Korver a perfect fit
Guard’s outside shot complements rest of Cavaliers’ star power.
CLEVELAND — For months, Kyle Korver felt a little lost in his new surroundings.
Even though he has been around since January after being traded by Atlanta, he still can’t believe he’s with the Cavaliers, the defending champions and his longtime nemesis.
“I find myself still saying, ‘The Cavs’ and not ‘Us,’ ” Korver said with a laugh after practice last week. “And I think, ‘Wait, that’s me. I’m a Cav! It’s us! It’s we!’
“You spend so much time focusing on trying to beat this team, it is a little trippy. I think I’m past it now. I think I’ve gotten to a good point.”
At l ast , Kor ver feel s at home in Cleveland.
One of the game’s best shooters, the 36-year-old forward has helped the Cavs steamroll through the first two rounds of the playoffs without a loss and into the Eastern Conference finals.
They begin Wednesday, with Cleveland facing Washington or Boston in what will be Korver’s 100th c areer playoff game.
After being closely guarded by Indiana in the first round — and used as a decoy by the Cavs — he averaged just five points in the first six games of the playoffs.
B u t Ko r v e r b r o k e o u t in Games 3 and 4 against Toronto. Korver scored 14 points on 5- of-7 shooting in Game 3 and followed in Game 4 by scoring 16 in the second quarter and finishing with 18 points as the Cavs closed out the series.
The two-game burst — he went 8 of 12 on 3-pointers — boosted Korver’s confidence and gave future opponents even more to think about, as if scheming for LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love weren’t enough.
With Korver on the floor, defenses face a dilemma: Stay close and not let him shoot or give him space and deal with the consequences.
“It’s a bonus for us because teams are not going to leave him and that’s what allows LeBron and Kevin and Kyrie to play efficient and get to t he b a ske t , ” Cavs c o a c h Tyronn Lue said. “Teams are not going to leave him and we understand that, so even when he’s not shooting the basketball, that’s a weapon that we c an use and we understand that. So if they do leave him, he’s going to make them pay. So it’s a weapon for us and we enjoy it.”
Korver has had playoff r uns i n At l a nt a a nd Chicago ended by James. When he first arrived, the threetime champ told him that his job was simple — catch and shoot. James even studied film to see where Korver most liked to receive passes before he shoots.
“He’s made big shots for us in these playoffs and hopefully he’ll continue to do that for us,” Lue said. we stick with those commitments and they all sign in December, it could be an advantage.”
Alabama’s Nick Saban had expressed his opposition to an early signing period in the past, and he noted Monday that it could limit opportunities for prospects who take big steps forward in their development as seniors.
Florida’s Jim McElwain b e l i e ve s t he e a r l y s i g ning period will “call some people’s bluff both from the players’ side and the school’s side.”
McElwain said some prospects might commit to a school simply to try reserving a spot in a class while continuing to look around. He also noted that many schools make flurries of offers early in the recruiting calendar. With the earlier signing period, coaches now will know how seriously to take a prospect’s commitment and recruits will know when an offer is legitimate.
“You’ll find out in December if the guy’s committed to you,” South Carolina’s Will Muschamp said. “If he’s not signing in December, you’d better rethink your numbers at the position or continue to recruit because you’re not really sure if he’s going to sign with you in February.”
Mississippi’s Hugh Freeze said he didn’t mind the early signing period but he did o p p o s e a n o t h e r p o l i c y change that allows high school juniors to take official visits from April through June. Freeze didn’t like the way the latter change accelerates the recruiting calendar and says recruits now will be making visits before the school knows them particularly well. Arkansas’ Bret Bielema and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin were among the other coaches to express their concerns about allowing earlier visits.