Timofey Mozgov Discussion: Shut Down For Season (66)

Timofey Mozgov had unsuccessful knee surgery last summer and his rehab was handled improperly
Apr 18, 2016

• 
  Tony CartagenaESPN Cleveland

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Email
• print
• comment

Tony Cartagena covers the Cleveland Cavaliers for ESPN 850 WKNR

CLEVELAND – Timofey Mozgov will not be in the starting lineup when the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their 2016 post-season campaign. Head coach Tyronn Lue has previously confirmed to media members that Tristan Thompson will start at center for the remainder of the season.

At least that’s the plan.

Thompson will be faced with the tall task of out-rebounding and out-playing one of the best big men in the NBA in Detroit’s Andre Drummond.

Mozgov has been a shell of his previous self all season long. When the Cavs traded for him at the deadline last year, he made an immediate impact and was thought to be an absolute bargain while comparing his impact to a miniscule $5 million salary.

Pre off-season knee surgery, that was.

“Mozgov had a bad knee and he shouldn’t have started the season when he did,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during his weekly radio show ‘Hey Windy’ on ESPN 1540 KNR2 in Cleveland. “He should have been more worried about rehabbing his knee.

“The surgery that they performed last summer was not a success but he felt pressure to play really well because he saw a massive paycheck coming his way. It was the combination of worrying about the contract and an unhealthy knee and a changing role on the team that all contributed to him having a down year.”

Mozgov’s points per game average has plummeted from 10.6 during his time with the Cavs last season to just 6.3 this year. His rebounding numbers have also dipped to below five per game.

Both drop-offs could be attributed to his dwindling number of minutes, averaging almost 10 less than he did last season, but the fact of the matter is that his play hasn’t justified earned playing time.

Last season he started 45 out of a possible 46 games for Cleveland, this year just 48 out of 76 opportunities.

“He had a cyst in his knee that they removed,” Windhorst added in detail to the summer surgery. “The removing of the cyst didn’t completely heal the issue and there’s the possibility that he may need another surgery.”

Windhorst reiterated that an additional surgery is possible but not guaranteed.

Earlier in the year, former head coach David Blatt consistently credited Mozgov’s slow start to a lack of conditioning that was a result of the surgery. While in recovery mode, he was unable to participate on the Russian National Team nor complete much of his usual off-season regimen. Mozgov’s conditioning took place on the floor in real-time, instead of in practice, which may have been a mistake.

“Because the knee was slow to recover, because there is no such thing as minor knee surgery, he did have a conditioning issue when (the season) started,” Windhorst said. “But, the answer to that should have been rest. Not to play through it.

“He played a back-to-back in the pre-season.”

Mozgov has also been sidelined this season with a strained shoulder.

“Timo’s knee issue last year, whether it was anybody’s fault, or circumstance, did not get handled properly, "Windhorst added. "Whether it was the best knee surgeon in the world, or whatever happened, he did not recover properly and he played through it because he felt the pressure of the contract.

“Frankly, the pressure of the contract has really bothered (Mozgov). One of the things that we’ve learned about him is that he is a little bit fragile mentally especially when it comes to something like that.”

After taking a vicious elbow to the throat from the Boston C Bags' Amir Johnsonin early March, Mozgov was so shaken up that he was unavailable for a post-game quote on the incident. Not that he was in danger of missing time due to injury, but he physically couldn’t speak and when he was approached, he just pointed at his neck and shook his head.

Lue joked post-game that the pending free agent would most assuredly be alright because of his massive size and extreme strength.

“Some (team) may get him on a contract, I don’t know whether or not it is going to be the Cavs,” Windhorst speculated. “But somebody may end up getting him on a three-year deal where it ends up being a discount when he recovers.”

Listen to ‘Hey Windy’ Friday mornings at 8 EST on ESPN 1540 KNR2 and download the podcast here.

Comments

 

Wow, the sky is falling, eh? I would go so far as to say this is a solid signing at 14mil per 3 with a team option for the 4th year. How soon they forget when the Cavs landed Mosgov everyone groaned about them adding a solid center. He is far from spectacular but does a number of things well. Of the centers out there, would you have rather had Whiteside at 18 mil per and not knowing whether he'll show up before each game? Or perhaps you'd prefer Dwight for around the same money and watch him continue his downward spiral. Relax, people. Timofey Mosgov was a savvy pick-up and a decent deal to boot. Let's just hope he stays healthy. He will absolutely contribute.

 

I completely disagree. I like Zubac, but he's not ready to be a starting center. Not even close. Hell he may not even be ready to be a backup. He's a couple of years away.

No Mozgov doesn't improve us significantly, but he does add veteran leadership, experience, a better player than Hibbert on both ends really, more mobile, better finisher, provided he's healthy of course, can screen and roll and finish in the paint.

I was upset about the deal initially, but after some time this is not that bad of a deal. It's not even close to the worst deal we're gonna see. Mozgov fits right in, probably is the starting center for a year or two and if he can back to the level he played in 2014-2015 this is a great deal. He was basically Cleveland's version of Steven Adams. He made a big impact. Protected the paint. Rebounded. Shut down the lane defensively.

Playing with a guy like D'Angelo will only help Mosgov. He'll get spoonfed just like he did with the Cavaliers. The Lakers aren't done yet either. They can't be. We needed some damn vets on this team and we got a solid one. Just need to get a couple of more.

 

I would infinitely prefer Whiteside or *forgive me basketball Gods* Dwight at 18 mil.

 

Its not like we just paid Slava that money.

 

Or Radmonovic.

 

I can't prove it because it's obviously a hypothetical at this point, but I'm positive that if Boston made this signing as the first move in free agency, and Bill Simmons was tweeting some of the negative comments that I and other LB members are currently posting, we would all be laughing ecstatically at Boston. We might've ended up being wrong. It might've ended up being a reasonably valued deal. But we would've all been making a mockery of the C Bags organization at this point.

 

Maybe, but that's what fans do. We were all laughing at them on draft day and I'm sure a lot would be trying to justify that pick of Brown if we had fallen to number three. That's just the way some fans are.

 

Really the same guy who quit on us? f*** Dwight. He's a sack of a s*** and you'd really prefer that guy be around over our young guys? He'd probably demand they all be traded. Whiteside I agree on, but cmon Dwight no just no.

 

But he's a champion

 

Well...It's nice to have a decent (2015) C that is better then Hibbert in LAL, (also Mozzy is my country mate), but not at that price. 6-8 mil a year max, not 16. This is insane(((

 

So here's what I'm thinking...

Go work on Horford now, then go get Turner, Bazemore, and Ryan Andersen (Anderson) or Pau.

Then Turner, Bazemore, and either of those two come off the bench. Between Horford and Mozgov, you let them battle for starter and bench role. After that you shoot for the playoffs. I think that would work play wise and I think then you don't look at the year as bleakly.

Honestly, I think this is all a sign that Jim and Mitch need to step down and new blood needs to go in. Nothing against those two anymore, just that I don't think people care about the past as much as they do, and I don't think they are in touch with the times anymore and so people don't want to talk to them, and then the losing records don't help. So, those two should step down regardless of this season just because of the bad start to this off season already.

 

Is this April fools? Timofey Mosgov? Really?

FML

 

Math doesn't even remotely add up with the salaries those guys are going to be receiving...

 

Re-signed Clarkson to a 4 year/50 million dollar deal, Mozgov got 16 million so we still have more than 30 million in cap room.

 

60 in Cap, right?

Moz-$16 (unless it's back loaded, which would be nice)
Horford-$20
Ryan/Pau-$10
Evan-$7
Baze-$7

Yeah, obviously they might get more now and all that, but you set and see if that could work and then that's $60. You could also sign little people other ways.

If I was helping make calls, that's what I'd offer to everyone and see who went for what. Those who don't, you just move on.