Eastern Notes: Cavs, Thomas, George

LeBron James came back to the Cavaliers prior to the 2014/15 season and since then, the King’s team has appeared to be a tight-knit group, as evidenced by the elaborate handshakes which can be witnessed in the pregame. The pregame festivities elicited a response from coach Tyronn Lue, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays.

“I wish we could remember some of the defensive schemes that well,” Lue joked. “Guys come to the side, ‘My bad. I forgot.’ But they remember all this and all that.”

Cleveland’s biggest issues this year are on the defensive end and it’s carried over into the postseason. While the defense does not appear to be championship-caliber, the offense certainly does. The Cavs lead all teams this postseason with an offensive rating of 117.0. As they wait to find out who they will play in the next round, check out some notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Isaiah Thomas was fined $25K for directing inappropriate language toward a fan, according to NBA.com. The incident occurred in Game 3 of the Celtics‘ series against the Wizards.
  • Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star believes the Pacers have a shot at landing Gordon Hayward if Paul George signs an extension this summer. George’s decision will ultimately dictate which direction the franchise heads in and if the 4-time All-Star sticks around long-term, Indiana could become an attractive free agent destination.
  • Tony Snell will be a restricted free agent this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising if he lands a deal in the $10-12MM range, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. Snell came to the Bucks in a preseason trade from the Bulls and he’s carved out a substantial role on his new squad.
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