions. That’s not to say I don’t believe the Center position is n important one I just feel that Forwards this year really performed better than the Centers. That being said, I will stick to the traditional format and select a center for my all NBA teams until the rule changes (sorry, Carmelo).

First Team

Guard: Chris Paul- 17.0 PPG/ 9.6 APG/ 3.8 RPG/ 26.33 PER

Chris Paul is largely seen as the best point guard in the league and with merit. His ability to control the game on the floor is second to none and he has the best defensive hands in the league. Not to mention the fact that he could become the first player-coach to lead his team to a championship since Bill Russell….What? Del Negro is the head coach?!?!? Well I still feel like Chris Paul should at least be acknowledged as a co-head coach and that’s still a remarkable feat.

Guard: Tony Parker- 20.4 PPG/ 7.6 APG/ 3.0 RPG/ 23.08 PER

This is my controversial first team pick. I realize that their have been several guards that have had amazing seasons this year, and this was a very difficult choice. Out of all of them I feel that Westbrook has the best case against Tony Parker, averaging slightly more points and rebounds then Parker and dishing out almost the exact same number assists. Parker however is shooting a remarkable .524 percent from the field, far greater than Westbrook’s .432 percent. He also is the best player on one of the only 3 teams even sniffing 60 wins this season. He has been snubbed of this honor for years and I think he truly deserves it. Westbrook may, and probably should, be offended if he was overlooked for this honor but Parker has been denied such high honors for far too long.

Episode 10...A Two Part Finale to "Don't Believe Me, Just Watch!"

Part I (Western Conference Playoff Team Breakdown)
The one where we break down the Western Conference playoff teams and mourn the loss of Kobe Bean Bryant.


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Part II (Eastern Conference Playoff Team Breakdown)
The one where we break down the Eastern Conference playoff teams and mourn the loss of Gerald Wallace. Oh, wait...he's still healthy? Oh. Well, then. Yikes.


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Episode 9

The one where the Cavs' defense eats the whole wheel of cheese, and playoff teams jockey for optimal seeding.

Topics: Cavs, worst or worstest?; Optimal playoff match-ups for the top teams; Favorite NBA story of the year


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Episode 8

"...because that's the way we've always done it."

The one where Tristan Thompson has Lord Byron's back, and April basketball needs a total makeover.

Topics: Tristan Thompson backs up Byron Scott on and off the court, and attempting to fix the dog days of April in the NBA.


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Don't Believe Me, Just Watch: New York Knicks

A true Casanova.

Are the New York Knicks a legitimate contender?
Scott's Answer: You tryin' to get the pipe? 

Someone has to give Miami a run for their money, right?

It would be easy to point to the Knicks’ win last night over Miami as proof that they’re ready to come at the king--and not miss.





To be honest, it’s very hard for me to put much stock in an April regular season matchup like last night’s. Since the Heat’s winning streak ended last week, they've clearly eased up mentally and physically as they get their affairs in order for another deep playoff run.

Point is, the Knicks are legitimate contenders but it would be foolish to use such a small sample size as proof. Over seven games against the same team, you've got to have a go-to strength that’s sustainable and difficult to neutralize, even with extensive gameplanning.

Your meat and potatoes sets have to be lethal in their most basic forms--this requires elite players capable of winning one-on-one matchups. But, to hold up in the playoffs, these sets must have attractive options far out on the decision tree. All of those “If...then...” scenarios must end with at least a good option, if not a great one. If the center doubles Carmelo in the post, then...

Now, what I like about the Knicks roster is that they can score in any number of ways, all of which are good. Coach Woodson can run iso sets with Carmelo, pick and rolls with Felton and Chandler, run JR Smith off screens and let him work, etc.

Then, through each of these sets the Knicks have some deadly three point shooters to kick it out to if the defense collapses. Novak, Kidd, Shumpert, and Prigioni all present the Knicks’ playmakers with appetizing options.

Now, when the Knicks have struggled this year it’s been because the three point shooters have gone cold. They need their shooters--especially a one dimensional guy like Novak--to be locked in if they want to truly challenge the Heat.

Episode 7

Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward hard at work trying to identify the Cavs' anonymous sources.

The one where Anonymous Source averages a triple double and Kyrie risks taking on the tank stench...

Topics: Jason Lloyd's Akron Beacon Journal article exposing dissention in the Cavs' locker room under Byron Scott, Kyrie's return--good or bad move?, Heat streak ends, should they be relieved?, Pay college athletes what they're worth. Seriously.


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