Losing to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night did not bilk Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue of his sense of humor. On the contrary, he was in stand-up form while riffing about the letdown.
Consider this quip about draft picks, via The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd:
Ty Lue: "We're running around here worrying about getting the Brooklyn pick, they may want our pick."
— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydNBA) October 26, 2017
DUH-AMN.
In case you don’t remember—though, how could you not?—the Cavaliers acquired the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick from the Boston Celtics this past summer as part of the Kyrie Irving trade. Most commended them for the get. Dealing a superstar is never easy, but Irving wanted out. The Cavaliers did extremely well to get Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a hobbled All-Star in Isaiah Thomas and a selection that projected to land in the top five.
The Nets, however, may have other ideas. They are 3-2 on the season—same as the Cavaliers. No one expects their above-.500 ways to hold, but they’re scrappy and fun. They may win more games than people expect, and many of those victories will be the result of opponents being caught off-guard by their free-flowing effort.
Just so we’re clear, Cavs fans: The Nets don’t want your pick. Given the option, they’d definitely want their own back. Your team is going to be fine.
But give the Nets this: They come to fight, and there’s a not-so-insignificant chance they play their way out of the top-five lottery odds Cleveland is hoping to enjoy.
