I've been meaning to highlight this in a 'Random Thoughts from the Weekend' but I've been busy with school (also, I have a day off today, which I think is obvious by my blogging output) so I haven't gotten around to it.
Erik has a good post (though a bit old) about how LeBron and the Cavs are coming off a trip to the Finals (seriously, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA Finals people!) and how they're getting no respect, either nationally or locally.
And he's right, this is stupid. I'd love to be able to explain it, but I can't. See, I'm not your typical Cleveland fan, my loyalties go Cavs-Tribe-Browns in that order. I don't understand how the fans can pack a sports bar for the NFL Draft but then leave as the Cavs play (and win) a playoff game.
(But it makes sense; the Cavs were good when I was in grade school and middle school, when I first started to like sports. The Tribe kicked ass in the 90s when I was in high school. The Browns? They were OK when I was young and then left (and stunk upon their return) during middle school and high school. I think my loyalties make sense. Let's move on).
But there's more.
Erik also brings up Scott Raab's insane LeBron-Yankee cap rant ('worthless scrum') and then Raab comments leaves an incoherent comment about 'if Larry Bird had worn a Yankees cap' and how LeBron can't leave soon enough (I'm jealous, I wish Raab had left a comment on my Raab diatribe post).
It's pretty interesting and I recommend reading the whole thing.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Starbury
Chris Sheridan says yes. Brian Windhorst says no.
Chris Sheridan even makes up a trade:
Of course, this trade is dumb. Why would the Cavs give up Varejao as well? What does that have to do with anything? I could see a Hughes-Marbury swap of guys who need a change of scenery but I can't see the Cavs tossing in Varejao for likes of Fred Jones and Renaldo Balkman (now, if David Lee is involved...). Also, Sheridan calls Marbury "a true point guard" which is so completely ludicrous that I can't even wrap my head around it.
But there's more to consider here. We all know that Marbury's teams improve after he leaves right? How much has this been tested? Does Marbury need to be here a certain number of years? Games? How much does he need to be involved before the Cavs can kick him to the curb and enjoy that post-Marbury bump? 5 games? A few months? A season or two?
I'm not exactly sure I really want to find out.
Chris Sheridan even makes up a trade:
Trade No. 1
Marbury, Renaldo Balkman and Fred Jones to Cleveland for Larry Hughes, Anderson Varejao and Damon JonesThe Knicks gain some perimeter defense and add a frontcourt player who can actually play a little defense. The Cavs get a true point guard along with an energy forward, Balkman, to replace Varejao, and they get rid of their $13.65 million obligation to Hughes for the 2009-10 season, allowing them to become major players in free agency the summer before James' contract expires.
Sheridan's Marbury trade has the Cavs giving up Hughes in return. Would you do a Marbury-Hughes swap? We know that if the Cavs are going get rid of Hughes, they'll probably have to pick up another team's problem child in return, right?
Of course, this trade is dumb. Why would the Cavs give up Varejao as well? What does that have to do with anything? I could see a Hughes-Marbury swap of guys who need a change of scenery but I can't see the Cavs tossing in Varejao for likes of Fred Jones and Renaldo Balkman (now, if David Lee is involved...). Also, Sheridan calls Marbury "a true point guard" which is so completely ludicrous that I can't even wrap my head around it.
But there's more to consider here. We all know that Marbury's teams improve after he leaves right? How much has this been tested? Does Marbury need to be here a certain number of years? Games? How much does he need to be involved before the Cavs can kick him to the curb and enjoy that post-Marbury bump? 5 games? A few months? A season or two?
I'm not exactly sure I really want to find out.
And so it begins....
Kill me now:
Stop it.
Kevin Garnett is not better than Tim Duncan. The '07-'08 Celtics shouldn't even be in the same conversation with the '95-'96 Bulls (let alone have their own comparison page on ESPN.com).
They're a good team who's gotten off to a hot start. They'll win somewhere between 46-56 games this year. They aren't going to win 60 and they aren't going to sniff 70.
On a similar note, the second part (Eastern Conference part 2) of Bill Simmon's four part NBA preview posts today and I'm interested to see A) how many back handed compliments he gives the Cavaliers and B) if he's gone off the deep end with the Celtics or if he's kept his wits about him. BTW, Part 1 was quite enjoyable and it reminded me of how much I really enjoy his NBA stuff when he's not making up shit about LeBron.
Josh Markovic (Mimmiville): Can we finally come the realization the KG is much better than Tim Duncan?Yup, 6 games in and the debate is settled. Why wait 'til the playoffs, let's just stop the season now and give the championship to the Celtics. I mean, they've beaten Washington, Toronto, Denver, New Jersey, Atlanta and Indiana, who can't these guys beat? Could this team challenge Chicago's 72 wins?John Hollinger: That annoying 4-0 deficit in championship rings is putting a bit of a dent in your case.
Stop it.
Kevin Garnett is not better than Tim Duncan. The '07-'08 Celtics shouldn't even be in the same conversation with the '95-'96 Bulls (let alone have their own comparison page on ESPN.com).
They're a good team who's gotten off to a hot start. They'll win somewhere between 46-56 games this year. They aren't going to win 60 and they aren't going to sniff 70.
On a similar note, the second part (Eastern Conference part 2) of Bill Simmon's four part NBA preview posts today and I'm interested to see A) how many back handed compliments he gives the Cavaliers and B) if he's gone off the deep end with the Celtics or if he's kept his wits about him. BTW, Part 1 was quite enjoyable and it reminded me of how much I really enjoy his NBA stuff when he's not making up shit about LeBron.
No Buyout for Snow
There was a rumor that Eric Snow might ask for a buyout:
Well, don't worry (I guess) because it looks like Snow is sticking around:
At first thought, I thought this might be a good idea, considering the glut of guards that the Cavs already have (plus the stellar play of Devin Brown). But come next offseason, Snow's expiring deal will ($7.3 million) could help the Cavs out a lot. I'd hate to see the Cavs sit on Snow's contract for all these years and then let him go without taking advantage of the expiring deal or the capspace.Cleveland Cavaliers insiders are starting to believe Eric Snow's days in Cleveland are numbered. Before undergoing knee surgery, Snow sold his house in Cleveland and returned to his family's home base in Atlanta.
After joining up with the Cavs for two games of their West Coast trip last week, he went back home to Atlanta citing personal reasons. The suspicion is he will ask the Cavs to buy him out of the two remaining years of his contract, which he hopes would allow him to sign with the Atlanta Hawks.
That might be a problem, though, since he stands to make $6.7 million this year and $7.3 million next year.
Well, don't worry (I guess) because it looks like Snow is sticking around:
A report in the Detroit News this week suggested that Eric Snow plans to ask the Cavs for a buyout of the last two years of his contract and sign with the Atlanta Hawks. It was based on the fact that Snow's family moved from Cleveland to Atlanta full time over the summer. It sent the message boards buzzing.
It is simply not true.
Snow's agent, Steve Kauffman, said Tuesday there have been no buyout talks and there are no plans for such talks. According to a source, the Cavs have no interest in buyout talks, either.
Snow, a Canton native, has maintained a home in Atlanta for years and always planned to move his family there full time. The Cavs have had trade talks involving Snow, including with the Hawks, a source said, but nothing is imminent. Next year, in the final year of Snow's contract, when he's to be paid $7.3 million, he probably will become a key trading asset for the Cavs.
The team also values his defense and his leadership. Snow has been a captain for the past three seasons.
So there we go. He'll be here for at least this season. Which, honestly, is fine. They could use him in big defensive spots and simply having him around Daniel Gibson can't hurt, can it?
Monday, November 12, 2007
Denver 122, Cleveland 100
Seriously guys, I could've been watching Heroes. Wow, was that game ugly. Sure, you can talk about how it's the second night of a back-to-back, that it's the last game of the trip or any other excuse you can think up(Denver shot well, they're a poor matchup on the best of nights and the Cavs were missing bodies) but the fact is the Cavs didn't show up. There was no movement on offense and the defense was a step slow all night. Tired legs? Maybe. But in Denver, LeBron was getting the ball 25 feet from the hoop, rather than the 15 feet we've been used to seeing.
Larry Hughes had the right idea. Hughes got himself thrown out about 4 minutes into the game for arguing a foul (a foul on a jumpshot. Really? This is what you're getting thrown out for?) and didn't have to participate in the ensuing bloodbath. The Cavs could've used Larry's length in guarding Allen Iverson throughout the night (just to give him some different looks). The Cavs were already without Eric Snow (knee), Donyell Marshall (wrist), Sasha Pavlovic (back) and Anderson Varejao (dumbass) and they couldn't afford to lose another player.
LeBron had the quietest (and ugliest) 27 points you'll ever see. LeBron was attacking the basket early on and got to the line enough (14 FTA) but couldn't convert (8 FTM). Maybe it was his tired legs, maybe it was his poor free throw shooting, but as the game wore, LeBron settled more and more for jumpers (and long ones at that). James only had one rebound and that came early in the first quarter.
Allen Iverson always kills the Cavs. A.I. just had his way with Daniel Gibson (who picked up some dumb fouls again) in route to scoring 37 points on an un-Iverson-like 14-20 shooting. To be fair, when he's shooting at a high percentage (he was 2-4 from 3), he's basically unguardable.
The first half was brutal. The Cavs shot 24% in the first quarter and 35% for the entire half (while Denver was pouring them in at a 58% clip) and only made 9 out of 17 freebies. Somehow they were only down 3 at the end of the first period (21-18) but the lead ballooned to 15 at halftime and the Nuggets never looked back.
Not that the second half was any better. For the game, the Nuggets shot 55% from the floor and 54.5% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Cavs shot 55.3% from the foul line. The entire fourth quarter was garbage time. The game was ugly.
The Cavalier big men were not good. Z was 1-6 and Gooden was 2-9. They still rebounded fairly well (I guess), Z had 6 boards in 20 minutes while Gooden pulled down 9 in 28. They both got burned on the defensive end quite a bit, especially Z (Marcus Camby took him off the dribble multiple times; the big guy just couldn't keep up).
Hey, Shannon Brown got some court time. And it only took a Hughes ejection, injuries to Snow and Pavlovic and a blow out. To his credit, Brown responded to his 16 minutes of PT by scoring 12 points on 4-9 shooting (hell, he also made 4-5 free throws, which was the best on the team).
and finally...
Home! It's too bad the Cavs ended the trip on this note, because they had a real solid first 5 games. 3-3 is not a bad trip at all (but man, 4-2 would've been nice). If there's a silver lining to Monday's game, it's the fact that Coach Mike got the starters some rest due to the blow out (and Hughes' temper). I hope it helps, because the Cavs aren't going to get much rest before facing Orlando in Cleveland on Wednesday in a quick turnaround game. It wouldn't shock me if the look a step slow in the game as well.
Larry Hughes had the right idea. Hughes got himself thrown out about 4 minutes into the game for arguing a foul (a foul on a jumpshot. Really? This is what you're getting thrown out for?) and didn't have to participate in the ensuing bloodbath. The Cavs could've used Larry's length in guarding Allen Iverson throughout the night (just to give him some different looks). The Cavs were already without Eric Snow (knee), Donyell Marshall (wrist), Sasha Pavlovic (back) and Anderson Varejao (dumbass) and they couldn't afford to lose another player.
LeBron had the quietest (and ugliest) 27 points you'll ever see. LeBron was attacking the basket early on and got to the line enough (14 FTA) but couldn't convert (8 FTM). Maybe it was his tired legs, maybe it was his poor free throw shooting, but as the game wore, LeBron settled more and more for jumpers (and long ones at that). James only had one rebound and that came early in the first quarter.
Allen Iverson always kills the Cavs. A.I. just had his way with Daniel Gibson (who picked up some dumb fouls again) in route to scoring 37 points on an un-Iverson-like 14-20 shooting. To be fair, when he's shooting at a high percentage (he was 2-4 from 3), he's basically unguardable.
The first half was brutal. The Cavs shot 24% in the first quarter and 35% for the entire half (while Denver was pouring them in at a 58% clip) and only made 9 out of 17 freebies. Somehow they were only down 3 at the end of the first period (21-18) but the lead ballooned to 15 at halftime and the Nuggets never looked back.
Not that the second half was any better. For the game, the Nuggets shot 55% from the floor and 54.5% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Cavs shot 55.3% from the foul line. The entire fourth quarter was garbage time. The game was ugly.
The Cavalier big men were not good. Z was 1-6 and Gooden was 2-9. They still rebounded fairly well (I guess), Z had 6 boards in 20 minutes while Gooden pulled down 9 in 28. They both got burned on the defensive end quite a bit, especially Z (Marcus Camby took him off the dribble multiple times; the big guy just couldn't keep up).
Hey, Shannon Brown got some court time. And it only took a Hughes ejection, injuries to Snow and Pavlovic and a blow out. To his credit, Brown responded to his 16 minutes of PT by scoring 12 points on 4-9 shooting (hell, he also made 4-5 free throws, which was the best on the team).
and finally...
Home! It's too bad the Cavs ended the trip on this note, because they had a real solid first 5 games. 3-3 is not a bad trip at all (but man, 4-2 would've been nice). If there's a silver lining to Monday's game, it's the fact that Coach Mike got the starters some rest due to the blow out (and Hughes' temper). I hope it helps, because the Cavs aren't going to get much rest before facing Orlando in Cleveland on Wednesday in a quick turnaround game. It wouldn't shock me if the look a step slow in the game as well.
Cleveland 103, Los Angeles 95
At least one team showed up this weekend. This two game win streak certainly eases the pain caused by scrambling quarterbacks....
LeBron was very active. He didn't dominate the ball, but he did a ton of things right. In 36 minutes, he scored 22 points, dished out 8 assists and grabbed 6 boards to go along with 6 steals and yet another block (giving him 11 for the road trip). James put pressure on the Clippers defense by going inside (driving and setting up in the post) as well as running the floor before the defense is set.
Zydrunas won the battle of the bald(ing), white centers. Both Z and Chris Kaman played extremely well. Z 11-18 from the floor and he led the Cavaliers in scoring with 25. Kaman showed off a variety of post moves on his way to 21 points. Neither player could really stop the other one (which isn't exactly surprising, these guys aren't known for their defense) but the difference was the that the Cavs actually looked Ilgauskas's way down the stretch. Z had 12 of his 25 in the final quarter.
Devin Brown is currently making Eric Snow a really expensive assistant coach. Brown gave the Cavaliers another solid effort off the bench, scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 boards. Brown defends, he rebounds, he runs the floor and he can shoot. He does the dirty work that Snow does (like guarding Corey Maggette in the post) while also having the ability to put the ball in the basket.
Larry Hughes returned. Larry played pretty well in his first game back; he scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting and even hit a 3. He was pretty active in his time on the floor, but he only got just 28 minutes (though I think this had more to do with the play of the bench, rather than Hughes). He took good shots for the most part (though there was one or two...) and he looked pretty solid at the defensive end (his knee didn't seem to hold him back any).
But now Sasha is hurt. Pavlovic only played 6 minutes (he looked tentative) and he left the game with back spasms. Obviously, this isn't good. However, if there's one position where the Cavs actually have depth, shooting guard is it.
Third time may be the charm for Coach Mike's offense. The offense was pretty solid in Los Angeles; the Cavs shot 50% (42-83) and they scored in the triple digits. Now, some of this was simply good shooting (both Z and Hughes had their jumpers falling) but the Cavs should get credit for taking good shots. The biggest difference this season (besides the 'passing and cutting') is the fact the Cavaliers are feeding the post on a regular basis (to the entire starting front court); I think that regular post play is helping them stay out of those prolonged scoring droughts that plagued them for much of last season.
Speaking of solid post play, Drew Gooden had a great night. By any measure, with his 18 points and 17 boards, Gooden had a great game. But his line is even more riduculous when you see that he put up those numbers in just 30 minutes (and he sat the entire fourth period). Gooden was extremely active on both ends and the Cavs rode his hot hand for much of the first half. I was kind of surprised the Brown kept Gooden on the bench, considering that he had really good chance for a 20-20 night, but the bench guys played so well, Drew stayed in his warm ups.
Teams are going at Daniel Gibson. He's getting too many dumb fouls (slaps and reaches) and teams are making him play defense (whether it's in the post or catching him off guard at certain points in the game). I'm sure this is something he'll work on and fix, but Sam Cassell (28 points) had his way with him. The Cavs need his shooting and he'll only be able to shoot if he can stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court.
Coach Mike stayed with his bench for the final period. LeBron and Z played the bulk of the fourth with Damon Jones, Ira Newble and Devin Brown (and it worked). Jones was taking care of the ball and hitting jumpers while Newble and Brown did the dirty work. I was a bit surprised that Gibson, Hughes and Gooden were all planted to the bench down the stretch, but with the strong play of the reserves (plus that game in Denver the next night), it worked out.
and finally...
We can't really expect a 4-2 West coast trip... can we? A win in Denver gives the Cavs a winning record for the trip, which I certainly didn't think was possible (especially after the Dallas game- ugh). Even if they lose to go 3-3, they gave a good effort and played pretty well in the losses to Phoenix and Utah. As long as they don't completely lay an egg against the Nuggets, they should return to Cleveland feeling pretty good about themselves.
LeBron was very active. He didn't dominate the ball, but he did a ton of things right. In 36 minutes, he scored 22 points, dished out 8 assists and grabbed 6 boards to go along with 6 steals and yet another block (giving him 11 for the road trip). James put pressure on the Clippers defense by going inside (driving and setting up in the post) as well as running the floor before the defense is set.
Zydrunas won the battle of the bald(ing), white centers. Both Z and Chris Kaman played extremely well. Z 11-18 from the floor and he led the Cavaliers in scoring with 25. Kaman showed off a variety of post moves on his way to 21 points. Neither player could really stop the other one (which isn't exactly surprising, these guys aren't known for their defense) but the difference was the that the Cavs actually looked Ilgauskas's way down the stretch. Z had 12 of his 25 in the final quarter.
Devin Brown is currently making Eric Snow a really expensive assistant coach. Brown gave the Cavaliers another solid effort off the bench, scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 boards. Brown defends, he rebounds, he runs the floor and he can shoot. He does the dirty work that Snow does (like guarding Corey Maggette in the post) while also having the ability to put the ball in the basket.
Larry Hughes returned. Larry played pretty well in his first game back; he scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting and even hit a 3. He was pretty active in his time on the floor, but he only got just 28 minutes (though I think this had more to do with the play of the bench, rather than Hughes). He took good shots for the most part (though there was one or two...) and he looked pretty solid at the defensive end (his knee didn't seem to hold him back any).
But now Sasha is hurt. Pavlovic only played 6 minutes (he looked tentative) and he left the game with back spasms. Obviously, this isn't good. However, if there's one position where the Cavs actually have depth, shooting guard is it.
Third time may be the charm for Coach Mike's offense. The offense was pretty solid in Los Angeles; the Cavs shot 50% (42-83) and they scored in the triple digits. Now, some of this was simply good shooting (both Z and Hughes had their jumpers falling) but the Cavs should get credit for taking good shots. The biggest difference this season (besides the 'passing and cutting') is the fact the Cavaliers are feeding the post on a regular basis (to the entire starting front court); I think that regular post play is helping them stay out of those prolonged scoring droughts that plagued them for much of last season.
Speaking of solid post play, Drew Gooden had a great night. By any measure, with his 18 points and 17 boards, Gooden had a great game. But his line is even more riduculous when you see that he put up those numbers in just 30 minutes (and he sat the entire fourth period). Gooden was extremely active on both ends and the Cavs rode his hot hand for much of the first half. I was kind of surprised the Brown kept Gooden on the bench, considering that he had really good chance for a 20-20 night, but the bench guys played so well, Drew stayed in his warm ups.
Teams are going at Daniel Gibson. He's getting too many dumb fouls (slaps and reaches) and teams are making him play defense (whether it's in the post or catching him off guard at certain points in the game). I'm sure this is something he'll work on and fix, but Sam Cassell (28 points) had his way with him. The Cavs need his shooting and he'll only be able to shoot if he can stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court.
Coach Mike stayed with his bench for the final period. LeBron and Z played the bulk of the fourth with Damon Jones, Ira Newble and Devin Brown (and it worked). Jones was taking care of the ball and hitting jumpers while Newble and Brown did the dirty work. I was a bit surprised that Gibson, Hughes and Gooden were all planted to the bench down the stretch, but with the strong play of the reserves (plus that game in Denver the next night), it worked out.
and finally...
We can't really expect a 4-2 West coast trip... can we? A win in Denver gives the Cavs a winning record for the trip, which I certainly didn't think was possible (especially after the Dallas game- ugh). Even if they lose to go 3-3, they gave a good effort and played pretty well in the losses to Phoenix and Utah. As long as they don't completely lay an egg against the Nuggets, they should return to Cleveland feeling pretty good about themselves.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
That sucked
Couple things:
1) 4th and inches, Illinois has the punt team out and OSU calls timeout. Illinois comes back and runs for the 1st down. Excellent time out.
2) Hey ABC, wanna mention the fumble on Illinois first drive? The one on the goal line? No? OK
3) Maybe this time they'll pass... Nope... how about this time? No? OK this time they gotta pass... OSU's defense might want to look for the run at some point.
4) If anyone is surprised that OSU had trouble with Juice Williams, they obviously didn't watch OSU's game against Washington and James Locker. Locker would have these long drives that would end with an INT or some kind of mistake. Williams didn't make those mistakes.
5) There was going to be a game where Todd Boeckman stunk it up and the defense needed to step it up. This was it. Too bad the defense stunk it up too. Also, Boeckman threw some terrible picks. The one in the endzone was brutal (he got spooked in the pocket, even though there was no pressure).
6) Everyone pile on OSU. Please. Come on, they didn't deserve to be number 1, they didn't play anyone good, blah blah. Enjoy it. Only 2 of the 24 starters are seniors, they're gonna dominate next season.
7) In the same vein, OSU fans shouldn't be that mad or upset. Seriously, this was the rebuilding year. There's still a chance for a BCS game.
8) Speaking of the BCS, this is great. Obviously, I'd rather have OSU go undefeated... BUT if they were to lose, I'd want it to screw up the BCS as much as possible. And having OSU as one of the 1-loss teams hurts the BCS. The more big name teams with 1-loss the better.
9) Maybe they'll pass this time...
10) I was worried about Michigan losing and playing against Ohio State free and easy with nothing to lose (solely to mess up OSU national championship hopes). Well, both teams lost... so... ya...
1) 4th and inches, Illinois has the punt team out and OSU calls timeout. Illinois comes back and runs for the 1st down. Excellent time out.
2) Hey ABC, wanna mention the fumble on Illinois first drive? The one on the goal line? No? OK
3) Maybe this time they'll pass... Nope... how about this time? No? OK this time they gotta pass... OSU's defense might want to look for the run at some point.
4) If anyone is surprised that OSU had trouble with Juice Williams, they obviously didn't watch OSU's game against Washington and James Locker. Locker would have these long drives that would end with an INT or some kind of mistake. Williams didn't make those mistakes.
5) There was going to be a game where Todd Boeckman stunk it up and the defense needed to step it up. This was it. Too bad the defense stunk it up too. Also, Boeckman threw some terrible picks. The one in the endzone was brutal (he got spooked in the pocket, even though there was no pressure).
6) Everyone pile on OSU. Please. Come on, they didn't deserve to be number 1, they didn't play anyone good, blah blah. Enjoy it. Only 2 of the 24 starters are seniors, they're gonna dominate next season.
7) In the same vein, OSU fans shouldn't be that mad or upset. Seriously, this was the rebuilding year. There's still a chance for a BCS game.
8) Speaking of the BCS, this is great. Obviously, I'd rather have OSU go undefeated... BUT if they were to lose, I'd want it to screw up the BCS as much as possible. And having OSU as one of the 1-loss teams hurts the BCS. The more big name teams with 1-loss the better.
9) Maybe they'll pass this time...
10) I was worried about Michigan losing and playing against Ohio State free and easy with nothing to lose (solely to mess up OSU national championship hopes). Well, both teams lost... so... ya...
Cleveland 93, Sacramento 91
They would've lost this game last year. Poor shooting (38%)? Check. On the road? Check. Against a less talented team? Check. Good excuses (injuries, West coast trip)? Check. This game had all the trappings of those frustrating losses that plagued the team all last season (against the Hawks, Knicks, Celtics, etc). The Cavs were flat, the offense sputtered and key players struggled (Sasha Pavlovic was 1-10 and both Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were in foul trouble). But somehow they prevailed.
That 'somehow' was LeBron James. James didn't have a particularly strong evening (he didn't grab his first rebound until the fourth quarter) but he scored 8 points over the game's last three minutes to put the Kings away (which is great, because he only scored 7 points in the first 24 minutes). The stat sheet wasn't as stuffed as much as it's been recently (only 4 boards and 4 assists- he's averaging 8 and 7.5 for the season, respectively) but James played great down the stretch on both ends of the court. LeBron had yet another block (he's averaging 2 per game- and I thought he had an additional one) and he was in Kevin Martin's face for the Kings' last possession.
Devin Brown played great. Brown gave the Cavs 20 points, 11 boards and 3 assists in 36 minutes (by far his most court time this season). The Cavs needed Brown to play well since Daniel Gibson was in foul trouble all night and Sasha Pavlovic shot a Larry Hughes-esque 1-10 from the floor. Brown also helped the Cavs spread the floor as he hit two out of his six 3s (plus, when he goes inside, he has the strength to finish).
The Kings' zone defense gave the Cavs fits. So far this season, the Cavs have done a pretty good job of sticking with their offense and getting the ball inside. That didn't happen in Sacramento. Thanks to the Kings' defense, the Cavs shot 25 3s (making 7) and just 22 free throws (making 16). The Cavs shot just 38% from the floor, 28% from beyond the arc and just 72% from the line (though that 72% marks the high point over the last three games). The Cavs didn't go inside, LeBron was getting the ball 25 feet from the hoop (rather than 15 like he's done all year) and for some reason, both Gooden and Z were receiving and passing the ball from beyond the 3 point arc during the last 2 minutes.
Dear ESPN, yes the Cavs have a lot of injuries, but nobody cares (well, Cavalier fans certainly don't care). Seriously, the injured Cavaliers are Eric Snow, Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall- all the older, unproductive players (that absolutely kill the offense). The only player out that the Cavs actually miss is Anderson Varejao. I, for one, am more than willing to have Coach Mike teach the young, offensive minded players how to play defense rather than having to watch decent defensive players run the 'offense'. I can't even imagine how bad the Cavs' offense would've looked if Snow and Hughes were out there against that zone.
Kevin Martin is pretty good... He scored 32 points on just 17 shots and he made 17 out of 18 free throws. That's efficient. The Kings used him similarly to Reggie Miller; Martin was running Cavs players through picks all night long in order to get open jumpers. I actually thought that the Cavs did a pretty decent job on him (only 7-17 shooting), but the points sure do rack up when you make over 90% of your free throws (hint hint LeBron).
Drew Gooden bounced back. After shooting just 2-11 and going for just 8 points (to go with 9 boards) against Utah, Gooden shot 6-13 and had 14 points (with again, 9 boards) in Sacramento. With Varejao out, Gooden, if he can stay focus, has a chance to establish himself as the Cavs mainstay at the power forward position.
Ilgauskas probably had his worst game of the year. And he still finished with 11 points and 15 boards in 34 minutes. The big fella was frustrated most of the evening with his lack of touches (he was just 3-11), the bulk of which came off his 8 offensive rebounds. Z's averaging 16 points and 14 boards for the season in about 34 minutes a game (which is right around where I'd like to see him. He doesn't need to be in the upper 30s in terms of minutes, but 32-35 should work).
However, with Z in foul trouble and Varejao sitting on his ass in Brazil, we got our first look at Cedric Simmons. Simmons intrigues me, simply because of his athleticism (seriously, I want LeBron paired with a big man who can leap) but he really didn't do a whole lot in his first 9 minutes of the season (1 rebound, 1 block, 0-2 FT, 0-1 FG). With Varejao's contract situation still up in the air (and it could be that way for awhile) and Donyell Marshall out, Simmons is battling Dwayne Jones for the back up big man minutes. So far, neither has done much to distinguish himself.
Did everyone see Mike Bibby in street clothes? This is one of the many reasons why I'm glad the Cavs didn't trade for him (along with his contract, his 3 point shooting and the leverage they'd lose with Varejao). Sure, I'm not thrilled with all of Danny Ferry's moves (and let's not forget that he was on the job for about a week for the Hughes, Marshall and Jones signings), but I'm impressed with the moves he hasn't done, to keep the Cavs out of even worse cap trouble (both the Gooden and Pavlovic deals, Varejao slowly screwing himself over and, lord, right now we could be watching both Hughes and Bibby wear suits every night).
Like I said, not all the moves... Shannon Browns got another DNP-CD against the Kings. It's really not a good sign when last season's first round pick can't get minutes with two veteran guards out (Snow and Hughes) while the other guard (Pavlovic) plays himself into shape and shoots 25% (10-40 FG, 1-13 3pt).
and finally...
Finish the trip strong. So far, the Cavs are 2-2 on their West coast trip. With the remaining games against the Clippers (4-1) and the Nuggets (3-3), you hope they can at least grab a split and finish the six game swing goes 3-3. It'd be a great start to the season if the Cavs can return to Cleveland with .500 or winning record. Neither game is particularly easy, but the way the Cavs have played on this trip, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to finish it out with a three game win streak.
That 'somehow' was LeBron James. James didn't have a particularly strong evening (he didn't grab his first rebound until the fourth quarter) but he scored 8 points over the game's last three minutes to put the Kings away (which is great, because he only scored 7 points in the first 24 minutes). The stat sheet wasn't as stuffed as much as it's been recently (only 4 boards and 4 assists- he's averaging 8 and 7.5 for the season, respectively) but James played great down the stretch on both ends of the court. LeBron had yet another block (he's averaging 2 per game- and I thought he had an additional one) and he was in Kevin Martin's face for the Kings' last possession.
Devin Brown played great. Brown gave the Cavs 20 points, 11 boards and 3 assists in 36 minutes (by far his most court time this season). The Cavs needed Brown to play well since Daniel Gibson was in foul trouble all night and Sasha Pavlovic shot a Larry Hughes-esque 1-10 from the floor. Brown also helped the Cavs spread the floor as he hit two out of his six 3s (plus, when he goes inside, he has the strength to finish).
The Kings' zone defense gave the Cavs fits. So far this season, the Cavs have done a pretty good job of sticking with their offense and getting the ball inside. That didn't happen in Sacramento. Thanks to the Kings' defense, the Cavs shot 25 3s (making 7) and just 22 free throws (making 16). The Cavs shot just 38% from the floor, 28% from beyond the arc and just 72% from the line (though that 72% marks the high point over the last three games). The Cavs didn't go inside, LeBron was getting the ball 25 feet from the hoop (rather than 15 like he's done all year) and for some reason, both Gooden and Z were receiving and passing the ball from beyond the 3 point arc during the last 2 minutes.
Dear ESPN, yes the Cavs have a lot of injuries, but nobody cares (well, Cavalier fans certainly don't care). Seriously, the injured Cavaliers are Eric Snow, Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall- all the older, unproductive players (that absolutely kill the offense). The only player out that the Cavs actually miss is Anderson Varejao. I, for one, am more than willing to have Coach Mike teach the young, offensive minded players how to play defense rather than having to watch decent defensive players run the 'offense'. I can't even imagine how bad the Cavs' offense would've looked if Snow and Hughes were out there against that zone.
Kevin Martin is pretty good... He scored 32 points on just 17 shots and he made 17 out of 18 free throws. That's efficient. The Kings used him similarly to Reggie Miller; Martin was running Cavs players through picks all night long in order to get open jumpers. I actually thought that the Cavs did a pretty decent job on him (only 7-17 shooting), but the points sure do rack up when you make over 90% of your free throws (hint hint LeBron).
Drew Gooden bounced back. After shooting just 2-11 and going for just 8 points (to go with 9 boards) against Utah, Gooden shot 6-13 and had 14 points (with again, 9 boards) in Sacramento. With Varejao out, Gooden, if he can stay focus, has a chance to establish himself as the Cavs mainstay at the power forward position.
Ilgauskas probably had his worst game of the year. And he still finished with 11 points and 15 boards in 34 minutes. The big fella was frustrated most of the evening with his lack of touches (he was just 3-11), the bulk of which came off his 8 offensive rebounds. Z's averaging 16 points and 14 boards for the season in about 34 minutes a game (which is right around where I'd like to see him. He doesn't need to be in the upper 30s in terms of minutes, but 32-35 should work).
However, with Z in foul trouble and Varejao sitting on his ass in Brazil, we got our first look at Cedric Simmons. Simmons intrigues me, simply because of his athleticism (seriously, I want LeBron paired with a big man who can leap) but he really didn't do a whole lot in his first 9 minutes of the season (1 rebound, 1 block, 0-2 FT, 0-1 FG). With Varejao's contract situation still up in the air (and it could be that way for awhile) and Donyell Marshall out, Simmons is battling Dwayne Jones for the back up big man minutes. So far, neither has done much to distinguish himself.
Did everyone see Mike Bibby in street clothes? This is one of the many reasons why I'm glad the Cavs didn't trade for him (along with his contract, his 3 point shooting and the leverage they'd lose with Varejao). Sure, I'm not thrilled with all of Danny Ferry's moves (and let's not forget that he was on the job for about a week for the Hughes, Marshall and Jones signings), but I'm impressed with the moves he hasn't done, to keep the Cavs out of even worse cap trouble (both the Gooden and Pavlovic deals, Varejao slowly screwing himself over and, lord, right now we could be watching both Hughes and Bibby wear suits every night).
Like I said, not all the moves... Shannon Browns got another DNP-CD against the Kings. It's really not a good sign when last season's first round pick can't get minutes with two veteran guards out (Snow and Hughes) while the other guard (Pavlovic) plays himself into shape and shoots 25% (10-40 FG, 1-13 3pt).
and finally...
Finish the trip strong. So far, the Cavs are 2-2 on their West coast trip. With the remaining games against the Clippers (4-1) and the Nuggets (3-3), you hope they can at least grab a split and finish the six game swing goes 3-3. It'd be a great start to the season if the Cavs can return to Cleveland with .500 or winning record. Neither game is particularly easy, but the way the Cavs have played on this trip, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to finish it out with a three game win streak.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
This is Stupid
Why would the Browns do this? I mean, wow, I'd love to see this offense with Adrian Peterson; could imagine a back like that complimenting this passing attack? But do you know what the key word in that sentence was?
This.
I'd love to see Peterson with this offense. I'd love to see Peterson getting downfield blocks from Braylon Edwards. I'd love to see Peterson catch swing passes from Derek Anderson. I'd love to see Peterson run behind this offensive line.
I'm sure we all remember that last season Charlie Frye got tackled multiple times while handing the ball off. Don't get me wrong, Derek Anderson's been great this year. Great. Last week he was 29-48 for 364 yards. But, out of the 48 times he dropped back to pass, do you know how many times he was sacked? 0. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Nil. Zip. Derek Anderson isn't being Derek Anderson if the Browns don't draft Joe Thomas (and sign Eric Steinbach). If Anderson has to run for his life every play, we're not watching Braylon Edwards make sweet catches.
So, while Adrian Peterson has been spectacular (oh, and by the way, the Vikings are 3-5), I don't think the (5-3!) Browns would do anything different with that third overall pick.
Utah 103, Cleveland 101
This one hurts. The Cavs were down for the bulk of the game, but they fought and clawed all night long to tie the score with 6 seconds left (hell, they were down 5 with 27 seconds left). But, instead of calling a timeout, Utah and Deron Williams ran down the court and scooped in a layup with 1 second left.
LeBron played great. LBJ notched his first triple double of the season (and he had it before the 4th quarter began). James finished the game with 32 points (on 12-27 shooting), 15 boards, 13 assists nevermind his 3 steals and 2 blocks. He hit the 3 to tie the game with 6 seconds left (and that was a back breaker- hand in his face, standing still... ridiculous). James looks really good right now; he's doing everything that a coach (or fan) could want. He's taking good shots, he's passing extremely well (he easily could've had more assists if guys finished strong) and he's playing superb defense (he has 9 blocks over the last three games).
This was the first game that I thought the Cavs actually missed Anderson Varejao. They needed someone to match the energy of Utah's Paul Milsap, who just murdered the Cavs with junk points and rebounds. Milsap had a career high 24 points to go along with 5 boards. They also needed Varejao to spell Drew Gooden, who needed a break mentally. It just wasn't Drew's night; he was just 2-11 from the floor and he missed numerous close shots. He also got the ball stripped a few times while dribbling in the key (he'd get a pass or a rebound and do a power dribble to set himself. But whenever he brought the ball that low, someone would get a hand on the ball). This doesn't mean I want the Cavs to go give Andy that one year deal, but with Marshall out, you can tell that Mike Brown doesn't trust his bench bigs (Dwayne Jones got just 9 minutes and I'm not sure if we've seen Cedric Simmons play all year- though he might be hurt).
The Cavs must get their free throw shooting under control. They lost by 2, in Utah, on a second night of a back to back and they shot just 65% from the line (while the Jazz were 34-40 for 85%). Though, honestly, this wasn't so much a team problem as it was a LeBron James problem. James was just 7-15 from the stripe. To his credit, they weren't falling early (just 3-8) but he kept forcing the issue to get back to the line. In close road loss like this, the Cavs need LeBron to make at least 70% of his freebies (though, 80% is the number to aim for).
Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas played really well. Again. Big Z had 18 points, 14 boards and 4 blocks in 31 minutes. You wonder if this game would've turned out differently if it wasn't the second night of a back-to-back because Z definitely could've (and should've) had more court time. I think the new 'drive and kick' offense has allowed Z to get more set jumpers as well as some lanes for offensive rebounds (he had 7 against the Jazz).
Daniel Gibson takes some tough calls. So far this year, opposing point guards go right at Boobie and try to draw contact. I don't think he really is out of position or slaps too much but he doesn't have the strength to body some of these guys inside (of course, he just went against Baron Davis and Deron Williams, not many guards can put a body on those two). However, Gibson continued to shoot well, knocking down three treys and scoring 12 points.
Sasha Pavlovic played well... for a half. For the first half, Pavlovic had 17 points. For the game... he had 17 points. Maybe he's still playing his way into game shape, I dunno. But he airballed a wide open 3 in the fourth and was generally non-existent for the final period. As the season (and road trip) marches on, I think we'll see Sasha put together complete games.
The little things hurt. The Cavs had way too many turnovers. They had 18 for the game, but 13 of those came in the first half. There were a lot of bad passes, traveling violations and just general disarray at the offensive end. A lot of these weren't even forced turnovers, just simple miscues by the Cavaliers. Utah did get some lucky bounces of their own; there were multiple times that a Cavalier player would slap away a pass or shot on the defensive end, only to see it land next to a Utah player three feet from the rim. Also, the Jazz had at least six 'and one' plays (and Paul Milsap had three of 'em). Like I said, I wonder how this game turns out if it isn't the second night of a back-to-back.
But the effort was there. One of my big problems with the Cavaliers last season is that, when they lost, they lost ugly. They'd take bad shots, they'd lose focus and they simply just played bad. So far, at least on this road trip, I like how the Cavs have played, losses included. The effort has been there every night (the Cavs outrebounded Utah 47-43), the defense has been there (Z and LeBron combined for 6 blocks) and they stayed within their game plan (movement! using the post! all game long!).
and finally...
Does anyone not like this starting five? The Cavs (and LeBron) are so much tougher to guard when defenses have to account for both guards behind the arc. Gibson and Sasha help spread the floor and it gives the offense more space to maneuver. If Pavlovic hadn't missed training camp, I would guess that Larry Hughes would be coming off the bench upon his return (but, if Hughes comes back anytime soon -before Sasha gets his legs back- I'd expect him to resume his starting role). I think it's safe to say the Cavs should give coach Brown offensive players who he can teach defense, rather than defensive specialists who have to learn to shoot.
LeBron played great. LBJ notched his first triple double of the season (and he had it before the 4th quarter began). James finished the game with 32 points (on 12-27 shooting), 15 boards, 13 assists nevermind his 3 steals and 2 blocks. He hit the 3 to tie the game with 6 seconds left (and that was a back breaker- hand in his face, standing still... ridiculous). James looks really good right now; he's doing everything that a coach (or fan) could want. He's taking good shots, he's passing extremely well (he easily could've had more assists if guys finished strong) and he's playing superb defense (he has 9 blocks over the last three games).
This was the first game that I thought the Cavs actually missed Anderson Varejao. They needed someone to match the energy of Utah's Paul Milsap, who just murdered the Cavs with junk points and rebounds. Milsap had a career high 24 points to go along with 5 boards. They also needed Varejao to spell Drew Gooden, who needed a break mentally. It just wasn't Drew's night; he was just 2-11 from the floor and he missed numerous close shots. He also got the ball stripped a few times while dribbling in the key (he'd get a pass or a rebound and do a power dribble to set himself. But whenever he brought the ball that low, someone would get a hand on the ball). This doesn't mean I want the Cavs to go give Andy that one year deal, but with Marshall out, you can tell that Mike Brown doesn't trust his bench bigs (Dwayne Jones got just 9 minutes and I'm not sure if we've seen Cedric Simmons play all year- though he might be hurt).
The Cavs must get their free throw shooting under control. They lost by 2, in Utah, on a second night of a back to back and they shot just 65% from the line (while the Jazz were 34-40 for 85%). Though, honestly, this wasn't so much a team problem as it was a LeBron James problem. James was just 7-15 from the stripe. To his credit, they weren't falling early (just 3-8) but he kept forcing the issue to get back to the line. In close road loss like this, the Cavs need LeBron to make at least 70% of his freebies (though, 80% is the number to aim for).
Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas played really well. Again. Big Z had 18 points, 14 boards and 4 blocks in 31 minutes. You wonder if this game would've turned out differently if it wasn't the second night of a back-to-back because Z definitely could've (and should've) had more court time. I think the new 'drive and kick' offense has allowed Z to get more set jumpers as well as some lanes for offensive rebounds (he had 7 against the Jazz).
Daniel Gibson takes some tough calls. So far this year, opposing point guards go right at Boobie and try to draw contact. I don't think he really is out of position or slaps too much but he doesn't have the strength to body some of these guys inside (of course, he just went against Baron Davis and Deron Williams, not many guards can put a body on those two). However, Gibson continued to shoot well, knocking down three treys and scoring 12 points.
Sasha Pavlovic played well... for a half. For the first half, Pavlovic had 17 points. For the game... he had 17 points. Maybe he's still playing his way into game shape, I dunno. But he airballed a wide open 3 in the fourth and was generally non-existent for the final period. As the season (and road trip) marches on, I think we'll see Sasha put together complete games.
The little things hurt. The Cavs had way too many turnovers. They had 18 for the game, but 13 of those came in the first half. There were a lot of bad passes, traveling violations and just general disarray at the offensive end. A lot of these weren't even forced turnovers, just simple miscues by the Cavaliers. Utah did get some lucky bounces of their own; there were multiple times that a Cavalier player would slap away a pass or shot on the defensive end, only to see it land next to a Utah player three feet from the rim. Also, the Jazz had at least six 'and one' plays (and Paul Milsap had three of 'em). Like I said, I wonder how this game turns out if it isn't the second night of a back-to-back.
But the effort was there. One of my big problems with the Cavaliers last season is that, when they lost, they lost ugly. They'd take bad shots, they'd lose focus and they simply just played bad. So far, at least on this road trip, I like how the Cavs have played, losses included. The effort has been there every night (the Cavs outrebounded Utah 47-43), the defense has been there (Z and LeBron combined for 6 blocks) and they stayed within their game plan (movement! using the post! all game long!).
and finally...
Does anyone not like this starting five? The Cavs (and LeBron) are so much tougher to guard when defenses have to account for both guards behind the arc. Gibson and Sasha help spread the floor and it gives the offense more space to maneuver. If Pavlovic hadn't missed training camp, I would guess that Larry Hughes would be coming off the bench upon his return (but, if Hughes comes back anytime soon -before Sasha gets his legs back- I'd expect him to resume his starting role). I think it's safe to say the Cavs should give coach Brown offensive players who he can teach defense, rather than defensive specialists who have to learn to shoot.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Cleveland 108, Golden State 104
First road win out of the way. The Cavs are just 2-2, but I think you have to be pleased with their play since the season opener. The Cavs fought hard against Golden State; they withstood a few Warrior runs, they played solid defense and, while they pushed the ball, they didn't get caught up trying to run with Golden State.
LeBron led the Cavs in just about everything. He paced the team in points (24), rebounds (14) , assists (9), blocks (3) and chastisings of Drew Gooden (1) all while playing with blurred vision (after getting a poked in the eye late in the first period). Throughout the night, LeBron set up about 15 feet from the rim and got some easy baskets (well, at least some baskets where he's not going 1 on 5). His 3(!) blocks were pretty ridiculous and his effort at the defensive end was strong all evening (he wanted, and got, to guard Baron Davis down the stretch). He was both dominant and playing within the flow of the game. Needless to say, I enjoyed it.
But it's not like he didn't have help. Both Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgausksas dropped in 22 points and Drew Gooden pitched in 16. Gibson knocked down 5-9 from beyond the arc (including a trey with 19 seconds left to put the Cavs up 4) and Z was 9-15 from the floor while grabbing 13 boards. I know a lot of Z's stat averages are up simply due to his increased work load, but you can't say the big man isn't playing great ball right now. He's rebounding well and taking good shots (it also helps that the Cavs are actually looking into the post with some regularity). Plus, Z moved more Tuesday night than he has in the past 4 years (he had a multiple drive to the rim and, surprise, they were effective).
Sasha Pavlovic hasn't gotten his legs under him yet. While Sasha was a brutal 2-11, I didn't find myself too upset with is play (certainly not as upset as I'd be with a 2-11 night from Larry Hughes. Of course, at this point I may have an irrational dislike for Hughes and his game). Sasha missed his share of open jumpers as well as a few layups. I expect that once he gets a few games under is belt that those shots will start dropping. Plus, I love a starting 5 of Gibson, Pavs, LeBron, Gooden and Z. That group will score points.
The bench was ok... Damon Jones scored 10 points (4-8 overall and 2-6 from downtown) and ran the point fairly well. Dwayne Jones only got 3 minutes but blocked a shot and challenged a few others. Devin Brown was probably the biggest help off the bench; Brown played his fair share of point guard and he notched 8 points, 8 assists and 6 boards in 27 minutes.
Both teams shot poorly from the foul line. The Cavs and the Warriors were both under 70%. LeBron was 5-7, Z was 4-6 and Gooden was 2-4 (for the game, the Cavs shot 68%). This could've come back to bite them at the end, but Golden State shooting 69% let them off the hook. For the season, the Cavs are shooting just 67% from the line; this has too improve.
Since it was a close game throughout (nevermind an entertaining one) we didn't get to see many young guys. Part of me is surprised that Shannon Brown hasn't played since then opener but another part of me remembers his play during said opener. I was also interested in seeing Golden State's Italian rookie, Marco Belinelli, but he didn't get any court time (the Cavs were his first DNP-CD). I spent last June's draft hoping the Cavs would find a way to trade into the first round to snag Belinelli but instead they stood pat (as I'm sure we're all aware).
The Cavs defense was decent. Yes, Golden State scored over 100 but they only shot 42% from the floor. Baron Davis attacked the smaller Gibson on the block a few times, but the Cavs did a pretty good job of forcing Davis into tough shots. Davis scored 29 points, but needed 28 shots to do it (for comparison, LeBron had 24 points on 16 shots).
This was the best the Cavs' offense has looked all season. They made quick decisions with the ball, it looked like the knew what they wanted to do and they went to the post for the entire game (unlike in Phoenix when they stopped for the 3rd period). The Cavs also pushed the ball quite a bit; they'd grab a rebound and throw a pass quickly, rather than holding onto the ball and waiting for a guard. Having Devin Brown and LeBron crash the defensive boards is a ready made break. All in all, the offensive movement was the best it's been all season (and sure, they were playing against Golden State's defense but I was just glad to see the Cavs stick to their gameplan).
and finally...
First back-to-back of the season. Playing Golden State and then Utah won't be easy, especially with the Cavs missing a good chunk of their roster (Varejao, Hughes, Marshall and Snow). Plus, the starters logged a lot of minutes against the Warriors; James had 42, Z had 38, Gooden had 37 and Gibson notched 35. It'll be interesting to see how the Cavs' effort will be following the game in Oakland.
LeBron led the Cavs in just about everything. He paced the team in points (24), rebounds (14) , assists (9), blocks (3) and chastisings of Drew Gooden (1) all while playing with blurred vision (after getting a poked in the eye late in the first period). Throughout the night, LeBron set up about 15 feet from the rim and got some easy baskets (well, at least some baskets where he's not going 1 on 5). His 3(!) blocks were pretty ridiculous and his effort at the defensive end was strong all evening (he wanted, and got, to guard Baron Davis down the stretch). He was both dominant and playing within the flow of the game. Needless to say, I enjoyed it.
But it's not like he didn't have help. Both Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgausksas dropped in 22 points and Drew Gooden pitched in 16. Gibson knocked down 5-9 from beyond the arc (including a trey with 19 seconds left to put the Cavs up 4) and Z was 9-15 from the floor while grabbing 13 boards. I know a lot of Z's stat averages are up simply due to his increased work load, but you can't say the big man isn't playing great ball right now. He's rebounding well and taking good shots (it also helps that the Cavs are actually looking into the post with some regularity). Plus, Z moved more Tuesday night than he has in the past 4 years (he had a multiple drive to the rim and, surprise, they were effective).
Sasha Pavlovic hasn't gotten his legs under him yet. While Sasha was a brutal 2-11, I didn't find myself too upset with is play (certainly not as upset as I'd be with a 2-11 night from Larry Hughes. Of course, at this point I may have an irrational dislike for Hughes and his game). Sasha missed his share of open jumpers as well as a few layups. I expect that once he gets a few games under is belt that those shots will start dropping. Plus, I love a starting 5 of Gibson, Pavs, LeBron, Gooden and Z. That group will score points.
The bench was ok... Damon Jones scored 10 points (4-8 overall and 2-6 from downtown) and ran the point fairly well. Dwayne Jones only got 3 minutes but blocked a shot and challenged a few others. Devin Brown was probably the biggest help off the bench; Brown played his fair share of point guard and he notched 8 points, 8 assists and 6 boards in 27 minutes.
Both teams shot poorly from the foul line. The Cavs and the Warriors were both under 70%. LeBron was 5-7, Z was 4-6 and Gooden was 2-4 (for the game, the Cavs shot 68%). This could've come back to bite them at the end, but Golden State shooting 69% let them off the hook. For the season, the Cavs are shooting just 67% from the line; this has too improve.
Since it was a close game throughout (nevermind an entertaining one) we didn't get to see many young guys. Part of me is surprised that Shannon Brown hasn't played since then opener but another part of me remembers his play during said opener. I was also interested in seeing Golden State's Italian rookie, Marco Belinelli, but he didn't get any court time (the Cavs were his first DNP-CD). I spent last June's draft hoping the Cavs would find a way to trade into the first round to snag Belinelli but instead they stood pat (as I'm sure we're all aware).
The Cavs defense was decent. Yes, Golden State scored over 100 but they only shot 42% from the floor. Baron Davis attacked the smaller Gibson on the block a few times, but the Cavs did a pretty good job of forcing Davis into tough shots. Davis scored 29 points, but needed 28 shots to do it (for comparison, LeBron had 24 points on 16 shots).
This was the best the Cavs' offense has looked all season. They made quick decisions with the ball, it looked like the knew what they wanted to do and they went to the post for the entire game (unlike in Phoenix when they stopped for the 3rd period). The Cavs also pushed the ball quite a bit; they'd grab a rebound and throw a pass quickly, rather than holding onto the ball and waiting for a guard. Having Devin Brown and LeBron crash the defensive boards is a ready made break. All in all, the offensive movement was the best it's been all season (and sure, they were playing against Golden State's defense but I was just glad to see the Cavs stick to their gameplan).
and finally...
First back-to-back of the season. Playing Golden State and then Utah won't be easy, especially with the Cavs missing a good chunk of their roster (Varejao, Hughes, Marshall and Snow). Plus, the starters logged a lot of minutes against the Warriors; James had 42, Z had 38, Gooden had 37 and Gibson notched 35. It'll be interesting to see how the Cavs' effort will be following the game in Oakland.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Speaking of Larry Hughes....
First of all, he's hurt again (if you had 3 games in the pool, collect your money). Secondly, Gilbert Arenas commented on Larry in his blog (via Truehoop):
Would I like to see them run some more? Sure, in certain situations. You know what would help the running game? A point guard. (Also, I'm not convinced that Z slows the Cavs down that much. You want to run? Have Z throw outlet passes and let LeBron and co. push the ball. The Lakers ran with Kareen and he wasn't exactly nimble. But that's neither here nor there).
My problem with Hughes is his shot selection. If he's open for a jumper, I'm ok with it; but if he forces a jumper (especially early in the shot clock)... not so much. In the same vein, I wish he'd attack the hoop more, but then we start taking chances with his health (he's hit the 70 game mark just twice in his 10 year career).
I'm wondering how much longer Hughes stays in Cleveland. I can't imagine him playing out this contract in a Cavs uniform. The Cavs best offensive unit is Daniel Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron, Drew Gooden and Z. Each of those five guys can score. You have to defend the entire court. Teams can sag off of Hughes (or Snow or Varejao) to double LeBron because they don't think he can hit the jumper consistently and he can't finish in traffic at this stage of his career. Having Gibson and Pavs spread the floor can open things of for LeBron and Z in the post.
I'm all for the Cavs tweaking the offense (and lord knows it needs more than 'tweaking') but I'm not sure how much of it they should cater towards Hughes. The guy's a career 40% shooter (who's having trouble with his shot) who misses big chunks of the season. I don't exactly want this guy shooting the ball more.
You paid Larry money because Larry did something well: he scored. You can't have a guy who averaged 22 points one year and then go somewhere new and not get the same average and then you bash him. No, if you want him to be what he was, you need to change the tempo of your game. Besides Ilgauskas, you have runners. You have a team that wants to run. A team like Cleveland can run up and down and still bog down on defense. Their leader is one of the top athletes in the world. When we used to play them they always had us down 20 in the first period because they just ran and you couldn't stop them on the break.I'm not going to say that Gilbert doesn't have a point because, well... he does. The Cavs do play slower than the Wizards, so Hughes isn't going to get the same number of touches as he did in D.C. (Also, as I've argued numerous times here and on message boards, the Cavs gave Larry Hughes money because they couldn't give Ray Allen or Michael Redd money and they couldn't start the season with Ira Newble at shooting guard. Larry was the next best option and he was coming off a career year).
That's why I mentioned when LeBron first got there when he had Ricky Davis and Darius Miles, they were just flying up and down. I know Mike Brown came in and tweaked the defense and stuff like that, but if you want to utilize what Larry Hughes is, you need to open the floor and let them run more. With that team, your defense isn't going to go anywhere. But you want to bring the tempo up. You keep hearing his name in trade rumors and fans going, 'We want him out of here, he doesn't fit the system.' Well, sometimes you have to change the system for your players. I know a lot of coaches say the players need to fit their systems, but sometimes you have to tweak the system a little too. It's a 50-50 thing.
Would I like to see them run some more? Sure, in certain situations. You know what would help the running game? A point guard. (Also, I'm not convinced that Z slows the Cavs down that much. You want to run? Have Z throw outlet passes and let LeBron and co. push the ball. The Lakers ran with Kareen and he wasn't exactly nimble. But that's neither here nor there).
My problem with Hughes is his shot selection. If he's open for a jumper, I'm ok with it; but if he forces a jumper (especially early in the shot clock)... not so much. In the same vein, I wish he'd attack the hoop more, but then we start taking chances with his health (he's hit the 70 game mark just twice in his 10 year career).
I'm wondering how much longer Hughes stays in Cleveland. I can't imagine him playing out this contract in a Cavs uniform. The Cavs best offensive unit is Daniel Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron, Drew Gooden and Z. Each of those five guys can score. You have to defend the entire court. Teams can sag off of Hughes (or Snow or Varejao) to double LeBron because they don't think he can hit the jumper consistently and he can't finish in traffic at this stage of his career. Having Gibson and Pavs spread the floor can open things of for LeBron and Z in the post.
I'm all for the Cavs tweaking the offense (and lord knows it needs more than 'tweaking') but I'm not sure how much of it they should cater towards Hughes. The guy's a career 40% shooter (who's having trouble with his shot) who misses big chunks of the season. I don't exactly want this guy shooting the ball more.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Phoenix 103, Cleveland 92
It actually was a closer game than the final score makes it appear. Sure, most Cavs fans won't find solace in that, but the game was pretty close throughout.
Actually, the Cavs had a lead at halftime, 45-38. That's right, they held the Suns under 40 points in the first half. The Cavs slowed down the tempo, played tough defense (only 6 Phoenix fastbreak points) and took advantage of Amare Stoudemire's absence by routinely going inside to the bigs (plus they outrebounded Phoenix 35-17). Of course, it also helped that the Suns were ice cold from the floor in the first half (though the Cavs did hold them mostly to jumpers).
Then the 3rd quarter happened. So the Cavs led 45-38 at halftime... and with 7:00 to go in the 3rd period they led 47-46. 5 minutes. 2 points. Yuck. Plus it was really really fun to watch; it wasn't like those 5 minutes were filled with 20 foot jumpers (1-6) and poor turnovers (including a traveling call, a 3 seconds call and multiple terrible passes) or anything...
Also, they stopped going to the big men down low. I don't get it, they simply stopped exploiting their height advantage and settled for jumpers. They went inside later in the game, but by that time (late 4th quarter) they were playing catch up. The Suns made a run to get back into the game and the Cavs blinked; they settled for jumpers and got off their game plan.
Larry Hughes and Damon Jones don't know how to pass. I'm not saying they're selfish or anything, but they don't see passing angles that well (they'll miss open guy or will simply force the issue). Also, the entire team needs to get better at post entry passes, it's pretty pathetic. It's OK to utilize bounce passes every now and then.
Some of that could be the new offense. The Cavs didn't look as unsure as they did against Dallas, but they still don't quickly recognize when to pass the ball and to hold on to it. LeBron is going down low quite a bit and they need to exploit that more often. If he gets a smaller man on him, they need to make that pass inside (bounce, lob... however).
For the season, Larry Hughes is 9-33. That's a blistering 27%. I don't care for his jumpers, but I did like his drive on Steve Nash. I wish he'd do that more often...
LeBron played pretty well (especially defensively). 27 points, 8 assists, 5 boards, 4 blocks(!) and 2 steals. Plus, he was 3-5 from beyond the arc and he got easy points by hanging out by the hoop and taking advantage of the Suns' lack of height (though he still gets pushed away from the block too easily).
However... LeBron's first field goal came after 6 minutes went by in the first period. His last field goal came with 6:07 to go in the 4th. Over the last 6 minutes of the game, LeBron had just 2 points (on two free throws). Oh, and those two freebies? Those were his first foul shots of the game. I hate to ask this guy to do more but... if the Cavs are going (to have a chance) to win in Phoenix, LeBron can't go basket-less for (multiple) 6 minute chunks and he needs to shoot his first free throws before there's just 1:35 left in the game. (Did I, a Cleveland fan, just criticize a 27-8-5-4 performance? I'm spoiled).
Z and Gooden continue to play well. They've both started the year off well (Z is averaging 15 points and 14 boards while Gooden's at 16 and 10) and their solid play continued in Phoenix. Both big men had 22 points and Gooden paced the Cavs with 14 boards and Z followed with 13. The Cavs needed them to rebound well because, with Donyell Marshall hurt and Anderson Varejao getting fat in Brazil, the Cavs don't have a lot of options down low (also, Dwayne Jones got a DNP-CD, so make of that what you will).
Sasha Pavlovic was back. Pavlovic had just 2 points on 1-5 shooting, but I think he'll be fine once he shakes the rust off of his jumper.
I wish the Cavs would exploit their matchups more. Whenever Damon Jones get brought in, teams attack him. Whenever Daniel Gibson gets switched on a bigger player, the opposition puts him right on the block. The Suns closed out the game by getting Drew Gooden to guard Steve Nash for back to back possessions. Why the Cavs don't do this more often is beyond me. They can't run a 1-3 pick and roll? Get Nash stuck guarding LeBron? No good?
and finally...
All things considered, not a bad game. Yeah, you could say they blew it, but I thought the Cavs did a decent job overall (it was certainly better than the Suns games last season. Ugh). A repeat of the Dallas game (or last year's game in Phoenix) would've really gotten this road trip off on the wrong foot. As it is, they're in decent shape going into Golden State on Tuesday.
Actually, the Cavs had a lead at halftime, 45-38. That's right, they held the Suns under 40 points in the first half. The Cavs slowed down the tempo, played tough defense (only 6 Phoenix fastbreak points) and took advantage of Amare Stoudemire's absence by routinely going inside to the bigs (plus they outrebounded Phoenix 35-17). Of course, it also helped that the Suns were ice cold from the floor in the first half (though the Cavs did hold them mostly to jumpers).
Then the 3rd quarter happened. So the Cavs led 45-38 at halftime... and with 7:00 to go in the 3rd period they led 47-46. 5 minutes. 2 points. Yuck. Plus it was really really fun to watch; it wasn't like those 5 minutes were filled with 20 foot jumpers (1-6) and poor turnovers (including a traveling call, a 3 seconds call and multiple terrible passes) or anything...
Also, they stopped going to the big men down low. I don't get it, they simply stopped exploiting their height advantage and settled for jumpers. They went inside later in the game, but by that time (late 4th quarter) they were playing catch up. The Suns made a run to get back into the game and the Cavs blinked; they settled for jumpers and got off their game plan.
Larry Hughes and Damon Jones don't know how to pass. I'm not saying they're selfish or anything, but they don't see passing angles that well (they'll miss open guy or will simply force the issue). Also, the entire team needs to get better at post entry passes, it's pretty pathetic. It's OK to utilize bounce passes every now and then.
Some of that could be the new offense. The Cavs didn't look as unsure as they did against Dallas, but they still don't quickly recognize when to pass the ball and to hold on to it. LeBron is going down low quite a bit and they need to exploit that more often. If he gets a smaller man on him, they need to make that pass inside (bounce, lob... however).
For the season, Larry Hughes is 9-33. That's a blistering 27%. I don't care for his jumpers, but I did like his drive on Steve Nash. I wish he'd do that more often...
LeBron played pretty well (especially defensively). 27 points, 8 assists, 5 boards, 4 blocks(!) and 2 steals. Plus, he was 3-5 from beyond the arc and he got easy points by hanging out by the hoop and taking advantage of the Suns' lack of height (though he still gets pushed away from the block too easily).
However... LeBron's first field goal came after 6 minutes went by in the first period. His last field goal came with 6:07 to go in the 4th. Over the last 6 minutes of the game, LeBron had just 2 points (on two free throws). Oh, and those two freebies? Those were his first foul shots of the game. I hate to ask this guy to do more but... if the Cavs are going (to have a chance) to win in Phoenix, LeBron can't go basket-less for (multiple) 6 minute chunks and he needs to shoot his first free throws before there's just 1:35 left in the game. (Did I, a Cleveland fan, just criticize a 27-8-5-4 performance? I'm spoiled).
Z and Gooden continue to play well. They've both started the year off well (Z is averaging 15 points and 14 boards while Gooden's at 16 and 10) and their solid play continued in Phoenix. Both big men had 22 points and Gooden paced the Cavs with 14 boards and Z followed with 13. The Cavs needed them to rebound well because, with Donyell Marshall hurt and Anderson Varejao getting fat in Brazil, the Cavs don't have a lot of options down low (also, Dwayne Jones got a DNP-CD, so make of that what you will).
Sasha Pavlovic was back. Pavlovic had just 2 points on 1-5 shooting, but I think he'll be fine once he shakes the rust off of his jumper.
I wish the Cavs would exploit their matchups more. Whenever Damon Jones get brought in, teams attack him. Whenever Daniel Gibson gets switched on a bigger player, the opposition puts him right on the block. The Suns closed out the game by getting Drew Gooden to guard Steve Nash for back to back possessions. Why the Cavs don't do this more often is beyond me. They can't run a 1-3 pick and roll? Get Nash stuck guarding LeBron? No good?
and finally...
All things considered, not a bad game. Yeah, you could say they blew it, but I thought the Cavs did a decent job overall (it was certainly better than the Suns games last season. Ugh). A repeat of the Dallas game (or last year's game in Phoenix) would've really gotten this road trip off on the wrong foot. As it is, they're in decent shape going into Golden State on Tuesday.
Suns recap
was traveling yesterday, I've only seen parts of the game. I'll have something later today (afternoon/evening) after I watch the tivo'd game.
(also: the Browns? WTF?)
(also: the Browns? WTF?)
Friday, November 02, 2007
Cleveland 110, New York 106
Well, that's more like it. Obviously, it's nice to get the win (especially before the road trip) but I was happy to see that the Cavs looked like they actually gave a crap. There was a noticeable difference in effort on Friday compared to the home opener. Going against the Knick's defense makes a helps a bit, but the Cavs looked a lot more focussed.
The LeBron that showed up against Dallas wasn't anywhere near the Q. LeBron had 45 points, 7 boards and 7 assists (a bit better than his 10 point, 5 board and 4 assist opener). He looked like a completely different player; you could tell he was more into the game just by his body language. This is the kind of effort the Cavs will need from their MVP candidate every night. He didn't force too many shots, he got to the line (though he shot just 16-22) and he got a few easy buckets early on (it's nice when he can get points without having to go 1 on 4). The Cavs looked to James in the post in the first half, but went away from it in the second (the third quarter in particular was frustrating).
Daniel Gibson can shoot. Boobie scored 24 points while shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc (8-12 overall). Gibson got the Cavs off to a quick start (a four point play to open the game and 11 first quarter points) and he helped them put the Knicks away at the end. Gibson outscored the Knicks 9-3 in one minute span about halfway through the fourth to push Cavs lead from two (89-87) to eight (98-90).
Though his defense is alright. Gibson is a good defender but he's just too short. So far this season, teams aren't shy about exploiting Gibson at the defensive end. Dallas looked to get Boobie matched up with Jerry Stackhouse while New York tried to get him covering Jamal Crawford. He does OK, but the Cavs are going to have to help him out when he's caught down on the block.
The Cavs do miss Varejao. While I don't think his defense would've done much against Eddie Curry (18 points) or Zach Randolph (24 points), the Cavs did miss his rebounding (they were actually out rebounded 43-39). Z had a good night on the glass (12 rebounds) and Gooden was decent (6 rebounds) but the bench big men need to step up (the bench combined for just 8 boards). Dwayne Jones had just 3 rebounds and Donyell Marshall contributed just a single board; Jones hustles well enough, but gets beat while Marshall was basically a non-factor all night.
Shannon Brown didn't play. That's can't be a good sign. Brown didn't score and had 5 turnovers in the opener and the Cavs didn't pick up his option for next season. I'm sure his confidence is sky high right now.
Jamal Crawford always seems kills the Cavs (and he did on Friday). Crawford had 25 points on a variety of shots and also tossed out 6 assists. Whenever he got the ball he just attacked, mostly against Gibson and Hughes. I'm not sure what it is, but the Cavs seem to have trouble with him.
The Cavs defense got better as the game went on. Sure, the Knicks scored over 100 points, but they shot just 46% for the game (which isn't too bad, considering they were near 60% for the first quarter) and they made some big stops at the end. Curry and Randolph hurt them down low (a combined 39 points) but that's to be somewhat expected (those guys can flat out score). The Cavs also kept New York off the foul line (where the Knicks didn't help themselves by shooting 14-23).
and finally...
Was this game a must win? I don't know if it was, but it was about as close to a must win as the second game of the year can be. They definitely need to wash the taste of the Dallas loss out of their (and the fans') mouth and they really didn't need to start their six game West Coast trip with a record of 0-2.
The LeBron that showed up against Dallas wasn't anywhere near the Q. LeBron had 45 points, 7 boards and 7 assists (a bit better than his 10 point, 5 board and 4 assist opener). He looked like a completely different player; you could tell he was more into the game just by his body language. This is the kind of effort the Cavs will need from their MVP candidate every night. He didn't force too many shots, he got to the line (though he shot just 16-22) and he got a few easy buckets early on (it's nice when he can get points without having to go 1 on 4). The Cavs looked to James in the post in the first half, but went away from it in the second (the third quarter in particular was frustrating).
Daniel Gibson can shoot. Boobie scored 24 points while shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc (8-12 overall). Gibson got the Cavs off to a quick start (a four point play to open the game and 11 first quarter points) and he helped them put the Knicks away at the end. Gibson outscored the Knicks 9-3 in one minute span about halfway through the fourth to push Cavs lead from two (89-87) to eight (98-90).
Though his defense is alright. Gibson is a good defender but he's just too short. So far this season, teams aren't shy about exploiting Gibson at the defensive end. Dallas looked to get Boobie matched up with Jerry Stackhouse while New York tried to get him covering Jamal Crawford. He does OK, but the Cavs are going to have to help him out when he's caught down on the block.
The Cavs do miss Varejao. While I don't think his defense would've done much against Eddie Curry (18 points) or Zach Randolph (24 points), the Cavs did miss his rebounding (they were actually out rebounded 43-39). Z had a good night on the glass (12 rebounds) and Gooden was decent (6 rebounds) but the bench big men need to step up (the bench combined for just 8 boards). Dwayne Jones had just 3 rebounds and Donyell Marshall contributed just a single board; Jones hustles well enough, but gets beat while Marshall was basically a non-factor all night.
Shannon Brown didn't play. That's can't be a good sign. Brown didn't score and had 5 turnovers in the opener and the Cavs didn't pick up his option for next season. I'm sure his confidence is sky high right now.
Jamal Crawford always seems kills the Cavs (and he did on Friday). Crawford had 25 points on a variety of shots and also tossed out 6 assists. Whenever he got the ball he just attacked, mostly against Gibson and Hughes. I'm not sure what it is, but the Cavs seem to have trouble with him.
The Cavs defense got better as the game went on. Sure, the Knicks scored over 100 points, but they shot just 46% for the game (which isn't too bad, considering they were near 60% for the first quarter) and they made some big stops at the end. Curry and Randolph hurt them down low (a combined 39 points) but that's to be somewhat expected (those guys can flat out score). The Cavs also kept New York off the foul line (where the Knicks didn't help themselves by shooting 14-23).
and finally...
Was this game a must win? I don't know if it was, but it was about as close to a must win as the second game of the year can be. They definitely need to wash the taste of the Dallas loss out of their (and the fans') mouth and they really didn't need to start their six game West Coast trip with a record of 0-2.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
About that Penn State Video
Ya, I've seen it.
It could be really easy to go off on a giant diatribe about how Penn State fans are assholes and blah blah blah. But that is dumb.
If you actually think that these douchebags represent Penn State, you're an idiot. Sure they're assholes, but they are no more representative of PSU than car tippers in Columbus (next time there's a riot in Columbus, check out how many students are arrested).
I've walked around Happy Valley in full Ohio State gear and I can honestly say that nothing like this was even close to happening. There was taunting and trash talking going back and forth, but it was all in good fun. (My favorite exchange: "You're from Ohio? Ohio sucks!" "You live in Pennsylvania, we share Lake Erie, we're basically the same state" "Ya, I know..."). I never felt remotely scared of Penn State fans, even after I mooned a crowded Taco Bell.
You wanna rip on those assholes, go right ahead. They're scum (takes a big man to throw a beer at a guy with 100 buddies backing him up).
But don't act like this is some kind of indictment on Penn State or their fans.
It could be really easy to go off on a giant diatribe about how Penn State fans are assholes and blah blah blah. But that is dumb.
If you actually think that these douchebags represent Penn State, you're an idiot. Sure they're assholes, but they are no more representative of PSU than car tippers in Columbus (next time there's a riot in Columbus, check out how many students are arrested).
I've walked around Happy Valley in full Ohio State gear and I can honestly say that nothing like this was even close to happening. There was taunting and trash talking going back and forth, but it was all in good fun. (My favorite exchange: "You're from Ohio? Ohio sucks!" "You live in Pennsylvania, we share Lake Erie, we're basically the same state" "Ya, I know..."). I never felt remotely scared of Penn State fans, even after I mooned a crowded Taco Bell.
You wanna rip on those assholes, go right ahead. They're scum (takes a big man to throw a beer at a guy with 100 buddies backing him up).
But don't act like this is some kind of indictment on Penn State or their fans.
Dallas 92, Cleveland 74
Calm down. Let's take a deep breath before we fire Danny Ferry and Mike Brown. Obviously, this wasn't the Cavaliers' best performance. The team is putting together (yet another) new offense and it was pretty obvious they aren't comfortable with it just yet. Guys were tentative when the ball would come their way and it looked like they were over thinking things. Things will improve as the year goes on and they get more comfortable with the offense. The defense wasn't completely awful (though it wasn't anywhere near 'good'); Dallas shot very well (it seemed like every jumper with the clock winding down went in) and they still didn't crack 100 (not that they really needed to- the game was a laugher from the second quarter on).
First shot of the season? A missed Larry Hughes jumper. Larry finished the night with two field goals in thirteen attempts. Fantastic. This is a good sign... I can barely wait for the following 81 games.
LeBron's first shot attempt? Three minutes left in the first quarter. His first points? About two minutes into the third period. Not good. James finished with just 10 points (though, he was in foul trouble most of the night. But still, LeBron needs to look to score early on in the game). this was also the first game in his career in which he didn't score in the first half. Also, he didn't take care of the ball early in the game (to be fair, none of the Cavs did) which led to some easy Dallas buckets.
The refs weren't bad. Ya, LeBron had 3 fouls in the first half. They were good calls, even the offensive elbow one. They seemed too focused on the refs and not enough on the Mavericks.
The game was lost in the first half. You can't expect to beat any teams, let alone the Mavericks, if James and Hughes combine for just 3 points in the first half. Plus, the Cavs finished the first half extremely poorly. They were only down 14 points with 3:35 to go in the second period (46-32). They were in a good position to cut the lead to 10 or 12 before halftime. Instead, Dallas outscored the Cavs 8-2 in the final minutes of the half to go up 20. If they finish the half strong, this could've been a different game.
That 15 point first quarter didn't help matters either (neither did the 19 point second quarter and the 15 point fourth). I know it's early and it's a new offense and blah blah... but damn. But hey, they scored 25 in the third, so maybe they've put their third quarter struggles (that plagued them late last season) behind them...
Big Z played well. 18 points and 17 boards ain't bad. The new offense could get him some more points; not many plays are called for him, but with all the driving and kicking going on, he could benefit from the open standup J's (and the all the player movement should help him find some lanes to crash the offensive glass).
Boo birds, already? I'm not one of those guys who bemoans fans that boo their own players, but to hearing the boos this early is a bit surprising. Don't get me wrong, paying fifty bucks to see Larry Hughes shoot 2-13 might piss me off a bit too. But this is just one game of eighty two. Have some perspective. Hell, one guy on WTAM's post game call-in show was saying he wants to return his season tickets (and he's had them for four whole years!). This team is going to struggle early on; they play the Knicks on Friday (who always give them trouble) and then they head out West. This could get ugly. But the team will be better as the year goes on, just have some patience (also, speaking of the call-in show... Hannah? Marry me).
I thought Boobie Gibson played well. He hit some jumpers, he got a bucket inside and he even notched 4 assists. I'll be shocked if he doesn't have a big season. The Cavs do have to watch out for him in regards to mismatches. Whenever Gibson got caught on Jerry Stackhouse, he was taken right to the low block (where he stood no chance against the veteran Stackhouse).
Shannon Brown struggled. It looked like Brown was pressing a bit (though you could say that about the bulk of the squad) and he seemed to be forcing the issue. He had a golden opportunity to take Sasha Pavlovic's minutes and he hasn't capitalized. With Pavlovic coming back as early as Friday (he said he's been practicing with team back home), Brown needed to get off to a decent start. 0-5 with 2 turnovers ain't it.
Free throws... haven't improved. 15-25 as a team. James was 6-10 and Drew Gooden was 2-5. They can't expect to beat good teams while shooting 60% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Dallas shot 85%...
and finally...
I am definitely not comfortable about Friday's game. The Knicks always give the Cavs trouble (especially Jamal Crawford) and I'm not too eager to see Eddie Curry and Zach Randolph down low this early in the season.
First shot of the season? A missed Larry Hughes jumper. Larry finished the night with two field goals in thirteen attempts. Fantastic. This is a good sign... I can barely wait for the following 81 games.
LeBron's first shot attempt? Three minutes left in the first quarter. His first points? About two minutes into the third period. Not good. James finished with just 10 points (though, he was in foul trouble most of the night. But still, LeBron needs to look to score early on in the game). this was also the first game in his career in which he didn't score in the first half. Also, he didn't take care of the ball early in the game (to be fair, none of the Cavs did) which led to some easy Dallas buckets.
The refs weren't bad. Ya, LeBron had 3 fouls in the first half. They were good calls, even the offensive elbow one. They seemed too focused on the refs and not enough on the Mavericks.
The game was lost in the first half. You can't expect to beat any teams, let alone the Mavericks, if James and Hughes combine for just 3 points in the first half. Plus, the Cavs finished the first half extremely poorly. They were only down 14 points with 3:35 to go in the second period (46-32). They were in a good position to cut the lead to 10 or 12 before halftime. Instead, Dallas outscored the Cavs 8-2 in the final minutes of the half to go up 20. If they finish the half strong, this could've been a different game.
That 15 point first quarter didn't help matters either (neither did the 19 point second quarter and the 15 point fourth). I know it's early and it's a new offense and blah blah... but damn. But hey, they scored 25 in the third, so maybe they've put their third quarter struggles (that plagued them late last season) behind them...
Big Z played well. 18 points and 17 boards ain't bad. The new offense could get him some more points; not many plays are called for him, but with all the driving and kicking going on, he could benefit from the open standup J's (and the all the player movement should help him find some lanes to crash the offensive glass).
Boo birds, already? I'm not one of those guys who bemoans fans that boo their own players, but to hearing the boos this early is a bit surprising. Don't get me wrong, paying fifty bucks to see Larry Hughes shoot 2-13 might piss me off a bit too. But this is just one game of eighty two. Have some perspective. Hell, one guy on WTAM's post game call-in show was saying he wants to return his season tickets (and he's had them for four whole years!). This team is going to struggle early on; they play the Knicks on Friday (who always give them trouble) and then they head out West. This could get ugly. But the team will be better as the year goes on, just have some patience (also, speaking of the call-in show... Hannah? Marry me).
I thought Boobie Gibson played well. He hit some jumpers, he got a bucket inside and he even notched 4 assists. I'll be shocked if he doesn't have a big season. The Cavs do have to watch out for him in regards to mismatches. Whenever Gibson got caught on Jerry Stackhouse, he was taken right to the low block (where he stood no chance against the veteran Stackhouse).
Shannon Brown struggled. It looked like Brown was pressing a bit (though you could say that about the bulk of the squad) and he seemed to be forcing the issue. He had a golden opportunity to take Sasha Pavlovic's minutes and he hasn't capitalized. With Pavlovic coming back as early as Friday (he said he's been practicing with team back home), Brown needed to get off to a decent start. 0-5 with 2 turnovers ain't it.
Free throws... haven't improved. 15-25 as a team. James was 6-10 and Drew Gooden was 2-5. They can't expect to beat good teams while shooting 60% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Dallas shot 85%...
and finally...
I am definitely not comfortable about Friday's game. The Knicks always give the Cavs trouble (especially Jamal Crawford) and I'm not too eager to see Eddie Curry and Zach Randolph down low this early in the season.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Anderson Varejao is not worth 11 wins
Just for the record, Bill Simmons predicted that the Cavs to win less than 40 games and LeBron will request a trade.
Needless to say, I disagree.
Look, I can understand why people are down on the Cavs. I get it. They're a flawed team whose roster hasn't changed in basically two seasons. Anderson Varejao is holding out (Pavlovic just inked a reasonable deal). The East has improved (but, honestly, by that much?). I get the negativity. I have some of it as well.
But the Cavs are the 9th best team in the conference? Really? I mean, I can't honestly think that Simmons actually believes this (I honestly think he's just tweaking Cleveland fans). Worse than Indiana? Worse than Atlanta? Why would they slip behind New Jersey? Or Detroit?
Do people really think that Anderson Varejao means that much? Hustle points and flops are an 11 win difference?
Personally, I think the Cavs will match their win total of the last two seasons. 50 games. Two years ago they overachieved to reach 50, while last year they kind of underachieved. This year, I think they'll 'achieve' and get 50.
Sure, they're gonna have a brutal start (a West coast trip right out of the gate) and they'll miss Varejao. But for the first half of last season, LeBron played with a back court of Snow and Hughes. This year he's upgrading his PG from 'terrible' to 'lights out'. You think that won't help with some double teams?
Finally there's this:
So you're telling me that the Eastern Conference Champion is returning everyone but their backup power forward, they're replacing Eric Snow's jumper with Daniel Gibson's and LeBron James is not only in the best shape of his career, but he's sporting an improved jumper AND he's working well in the post... they're going to get worse?
Don't get me wrong, I expect this team to struggle at times. I have no faith in Mike Brown's offense. I hate Larry Hughes with a passion. I wish they'd use the post more often (meaning, sometimes).
However, despite what you saw in the San Antonio series, the Cavs aren't terrible. They have issues, but they aren't awful. They may struggle at first (and I expect them to) but they'll be fine.
Game recaps start tomorrow.
Needless to say, I disagree.
Look, I can understand why people are down on the Cavs. I get it. They're a flawed team whose roster hasn't changed in basically two seasons. Anderson Varejao is holding out (Pavlovic just inked a reasonable deal). The East has improved (but, honestly, by that much?). I get the negativity. I have some of it as well.
But the Cavs are the 9th best team in the conference? Really? I mean, I can't honestly think that Simmons actually believes this (I honestly think he's just tweaking Cleveland fans). Worse than Indiana? Worse than Atlanta? Why would they slip behind New Jersey? Or Detroit?
Do people really think that Anderson Varejao means that much? Hustle points and flops are an 11 win difference?
Personally, I think the Cavs will match their win total of the last two seasons. 50 games. Two years ago they overachieved to reach 50, while last year they kind of underachieved. This year, I think they'll 'achieve' and get 50.
Sure, they're gonna have a brutal start (a West coast trip right out of the gate) and they'll miss Varejao. But for the first half of last season, LeBron played with a back court of Snow and Hughes. This year he's upgrading his PG from 'terrible' to 'lights out'. You think that won't help with some double teams?
Finally there's this:
At age 22 and entering his fifth NBA season, James has never been in better shape or worked harder on his game at this stage of the season. In theory, this is good news for the Cavs: A motivated superstar is perhaps the grandest weapon in the modern NBA.and this:
LeBron didn’t shoot much but he passed well and, most interestingly, Mike Brown ran a bunch of post up plays for him and he worked down there well. He may very well have the best season of his career if he keeps this up.Plus there were those reports that LeBron's been working on his jumper.
So you're telling me that the Eastern Conference Champion is returning everyone but their backup power forward, they're replacing Eric Snow's jumper with Daniel Gibson's and LeBron James is not only in the best shape of his career, but he's sporting an improved jumper AND he's working well in the post... they're going to get worse?
Don't get me wrong, I expect this team to struggle at times. I have no faith in Mike Brown's offense. I hate Larry Hughes with a passion. I wish they'd use the post more often (meaning, sometimes).
However, despite what you saw in the San Antonio series, the Cavs aren't terrible. They have issues, but they aren't awful. They may struggle at first (and I expect them to) but they'll be fine.
Game recaps start tomorrow.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Help could be on the way!
Angry about the Cavs' lack of moves? Fear not, help could be just on the horizon! From the Plain Dealer:
(all snark aside, it wouldn't be a terrible move but it isn't great either. This team has needed to be shaken up for two years now...)
Hooray for 34 year old power forwards!Juwan Howard accepted a buyout from the Minnesota Timberwolves last weekend, which could lead to Howard joining the Cavaliers prior to Wednesday's season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.
The opening day roster of 15 players must be set by 6 p.m. today.
Howard, according to league sources, spoke with the Cavs over the weekend about joining the club. Howard is also considering Dallas and Boston.
(all snark aside, it wouldn't be a terrible move but it isn't great either. This team has needed to be shaken up for two years now...)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Magic?
In a column about how we shouldn't dwell on the Tribe's ALCS loss, Pat McManamon says this:
But what kinda Mark Shapiro "magic" has he been seeing? I don't want to come across as trashing Shapiro, because obviously, he's done a fantastic job. He's rebuilt the Indians. There's young talent littered across the diamond.
But the task he has to complete now (adding veteran players and key free agents), hasn't exactly been a task he's excelled at. Shapiro has built the Indians through the farm system. His best moves have been the ones where he trades an aging veteran for a prospect (and he gets a Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner or Coco Crisp). He's drafted well and has had a good eye for prospects. In that regard, he's been phenomenal.
However, the moves he's made that haven't worked out tend to be his free agent signings. Despite his Game 2 heroics, I can't believe anyone thinks that the Trot Nixon signing went well. How about Matt Lawton? Ricky Gutierrez? Roberto Hernandez? David Dellucci?
I'm not saying that there hasn't been some good ones (Paul Byrd), but Shapiro's track record with free agents isn't exactly stellar. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a lot of this also has to do with his budget constraints; he's had to go for bargain basement guys and mediocre talent. That's fine, I understand that.
But right now, the Tribe is in a position to compete for years to come. They should be past the stage of bargain shopping.
Shapiro needs to add solid veteran talent this offseason. A run producing corner outfielder would be a nice start. Or maybe a veteran starting pitcher with big game experience. Whatever he adds, via free agency or trade, it needs to be a non-platoon player; he needs to be legit.
And for all the success that Shapiro has had (and he's had a lot) his strength hasn't been finding veteran talent to compliment his young ball club.
Which is exactly what needs to be done this offseason.
Any team that wins 96 games and comes within a win of the World Series has had an outstanding season. And when that team has its core of players back the following year, it must be considered a favorite, especially if you figure General Manager Mark Shapiro continues his magic and improves the team in the offseason.And, for the most part, I agree.
But what kinda Mark Shapiro "magic" has he been seeing? I don't want to come across as trashing Shapiro, because obviously, he's done a fantastic job. He's rebuilt the Indians. There's young talent littered across the diamond.
But the task he has to complete now (adding veteran players and key free agents), hasn't exactly been a task he's excelled at. Shapiro has built the Indians through the farm system. His best moves have been the ones where he trades an aging veteran for a prospect (and he gets a Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner or Coco Crisp). He's drafted well and has had a good eye for prospects. In that regard, he's been phenomenal.
However, the moves he's made that haven't worked out tend to be his free agent signings. Despite his Game 2 heroics, I can't believe anyone thinks that the Trot Nixon signing went well. How about Matt Lawton? Ricky Gutierrez? Roberto Hernandez? David Dellucci?
I'm not saying that there hasn't been some good ones (Paul Byrd), but Shapiro's track record with free agents isn't exactly stellar. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a lot of this also has to do with his budget constraints; he's had to go for bargain basement guys and mediocre talent. That's fine, I understand that.
But right now, the Tribe is in a position to compete for years to come. They should be past the stage of bargain shopping.
Shapiro needs to add solid veteran talent this offseason. A run producing corner outfielder would be a nice start. Or maybe a veteran starting pitcher with big game experience. Whatever he adds, via free agency or trade, it needs to be a non-platoon player; he needs to be legit.
And for all the success that Shapiro has had (and he's had a lot) his strength hasn't been finding veteran talent to compliment his young ball club.
Which is exactly what needs to be done this offseason.
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