Omri Casspi has been teaming up with Tamir Goodman over the last few Sundays in an effort to help Cleveland area kids learn about the game of basketball with the Omri Casspi Basketball Camp Series. I linked up with Omri over at Fuchs Mazarachi School in Beachwood for day three of the camp yesterday afternoon, and our conversation is below. We talked about his work with the kids who attended his camp this summer, what he learned during his first year in Cleveland playing under Byron Scott, and his thoughts heading into the 2012/13 campaign with the Cavaliers.


StepienRules: After being traded to a new team, going through the lockout, and then having to adjust to a new system in Cleveland, what do you feel like you learned looking back at this past season?

Omri Casspi: I learned a lot last season. I told Coach [Byron] Scott at the end of the season that wherever I'm going to go from now on in my career, I will always look at this past year, my third year in the League, my first year under Coach Scott, as the year that made a big change in what I understand about the game of basketball. I learned so much, and I'm grateful for it. I didn't have a great year obviously, but it's something that I needed. I'm happy that it happened when I'm still young and I'm still learning, and I'm not a 33-year old guy when I learned all the things that I did from Coach Scott. I think I can grow from what I learned. I'm settled now, I know what I need to do, I know my role, I know the defensive schemes, and I know everything that we do as a team now, so I feel good heading into next season.

StepienRules: Now that you are settled in Cleveland, do things feel different for you heading into next season compared to how you felt one year ago?

Omri Casspi: Absolutely. Training camp was short last year, I got hurt during training camp, I was playing with pain during the season, and I wasn't one hundred percent. But now I've had that time to adjust to everything, and get everything right heading into this next season, and I feel good right now.

StepienRules: How has this camp experience been for you, interacting with these kids over the last few weeks?

I wrote about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the latest issue of SLAM Magazine, which is on newsstands now. Go ahead and pick that up people. In my write-up on MKG, I called him the second best talent available in this Draft. As I told the Ombudsman Joe Lull on Saturday afternoon when I joined him on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, I continue to believe that, with my Cavs Draft board reading MKG, Brad Beal, and Harrison Barnes respectively. 

For the print piece I wrote, SLAM played off the MKG / MGK theme with Machine Gun Kelly's LACE UP as the headline. Our interview taking place in Cleveland had something to do with that too I imagine. Below is the picture of it I posted on Instagram over the weekend:


There's seems to be a growing sentiment that Kidd-Gilchrist could be on the board too when the Cavaliers end up selecting at 4 on Thursday night. In their latest Mock, Draft Express has MKG eventually landing in Cleveland, noting the following:

4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: The Cavs have virtually nothing on the wing going into next season and would be very happy to see Kyrie Irving's former high school teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist available right here. Kidd-Gilchrist could fill an immediate hole, bringing intensity and toughness that will immediately improve Cleveland's shaky perimeter defense. He's one of the most competitive players in this draft. Still very much a work in progress offensively, he would form a formidable transition duo with Irving and athletic forward Tristan Thompson.

We'll have plenty more this week leading up to the Draft, stay tuned Cleveland.

Be There Thursday: Stepien Rules Cavs Draft Tweet-Up June 28th at Mullarkey's Irish Pub with the Social Dudes - hope you can make it!

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available late in the first round for the Cavs this Thursday, below is our final installment of this series on Moe Harkless from St. John's.

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here: @nickmance

No. 20 – Moe Harkless, Freshman, St. Johns; 2011-12 stats: 15.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 44% shooting


In what was a bit of a rough season for St. Johns, due in part to head coach Steve Lavin’s illness, one of the bright spots was freshman wing Moe Harkless. the Queens, New York product put together a very nice season, sort of under the radar, and has turned himself into a first round Draft Pick.

Harkless is another one of these players that is a long and athletic wing. He has tremendous size for a 3, standing 6-9. Physically, he is ready for the NBA. His athletic and leaping ability will be his greatest assets when he enters the League. Offensively, he does a lot of his damage in transition and attacking the rim. He is extremely quick and agile for a player of his height, and is tough to stop when he gets a head of steam. Harkless is also a superb rebounder and shot blocker. He excelled at both areas in college, and there is no reason it cannot translate to success at the next level for him.

At times this season, Harkless would take some plays off occasionally. He was not always as aggressive or assertive as he should have been for a player of his talent. He has the ability where he could have really been a force for the Red Storm, but was never able to consistently play with that aggression. Harkless also lacks a consistent jumper right now, but I always feel that is something that can be developed. If he is able to improve on his jump shot and become more of a complete scorer, Harkless could be lethal.

It’s time to move on.  He has.  I have.  For the most part, we have.  The new narrative for the Cavaliers has already begun but now we can focus on that and that alone.  The scorned franchise left behind dusts itself off and tries again.  Thursday didn’t hurt the way I thought it would in 2010 and truthfully, our franchise has ante’d up and pulled a chair up to the table a whole hell of a lot earlier than I ever would’ve imagined it possible that summer.

Kyrie Irving.  I don’t know if he realizes how much easier he made Thursday.  I watched the finals and knew deep down it was GOING to happen but every so often ABC threw out a pick-me-up.  Uncle Drew.  We have taken the first significant step towards rebuilding back to relevancy.  The kid is a star in the making.  There he was peaking around the corner during timeouts and breaks from the game’s greatest stage.  Gilbert and Grant pressed their luck at the 2011 deadline and stumbled onto a young man who has potential enough to give a name to a new era.

Now clearly this second chance has a way to go but the next shoe to drop is coming this Thursday.  I can’t recall ever being so excited for any Cleveland sports draft.  Ever.  The more I look into these prospects the more that I want to draft ALL of them.  Seriously, this class is loaded with talent.  I want to trade the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and fields of Utica Shale waiting to be fracked in order to get picks 2-5.  In reality however atleast we’re seeing the benefit of all of those horrendous games down the stretch in the fact that we do have #4 and are guaranteed to add a VERY good prospect to the young core of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

Maybe what they were saying...Michael Kidd-Gilchrist pictured below at his Charlotte Bobcats workout: "Take him at 2, Bobcats. Draft my man Bradley Beal over here. I'm not trying to play for the worst team in NBA history. Bradley Beal: "You better watch that, Mike. You know I'm not trying to play here either bro."


This could be good news for the player eventually drafted 2nd overall next Thursday. The Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers are either in discussions, or might have spoke already, about the possibility of trading that 2nd pick. We speculated about this initially, and then heard similar reports before. It's the smokescreen pre-Draft narrative where Cleveland trades the 24th pick overall (probably) in exchange for the right to move up two spots (from 4 to 2). Instead of doing this in order to acquire MKG this time though, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated writes the Cavaliers are considering the move in order to Draft Beal.

Here's Sam Amick's SI report on that from earlier today:

As Charlotte continues to ponder its decision at No. 2, numerous executives expect the Bobcats to be approached by Cleveland (No. 4) about the possibility of swapping picks (if it hasn’t happened already) in order for the Cavaliers to land Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal. While Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving is known to be a huge proponent of drafting North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes, it appears Beal has shot up their big board just as he has so many others, and it’s widely believed that he won’t get past Washington at No. 3 if they don’t make a move.

I'm from Cleveland, and I understand that LeBron James is about to win an NBA Title this evening. As much as I wanted him to win that Title here, as much as I didn't want him to leave two years ago, and as much as I hated the way he left, I was pretty sure this would happen eventually. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh - sic team. An NBA Championship was inevitable the moment they all got together. Tonight doesn't change anything for me as a Cleveland sports fan. 

Frankly, I was surprised they didn't win last year. There was no part of me that expected the Cavaliers to win an NBA championship before LeBron and the Miami Heat did either. Deep down, not even the guy who sent that email originally actually believed such a thing was possible. 

Was I rooting for LeBron James to lose again this year? Yes, I was. Was I willing to go as far as wearing a cheesy shirt that says OKCLE? No, I wasn't. Does that qualify me as some degree of a hater? I don't know, and I don't care. He's going to win tonight because he's the best player in the world regardless of what anybody cheered for. I understand and accept that, just like most people around here do.

I won't be watching the post-game celebration at any point in my life though. Just being honest. We were supposed to celebrate that with him. He was supposed to carry that trophy down Euclid Avenue. That's what hurts the most about the whole thing. Maybe it's selfish of me to think that as a Cavaliers fan. Probably it is I guess, but probably it's not at the same time. I think there's a part of LeBron that still wishes he won it here too, as crazy as that sounds. Even though he won't.

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Tony Wroten from Washington. 

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here: @nickmance

No. 21 – Tony Wroten Jr, Freshman, Washington; 2011-12 stats: 16 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 44% shooting


As another highly touted freshman, Tony Wroten Jr, put together a solid season before deciding to throw his name into the pool of Draft prospects. In doing my research on him, most mock drafts have Wroten landing in the mid to late first round, which is where I would have him pegged. In terms of basketball and pure talent, Wroten might be a top 10-guy. He's a strong and physical point guard, and at 6-6 he has the chance to overpower some guards in the NBA as soon as he steps onto the court.

He gets to the rim at a relentless pace and finished at a high rate. Like Marquis Teague, he has incredible court vision for such a young player. Being a 6-6 point guard, its gives him a great advantage when he will have a height advantage on many of his adversaries. Along with his vision, he is also a great passer. Those are skills that are going to be his best entering the NBA.

Last night I stopped by the Word Church in Warrensville Heights for opening night of the Dru Joyce Summer League. Tons of Cleveland area basketball legends were in the building, with games going on two courts starting at 630.

For the 830 game, the great Earl Boykins came through and matched-up against Dru Joyce and Romeo Travis. Cleveland's own Chet Mason had his team playing on the opposite court earlier when things tipped off at 630. Mason had former Kent State alum's Nate Gerwig and John Edwards on his squad. Tony Fisher, owner of a couple Super Bowl rings, played in the 730 game. Sam Clancy, the former Player of the Year in the PAC-10 from USC, also played at 730.

Then at 9:30 the NBA Rookie of the Year came through to close things down for the night.


Kyrie Irving put on a show for the couple hundred fans in attendance. His team played against Ohio State great and future NBA player David Lighty, who also did his part for the fans gathered around the sidelines. Lighty mixed in a couple high flying dunks with some long-range bombs from the corner, and I continue to think the Cavs would be well-served by signing Lighty to a FA deal next season. There was one stretch in the game where Irving took the ball three times into the far corner himself, crossed his guy over a couple times, stepped back, and drilled a three on consecutive trips. That series alone was enough to make me willing to pay to get in, despite the free admission.


In a setting like that, you really do get a greater appreciation for just how ridiculous Kyrie Irving's handles are. The jumpshot is pure as ever, but I've really never seen anything like the way he handles the basketball. It's like there are magnets in his hand that pull the ball back into his palm no matter where he bounces it. Or something like that, I thought last night as I stood watching. Irving's team ended up winning the game 82-77, with he and Lighty scoring the majority of their team's points. Reggie Keely from Ohio University looked pretty tough as well, playing on Kyrie's team in that last game of the night. Marcus Johnson from St. V's and Andre Pope from Kennedy also played in the night-cap with Irving and Lighty. Uncle Drew was not in attendance.

Put this on your calendars: Cavs Draft Tweet-Up June 28th at Mullarkey's Irish Pub with the Social Dudes - hope you can make it!

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Fab Melo from Syracuse. 

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here:  @nickmance

No. 22 – Marquis Teague, Freshman, Kentucky 2011-12 stats: 10 ppg, 4.8 apg, 41% shooting


Tyreke Evans. Derrick Rose. John Wall. John Calipari knows how to recruit and develop point guards, and Marquis Teague is no different. Teague is going to be one of at least five Kentucky players to be drafted in the first round. And for good reason; he has a chance to be a special guard in the NBA.

Playing in Kentucky’s uptempo style was perfect for Teague’s skill-set. He is an amazingly fast point guard, as was Wall and Rose for Calipari. He might have been one of the fastest guards in the nation last season with the ball in his hand. With the NBA becoming such a guard oriented League now, Teague’s skills will fit in nicely.

Offensively, he does most of his damage attacking the basket. He has a blazing fast first step and he is able to finish at the rim with ease. For such a young point guard, he has great court vision. It will only get better as he matures. Teague does lack a consistent jump shot, but coming out of college, so did Rose and Wall.

Prior to the NBA Lottery, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was unanimously considered the second best prospect available in this year's Draft. I therefore concluded that if Cleveland lost out on Anthony Davis, the Cavaliers would need the second overall pick in order to acquire the services of his running-mate from Kentucky. Upon the ping pong balls eventual announcement, I initially thought they'd need to then trade up to two in order to land MKG. Then I decided there was no telling what Michael Jordan would do with his pick. I then began to think the Bobcats could go any number of directions at two, allowing MKG to still maybe slide to the Cavs at four.

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune this weekend, there's still good reason to think that's possible:

Bobcats will either draft Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson, or Bradley Beal (h/t SLAMonline):

“One major problem for Jordan is that his team needs help at a lot of positions. According to several NBA front-office execs, [Michael] Jordan is deciding whether to take North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes, Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson or Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal with the No. 2 pick. ’It’s a good draft, but there is just one star,’ one NBA executive said. ‘But there are kids in this draft who could be in the league for 10 years and be nice players.’”

If Charlotte does go with either Barnes, Robinson, or Beal at two, things could get cray. Pro Basketball Draft has MKG going third to Washington, with the Cavaliers choosing Beal over Barnes (5th to SAC), and Draft Express has it the same. NBADraft.Net, as a third example, actually has the Cavaliers deciding between all three of those guys - picking Barnes (4th) over Kidd-Gilchrist (5th to SAC) AND Beal (7th to GSW). As I told my man Joe Lull when I joined him on 92.3 FM The Fan in Cleveland on Friday night, my Cavaliers draft board continues to read MKG, Beal, Barnes - in that order. In saying as much, I had almost convinced myself that Cleveland wouldn't actually end up with an opportunity to totally decide between the three. I was beginning to assume that MKG and Beal would be off the board, leaving the Cavs with Harrison Barnes. That might not actually be the case however, especially if Charlotte goes Robinson at two. Which they very well could.