The Cavalier thoughts of an Over-reactive Realist

Center for American Athletic Progress

2011-08-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder, we're over here most of the time now:

Thanks!

Ryan

Cavalier Thoughts on the NBA Draft, starting with the second pick...

2011-06-23T19:31:00.001-07:00

I’m re-upping the Cavalier Thoughts of an Overreative Realist blog…because I’m admittedly about to go way overboard. (I also posted it on the new picture blog — Center for American Athletic Progress.)

Thoughts on the NBA Draft, starting with the second pick.

What I think happened:

I think that Chris Grant wanted to add both Jonas and Tristan, and I think he picked the wrong one first. Toronto was universally considered a lock to pick a point guard by the high-profile NBA punditry…and I have no idea why. (Of greater concern is that Chris Grant may have been listening to them.) Toronto desperately needed a big, and they just hired the preeminent defensive assistant in the league to be their coach. Not every team can be counted on to make the shortsighted, asinine pick…and I suspect that’s what we were counting on. Either that or we got scared of Jonas’ buyout, which would be perhaps even more asinine. We are not winning the championship next year! We are not winning it the year after! Lay the f’ing foundation!!!

We may have liked Tristan (I even like Tristan), but there’s no way we should’ve liked him more than Jonas. Because you can sign Tristans, you cannot (the Tyson Chandler-fleecing aside) sign Jonas-es.

Making the best of a bad situation:

If Tristan can move his feet and contest at the rim (he can), I’d like him to learn the intricacies of the league—more specifically, of pick and roll defense—from Andy. Thus, Andy must stay another year for the development of our number 4 pick. I want him to stay anyway, but this new wrinkle makes it in my mind essential. We drafted the guy to play defense, now let’s teach him how.

Offensively… Jesus, I don’t know. The guy is minimally talented outside the lane, and doesn’t appear to be on the cusp of harnessing a shooting touch. I don’t mind having a defensive oriented four, but it means we’ll need to hit an interior threat in a subsequent draft and that isn’t going to be easy.

Where we now are in the rebuilding process:

I haven’t lost faith in the front office, but I will say this…today marked the first day that I’ve questioned it. There are more incomprehensibly decisions made in the NBA then in every other sports league combined (take, for instance, the Sacramento, Milwaukee, Charlotte trade—good work guys, now you’re set!), and I felt helpless today waiting for David Stern to announce that fourth pick. Helpless because as my excitement dissipated that Jonas didn’t go number three to Utah (something I was legitimately concerned about), I realized that I was anything but certain the Cavs wouldn’t look elsewhere as well. I’ll go further with this: The Cavs shouldn’t have needed to think about Kyrie vs. Derrick either! The answer was obvious and the answer will become increasingly obvious every game they play after, say, the first 82. I bet Derrick puts up numbers early, but ceases to develop starting early in his second year.

Where we now are in the rebuilding process:

Absolutely step one.

I now think J.J. has to play this year (hopefully well—as in 18 and 10) and then he has to get moved. There’s not room for both of Tristan and J.J. to start, and thus, there’s not room for both of them.

(Let me parenthetically walk this back just a tad — I can imagine a situation where J.J. stays and provides his mercurial brand of scoring, and then Tristan settles into an early-Varejao-esque defensive role off the bench…and truthfully, that’s great. It’s great to have that type of athletic, aggressive, energy off the bench four, and it’s great to have such a strong rotation of guys. But you can sign someone to do that! You pick the guys for such a rotation at approximately the point in the draft that gave us J.J.! The teens! The late-lottery! Not with the fourth pick in the draft. And so ends my retroactively positive statement.)

We may well struggle again next year, although I suspect with Andy back, with Baron aboard, we’ll need a bit more luck to end up in the top-tier of the lottery — where we’ll need to be. We’ve added Kyrie Irving and a really nice energy player, now we need another elite Harrison Barnes, Anthony Davis, Quincy Jones, Perry Jones, or Michael Gilchrist. If we’re in the top-5, we’re alright. If we’re not, at least we have someone waiting overseas. Sasha Kaun.

Check it out

2011-06-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

For anyone who might still be reading this blog, check out the new one (just starting), right here:

CenterforAmericanAthleticProgress.com

It has pictures and stuff.

Thanks,

Ryan

LBJ Return to Cleveland (Idea 1)

2010-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

IDEA ONE:

That the entirety of Cavalier fans sitting behind the scorer's table arrive equipped with small, yet capable personal fans, unfurling them in unison at the exact moment LeBron's arms rise to throw his chalk in the air.

Just Add Wind...

The result, I'd hope, would be a literal taste of his own medicine.

Thanks for your time

2010-07-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Free Agency 2010 (Spotlight on...Chris Bosh)

2010-07-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the sport of basketball. I adore it, and thus, I can never stop watching. But that said...what the hell is going on here? Chris Bosh woke up this morning and actually typed the following into a computer.

Seriously Chris, I'm glad you enjoyed your belgian waffles, but I'm at my breaking point. It happened somewhere between "belgian" and "stupendous!" How old are these people? This isn't free agency, this is flaunting and preening. And had Chris Bosh ended up in Cleveland with LeBron, I still would've had a problem with that.

On a lighter note, I was an absolute nerd/beta-male in high school, and if Chris Bosh had been in my grade I'm almost positive I would have been able to beat him up.

Free Agency 2010

2010-07-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Of course I want him back, and of course I can forgive this (said the man mulling over Boozer S&T proposals in his head)...but for the first time in his career, LeBron has become a caricature of himself.

Business LeBron

He's not even 'at risk of becoming of caricature.' He leapfrogged that. If the guys who brought you Scary Movie made a parody film on the excesses of NBA free agency, it would end in a 9:00 press conference. I don't know what else to say.

LeBron, I'll see you at 9:00 tomorrow night. Come back, and let's start over.

....................

(Also, watch this. It's a video of Dwayne Wade announcing his return to Miami, and Chris Bosh imitating a school girl.)

This is for good luck...

2010-05-12T23:47:00.001-07:00

Come on guys.

Game 42 Review (31-11)

2010-01-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I did a guest-game review over at John Krolik's blog. Check it out here:

Cavs: The Blog (Game 42)

I'm going to try to update more frequently in the coming months. Like, say, when there's a Cleveland Cavalier basketball game.

Thanks for reading!

Game 31 Review (23-8) (...and an exclamation point!)

2009-12-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. God.

Super-Mo, and LBJ, demonstrating an "It ain't no thing" pose

There is no way I can adequately describe the level of good feeling coursing through my body right now, while at the same time maintaining the strict moral guidelines that would seem appropriate for blog-literature published on Christmas day. So let's start with this...it's been a while! And I'm thrilled to be returning on a Cavalier high note. I'm still feeling like I'm on a high right now. Moreover, I feel dirty, and dirty in a way I haven't felt since the Cavs beat the Pistons in Game 6 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals in the type of game where everything just went right, with good stuff building on good stuff, culminating in Rasheed throwing LeBron to the ground in commencing perhas one of his more memorable self-combustions, and basically signally an end to the Pistons short lived dynasty. The only difference tonight is that this wasn't the playoffs, and we play them again within a month, in what is sure to be a more heatedly fought game. That said, let's enjoy the hell out of this game. Merry F'ing Christmas everyone.

Game Review

There is so much to talk about here. Almost entirely good, with the vast majority of the bad coming from my wandering mind wondering if certain things that took place today were sustainable. But the cool thing is...I think most of what took place in Los Angeles today (as with the Orlando game earlier in the season) is replicable. Starting with...

Mo Williams drives around The Candy Man

Mo Williams - Good God was Mo on his game tonight. I said to my dad toward the end of the second quarter (when it looked like we might be in for a dogfight) that if the Cavs won tonight, it would be because of Mo Williams. And then the third quarter started. Every once in a while, I look smart. (The other times feature me spouting off such golden nuggets as "Anthony Parker mustn't be allowed a second's time on Kobe"...and then spend the next two and a half hours marveling at how much effect a smart defender can have guarding the guy. Also, can we officially put it into the 'Kobe Bryant defensive gameplan' to send KB toward help and then try to get a hand on his shot when it's on the way back behind his head? At least 3 times that resulted in a block tonight...and we've seen it work numerous times before too. It helps that the refs stopped instinctively calling that play a foul when Doug Christie retired.)

Back to Mo Williams. LeBron graciously took the brunt of the attention, but against a team like the Lakers...that's a lot to deal with. So in the case of tonight, it leaves the onus on a second party to ignite the offense. Enter Duraflammable Mo Williams.

Before we even get to his shooting, let's talk about his ability to handle against pressure...which tonight I thought was very strong. The Lakers started to come back on the heels of their pressure, and the Cavs handled it so beautifully in the second half.

I'm an over-reactor (I feel like it's necessary to continuously point that out), but boy...I would have fought Derek Fisher on the street tonight had I seen him. A threat which is probably emboldened by my steadfastly refusing to leave my apartment for the entirety of said night, but nevertheless...I was angry. This game got really chippy...surprisingly so...and I'm not quite sure what to make of it other then this...I don't think Kobe shares the same level of reverence for LeBron that his image would insinuate, and I think the Lakers follow suit. The more LeBron, and the Cavs as a team, learn to follow suit...the more effective they'll be against the Lakers. Tonight obviously was a step in the right direction.

LeBron vs. Kobe (plus Ron Artest, plus the 20.9 ft. second line of defense)

I want to take a look at LeBron's game tonight:

26 points (9-19 fgs, 2-7 3pt fgs.), 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 7 turnovers (although at least 3 were of the 'receiving player not looking' variety.), and a really great, unbelievably focused defensive effort.

The only negative to me stemming from the game (other then the realization that J.J. Hickson is not quite ready for primetime), was actually one I've not seen pointed out to extensively. LeBron's final tally tonight was very much positive, status-quo LBJ (even the 7 turnovers weren't completely out of the ordinary in gauging them against his recent play), but watching the game, I never got the sense that LeBron could've gone off if needed. Had he been hot from the arc, maybe...but he wasn't tonight, and because of that didn't really have a consistent go to weapon. And that's a rare and disconcerting feeling to have as a Cavs fan. Because really that's our ultimate luxury...that if all else breaks down, LBJ will bail us out. Tonight, we played a perfect game. LBJ faciliated masterfully and seemed to be consistently baiting his defender far away from the action, and, as he is wont to do, getting teammates wide-open shots. And tonight, the rest of the Cavs hit them...they made the plays, and they needed no bailing. Over the course of a seven game series...will that always be the case? Will it be the case four times? The last time I can remember facing a team that LeBron just didn't have an immediate offensive answer for was the 2007 Celtics. He figured them out, but perhaps a little too late. Then again, maybe this team is good enough to win a series without LeBron just flat out kicking butt...

LeBron, on the receiving end of a 'Mo Cut.'

How was LeBron able to get his points today? Well, in a few, but especially successful post-plays in the second quarter, LBJ was able to score relatively easily over Artest. Which makes one remember, even if (and I still give Artest an 'if') Ron can match LBJ's strength, LeBron can just shoot over him. Height matters, and so does jumping ability...

I think it's of the upmost importance to find LeBron better shots against a team like the Lakers. Getting LeBron off the ball seemed to be the key. Running Artest or Kobe off screens is the perfect way to allow LBJ to utilize his speed advantage over Artest, and his strength advantage over Kobe. What LeBron needs is just a sliver of space to get his momentum going

But why does LeBron look a little shakier then usual against the Lakers? Why did he last year as well? The first and ridiculously obvious answer is that Artest is one of the best matchups in the league for LeBron on account of his strength, and certainly that was evident tonight. But when LeBron was running Artest of a myriad of screen and then curling into the lane, he was able to get some of his most makable shots of the evening. And I'd like to think there is no easy fix for the Lakers because if their bigs show harder in an attempt to stop LeBron from getting his "1-2" take off toward the rim, then Shaq or another big is able to finish at the rim.

The fluidity of Carmelo's post game certainly plays a part...but I don't think that tells the entire story.

It's been seven years now, and few and far between are the players LeBron really let's get into his body. And really, no one as much so as Kobe.

Do you recall any of the Kobe-Carmelo battles of the past year? Kobe, of course, has assigned himself to Carmelo whenever Carmelo need be contained. Carmelo proceeds to rip Kobe to such an extent that Phil Jackson, in a rare recent show of "Kobe doesn't know what's best for him...", makes it a point to get Kobe the hell away from Carmelo. In the post-game conference, Phil likens Carmelo to a tiger (or perhaps a bear) of some sort, saying Kobe just can't bang with him down there. So I guess what I'm thinking is...how the hell does LeBron consistently let Kobe get up in him and keep him 30 feet from the basket? It's not like LBJ isn't able to operate as per usual, but I Kobe definitely slows him a bit in this manner.

So what's going on? Minimally, yes, I think it has to do with LeBron's developing (and it is developing) post-game. But even more so, I present this theory: That Kobe Bryant is the last player in the league I think LeBron shows any reverence for. That, and the hand-checking rule has not applied to Kobe Bryant since it's institution.

The BIG Expirings

I wasn't able to post for about two weeks...which gave me a lot of time to think about the state of the team. What was nearly the resulting return correspondence was a lengthy 'State of the Cavalier Union' article...basically landing on the conclusion that the ballsiest, but perhaps most prudent move the Cavs could make would be a 2007-style blowout of the current roster. A call to abandon Plan A, and look for something better for the future...and something completely different for now. I think I stand corrected. The team on the floor is working as we hoped it might in the areas we needed it to.

So, maybe we shouldn't trade both of the bigs. Maybe we should sign and trade Wally. Maybe I was wrong with the massive blow up every tradable asset we had article with which I was planning to burst back onto the scene.

To Be Continued...

Blog post one on the return! I'll be back tomorrow to finish this off in it's entirety!

Game 20 Review (15-5)

2009-12-07T01:11:00.000-08:00

It's a good time to be a Cavs fan.

A happy bunch.

But for the next week (until next Sunday to be precise)...I'm going to be a busy one. Thus, I'm thinking my more extensive game reviews may end up being a touch "on the fritz" for 7 days. I'll try to keep you updated with some quick thoughts, and links to my favorite game reviewers...which you probably should be reading anyway!

First off...

The Others

Cavs: The Blog
The PlainDealer (Mary Schmitt Boyer)
Yahoo! game review

Exceedingly Moderate Game Review

*Good lord I love Delonte. Beastly game tonight. Watching him spearhead that 29-0 run (29-0!!!) was as much fun as I've had watching a run since perhaps LeBron's string of 3's in the same Milwaukee gym last year. This particular run was so enjoyable because it lasted SO long. The Cavs forced the Bucks into bad after bad shot for over for a full quarter's time, and then Delonte and the Cavs playing at a very strong and controlled pace on the other end...and getting whatever they wanted. You could just see the frustration on the Buck players faces, and watching it on TV, I got the impression that I was sharing this sentiment with the Milwaukee crowd: How long can this keep going? Evidently, a while.

*LBJ is a pretty patient superstar. Look up the league leaders in scoring and you'll find LeBron is the only one of the top seven averaging less then 20 shots a game. In fact, substantially less at 18.4. He's also the only one of the bunch shooting over 50% (51.2), and stands head and shoulders over the rest of the bunch in assists (8.4). He's not really looking to score in most games, and he's still right at the top of the league there.

*LeBron is getting better at aiming Shaq's lobs particularly close to the rim. Which is kind of the Big Fella's "range of lob" at this point.

*Brandon Jennings is as quick as I can ever remember Iverson being. The biggest difference I see so far is I remember Iverson being able to work more comfortably from a 3 pt. stance, and Allen had more mid-range finishing ability, but boy, Jennings just glides out there. The Cavs were able to lock him down well enough when they put in the requisite focus on team defense, but as soon as they let up a bit...well, you can see how easily he could go around Mo and Boobie.

*Andy was phenomenal tonight. This might sound like a redundant compliment when you think about what Andy typically brings to the table...but AV has impressed me as a rebounder this year. It's not like he was ever lacking in that regard, but he seems to be exhibiting more physical strength then I remember in the past.

Up Next

The Cavs travel to Memphis on Tuesday for the second game of a three game road trip. Let's hope for a blowout victory, and for Rudy Gay to make a substantial, but ultimately forgivable, transgression that leads Chris Wallace jettisoning him early.

Game 19 Review (14-5)

2009-12-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Remember Game 6 of the 2009-10 season? You know, the one where the Bulls beat the Cavs in the Q 86-85? It was the game where the Cavs seemed content to simply jog alongside an inferior opponent until the last 30 seconds of the game, and then make one play to win it...only they didn't make that play and lost?

LBJ throws one down for breast cancer awareness.

Well, I'm glad the Cavs finally remembered that game at halftime. After a sloppy and unfocused first half, the Cavs showed some really promising signs in running away with this one in the second half and defeating the Bulls 101-87. And while I almost decided to gloss over the Cavs' whooping of a team they were supposed to beat, I've decided not to for several reasons.

The way they did it that was encouraging. That good, old fashioned Cavalier defense. The Cavs held the Bulls to a 42.3 FG% (hitting their magic number), and out-rebounded the Bulls 44-42 (at this point, let's just celebrate any positive rebounding margin our boys stumble in to). They were supposed to be able to accomplish both of those feats against a Bulls team that is a touch smaller on the interior then the Cavs, but "supposed to" hasn't always translated into occurrence for the Cavs this season.

Game Review

That 21-4 run in the 3rd quarter was huge in changing the tone of the game. Really, in changing how the Bulls-Cavs match-up had been thus far shaping itself this season. I could listen to Hubie Brown talk all day, every day, and he hit the nail on the head with this one. Right at the top of the third, and directly contributing to that run...the Cavaliers just flat out stopped turning the ball over. It also helped that their defense and general sense of urgency turned up several notches, but you get to lock in defensively when you get a team like Chicago to operate in the half-court. It was a timely run for me to watch personally, because after having seen 6 consecutive quarters of the Bulls playing the Cavs to a standstill, I spent much of halftime wondering if Chicago was actually a better match-up for the Cavs then I was giving them credit for. It was nice to see that they weren't. The Bulls do have weapons to give the Cavs some issues (Deng vs. LeBron, D-Rose to attack Mo, and Joakim Noah had always prior seemed to play well against us), but they're a clear notch below in both talent and experience. This is a team the Cavs should beat at least 3 times a year.

If LeBron ever does 'Dancing With The Stars,' I think it's a safe bet that Joakim Noah won't be watching.

LeBron continues not to look particularly fluid shooting his jumper. He looks like he's still forcing the motion throughout the games. No matter...he's just making everything happen through effort and physicality. I'm nitpicking this "slump" to an eccentric degree, as again LBJ put up a solid percentage from the field (8-17)...but as Hubie Brown would probably say had he been broached about this subject...LeBron is shooting the ball right now. A little more mechanical then instinctual. And again, still tremendously effective, and again, the stats are still there (23, 6 and 11). I think the reasons I keep bringing this up are A) He's completely unique in the extent to which this is affecting him. In that it barely is. And... B) Look out when the feeling in his jumper returns. You'll know when it does...it will look like something along the lines of 38, 8, 8. I'm betting he's stroking them again way before this...but how about getting the touch back by Christmas Day in LA? It will help to have the outside shot working against a team that employs three mobile 7 footers (counting Odom), and one of the few SF's in the league capable of contesting LeBron's strength. Plus, of all the games of the season...I just hope the Cavs come out firing on all cylinders and drill the champs. I'm looking for an Orlando, part 1 redux.

The Cavs aren't consciously going away from J.J. Hickson...but they're certainly not consciously involving him of late either. I continue to think that J.J. isn't playing poorly, and slowly but surely he seems to making better contributing on the glass. He was pretty porous in his individual defense, in that he let Taj Gibson shoot quite a few mid-range jumpers with only a minimal contest. J.J. played only 7 minutes in the first half, and this was the first time I thought I'd like to see him be able to play through some hallow minutes for the time being. He's not Andy, but his defensive rotation are getting progressively solid, and I have to believe it's just from the responsibility of playing significant minutes. He played through them tonight and all of a sudden broke through near the end of the third.

I wouldn't have worn these either.

I probably shouldn't even make light of it at all...but I'm also hoping days like today will blow over quickly for Delonte West. According to Brian Windhorst, it was apparent that is was going to be a down day for Delonte from the moment he entered the arena, subsequently refusing to join his teammates in donning pink, breast cancer awareness Nikes (BW's phrase "with venom" unnerved me a bit). Mike Brown recognized that (both in Delonte's demeaner and his lackadaisical play during a 5 minute stint on the court), and the team really didn't seem to miss too much of a beat tonight. Perhaps because Daniel Gibson had 15 points on 7-9 shooting.

Further Game Review to follow Saturday evening...

Up Next

There is no way I should be re-instituting this column. It has provided nothing but bad luck in the past, and it is based on what is always a bad idea for a sports team: looking ahead.

That said...sue me. I get excited easily. Why did this game set me off on a journey through the future? Because it was a sound handling of a lesser team, and with the potential exemption of Portland (but hey, that's in Cleveland), check out the Cavs next 8 games:

@ Milwaukee
@ Memphis
@Houston
vs. Portland
@ Oklahoma City
vs. New Jersey
@ Philadelphia
vs. Milwaukee

All teams in the talent ballpark of Chicago. I'm laying down a challenge (or, because no Cav is likely to stumble across said challenge...a prognostication). If the Cavs just play to their general capabilities, they're walking into Dallas on December 20th at 22-5. Right back in the vicinity of last years team record-wise...who would have had 4 losses at the same point.

Next Game

The Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. I'm very curious to see Brandon Jennings for the first time this season.

Game 18 Review (13-5)

2009-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

"Phoenix...come out to plaaaaay."

The 1989-90 Cleveland Cavaliers?

My apologies for the late post...coming 24 hours on the heels of a very entertaining game! On Wednesday night, we got to watch a dual treat...as the Cavaliers manhandled the visiting Suns (107-90) while watching Zydrunas Ilgauskas belatedly break the record for games played in a Cavs' uniform. Also, check out John Krolik's latest 'Links To The Present' and watch the very entertaining, throwback-specific, Cavs' intro video. It is absolutely worth the 32 seconds.

Speaking of things that made me chuckle...here are some Amare Stoudemire linguistics that I found on Yahoo's game recap, in which S.T.A.T. gives his current opinions on both the state of the Cavs and Shaq. It's quite possible that my typing this in the middle of the night is making me see humor in strange places, and I think the quote itself is more innocuous then incendiary, but nevertheless...reading the following made me squint. I present an Amare Stoudemire runaway train of thought:

“They don’t look bad at all. A lot of folks talk about how bad they look with Shaq. I disagree. I think they look fairly good. Shaq played decent out there. He created some havoc defensively, got some baskets deep in the paint and rebounded well. Shaq’s not looking horrible, I’ll tell you that. He’s looking pretty good and the Cavs are looking solid as well.”

My take on Amare's thought process in evaluating the Cavs over the course of the evening:

Don't look bad. Certainly not very bad. In fact, fairly good. They might even be well. They're certainly not horrible. Let's just say, pretty good. In conclusion...solid.

So...thanks Amare.

Game Review

I'm guessing it had something to do with the three days off, but the Cavs looked spry today. As such, they were often able to do a good job of transitioning a defensive rebound into a really quick outlet pass (or passes). And because they moved the ball into the front court so quickly, it allowed them to not only attack in transition, but to consistently set up their offense with about 20 seconds left on the shot clock. Especially early in the game. That was a huge emphasis last year (early offense), and it was often credited as a big reason for the Cavs offensive turnaround. They've not always been attentive to it this year, but they seem to be rolling into shape. I don't know that the Cavs can replicate a game in which they have 7 players score between 10-14 points...but I do think they can replicate this early offense.

All the above said, the only way to make an outlet pass is to get a defensive rebound. Which meant the Cavs were both playing defense and rebounding far better then they had of late. The Cavs out-rebounded the Suns 51-41, all the while holding Phoenix to 40% shooting (well below Mike Brown's target zone of 42% or below). Really, they did even better then that. In the first half, the Cavs held high scoring Phoenix to a mind-bogglingly low 29 points. I think the Suns were showing some understandable wear and tear in the fourth game of a four game road trip (and they missed quite a few close-range shots), but that doesn't take away the fact that the Cavs were giving great effort defensively (the Cavs challenged every one of said close-range shots), something I've been clamoring to see more of for a while.

For the second consecutive game, Delonte West was able to play meaningful minutes...and for the second consecutive game, he was able to have a large impact on the game (8 points, 6 assists, +6 overall, in nearly 24 minutes). I found myself watching him closely in the fourth quarter and picked up the following... Delonte's ability to finish at the rim is head and shoulders above Anthony Parker's. Really, head and shoulders above most guys on this team. D-West is just a surprisingly strong finisher for a 6'3" guard. He has long arms, and such a natural feel for using his body in the lane, where he effortlessly walls off much larger defenders, while getting his little lefty lay-up/hook hybrid up to the glass. There was a really simple, non-descript play in the fourth where Delonte makes an off the ball cut into the lane. As he is wont to do, LeBron hits him in stride, and Delonte is able to finish in traffic with exactly the type of shot described above. It looked like an excessively simple finish...except that it really wasn't. Not a whole lot of guys on our team who can finish in the paint consistently, and Delonte is one of them. He plays at a very comfortable pace, even in traffic, and as such he can make the game look really easy. I have a tendency to fawn over Delonte, but in most cases, I think it's right to. When he's focused, the guy is just a really good player.

This is what a size-advantage looks like.

I was writing a few nights ago about effective ways to use Shaq. Well, tonight it was quite obvious that Shaq had no one to guard on that Phoenix team. But when that is the case, it's usually also the case that the opposite is true as well. No one on that Phoenix team could guard Shaq, and it was nice to see the Cavs not let Channing Frye (or Amare) off the hook on the defensive end. There was a comical weight differential there, and The Diesel seemed to make a concerted effort to take as many shots as possible from one foot's distance. That's what he needs to do against a team like Phoenix...play limited minutes, and when he's out there, just punish those smaller then him. Hard. He only played 20 minutes with a +4 overall, but I thought his aggressive play tonight was a significant boon to the team. He was consistently able to draw a lot of attention, and as such, I thought his aggressiveness helped make life easier on all those in blue. It helped especially to get J.J. get back in the groove.

Speaking of which...loved seeing J.J. back and making a contribution. I never really thought that he was playing particularly poorly in the past few games, it's just he wasn't able to contribute a significant positive. I continue to think there's something to be said for that. J.J. is showing patience in waiting for his opportunities, and is exhibiting a new found reluctance to force the action. That type of self-awareness within the scheme was not present last year. He's looking increasingly comfortable on the court, and he's starting to get to work a little harder on the glass. He's still not very authoritative rebounding the ball, but his attentiveness there is starting to improve. And concurrently, so are his rebounding numbers. Check his $tat$.

I kept thinking while watching Frye tonight that had he chosen to sign with the Cavs, his particular skill set would have led to him playing A LOT. He looked great (and has looked great), so I don't think I would have been complaining...but had it happened...we also would not be seeing J.J. on the floor right now. Which is an interesting trade-off to imagine. One that, looking beyond this year, I think we'll prove to have come out on the right side of.

Lost in the pretty solid play of late is that we're currently witnessing The Chosen One's first extended shooting slump of the season. LBJ's been a little off with the outside stroke for about a week. All things considered, LeBron is masking it pretty well by continuing to be aggressive on the drive, and as always, remaining tremendously effective in setting up teammates. These things happen to any shooter over the course of a season, and what's been most notable to me is how LeBron's game is diversified enough that it has gone almost completely unnoticed. Pretty amazing.

Lastly, the Z-DNP-CD blew up way more then I expected it to. So for a variety of reasons, I was glad he A) got it done and hopefully over with tonight, and B) played one of his better games of the season in doing so...rather then putting up the 4 pts in 8 minutes he very well might have in matching up against a small and quick Suns team. More on Z below...

Z, LeBron, and Loyalty

What happens if Z gets traded?

Okay, here's a thought. In a few months, at the February trade deadline, we will witness what could quite possibly come to be the most significant organizational crossroads of the LeBron era. For a long time, I figured Danny Ferry had to make a move. In truth, I still feel that way. There are far too many key players on this team that are 30+, and far too few building blocks in general. This trade deadline, the last one for a while during which the Cavs will wield the golden combination of significant expiring contracts, draft picks, and at least a modicum of young talent, represent the last chance for Danny Ferry to make a significant addition at a hopefully minimal expense.

After all, only so many times in the career of a superstar do stars align in a way that sees half the league faltering financially while said superstar's team is poised to take advantage. That's how Mo Williams came about. That's how Shaquille O'Neal came about. And to lesser degrees, you could argue that's also how Jamario Moon, Delonte West, and Leon Powe came about (I'm stretching Delonte into that category, but I want that list to look impressive). This is the method by which the Cavs were built from perennial 4th seed into legitimate championship contenders. And now they find themselves perhaps one piece away from winning the whole thing this year, and one piece away from sustaining that success in the future.

And while there are certainly numerous permutations that Danny Ferry can come up with to avoid such a scenario (hello Wally Szczerbiak), let's say, for argument's sake, that it is Z's expiring contract that will end up being the trade bait. After all, he's the only such piece we have that we don't need to guard Dwight Howard.

Cut to this week, where LeBron's rather pointed defense of Z has got me thinking of whether I might have underestimated the ramifications of trading not only the newly crowned 'longest tenured Cav', but also LBJ's only remaining 'Day One' teammate. If Z is traded, what message does that send? Equally interestingly...what message does it send if the Cavs stand pat?

If it's a trade for Chris Bosh...obviously all these issues are nullified. But what if the Cavs are faced with a decision to swap Z for Emeka Okafor at the deadline. Do you do that? One week ago, I would have said yes.

But all that is fodder for another day. How about a quick celebration of our largest Lithuanian. There are a bunch of these videos at Cavalier Attitude, but below I linked up a cool Z montage video. I'm speaking comparatively here, but look how mobile Z looks even a few years into the LeBron era. I'd forgotten he was ever significantly faster then is now.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: The Cavaliers all-time leader in games played.

Up Next

The Chicago Bulls return to the Q this Friday at 8:00. In case you don't remember, we owe them one.

One of the Road

LBJ works on Mind-Control, Part 2. (See part one in Game 15 Review, vs. Detroit.)

LeBron exhibits mind-control on Jared Dudley

Game 17 Review (12-5)

2009-11-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Now that was a more pleasurable evening.

LBJ and the Cavs, looking strong again

The Cavaliers, as they last night seemed to insinuate they might, came out aggressively and put together a pretty solid performance in defeating the NBA's top road team 111-95. Like many so far this season, this was an imperfect victory (and it came against a Dallas team missing two starters). But it was also a sign of resilience from the Cavaliers, who have gone through a lot early in this season, and have each time found ways to bounce back. Now let me jump ahead and make this intro sound like a conclusion:

Are the Cavs playing at the level they'll need to play at to win a championship? No, not even close. But perhaps they shouldn't be. The most important lesson they seem to be learning now is how to roll with the punches (something they perhaps never learned last year), and it's something that could eventually make them a very difficult team to handle. As they're hinting at now...come the end of the season, it will take more then one punch to knock this bunch out.

One final introductory note: Literally everyone I called out in anyway during my review of last night's game came through tonight with a monster performance. Conversely, the one player I kind of complemented was J.J. Hickson, and he struggled a bit. So in the spirit of that revelation, I'd like to preface this installment of Game Review with the following:

I think every single member of the Cavs played horribly tonight.

Game Review

I'm coming to believe that the Cavaliers are best served by The Diesel when they use him discriminately. It's an environmentally conscious theory that I'd like to coin "The Shaq-house Effect."

Shaq was effective down low

So far in the season, I've liked Shaquille O'Neal best when he's serving as the means to a very specific end. Such as physically engaging Dwight Howard, or physically dominating teams that play undersized 5's and making them adjust, or in tonight's case...making a concerted effort to make use of his size advantage by drawing fouls. Tonight, the Cavs opened the fourth by pounding the ball into The Diesel where he was able to take advantage of a depleted Dallas front court and quickly place the Mavs near the penalty. The 9, 6, and 4 he posted was not at all what one might associate with Shaq being dominant, but he set the stage for a very productive fourth quarter...and setting the stage for LBJ and others to take advantage is where #33 can provide his greatest returns. Remember, the goal of Shaq's being in Cleveland is not really for Shaq to dominate himself, but to level the size advantage of opposing teams to such an extent that LeBron's dominance can shine through. At least that's how I interpret Shaq's being here. There still isn't a great deal of cohesion between Shaq and the rest of the team, and he does bog down the offense when the Cavs throw him the ball just for the sake of inclusion. But when the Cavs play games where his purpose is obvious, he always proves to be a more effective piece.

For one of the first times all season, the LBJumper didn't look like its normal smooth self. But encouragingly, LeBron showed a nice awareness of that by not forcing it and continuing to attack the basket. That's how you shoot 50% from the field even when your shot is off. Only so many guys in the league can do that, and most of the ones who can are 7 ft. tall. Also of note, after a one game hiatus, LeBron returned to his sensational early game form. He kept the offense moving quickly (the Cavs' ball movement was also back after a one game hiatus), and LBJ had racked up 11 assists in the first half (and I believe 8 after the first quarter). LeBron's assist totals seem to consistently be a microcosm of how well the Cavs are moving the ball (the Cavs had 23 assists at halftime). They seem to tail off a bit as the games move along, but boy, when you start out that well, you can still tail off to a pretty good place. That said, I'm waiting for the game where the Cavs keep it going for all 48, and LeBron subsequently picks up 20-plus assists.

Early in the season, and last night, I spent a pretty substantial deal of time picking on Jamario Moon for what he isn't. But what he does bring is really good. (And strangely enough, I'm pretty sure I've written exactly that in this blog earlier in the season. How soon I forget...) He's hyper-athletic, wants to do the dirty work, and consistently bring top notch energy and attitude. A team can never have enough of those guys. On my only real criticism of him: He can't guard physically dominant slashers, or tough, aggressive post players. But there are only so many physically dominant slashers/aggressive post players in the league...we'll just have to find other ways to defend against them.

Boy, am I pulling for Delonte. I just love seeing him on the court, and tonight (displaying just supreme timing after my large, downtrodden rumination on his status last night), he showed some substantial glimpses of his old self. Tough defense, and his 9th career double-double in 28 minutes off the bench. Whether he's a starter or not on this team, I don't know. But if Delonte's a bench guy for this season, he can make that bench. Mike Brown just needs to find him some consistent minutes, and some consistent lineups to play with so he can find a level of comfort there.

Andy Varejao was masterful tonight. Not even taking his scoring into consideration, AV was able to make hustle play after hustle play to consistently quell any semblance of momentum the Mavericks might have been on the verge of harnessing. On the offensive glass, he looked like Dennis Rodman in his prime. Andy would consistently get his hands on the ball, and tap it through traffic until he could secure another possession for the Cavs. Just phenomenal. His energy was great, and it never once wavered in his 32 minutes. I always feel this way watching Manu Ginobili, but Andy plays at a different pace, and with a different rhythm then American-bred players. He's just craftier, and it can make him very difficult to play against.

Kind of related to Andy's big night was that we only saw 14 minutes of J.J. tonight. I hope we continue to push him forward, to push him to grow as a player...but I'm okay with a night like this every once in a while. J.J. isn't forcing the action just to get his (encouraging), and perhaps he'll learn how to make himself completely indispensable (offensive rebound perhaps?) if he needs to in order to stay on the court.

Mo Gotti is playing well

Mo Williams (2008-09) 17.8 ppg (46.7% fgs, 43.6% 3pt fgs), 4.1 asst vs. 2.2 turnovers. Mo Williams (2009-10) 17.8 ppg (46.2% fgs, 48.8% 3pt fgs), 4.7 asst vs. 2.9 turnovers. Just thought that was of note, particularly when at the beginning of the season, Mo seemed to be struggling more then anyone in trying both to adjust to Shaq and replicate his All-Star season of last year. Mo was 7-7 from downtown tonight. Huge performance. I don't like it when the Cavs have to rely on him to play that well, but when Mo has it going like he did tonight, the Cavs are pretty tough to beat.

I wrote this down in the third quarter: I like that the Cavs are winning, but I'm still not entirely comfortable with how they're winning. They're still too reliant on outscoring their opponents. Why is this? Is the Cavs defense weakening, or is the offense getting better and thus rendering the defense less important? Or is it the league changing? The more I watch NBA basketball this year, the more I think the latter must be taken into account. It's getting increasingly difficult to play defense in the NBA, and that's by design. As it pertains to the Cavs, I think all three factor into play. There's a whole season for the Cavs to figure out how to stop people, but I hope they're analyzing it as much as I am. Mike Brown is their coach, so I'm pretty sure that they are. The Cavs were 9th in the league in FG% defense prior to the Dallas game (44.2%)...which actually was surprisingly high in relation to how they've seemed to be performing of late. The magic number that Mike Brown always harps on is 42%. What frightened me further was to discover who is at 42% in FG % defense. The league leading Los Angeles Lakers (42.1%).

A Very Quick Rumination on the Roster

Z did not enter the game tonight (aka Danny Ferry's record lives another day), while Delonte West played well. There was an article on the Plain Dealer's website about Leon Powe's rehab progressing nicely, which got me thinking that when he returns, I don't know where he gets any minutes. These types of logjams are prevalent throughout the roster, and I think the Cavs need to be looking at ways to transition their roster's bottlenecks into fewer, but better players. Far easier said then done, but they have the trade chips to get creative with this. When the meaningful games come, at least one of the trio of Jamario Moon, Daniel Gibson, and Delonte West will get resigned to the bench. The same goes for J.J. Hickson and Leon Powe.

This is all related to my "the Cavs need to land an integral young all-star/borderline all-star-type player to the roster" campaign. I'll grant you that I'm a little bit of a dreamer, but that said, I do think there are very real issues here to consider. I'm not sure that I see this current team as the one that crosses the finish line.

Up Next

The Cavs are in Cleveland for two more games, the first of which takes place this Wednesday when Phoenix comes to town. A lot to take into consideration in regards to this game, but perhaps most prominently, it's the first time the Big Cactus will have seen his old mates this season. Also once again, I'm glad the Cavs have an extended layoff to work on their issues.

Game 16 Review (11-5)

2009-11-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, no one ever said this was going to be pretty. And on Friday night, it sure wasn't, as the Cavaliers were downed in Charlotte 94-87 in a major show of cohesion-have-nada (which narrowly beat out 'cohesion-no-tengo' for a place in this column).

LeBron, forced to the bench with foul trouble

It's become quite obvious over the first month of the season, that the 2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers will not be able to duplicate the smooth waters of a year ago. There are too many moving parts. Too many aspects of what they want to do that seem susceptible to combustion. And too consistent a struggle to fit everything together. From the Plain Dealer regarding this game:

"It was as if Shaquille O'Neal came back and the Cavaliers hit the reset button on their season, which was not a good thing considering how the season actually started." - BW

Nail. Head. Brian Windhorst. This was ugly, and did indeed conjure memories of the Toronto game in particular. Only it's a little more disconcerting because we're 16 games into the season. I know a season should be treated as a marathon, but at some point it physically takes a toll on a team to constantly be fighting to straighten the ship. And thus, you're not actually saving energy by not storming out of the gate (See: Cavs 2007-08). Against the Bobcats, the Cavs struggled to re-incorporate Shaq, while Z looked uncomfortable again. LeBron struggled to maintain his aggressiveness, and therefore J.J. didn't get any good opportunities to affect the game. Anthony Parker was invisible, and Jamario Moon treated Gerald Wallace like he was Marquis Daniels. After showing signs in the prior weeks of breaking through to a new level of consistency, the Cavaliers majorly regressed by looking disheveled and disoriented as they basically slept walked through the majority of the game.

Let's hope it's only a temporary step back.

Game Review

LeBron played one of his worst games in a while. And this time, there is no addendum. I know the refs went a ways to sap LeBron of his aggressiveness by hitting him with some pretty weak foul calls, while not even coming close to reciprocating on the other end (the latter seems to be recurring to a concerning degree), but LeBron never really looked like he was bringing it tonight anyway. When you have a guy like Gerald Wallace, really the only way he is going to dominate a game is through physicality, with hustle and aggression, and with his slashes to the hoop. I know he hit a very uncharacteristic 3-7 from beyond the arc last night (GW doesn't shoot threes), but it was in penetration and transition that he proved demoralizing. There is no way he should have been able to do those things as well as he did them against a monstrously strong athlete like LeBron. Which is a sign that, for whatever reason, LBJ wasn't competing at the highest level tonight. I'll give him a slight pass in that early in the game, when LeBron picked up a quick foul, it was apparent he was reluctant to get to physical with G-Force for fear of being whistled for another. But by backing off early, it allowed the tone of the game to be set in Charlotte's favor. The Cavs never recovered.

No one could stop Gerald Wallace (not even Daniel Gibson, who is pictured here making what I assume is the wrong rotation)

In a situation like LeBron's early foul trouble, the Cavs will find themselves searching for a secondary-lanky defender to play the likes of Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson. That guy is supposed to be Jamario Moon. We now know what he does well offensively (finish, run the break, occasionally spot up) and defensively (rebound, and use his length and athleticism to disrupt lengthy and athletic perimeter players). It is now apparent one thing he cannot do, and it does not bode well for a few key match-ups down the line. Jamario does not do well with physical small forwards. It was just painfully evident in the preseason when he was matched up with Marquis Daniels and subsequently roasted to a mammoth degree. Jamario had since hit his stride and I was kind of hoping that that early glimpse of trouble was more about J-Moon feeling out his role on the team vs. a legitimate physical shortcoming. But tonight confirmed the latter. Jamario is just too skinny to be able to deal with that type of player. Both Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson had their respective ways with him, bodying him right out of the way and getting straight into the paint for high percentage shots. That's not something he's going to be able to overcome, which means that as we look toward the Lakers (as I have been wont to do)...we have one defender currently playing substantial minutes capable of guarding Kobe Bryant or Ron Artest. And that's LeBron. Not a situation we want to put LBJ in over the course of a 48 minute game. I know this sounds a little trivial...but it's a little trivial in the same way that last year we had only LeBron capable of guarding either Hedo or Rashard Lewis.

I didn't think J.J. Hickson was bad tonight. I just think he never had an opportunity to contribute. And under that light...perhaps tonight was a little bit of a positive for him in that when he was out there, he looked focused and in tune with the game in spite of not being a big part of it. He was patient, and didn't force the issue just because his chance to contribute was taking a while to arrive (and ultimately, never did).

Shaq. On a positive note, with Shaquille O'Neal returning the Cavs were finally able to out-rebound an opponent. More negatively, the big man's return was a flop in every other way. Shaq struggled to impact the game in any meaningful fashion other then he seemed to act as a back hole into which the Cavs ball movement was sucked. LBJ and Co. were making a concerted effort to get Shaq the ball in the post, which clearly became a detriment as getting Shaq post touches became the focus in and of itself, rather using it as a means to collapse the defense and attack off that. Shaq should've killed the Bobcats big men tonight, but was unable to. Larry Brown (wisely sensing a mismatch is weight class) got Tyson Chandler away from The Diesel quickly, and replaced him with Nazr Mohammed. On this night, Shaq was unable to outplay Nazr Mohammed.

Delonte, Jacko, and Comparing Last Year's Squad to the Current One...

Rather then focus on anything involving chemistry (which seems to be the usual comparison made to last year's squad), I want to focus on talent, and subsequently, the recourse we have to improve it. Right now, and who knows if this is going to change...we've essentially traded Delonte West, Ben Wallace, and Sasha Szczerbiak...for Shaquille O'Neal, Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon. Had you asked me to do that trade last year, I probably would have declined. From a net talent perspective, the loss at the shooting guard position, I would have argued, is not as great as the gain at the center position (I would have been making that argument before we played Orlando, but go with me here). In fact, I think the Cavs declined to include Delonte in the first incarnation of the trade for that very reason. So fast forward to today, Anthony Parker at shooting guard, and coming off a loss to the Bobcats...I feel it appropriate to analyze the questions asked by revisiting the thought of Stephen Jackson, and then moving on for good.

Missed opportunity?

A few weeks ago, I felt like one of the few not in favor of his acquisition. And the reason for that seemed, to me, obvious. We already had Delonte West. Who was, to me, a better player, a better fit for this team, and a more integral part of the core moving forward. What hit me last night (and believe me, I'm still trying to fight these thoughts away), was this: Even Delonte West isn't Delonte West right now (it took me five minutes to decide whether to type 'right now' or 'anymore'). Brian Windhorst touched on it, but in the few minutes Delonte got into last night's game, he looked completely out of sorts. I spent much of the first half wondering why, in this type of game, getting torched by the Bobcats transition offense, was Delonte not able to contribute. To form a more palatable lineup to counteract what the Bobcats were doing. And then he finally comes into the game, and you see him run up the court a few times, and just think, "Oh. That's why." I found myself consistently wondering last year, how a guy as talented as Delonte could slip through the NBA cracks and find his way to us. A key piece to a championship contender apparently of no use throughout the rest of the league. Last night it hit me that in his current condition, I could see Delonte not getting off the bench in Seattle. I understand how that could happen.

The second aspect to the dilemma at the SG spot has to do with the somewhat unexpected end to the Stephen Jackson saga. I saw a player last night who was everything his detractors said him to be, but in no way, shape or form did he resemble a negative because of his said faults. He is a high volume shooter. But he is a lanky defender, a versatile wing, and a capable scorer. He is resourceful, and he would have worked well with LeBron.

The crux of the anti-Jax argument seemed to revolve around the future. His albatross contract combined with his advancing age rendering him a poor investment. I would now argue that as we move forward we will not build this team through free agency, nor have we in the past...therfore albatross contracts aren't that much of a price to pay to land an important player. The only person that really affects is Dan Gilbert (you're the man, Dan!), and we're building him some casinos to thank him for his investments.

So with all that in mind (Delonte, and the acceptability of an overpriced, but contributing player), the Cavs now find themselves with two holes to fill for the long term health of the franchise. At the beginning of the season, it appeared as if there was only one. Now, should Andre Iguodala or Rudy Gay, or even Kevin Martin (not quite as big of a fan of him because of his injury history), miraculously become available...they would have to be had at the expense of adding a young big man to the core. It would still be a MAJOR coupe (especially because the aforementioned are really the home-run guys), but in essence we're filling a position that wasn't supposed to be a hole. Going into this season, adding a young big man seemed to me to be the major trade priority. A must for the health of the core going forward. With the way this season has so far unfolded...Stephen Jackson, because of his circumstances, may have been the only way to adequately allow us to patch both holes.

It always did, but so much of this season still relies on Delonte West. With Stephen Jackson in Charlotte, that has never been more evident.

Up Next

The Cavaliers get a quick chance for redemption tomorrow night at the Q. The Mavericks come to town at 7:30 as the Cavs begin a three game home-stand.

Game 15 Review (11-4)

2009-11-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a Turkey Game.

Charlie Villanueva, realizing he made a mistake

Now I know what you're thinking...what the F is a Turkey Game, and how does it relate to the Cleveland Cavaliers? Well, I'll tell you. A Turkey Game is not the same as a 'duck', or 'laying an egg'...no, a Turkey Game (stemming from the also-fresh Turkey 'Day') refers to a phenomenon where, on the final day before any substantial reprieve, there arises a palpable excitement between all parties involved that leads to the boundaries of standard practice being tested, during which time chaos (usually of a positive nature) ensues. Need an example? Harken back to the days of say, middle school, where in the hours before any type of holiday break, an overwhelming sense of glee fills the classrooms. These are the types of days when the students end up teaching the class. Literally. As for a Turkey Game (as logic would dictate, a Turkey Day occurring during a competitive gathering of any sort would then fall under the classification of, Turkey 'Game'), these are the days when LeBron James chooses to consistently shoot off balance 20-footers, set up by dribbling behind his back three times.

The night didn't start out Turkey, but by the time Dan Gilbert stepped into the booth (and proceeded to provide color commentary for nearly half the game), I got the sense that a Turkey Game was manifesting itself. And you know what? Provided it doesn't happen every night, it seems all in good fun. The Cavs lost their discipline, but at no time did you ever get the impression that they'd lose the game as well.

The Cavs are 11-4. Off to Dan Gilbert's house. Total Turkey Game.

Game Review

My most pressing thought of the entire evening was this...

LeBron burnt down the Palace 2 1/2 years ago, and they still haven't rebuilt it. Am I the only one who found it a little weird to see the Cavs score so easily in that building? Years of just monstrously tough Detroit teams condition you as a basketball fan to see a particular arena as a monster unto itself. And then, to see that arena (where it once felt like a beyond-Herculean feat for LeBron to score 48 points in 2 overtimes) so impotent...completely void of a threat... It's weird (and in a strange way, a little sad), but I guess that's life. The little brother grows up, while the older brother shrinks, then mistakenly signs Charlie Villanueva to man the paint. Also, every time the Cavs play in Boston this year, I will be thinking of that analogy. Not that Boston can suffocate us like those Detroit teams could, but it's fun to think of Rondo out there by himself. As much for Chris Paul as for the Cavs. One day, it's just going to be easy in Boston too.

The Cavaliers experiment with playing defense in the first quarter

No early first quarter bombardment = good? The 'ol Cleveland Cavalier five man steamroller offense wasn't out in full force tonight (everyone playing a little too fast, unusually frequent off balance jumpers by LeBron, J.J. struggling to finish at the rim.)...but I was encouraged by something. The Cavaliers scored 60 points in the first half, and it didn't really feel like they scored them in a bundle. In most of the offensive explosions of late, the Cavs have been coming out of the gate on fire. They build up massive point totals, they get about 75 % of the assists they will get for the game, and then they tail off. The Cavs actually had a dominant offensive first half in spite of coming out of the gate a little more slowly then usual. That, to me, was encouraging. It wasn't like they got down 20-10 early, but rather then a massive burst at the start, they played defense, were patient with their offense, and methodically overwhelmed the Pistons in the first half. They were up 60-42 without ever having gone on the type of run that has typified their offense of late. They just leaned on the Pistons, knowing they were the more potent team, and in doing so kept adding distance to their lead. It's a mature way to beat an inferior team. (The end of this game didn't quite match up with the first half effort, but I think we can overlook that due to Turkey Game.)

The best pair of hands on a # 17 in Cleveland - Just something that struck me as deserving some mention. It's easy to overlook because of his defensive reputation (and the fact that Andy is quite unjustifiable considered an offense sieve by so many NBA reporters), but Anderson Varejao has to have one of the finer sets of hands in the league. His pure athleticism may not blow you away, but his coordination should. He is constantly moving, sifting his way through traffic, all the while quite effortlessly hauling in LeBron James' bullet passes without ever having to slow down to gather himself. I have far too little soccer experience to make this claim, but there just seems to be a soccer-like element of craft to his game. There is no one else in the league exactly like him. Not even AV 2.0 on the Bulls...although he is quite good in his own right.

LeBron's slightly off second-half rhythm - I didn't mind this, as much as I noticed it. And I only think I noticed it, because LeBron's rhythm usually is the rhythm of a game. But after a very smooth first quarter, and some nice set-ups in quarter two, LeBron's second-half performance was not quite up to the precedent he's set of late. I think it was just as the title of this note implies...it seems like he lost his rhythm a bit. Quite often it seemed LeBron was taking the ball and looking to fly up the court himself, but he attacked without being under his usual level of all encompassing control. As such, he wasn't really creating the havoc he normally creates in the open court (in the second half). It was just little things...like the ball not bouncing exactly right in his hand a few times in a row...and then culminating of course in the parade of unnecessarily awkward jump shot attempts he took toward the end of the game. Nothing really wrong here...just odd not to seem LBJ completely dictacting the flow of a game. If anything, it makes me appreciate his usual absolute dominations even more. Also, as it was really just taking place in the second half, I'm inclined to chalk it up to Turkey Game. No one is immune from Turkey Game.

Another note - 'What's wrong with LBJ tonight?' = 34, 8, 7 (12-24 fg, 9-11 ft) + 98-88 win on the road + I never had any doubt he'd score if we needed a bucket at the end + he put down one of the most massive, double pump, "wait, did he just...I saw no possible way that move wasn't ending in a layup..." dunks I've ever seen. Just a massive dunk. Even a tad off, the Chosen One stands pretty darn tall.

No calls? A related note: This has been a few games in a row where LeBron was going to the basket (as he did on the aforementioned dunk), and not getting some glaringly obvious calls (as he didn't when he was hit in the face on the aforementioned dunk). I've disagreed with refs before re: LBJ, but they seem to be missing some blatant stuff lately. Hopefully it straightens itself out. LeBron's been doing a great job of not allowing the non-calls to affect him from attacking again, but he has looked frustrated at times, and rightfully so.

My only substantial point of contention - is that tonight, the Cavs played a team that started a 35 year old, 6'9" Ben Wallace at the 5, next to a very slight 6'11" Charlie Villanueva, of skinny perimeter power-forward fame. And the Cavs were still outrebounded 43-35. That is a trend. That is not Turkey Game. This Detroit team wasn't strong enough to use their rebounding edge to beat us, but I just don't know how that can happen...to get otrebounded by a smaller, skinnier team. Shaq would've helped (and probably killed a smaller Piston in the low post), but he's not the cure all for this issue. Whether schematically, or through concerted aggression, it's time for the Cavs to focus more on cleaning up the glass.

Fall from Great - Over the course of the next few years, that Pistons' team has a ceiling of about 50 wins (4-5 seed). That's the absolute peak for that team.

Dan Gilbert...jackpot.

Dan 'Gruden' Gilbert - I haven't yet read any other opinions, but in the spirit of Turkey Game (of which Gilbert's announcing definitely reinforced), I loved listening to the casino maven's extended stint at the FS OH broadcast booth. Lots of fun. To me, Gilbert is the most overlooked chip in the LeBron decision saga. And I think LeBron likes him. Tell me, what is the most obvious reason that LBJ wouldn't sign with a team like the Clippers, where he could get his money and grow with a young core of Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, and Chris Kaman (with spark plug Al Thornton coming off the bench)? Easy. It's Donald Sterling. No matter how promising a situation appears to be, it is up to an owner to continuously make the investments to keep it strong. More then that, to keep it growing. Dan Gilbert has proven to be one of the few willing to do that in spite of any outside turmoil...which to me, is a point for C-Town. And you have to think LeBron knows, that should an owner ever turn course, even a promising situations can turn in a hurry. Just ask Chris Paul (LeBron's best friend in the league. C-Town 2, Oppenent 0.) Truth be told, I don't think LeBron will ever sign a contract longer then 3 years for the rest of his career. Specifically for these reasons. But that's getting off topic a bit. As we move forward, and continue to try to surround LeBron with the best of everything, Dan Gilbert seems to be one chip already in place. I love that the Cavs will be having Thanksgiving dinner at his house.

That's it for tonight! Happy Turkey Game everyone. As the Cavs are playing on Christmas Day, that will probably be the last TG we see until All Star weekend.

Up Next

The Cavs will visit the Bobcats (and Stephen Jackson's cozy new pad) at 7:00 PM on Friday.

One For The Road

LeBron and Chris Jent have been working on mind control.

Curtis Jackson (L), and LeBron James (R)

Game 14 Review (10-4)

2009-11-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers easily handled the Philadelphia 76ers in every facet of the game...save for the second and third quarters.

LeBron James and Mike Brown are getting in sync

Quarters 2 & 3:
Cavs: 39
Sixers: 58

Quarters 1 & 4:
Cavs: 58
Sixers: 33

Crazy stats, but this was a good win for the Cavs (who, for those still adding up the afore-noted stats, won the game 97-91). Like many a game so far this season: it was an inconsistent, but ultimately promising win. Feeling particularly optimistic on this Sunday morning, while writing this review on a particularly good cup of coffee...I'm deducing that quarters one and four will ultimately prove to be most indicative of this year's Cavalier team. Which means by the time mid-season rolls around, we'll be winning games like this 116-66.

Game Review

I've been viewing this incarnation of the Cavs with a healthy dose of cynicism thus far. The bright side of cynicism being that when you start to feel good about something, it's probably true. And while I personally made up that theory...let's just roll with it.

This recent run of first quarters... The Cavs continue to play some of the finest offensive quarters they've ever played in the LeBron era. And even if that proves to represent the absolute peak for the Cavalier offense, well, jeez...it's just pretty freakin good. Again, the offense was clicking on all cylinders in the first quarter of the Sixers game. As you would suspect it all started with LeBron, who had just a massive first quarter. LBJ was attacking the rim and hitting his jumpers early, and in doing so forced just massive amounts of Philadelphia focus in his direction. LeBron will draw a defense's focus simply by standing on the court...but when he attacks quickly and decisively (as he did from the tip last night), it keeps the defense too far back on its heels to react at all sensibly. An aggressive LeBron is completely overwhelming.

The Return of the (Lithuanian) King... Nice to see Z put together a good game offensively. After Mike Brown went away from playing Z at the 4, he's been doing a pretty solid job defensively, but just hadn't looked entirely comfortable with his role on the other end of the court. Since getting back in the starting lineup, LeBron and Mo have been getting Z the ball in more amenable situations for him...the familiar Z stuff. It took a couple games, but tonight, he looked pretty comfortable with his pick and pops, and he was able to do some nice work on the offensive glass...both with his back taps, and in a few instances, finishing himself. At one point I even thought he was going to bust out a baseline turnaround over his right shoulder (a touch of old school Z)...but he pulled it back. Something to aspire to. I'm curious (and hopeful) to see what happens when Shaq comes back. Z has always been a rhythm player, and if Z can catch a rhythm now...perhaps he'll be able to maintain it once he's back in a reserve role.

J.J. Hickson keeps improving

Am I overly optimistic in thinking 'Shawn Kemp redux?' J.J. Hickson (indeed, only a slight hitch in his shot away from having Kemp-like form) is getting better and better. His ability to finish around the basket is already leaps and bounds better then it was two weeks ago, as he seems to be adding little intricacies to his shots in the paint that are resulting in his being blocked less. Apparently, LeBron has working with him to add some creativity in this area, and it's evident. LBJ seems increasingly invested in the making of J.J. Hickson, which makes me increasingly comfortable with J.J. Hickson playing significant minutes. All that said, to nitpick a little in the face of an overwhelming positive...it's been painfully obvious of late that he can't match-up with anything but a traditional 4. But he's athletic enough to learn to compensate. When LeBron guards a quick point, he often allows for a drive while angling himself for the block. I think this is something J.J. could pick up to deal with 3's (Dahntay Jones), and to a lesser extent...hybrid 4's (Antawn Jamison...although admittedly, that's a tough cover for anyone). Tonight, I thought he was pretty solid defensively, and got a few blocks that seemed to me to come within the context of his basic defensive responsibilities. Which is different from chasing the ball all over the court, and leaving the defense vulnerable in said areas of responsibility. It's just an awareness of the basic team defense that J.J. seems to be grasping better then he has before. Nit-picking a little further (and this is the only area where we've not seen much improvement from our prodigy)...the most concerning thing to me about J.J. right now is that he just doesn't seem to have a feel for rebounding. Everything else aforementioned, I could see him having sorted out by the end of the season. But rebounding has a lot to do with feel...not just for where the ball is coming off the rim, but for how to ward off others with your body. J.J. isn't really exhibiting much of that and never has. Additionally, when he comes up with a board, it rarely looks to be firmly in his hands. He doesn't rip, as much as he gathers. I was reading Brian Windhorst's blog mid-game and remembered something about J.J. having a little bit of butterfingers. I saw that too, but in most games, it strikes me as affecting him most on the glass. J.J. displays pretty nice hands in gathering feeds from LeBron. One thing I'm thinking may be the cause (and I vaguely remember this being a point of contention early in his career) is the size of his hands. Until prodded by LeBron recently, he rarely tried to dunk single-handed, and I can't think of one instance where he's reached out with one arm and snatched in an errant board. Not that that will determine how far J.J. goes in what is with any luck a quest for stardom (please!), but if that's the reason for his more then occasional fumbling, he'll need to find ways to compensate. (Editor's note: see the above pic...J.J.'s hands look at least as big as Thad Young's, right? Will need to get some confirmation on J.J.'s hand size. Maybe Thad Young has small hands too?)

Jamario Moon played another really solid game, pretty much nullifying all the early season criticism I threw at him. His defense has picked up and become far more effective, his rebounding has been great (and particularly stylish), and when he gets out on the break, well...see below.

Jamario Moon, of whom "athletic" is an understatement

As good as the past few first quarters have been, it's the past two fourth quarters that have been most encouraging to me. The Cavs are starting to work on the proverbial string defensively, and seem to be greatly reducing their lapses when they need to. You'd like to see that type of defensive focus more frequently, but it's nice to know it's there. I still don't know how they slow up a team like the Lakers without Delonte hounding Kobe (which we never got a chance to see last year), but perhaps that's an issue for later down the road.

Up Next

The Cavs have another substantial stretch of off days (until Wednesday night) before they visit the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The extended practice time really helped the Cavs when last they had it, as this team still seem to be playing catch up as far as cohesion goes. The second substantial layoff is probably the only benefit of twice playing 4 games in 5 nights over the course of the season's first 14 games.

Game 13 Review (9-4)

2009-11-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

That was my favorite game of the season yet.

LeBron drives on Granger

The Cavaliers beat the Pacers 105-95 on Friday night behind a big night from LeBron James, strong play from J.J. Hickson, and some of the toughest defense they've played all season. And even though the "toughest defense they've played all season" comes against some pretty lightweight competition, and even though it was preceded by a defensive display so porous that it appeared as though the Cavs were determined to reenact the Wizards loss of two nights ago...it was encouraging that, on this night, the Cavs were able to stem the tide, on the road, against a Pacers team that has been playing good teams pretty tough lately. Most encouraging of all was that the Cavs found their success in what you'd hope to be a familiar fashion. They locked down on defense, and held the Pacers to 34 second half points (and about 17 points in the final 18 minutes). That, is Cavalier basketball.

Game Review

Let's hit some of the positives first.

LeBron, in mid-post-clutch 3, circle shimmy

LeBron James. I often leave him until the end, just because...he's LeBron James. We expect it now. But I love it when LBJ goes up against premier small forwards, and reminds us that we have the greatest trump card in the league. LeBron was spectacular tonight, opening the game on fire, and then closing it by controlling the rhythm of the fourth quarter in a game where it would have been very easy for the Cavs to lose their composure. Some really tough non-calls in that fourth quarter, and while LeBron did react, he never stopped attacking. Far easier said then done. And re: the battle with Danny Granger...I felt like because LeBron had such a torrid first quarter, he forced Granger to switch to him early, which led to Granger wearing out late. Even amidst the Cavs defensive intensity, DG was able to get some open looks in the fourth, but by then he looked like he had been knocked off his rhythm, which, in my mind, has a lot to do with the effect of dealing with LeBron on the other end. I think that gets overlooked a lot. That when LBJ can force another team's premier scorer onto him early, it bodes well for the Cavs late. Also, semi-overlooked is that LeBron is clearly playing at a higher level then even last year, when he won his first league MVP. The balance and consistency LBJ is showing on that jumper is outstanding! It's what makes all of these good shooting game seem like they're in no way related to a hot streak. I take it for granted quite often, but sometimes you just have to take a step back and say, wow, this guy is phenomenal...and whatever "flaws" exist in his game grow smaller by the day.

Anderson Varejao deserves some early mention. He looked to be incredibly active after missing a game with a hip contusion, and AV played a significant part in getting the Cavs rebounding performance back into the realm of respectability. Just two nights earlier the Cavs were humiliated on the glass by the Wizards. Tonight, they out-rebounded the Pacers 47-41 and looked far more aggressive in that area. Also, I think AV deserves a lot of credit for how he's handling the ascension of J.J. Hickson. Mike Brown started making semi-unnecessary offense/defense substitutions toward the end of the game, and it's just really impressive to me that AV never seems to make a peep. Starter or not, 40 minutes or 10, the guy is a constant. When he's on the court, he will be going 110 mph. Every time he is out there.

Speaking of J.J. Hickson...I thought tonight was a huge game for him. I got a little cynical after the Wizards game, and posted that it was nice to see that Darnell Jackson could do the job of Hickson if called upon. Darnell Jackson could not have played the game that J.J. played tonight. LeBron's young protege was strong around the rim, and quite a few of his 15 points required more then just punctuating a play gift-wrapped for him. Even better, he looked very composed for a 21 year old kid playing significant minutes, on the road, in a pretty physical game. I think that composure is the biggest thing we should be looking for from J.J. right now. A lot of times in the past, I've though his mental mistakes were coming as a result of his being flustered. Almost like things were moving so fast for him, that he was having trouble processing where he was supposed to be, what he supposed to do...even if he maybe he knew it at the morning walk through. Tonight, the game was moving pretty fast, Tyler Hansbrough looked to be handing out some gratingly aggressive body contact, and J.J. stayed in complete control. Which allowed him to use his superior athleticism to outplay the likes of Psycho T, or Troy Murphy. J.J. also came through with some of the finest defensive possessions of his career in the fourth quarter...a huge step. His rotations and pick and roll defense (while still needing improvement) have improved leaps and bounds in the past few weeks, and his individual defense in this game was even better (provided it was against against a natural power forward). J.J. seemed to realize that a guy like Hansbrough was not going to be able to easily jump over him, and therefore stayed down on his pump fakes...something that I don't think we'd have seen J.J. do earlier in the season. Or perhaps even earlier in the game.

AV on the glass

The end of the game lock down was a major plus and, I think, could be a tent-pole moment for the team. (Or the at very least, something to look back on fondly.) Focusing purely on the last 18 minutes of the game (because the first 30 minutes were pretty atrocious), this was one of the first times all season where it felt like the Cavs were able to use their defense as the catalyst for their success. Cleveland fell behind by 10 in the third quarter because (like in the Wizards game) their shots stopped falling, but the defense was not sharp enough to compensate. But with 5:41 left in the 3rd, that changed. I think (and hope) that what happened was similar to offensive awaken that seemed to occur around 7 games earlier. The awareness of individual responsibility seemed to be at a season-long high. The Cavs were communicating more effectively with each other, and hopefully that's something to build on.

Is it a positive that the Cavs finally won a game when Mo Williams wasn't hitting (just 3-11 from the field)? Mo did have a positive effect on the game, and still went for 18 and 4, with a +5 in his 35 minutes.

Now, on to the negatives...of which there are only a few on my mind. (I can barely remember the first-half defense!)

The first negative has to do with some nebulous sense of flux and dishevelment that I'm continually sensing over the whole of the team. I'm probably reading way too much into body language (and, as admitted in this blog's title, no one overreacts to small details as I do), and therefore I'm not even sure I'm right in sensing a problem at all, but I guess the best way I can verbalize it right now is this: doesn't the team just seem a little bit unsettled? Even in victory, which is what gave me such pause after the Magic/Heat back to back wins. It's only 13 games into this season, but the feel of this team, to me, is teetering ominously between 2007-08 Cavs (a constant shuffle of players and rotations), and 2008-09 Cavs (a pillar of unity and stability). I think the two most important things for the Cavs to do during the 2009-10 regular season are these: to have settled into a more comfortable groove come playoff time (obviously), and to emerge from this season with a core group of young, proven "starter-quality" contributors with which to move forward (those currently include: LeBron, Mo, AV, and the increasingly encouraging J.J. Hickson). I think that list is missing two players. One which will have to be added this season, and another who was on it at season's beginning...Delonte West.

Perhaps I've been in denial for longer then most, but it hit me tonight that the likelihood that Delonte West makes it back into the starting lineup is getting pretty slim. Which sucks on a variety of levels. The most basketball relevant being, as much as I like Anthony Parker (and he continues to grow on me), that in taking a purely mathematical view of the Cavalier roster, it just makes us weaker. We had a versatile and defensively tenacious starting shooting guard, and now we don't. I think one of the reasons the defense has not yet found any type of a consistent stride is because Anthony Parker is not able to bring the same level of individual defensive presence (see: foot speed) as is Delonte. And just because of D-West's versatility in general, he is able to connect a lot of the dots between different lineups that are currently left unconnected. Hence, dishevelment. The one potential positive in Delonte's reduced role could end up being the level of accountability for the backcourt that it will force Mo Williams to take. That said, I'd rather have Delonte on the court for 35 minutes a night.

Up Next

I posted this late...the Cavs are back home to take on the Sixers at 7:30. (Which is within the hour!) This is the Cavs fourth game in five nights, and should they be able to muster a semblance of the focus they displayed in the second-half last night against Indiana, they should be able to close out this run of games on a high note. Also, I'm pretty sure (for the Cavs' sake) we should write him off as trade talk fodder...but we get to take a peek at Elton Brand tonight.

Early Trade Deadline Fodder

2009-11-19T04:31:00.001-08:00

From time to time, I suppose it can't hurt to look ahead. (especially during the off day after a loss.)

Danny Ferry, pictured here in what appears to be a dream

For a while I've been telling my dad that at some point over the course of this season, the Cavs would need to find a way to add one more franchise piece (an all-star slash borderline all-star, aged 22-28, preferably 6-10 or above.) And my dad usually responds with the logical question: "who?" To which I respond with the logical answer: "Chris Paul."

The Cavs will have some chips, but who will actually be in play? I'm working on a system (if the definition for system meant 'list') to determine just that. I present the return of the semi-official, Oh my gosh, could he possibly be available at the trade deadline? list. When we last left the OMGCHPBAATTD list, it included three names (and no name shall make the list unless said player is determined to benefit the long term health of the franchise). It was structured with the highest reward/lowest probability guys at the top.

OMGCHPBAATTD list, version 1.0

Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Rudy Gay

Now, in the second installment of 'Trade Deadline Fodder', I present to you the slightly more flushed out, but no more deluded...

OMGCHPBAATTD list, version 2.0

Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Andre Iguodala
Rudy Gay
David West
Emeka Okafor

What are the chances any of the these happen? Well, I must say that last year's failure to deal Wally Szczerbiak's substantial expiring contract for anything of substance has left me humbled. Therefore, let the baseline for trade season be set at Emeka Okafor. Should the probability meter (not yet pictured) find its way up to Rudy Gay, I'd be ecstatic.

Game 12 Review (8-4)

2009-11-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

I picked a bad day to start reviewing games again.

LBJ's dunk was not worth a wrist

It's impractical how easily a Cavs loss can ruin one's day, but boy...somebody buy me a cupcake. Truth be told, this one had all the makings of a loss well before the Cavaliers arrived at the Verizon Center. A beaten down Cleveland team, a particularly unfriendly venue, and Antawn Jamison (no revelation here - but what a good, veteran player) back to provide Rashard Lewis-esque match-up troubles. I was prepared for this loss...until the horrible tease that was the first 18 minutes of the game fooled me.

Indeed, the Cavs hot start was a mirage...and in a lot of ways, it was a microcosm of the 5 game winning streak. In each of those wins, the Cavs found themselves relying increasingly on their offense. Tonight, the offense dried up (relatively), and there was nothing left to stand on.

The Temporary Semi-Collapse of the Cleveland Cavalier Offensive Juggernaut

The greatest solace I can take from the offensive slip tonight is that it seems exceedingly apparent why it happened. Simply put: too many jumpers, and too little rebounding (which led to Wizard baskets, and less Cavalier transition). As the Cavs racked up 32 points in the first quarter, and extended the lead to 41-24 midway through the second, we were being treated to a lot of the goodies to which Cleveland fans have recently become accustomed: Great transition offense, plentiful ball movement leading to massive assist totals, and LeBron playing the role of perhaps the most offensively talented facilitator in the history of the NBA...consistently using the threat of his penetration to find our other wings for wide open threes. Even Z looked to be rounding back into form.

So what happened? Well, I remember two significant events. Mike Miller hit back to back threes (thereby quickly cutting the lead to a manageable 11, giving the Wizards a reason not to let the game get out of hand before halftime), and perhaps more significantly...the Wizards started giving some zone looks.

Flip Saunders: Mastermind?

That is where the wheels started to slowly find their way off. Those Flip Saunders' pseudo-zone looks shouldn't have taken us completely by surprise, as I remember Flip Saunders' Detroit teams employing this strategy against us on many an occasion in the past. And perhaps it didn't catch us completely by surprise, because it sure seemed like the Cavs broke out the old '07 offense in an attempt to deal with it. Right about at the 6:00 minute mark of the second quarter, the offense began to slow down. And it continued to progressively decelerate all the way until the end of the fourth, when LeBron started pushing the ball again far too late.

Analyzing LeBron, and glancing at Mo

There is no way this name should be anywhere near the top of my 'how the game was lost' thoughts, but, screw it...let's talk about LeBron. It's hard not to second guess your criticism when it's leveled at a guy who goes 12-20 from the floor on his way to 34 and 9...but it's not so much the statistical gem of a game I take issue with as much as it was his approach. Specifically this, from Mike Brown (and if Mike Brown backs you, you gotta be right!):

“In general, our entire team—including LeBron—brought the ball to a standstill...which allows them to do whatever they did defensively.”

Lack of ball movement against any kind of a zone will kill you, because it pretty much forces you to shoot a contested jump shot. And there aren't many teams winning on the road shooting nothing but contested jump shots. One set I would have loved to have seen some form of is the Team USA offense with LeBron coming to get the ball right between the elbows, and running some movement off that on the baseline and on the wings. That was the zone buster for the Olympic team. The Cavs did a touch of something similar early in the game, when, against a straight man defense, they gave LeBron the ball at the top of the key with his back to the basket a few times, while running some back picks off the ball. It looked similar to what they ran for the entire fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Magic series last year. And it still appeared to be an effective look tonight. But when things got dire, that was nowhere to be found.

*A note about LeBron's improvement as a shooter, and the resulting changes in his game: LBJ's balance, form, and consistency continue to shine like never before in his career. He now seems able to replicate those 'if LeBron's jumper is falling, there's nothing you can do' games from early in his career almost on command. And when we get into the games that matter, jeez...that will be just invaluable.

But I sometimes wonder (and this thought has so far been developed from an exceedingly small sample size), how that new found high percentage jumper will affect the Cavs regular season play this year. The thought being that now, more then ever, LeBron doesn't always have to attack the basket to get his points.

LeBron at his best

He can, he often does....but he has other means to score consistently on a game to game basis. So take quarters two and three tonight for example. LeBron was very effective, but doing his work on the perimeter, and by not attacking the basket LeBron never really put the Wizards defense all the way on its heels like he had earlier in the game. He doesn't beat anyone up, and he doesn't get anyone into foul trouble either (which was a major issue tonight). The point being, I believe this is how LeBron can have a massively successful individual game and not maximize the effectiveness of his teammates. Even while racking up 9 assists. That doesn't often happen, and it didn't even happen for a full game tonight, but I think it was an issue. The threat of LeBron getting to the rim, even more so then the most perfect of passes, is how he makes the other Cavs better. Tonight, at the most perilous points of the game, he really didn't do that. Over the course of an 82 game season, I'm thinking all Cavs fans should decidedly prefer this bit of evolution, so that LeBron can keep his body as healthy and fresh as possible for the playoff run. But on a game to game basis, LeBron is shooting a higher percentage of jumpers then in years past, and I suppose I'm just curious how it will cumulatively affect the way the other Cavs perform. Truth be told, with anything LeBron has thus far "evolved" over the course of his career...it eventually always seems to be a positive. So, with that... (end running stream of consciousness.)

Lastly, (in keeping with the LeBron theme) during the majority of the winning streak, LeBron has been playing the distributor, then turning it on late. The result has been a series of close games, finished off by a series of aggressive possessions by LeBron. Tonight, down by 3 entering the fourth, I just thought he needed to be in the game for us to have a shot. You could sense it getting away. Even with that said, I'm okay with Mike Brown giving the second unit a chance to play those minutes alone (Phil Jackson would have done it). But regardless, by the time LeBron came back in, the momentum was entirely on the Wizards' side. It was a 9 point Washington lead that went to 12 on LeBron's first possession back on the court. Just a different ball game.

Okay, let's transition. How about Mo Williams? In spite of the unnecessarily massive LeBron analyzation, the 'as Mo goes, so go the Cavs' theory continues to hold true. Mo looked like he never really got into the flow of the game tonight. He was shooting shots he doesn't normally shoot (and posting up Earl Boykins? I get it, but...that's not Mo), and when the offense bogged down, he seemed unable to do anything to rectify it. I never would have said this earlier in the season, but...I think Mo could have used Shaq out there tonight. Mo didn't seem like he got a lot of great looks, and I think hammering away at the Wizards interior with Shaq might have helped. Although the Wizards implied the contrary, I've always felt that Haywood has his way with Z.

Again, with the Defense...

This is kind of what I've been harping on even through the win streak. Yeah, it was frustrating to see the offense hit a speed bump like it did tonight, but...aren't we supposed to be prepared for that kind of occurrence? You know, like the defense oriented team we consider ourselves to be? The Cavaliers scored 91 points tonight, which on the road, is supposed to be enough to give yourself a chance to win. I think that's what I take issue with more then anything.

The Cavalier defense hasn't been there in full all season, but I feel like it will eventually round into shape. It always has (and really, the Wizards' 42.9 FG % tonight is in the realm of what the Cavs are shooting for). However, not in Mike Brown's 5 years as coach can I remember the Cavs rebounding so poorly. It is a major contributor to the large opponent point totals we've been seeing lately. I know Shaq and Andy were out tonight, but tonight was the exclamation point on the sentence: 'We have got to rebound better!' This has been an issue all year. The Cavs have to find a way to be more aggressive on the glass. Not defensive rebounding is akin to not stopping the run in football. You're just not going to give yourself a chance to win. Or in the Cavs case...win the big ones. I think the solution starts with a more concerted effort from the team in general, but it's pretty apparent that J.J. and Z each have their issues on the boards. Tonight they were forced to play together, and there was no other big who could mask their weaknesses in that area.

And now...because this review has come together over the course of the last four hours, thereby giving me ample time to cool down...

A Few Positives

For everything I just nit-picked him for above, LeBron continues to play really well. I'd like to see his monster assist first quarters start to continue through to the rest of the game, but LeBron just looks like he can do, quite literally, whatever he wants out there. And, as aforementioned, it's looking increasingly more like LeBron wasn't just hot with the jumper in the playoffs last year, or in the first 12 games of this season. It's starting to look like this dramatically improved shooting is now the norm for him (and Lord, let that not be the equivalent of a free throw streak acknowledgment).

Jamario played another nice game, and is proving to wield some pretty wicked hands both in terms of fielding rebounds, and handling LeBron's 80 mph passes. That dunk off LBJ's lob in the third quarter was spectacular all around, but perhaps most impressive was Jamario catching a high velocity chest pass at his waist, and basically turning it into an alley-oop.

Darnell Jackson seems fully capable of playing the role of J.J. Hickson, except two feet lower to the ground.

Delonte looked very rusty offensively, but is consistently looking as aggressive defensively as he was last year when he erased Joe Johnson in the conference semi-finals.

And finally (boy, I just vented out four days of reviewing energy...), in a lot of ways, this is probably as appropriate as a loss will get for the Cavaliers. It absolutely highlights the issues with which they're struggling...but sometimes you just catch a tough Wizards team on your second game of a back to back, in their place, on a night in which they get their best player back, while your best two big men are out. Yes, I think the Cavs might've won had they played a little harder and with a little more focus...but I always think that. This is as close to a schedule loss as you're going to get.

Up Next

Another tough road game. At Indiana. Taking 3 wins out of this '4 games in 5 nights' gauntlet now seems like it would be a pretty major success. The next one (again sans Shaq, and maybe sans Andy too) will be the test.

Who We Lost To (New Segment!)

Mike Miller: humanitarian

Am I a bad person if this doesn't make me feel any better?

Game 11 Review (8-3)

2009-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy LeBron

Sorry for another cop out! Below is a link to the Yahoo Sports incredibly exciting game review. And there is much more featured in the blog roll to the right.

Cavs 114, Warriors 108.

This particular blog's analysis will be returning as soon as I start getting my game feed again. Which is...(cue anticipatory drum roll)...tomorrow. (end anticipatory drum roll.)

Up Next

The Washington Wizards, and DeShawn Stevenson's now completely numb face.

Game 10 Review (7-3)

2009-11-16T01:51:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note (11/18/09): In remembrance of the fallen games played while your reviewer was sans League Pass (vs. Utah, vs. Golden State), the following semi-formed "game review" will be left as it was initially published...bare, in it's original, unfinished state. Naked, for the world to see. Related tidbit: I'm extraordinarily lazy.

.............................

On Saturday, November 14th, the landscape of The Cavalier Thoughts of an Over-reactive Realist was changed forever. For on this day (a day which will live in infamy) my NBA league pass free preview-sample abrutply ended. The resulting withdrawal prevented me from posting my game thoughts right away, and has led to the following Utah Jazz game/first 10 games of the season review.

What I Like

The Utah Game (Cavs win 107-103) was the Chicago Bulls game of last week, and LeBron was able to turn on the jets just in time to avoid another completely unnecessary loss. These are the types of games you don't lose if you want to have home court throughout the playoffs. As we saw last season, home court is not a cure all, but it certainly is something to strive for.

The most important thing to be looking for over the course of this season is progress. I think the team as a whole is aware of this.

Project J.J.

It is sometimes difficult to tell how much of J.J.'s recent surge is simply due to increased minutes, and a significant effort by LeBron and Co. to produce high percentage scoring opportunities for him. While I think our 21 year old prodigy's numbers of late may be slightly skewed by those factors, it is clear that J.J. Hickson has some serious tools to be working with.

Things are feeling fairly chipper in Cavs-land lately. The Celtics, Magic, and Lakers all took one (or two) on the chin this week, and the Cavs are right back at the top of the league record-wise. The Cleveland offense is clicking.

Game 9 Review (6-3)

2009-11-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

I have no read on this team.

Teammates? If D-Wade's not in Cleveland, then I hope not

Another night in Florida, another great road win, and I can't help but feel completely disoriented when I look at the Cavaliers. Quality wins are starting to come, and 6-3 could very easily be 9-0 right now. But at no time last year did I look at the team and see so much, so tenuous. Maybe that will prove to be a good thing, but for tonight, it's preventing me from enjoying a really nice win in Miami.

Concerned about the Defense...

Defense has been, for the past four years, the pillar of what the Cavaliers do. That's why it's disconcerting to me that the past two wins, while great wins, were won almost exclusively through offensive means. With LeBron as dominant as ever. With Mo blisteringly hot. With J.J. Hickson's best career games. If we can keep this up, we'll be fine. But that seems like a lot to ask. At no time in this young season have I seen any truly elite defense...the kind you ultimately have to rely on to win the whole thing.

If anyone can get them there, it's Mike Brown. What worries me is that a lot of the issues seem to revolve around the absence of Delonte West (I think Wade has a tougher time tonight with Delonte hounding him), and the lack of mobility from the center position. I think everyone is hoping one of these issues will resolve itself by season's end, and Delonte will be a big part of whatever the Cavaliers do.

The center issue isn't so easily solved. No team is without holes, and this may be ours to deal with for the long haul. I don't know if I find it comforting or just, beyond horrifying that, at season's end, only certain matchups will prove to actually matter for the Cavs. All Shaq and Z really need to do...is keep up with Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. That's all.

Some Out of the Ordinary Stuff...

Michael Jordan was at the game, and in response LeBron announced (pretty definitively) that he would be dropping the # 23 after the season, out of respect for the Greatest of All Time. LBJ suggested that no one in the NBA should be wearing the number, and then proceeded to adopt # 6 as his number to be (which apparently has significant meaning for LeBron, who said, "My second-favorite player was Julius Erving. My first child was born on Oct. 6, it's my Olympic number, my second child was born in June.") It could be cool. It looks good on his Olympic jersey. The only thing I'm waiting for someone to mention is that if dropping '23' out of reverence for Michael Jordan is LeBron's reasoning...does he know that '6' was Bill Russell's?

MJ was in the building

I'd heard "plan # 6" come up in the past, but it's just another something in a series of somethings that seem to be building around this team. A lot of news that has nothing to do with basketball. And worse yet is I can totally feel myself falling into it. I didn't think I'd be the guy worrying about LeBron leaving all season, but the media has a way of doing that to a person. Between LeBron's declaration that winning dwarfs a max contract (thereby opening the door to Miami, Dallas, and the Lakers - as per Sam Smith's article for which I thought he was being flat out irresponsible), and the adoption of a new number (thereby symbolizing the start of a new era), I've at the very least become unsettled. Really, nothing has changed - LeBron has been wearing 6 at practice for years now, and that change seemed on the horizon ever since Kobe Bryant's jersey change prompted his jump to the top of the NBA store sales charts - but things are moving quickly around this team (far more so then any other team in the NBA), and as a fan, you can feel how easy it is to get caught up in that. I'm glad the team seems to be handling itself more professionally than I am.

Another note - and this is clearly where I don't understand today's NBA - but it rubbed me the wrong way a little bit when LeBron was quick to rank Dwayne Wade's dunk on Andy in the top 10 of all time. And I should preface that with...it was. It was an epic dunk. But as a Cavs fan (albeit one more fanatical then most), rather then having a moment of being impressed with the dunk, it just pissed me off from the second it happened. And with a guy like Andy, who puts his body, ego, and hair on the line every night...I just wanted to see some kind of rally to his defense. I know it wasn't really necessary, and I know winning was the best retort, and I know LeBron and Wade are friends, but still...Wade was posturing himself over AV post dunk, and I was just waiting for something to happen. As Charles Barkley said at halftime:

"That is when you clock a guy in the onions."

On the Bright Side...

I can't tell if the Cavs have stumbled onto a prolific, multi-faceted offense, or if they're just hitting shots. One reason to suspect the former is that Cleveland emerged from the four day break before the Orlando game displaying new sets, improved spacing, and some hellacious ball movement. As a result, the past two games have seen the Cavs put up big numbers on (traditionally) good defensive teams.

Shaq is getting touches, but not so many as to slow down the offense. Mo is hitting from all angles, and perhaps more importantly is penetrating at a rate I can't remember having seen from him before. He's finding guys for open shots, and just in general making life much easier for LeBron. Which is great, because LeBron has consistently shown us over the same games that he is still quite capable of doing anything he needs to do by himself. It's just that Mo is allowing him not to.

It's only a three game sample size, but J.J. Hickson is doing exactly what we need him to do offensively. Take advantage of the attention paid to LeBron and Shaq. He's still getting blocked at the rim a surprising amount, but today against Miami he displayed some nifty new moves around the basket, and as such, was able to convert 7-9 field goal attempts.

J.J. Hickson, doing what J.J. Hickson does best

The 21 year old had a career high 18 points tonight and had a very positive effect on the game. He lapsed a bit more on defense tonight then he did last night, but all in all, he's improving. If he's smart, hustles for offensive rebounds (without flailing and committing silly over the back fouls), and runs the court as hard as he has been doing, the Cavs will continue to play well when he's on the court.

Also, a little shout out to Jamario Moon. I keep writing that he's not living up to expectations, but tonight he played really well. I think the onus is on the Cavs to set him up offensively. The guy may not be able to create his own shots, but he can finish at the rim. He scored on an alley-oop from LeBron on a nice set play, and demonstrated some craft around the basket with a finish in the second half. More importantly, he played halfway decent defense on Wade tonight. He didn't keep him out of the lane, but perhaps that's expecting too much. He made Wade work, preventing him from really going off, and thus, LeBron never had to come and guard him.

Up Next

Utah comes to Cleveland on Saturday. The Cavs must continue to build on this momentum and look to string together some wins. Oh yeah, and J.J. vs. Boozer. C'mon Hickson.

Game 8 Review (5-3)

2009-11-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

“It’s just one game. We will see them later on this season.” - LeBron James

LBJ made it look easy tonight

I love that LBJ quote for two reasons. On one hand, he's right. By the time the Cavs get their chance to take a real slice of revenge (is that an expression?) out of the Magic ('s pie?), both of these teams will look completely different. So yes, in that sense:

It's one game. Great. Moving on.

On the other hand, regardless of how you slice it (it meaning either the win, the Magic themselves, or some appropriate application of the aforementioned 'Magic Pie' metaphor), the act of saying 'it's no big deal' is kind of passive aggressively rubbing it Orlando's face. And in that sense:

It's one game (in which we easily handled you on your home court, which, by the way, was no big deal). Great. Moving on.

So what am I trying to say? What conclusion do we reach? None. None, whatsoever. Just...I f'n hate the Magic.

Game Review

I think tonight's game officially supplants the Wizards game as the Cavs' finest performance yet this season. And for the offense, that applies tenfold.

The Supermen

The Cavs beat the Magic 102-93...and it wasn't near that close. Here are my observations:

Say what you will about either team and their current level of play, but I just think it was good for the Cavs to get a win in this building. It hadn't happened for a while. Hadn't happened since Larry Hughes went for 41 in his good game with the Cavs. Also, LBJ added one of his massive 30+ triple doubles. So not only had it been a while, when it did last happen, the circumstances were far from routine. Save for the 24 minute appearance of Super-Mo, that wasn't the case tonight.

Chalk this one up in the "What I Hope I Know" file: With fresh legs, Shaq looked like he might be just enough of a road block for Dwight Howard to allows us to play the Magic, rather then play the Magic's match-up advantage. Not that Dwight won't prove to be more of a handful later down the line, but remember...this is the guy who went for a relatively easy 26 and 13 on us in the conference finals, despite massively intricate double and triple teams. Tonight, he was effectively nullified (albeit with a little help from the refs, and Dwight's subsequent pouting). Dwight is so much quicker, so much more athletic, but it still looks like The Diesel is in his head a bit. And regardless of how it is accomplished, any game where Shaq is within 1 point and 3 boards of Dwight statistically...well, that means we're winning. Specifically, the biggest effect I saw Shaq having on Dwight is that he (along with a concerted effort from all Cavs) seemed to be able to keep him off the offensive glass, where DH had a very quiet 2 boards. That's huge, as Dwight is not Hakeem Olajuwon, and gets most of his points by positioning himself for dunks. His most effective way to do that? Offensive rebounding. That KILLED us last year, and it was a complete non-factor tonight. If we can keep that up (a hefty task), the Magic will not beat us.

On a scale of 1 - 10, here's how Mo rated his performance.

Mo Williams!!!! Boy, when that guy is cookin, it's fun to watch. The following is a synopsis of Mo Williams in the first half: Early in the second quarter, he attempted a 3 pt FG that rolled around the rim for about five seconds, and then went in. I don't think he took another shot that hit rim. 9-9 from the field. 22 points, and some killer drive/dish plays to LeBron. Just sensational to watch. So far this year, it's been pretty obvious that the team's play has been strongly tethered to Mo Williams shooting (5 wins - 53 % fgs, 3 losses - 31 % fgs). He picked a good night to show up. Aside from hitting from everywhere on the court, Mo made life a lot easier on LeBron tonight. Especially in the first half, when Mo's penetration allowed LeBron to move off the ball, and get numerous easy, at the rim finishes. One new set in particular seemed to aid in that dynamic, as it looked like Mike Brown was hard at work over the Cavs' extended break...

Mike Brown had a good idea, which earned him a picture

The 1-3 pick and roll! I just was just reading John Krolik's blog (linked on the blog roll) and it reminded me of that. Someone on the coaching staff deserves some credit here. We've seen LeBron and Mo run pick and roll before. But how often with LeBron as the screener? I literally can't remember seeing that before, and it looked like what Nash and Amar'e do, but (how much of a homer am I?) better. Because LeBron is better then Amare, and Mo is just as much of a threat to pull up for that jumper as Nash. Good Lord, that looked awesome. And kind of one of those, 'why the hell didn't we think of this before?' moments. Here's wishing that sticks around.

More good things: J.J. was very solid. Z shot poorly again, but was effective defensively. And Anthony Parker looked very efficient. I'm realizing the thing with him seems to be related to the rest of the team. On a night like this, with so many people rolling, AP is able to amplify that with his smart game. Good passing, solid team defense, and 3 point shooting. It's on nights when the offense is bogged down that he finds himself in situations that he can't handle. Like having to create his own shot. Or even, in some cases, when we rely on his 3 point shooting to be a focal point, rather then the 4th scoring option it should be. What I'm starting to think is that AP can only be as effective as the rest of the team. That said, I think that means he can be really effective.

Only downside on the court for the Cavs (off the court, it looks like Delonte had a bit of a setback), is that Jamario Moon continues to look uncomfortable. I badly wanted to see him develop into a Cavalier version of 'turn of the century Bruce Bowen.' And it just doesn't look like it's happening. Jamario Moon: elite athlete seems like he came as advertised. The guy jumps like he's in a spacecraft. But here's the problem. Jamario Moon: elite defender is nowhere to be found. Truth be told, I don't know if he ever existed. I started to have a bad feeling about this ever since watching Marquis Daniels absolutely fry him in the last preseason game. I just didn't think a guy who could let that happen to himself could possibly be a good defender. And here's the issue...JM is not playing tough. Even tonight against Vince Carter, who is literally the exact opposite of "renowned for his toughness." Jamario's playing soft, and letting bigger guys body him out of the way, thereby removing his athleticism. Definitely not time to write him off, but it's about the time I was hoping to see a little more from him. Don't need points, just minutes of tough defense.

Up Next

D-Wade and the Heat in Miami. LeBron just issued a moratorium on free agency talk. I have a feeling that will last until 8:00 tomorrow.

Game 7 Review (4-3)

2009-11-07T02:55:00.000-08:00

It's funny how quickly my emotions can swing over the course of 24 hours. Over-reactive realist.

LBJ in MSG

LeBron James and the Cavaliers cruised to a 100-91 victory over what seemed to be a (already!) decidedly disinterested Knicks team. Indeed, the most notable thing that came of this night seems to be the vast number of 2010 articles that have since popped up on ESPN.com. Please stay LeBron. It's really fun to watch you play basketball.

Game Review

I will preface this review with the following: It's become increasingly difficult to judge a team's offensive development when watching said offense operate against the New York Knicks. It's a safe assumption that the Cavaliers had more trouble finding their way through the revolving door of the Ritz Carlton then they did weaving through Knick defenders. The point there being twofold: The Knicks suck, and sometimes those revolving door can be tricky.

Notes on the game...

LeBron put on a show (and it was a show)...quite obviously loving every minute of playing in the Garden. While some seem to see this as a negative (i.e. LeBron has a thing for attention), I see it as a major plus. Most importantly, I believe this ease in/thirst for the limelight is what makes LeBron a really good (and somewhat overlooked) big game player. And not as importantly...as a basketball fan, it's kind of amazingly fun to watch LeBron "go showtime." It's not always the best thing for the Cavs, but provided it's not costing them any games, it's hard to complain about the MVP throwing down a few showpiece games throughout the course of the regular season. Had the Knicks put up more of a fight, we might have been looking at something more along the lines of 50, 10, 10. As it were...33, 8, 9.

Well, the kid can jump...

Perhaps the most interesting non-LeBron development of the night was Mike Brown inserting J.J. Hickson into the starting lineup. Kind of a ballsy move considering Andy Varejao has been the second best player on the team through 7 games of the season. That said, I'm excited to see where this goes. J.J. didn't blow the roof off the place tonight (really he didn't even play particularly well), but he did show glimpses. Very early, J.J. was able to get a couple quick buckets (and display his freakish athleticism) by taking advantage of the attention paid to the rest of the first unit. When all J.J. has to do is finish, the Cavs are putting him in a position to get comfortable in a specific role. Which is really step one for him.

Better yet, the lineup change didn't seem to hurt Andy's momentum at all. He continued his torrid start (8 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks), and proved he can play just as well with Z as he can with Shaq. Through 7 games, Andy's sizable new contract is really looking like money well spent. And be it a result of his familiarity with Andy or the Knicks atrocious defense, Z was able to play far more effectively tonight as well.

Nice to see Jamario Moon work his way back into the rotation. I feel like most of what happened during this game will be difficult to replicate, but the bench was really strong tonight. Just take a look at the +/- of the core reserves. Big Z (+19), Delonte West (+15), Daniel Gibson and Andy (both +6). That hasn't been happening much yet this season, and it will be key as the Cavs move forward. I think a lot of their success tonight had to do with Mike Brown's (slowly) improving rotations. The lineups seemed more compatible then they have thus far. Everyone seemed in better position to succeed. Yes, again, the obligatory "the Knicks play no defense"...but nevertheless, the bench was strong.

Wednesday Night

The Cavs will have four days off before they travel to Orlando, and to be honest, I have no idea what to expect. The team is obviously struggling to gel, but Mike Brown and staff have to have been fixating on this spot in the schedule. After a busy start, the Cavs will finally have a chance to string some practices together (perhaps even four days worth?), and I'm hoping we'll see the results on the court.

And then of course, ready or not, Wednesday will come. LeBron and the Cavs return to the site of their premature dismissal last May. And just as importantly, the Cavs get their first chance to see how their new toys fare against Dwight Howard and his 3 point assassins.

Superman vs. Superman

Even this early in the season, it will be telling to see how everyone responds. Orlando has looked unbeatable from the season's opening tip, but the Cavs will have vengeance on their side. And while granted, this isn't a ninja movie, I'm hoping that will be enough to see the Cavs make this season's first statement.

Up Next

The Orlando Magic. If there's anything to learn from last year, it's this: It doesn't matter if the Cavs enter the playoffs with the eighth seed...provided they had proved themselves able to handle the big boys prior. This is their first chance to do so. The Cavs haven't won in Orlando in 3 years. Thus (and because openers don't count), the first real test of the season comes Wednesday.

Game 6 Review (3-3)

2009-11-05T23:33:00.001-08:00

This is the type of game that can frustrate the hell out of you as a fan, and if I'm being honest with myself, we're likely to see a few more of them.

LeBron doesn't get the call

The Chicago Bulls came into the Q on Thursday night and handed the Cavs their second home loss of the season, which is the same number of home losses the Cavs had all of last year.

For the most part, LeBron & company didn't seem too down after the game. They seemed to take solace in the fact that they'll surely be a stronger team by season's end than they are now. What concerns me, however, is this: Ultimately, at season's end, I believe there will be three teams in the league capable of beating the Cavaliers in a seven game series, and their mediocre start almost certainly assures that the Cavs will see all three.

Game Review

An 86-85 loss, at home, to a Bulls team not yet at full strength (Derrick Rose recovering from an ankle injury, Tyrus Thomas with the flu). Any way you slice it, that sucks, and it is the type of game the Cavs just didn't lose last year.

Derrick Rose takes advantage of the Cavs transition defense

For reasons such as these, it's becoming quite apparent (for better or for worse, I'm not sure yet), that this is a different Cavs team. There's a ton of talent on this roster, but right now, everything about them seems unsettled.

Pretty clear Mike Brown and Co. decided to do some experimenting tonight. I'm guessing that will be a theme of the season, and I'm guessing this won't be the last time it costs the Cavs a game. Coming off his sensational performance against the Wizards, the game plan seemed to be to force-feed Shaq in the post for long stretches of this game. Not surprisingly (considering this plan of attack has not yet been consistently effective), things didn't go as smoothly as they did two nights ago. The Diesel actually played pretty well, with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks (his defensively ability beginning to show signs of life?), but his teammates failed to have any success playing off him. At no point during the entire game did the Cavs seem to find any type of discernible rhythm, and the blame for that is shared by many.

There were some new sets added today (did I see the triangle offense being run at one point?), and the Cavs looked in no way comfortable running them. I suppose that will be a necessary evil for a team that apparently made no use of the preseason, but they will have to find ways to incorporate such fare without losing to inferior opponents.

I never thought I'd be typing this prior to the season, but Daniel Gibson is playing really well. Far beyond my expectations. At one point tonight (it was when D-Gib executed a really strong step back maneuver on Derrick Rose, then canned a baseline jumper), I found myself remembering how pundits once thought Daniel Gibson could possibly develop into a Chauncey Billups-type player once he filled out a bit. I know, it was one freakin' move...but it was a Billlups-esque move, and it was good to see. Why do I go into all this in the game review? Because Daniel Gibson played 17 minutes tonight. A very effective 17 minutes that saw him score 8 points on 3-4 shooting, all while playing some very solid defense. Just was confusing to see him disappear when no one else really had it going.

I don't want to keep harping on Anthony Parker's shortcomings, but I am getting increasingly antsy to see Delonte back in the starting lineup. Perhaps now isn't the best time to increase his role (and therefore the team's dependence on him), but the Cavs are consistently starting games slowly, and I think at least part of that issue might be resolved with Delonte's playmaking and defense in there from the opening tip. On the whole, the Cavs' rotation seems, at best, inconsistent.

It frustrates me to no end to watch LeBron take a back seat offensively as the Cavs work through their growing pains. Tonight, although he didn't really have the jumper working, going to a small lineup, with LBJ at the helm, probably would have been enough to pull out the W. But the Cavs stuck with the bigs, and the plodding flow that defined this game never really changed. Looking at the big picture , I'm glad we're giving our new look a fighting chance to develop. Looking at tonight alone, I'm frustrated as heck.

Continuing with LeBron, the offense, and the rotations: Last play of the game. LeBron drives, gets contact from both Luol Deng and Joakim Noah, but doesn't get the call. Game over. More curious then the no call to me was that Shaquille O'Neal was on the court. I'm wavering a bit on this one, but I'm pretty sure I still think that was a mistake. The 4.3 seconds on the clock made it exceedingly unlikely he would ever touch the ball, and ultimately, Noah just left Shaq alone to go chase LeBron. And Noah's presence is what turned an easy layup into a contested turnover. Just wasn't sure why Shaq was in there.

And now, for the sake of getting all my whining into one review, I present...

Cleveland's Twin Towers

Granting a mild exemption for a brief third quarter spurt in the opener, the seven-foot combo look has been a (okay...mitigated) disaster. Which, to most, seemed pretty easy to predict. How can anyone look at this lineup and possibly see the positives as outweighing the negatives? Yes, I get what we're trying to do. It's tough for anyone to finish at the rim with two seven-footers camped out near the paint, and I presume at some point we'll begin to see some resulting benefit on the offensive glass.

But because both seven-footers are camped out near the paint, versatile big men are granted free reign on the perimeter. Also, when both Z and Shaq crash the offensive glass, the Cavs are left completely exposed with their transition defense. Put it this way, neither Z or Shaq is beating many people to the opposite end of the court without a head start. Their collective foot speed will also continue to be attacked via more of heavy doses of pick and roll we're already seeing. The Cavs look for their bigs to show on the ball handler in such situations, and neither has proven to be able to recover when they do.

Also of note, in this lineup Z becomes a glorified stretch 4, where his greatest strengths (his unusual range and skill set for a CENTER), become increasingly marginalized as his defender becomes more likely to be a player used to dealing with such abilities (i.e. a power forward). There's just really not much to be gained here for Z unless he's hammering some undersized 4 in the post. Which has never been something he was good at.

And lastly (and to me this is the big one): What everyone feared could happen with Shaq actually does come to fruition with the two centers on the court.

With the Twin Towers on the court, we don't see enough of this

LeBron has no room to drive. I've been impressed at the way he's managed to keep aggressive with the Diesel on the court, but add Z occupying the other side of the lane and there just isn't any room left. This lineup (at least thus far), has effectively turned LBJ into a jump shooter, which effectively marginalizes what is always the Cavs' greatest advantage...the slashing ability of LeBron James.

Next Up

The Cavs are at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. On the day of the Yankees' World Series parade. Media blitz, see you at 8:00.

Looking Ahead

The Knicks! I get it world...no more looking ahead.

Brian Windhorst's post game notes

2009-11-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

I'm literally re-posting Brian Windhorst here, but he covered a few things in his blog that I didn't touch upon, and I thought they were worth reading.

ALMOST all roses in Cleveland

Some really interesting subtext (both positive and negative) to last nights game:

"Standing at his locker getting ready to get into the shower, LeBron James was chatting with teammates and shaking his head and giving knowing glances. Regardless of what anyone writes, says or speculates, LeBron completely wants it to work with Shaq and is fully committed to it. He has spent time with him talking about it and the two have their own plan. It was LeBron who told management he wanted Shaq and to pull the trigger on the trade. It was LeBron who was convinced it could work. Maybe it won't work. Maybe this game, where Shaq took a stuggling team down 18 points and anchored the turnaround with his style, will be a rarity. There's reason to believe the plan won't come off. But games like this one, against a team headed for the playoffs, show why the Cavs tried it. And why LeBron is trying hard to make it work." -BW
"There was another matter that was happening below the surface, though. In the third quarter, Delonte West became angry about a non-call and spent the next several possessions arguing with the officials. Then he committed a hard foul on Mike Miller and glared at the official. Mike Brown instantly took him out of the game and never brought him back, though it made it easier because Daniel Gibson was playing well. In the first game, Delonte was hit with a technical foul. On top of his bipolar disorder, West has anger management issues. He's had trouble with officials in the past. Two games in, he is obviously teetering. Was a tough day for him no doubt, he was hit with six gun charges by a prosecutor in Maryland who is famously tough on gun charges and, based on the press release he issued today, intends to make this a public case. But the anger issues with West are real and another thing for the Cavs to manage. He's a valuable player but he's got a full plate and today and tonight were just another reminder of it. And another reminder of why it is perhaps not prudent to count on him being there." -BW

Don't know what to say other then I hope Delonte's around for the long haul. It's now come out that both D-West and the team dealt with elements of this last year...I hope they're able to again.

Game 5 Review (3-2)

2009-11-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

I really don't like the Wizards.

LBJ, displaying increasingly consistent form

So when I started typing this update toward the top of the second quarter (with Cleveland down by 18), it was set to be a doozy. The Cavs had uniformly mocked any notion of a rivalry with the Wizards, and then come out flat. Those are the types of games I can't stand (well, really, any loss, but for the purposes of this opening...). Had the Cavaliers already forgotten that it was just a week ago when their 0-2 start had left them mired in (granted, irrationally premature) national doubt? As it turned out...they hadn't. On Tuesday night, the Cavs strung together their most effective 3 quarters of the season, and I strung together a more positive review.

Game Review

I should really start with Shaq, who's performance tonight was quite notable, but I'd rather start with this:

Boy, did Delonte West do a number on Gilbert Arenas. Agent 0, Caron Butler (who was also to be put on ice), and the rest of the Wizards were cruising early. Just shooting the lights out of the ball, penetrating at will, and when they did miss, they were offensive rebounding. Worse yet, it didn't look like reining them in was entirely under the Cavs control. Then, Delonte came in. His statistics were modest (4 points, 4 assists), but anyone who watched the game saw D-West absolutely hand it to a previously spry looking Arenas from the moment he stepped on the floor. The rest of the Cavs picked up their intensity as well, but rarely in today's NBA do you get the opportunity to watch a complete shut down of an elite player, and the only thing I noticed about Gilbert in quarters 2 and 3 was that Delonte was beating him to his spots. Every time.

LeBron was able to corral Caron, and the rest of the team followed suit (Mike Brown deserves some credit here). Great defense all around, with a usual notable (Andy), and a not so usual notable (Daniel Gibson). If Daniel Gibson can consistently play defense like he did tonight...well, then maybe he's significantly better than the player I thought he was. At some point in the broadcast, someone quoted Ferry as saying that Daniel Gibson was the best (and let me preface the following with, "something along the lines of...") guard defender on the team. I'm pretty sure that was a misquote (with Ferry presumably talking about Delonte?), but regardless, it was a good omen. D-Gib was able to consistently stay in front of the Wizard penetration attempts, and I'm not sure I've seen that out of him before. It also didn't hurt that he was shooting the ball like he was a rookie and Detroit was in town. Great game for Daniel Gibson.

And that brings us to Shaq, who had, far and away, his best game at a Cav.

Mike Miller, getting Dieseled

On a night that saw his rhythm and pace continue to improve, the Diesel put up 21 and 8 (on 7-9 shooting), and his impact on the game was far larger then that. After falling behind 31-17 after one quarter of play, the Cavs started pounding the ball inside where the Big Fella promptly threatened to foul out every member of the Wizards' front line. Additionally, Shaq forced the Wizards to pay far more attention to him then it seemed they wanted to, which once again opened up opportunities for our three point shooters, and led to some pretty wicked interior passing. For a few games in a row now, Shaq and the Cavs are getting good shots, and they're beginning to hit them with increasing regularity.

One of the only significant names currently exempted from the parade is Anthony Parker. I don't want to disparage what he's brought so far (it's obvious he's exceptionally steady, and that's valuable for a team that relies so much on discipline), but AP is looking pedestrian out there. Three wide open 3's off LBJ passes in the second quarter, and not one went down. That happens some nights, but it's been the norm to open the season. I'm still betting he improves, but he's not proven to be a real difference maker thus far.

Two notes in closing the review:

Moving forward, I'm curious to see if this is one of those flash in the pan-type nights, where Shaq just finds a little extra bounce in his legs (and that's why his play improves), or if it's something we can rely on consistently. The Cavs won't need Shaq to do this every night, but it certainly would be nice to have on call.

Rare is the player who goes for 27, 8, 6 and is barely mentioned. LeBron is the best player in the league, and his unselfishness as he allows everyone else on the team to find their way should be noted.

One "evil first quarter" thought that still remains applicable

Sometimes it looks like the general lack of sizable athleticism on the roster is catching up with the Cavs. I've felt this way in the past too, but early tonight it seemed disturbingly evident.

This is going to sound like a horrible overstatement, but there's something to it:

There is no Dwight Howard in Cleveland.

Shaq is going to help significantly, but there is no athletic big currently here that is capable of running and jumping with an increasingly large compilation of athletic big men scattered throughout the elite of the league. Most clear are the effects of this void on the Cavs' rebounding statistics. Yes, it's early, but they currently sit at 26th in the league in rebounding (a sharp drop off from previous years). Worse yet, you can tell that's the case without looking at the stats.

So how does this get fixed? The Cavs will learn to compensate as the season goes along, and their numbers will improve. But what about personnel? We have J.J., but he's not yet looking comfortable enough to fill that role. And really, he's neither big enough to be an all-encompassing defensive dominator, nor has he yet displayed a true knack for rebounding (if we've lucky, I see J.J. landing in the effectiveness range of a Paul Millsap).

Other then just cleaning the glass, the lack of an athletic big creates a problem for our defense, in that there is no second line of defense. The first line (our perimeter defenders) are really good...but players like Dwight, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace (even Andrew Bynum)...those are the figures who allow truly elite defense to be played against truly elite teams. Which ultimately, is the goal.

Is that guy out there to be had?

Next Up

On Thursday, the Cavs host Derrick Rose and the Bulls. I don't yet have too strong of a read on this year's Bulls, but if we're able to replicate the energy and focus we had tonight, it's likely to result in a win.

Looking Ahead

Still eyeing that Magic game...and was thrilled to see them lose tonight. What can we take from their defeat? Foul out Dwight Howard quickly. Like, 8 points, 5 rebounds, quickly.

Gay's Rights

2009-11-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

From title to content, this post is stretching it.

Trade Deadline Target?

That said, Monday's deadline for contract extensions has come and gone with Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies unable to "pull a Rondo." As per an inside source (Adrian Wojnarowski at yahoo.com), Rudy is looking for something in the neighborhood of $12 million per, while the Grizzlies (they of frequent good personnel decisions), won't budge from $10 million.

How does this apply to a Cavaliers blog? Well (optimist that I am), I'm making the executive decision to add Rudy Gay to my semi-official, Oh my gosh, could he possibly be available at the trade deadline? list. My OMGCHPBAATTD list only includes names who I think could be beneficial to the long term health of the franchise. It thus far includes:

Chris Bosh
Josh Smith
Rudy Gay

Probably a pipe dream, but less so then the list's other two members. Next summer, somebody will offer Rudy Gay more then the Grizzlies are willing to pay him. Perhaps they'd be inclined to deal him prior.

Celts give Rondo $55 million extension

2009-11-02T01:31:00.001-08:00

The Boston Celtics and Rajon Rondo just agreed to the 5 year, $55 million dollar extension I was kind of hoping wouldn't happen.

Rajon Rondo, pictured in front of a veiled reference to his shooting touch

There are players in the league who scare me more then Rondo, but that certainly doesn't mean I can't acknowledge him as a good player (at least until the next Boston game). His length and athleticism at the point guard position makes the Celtics all the more difficult for the Cavs to score against, primarily because it makes life difficult for Mo. And if RR's jumper continues to improve as it has (if the above photo were taken today, he would probably be standing against something along the lines of a cabin), it will become all the more difficult for the Cavs to guard the C's as well.

All that said, the reason I didn't want this deal to happen was more so as it pertains to the Celtics. I was enjoying the reports of Rondo and the team being at odds with each other. In reality, I guess that's just good bargaining. 5 years, $55 million for Rondo is a perfect deal for both parties, and indicative of the way the economy has affected player contracts in the NBA - that being it strikes me as exceedingly reasonable.

Congratulations Rajon. Enjoy your money. Buy a house and get fat by May.

Game 4 Review (2-2)

2009-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

On Halloween night, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally started to look like themselves.

Delonte West

Delonte West returned to action, and the Cavs (in their home whites for the first time this season) ran away from the Charlotte Bobcats in the second half to even their record at 2-2.

I think I like to preface my reviews with a little bit of negativity, so as to (via some form of telekinetic fandom) encourage the Cavs to keep improving...but in all truth, tonight was a pretty good night for the #1 sports team in North-East Ohio.

Yes, there are kinks to be worked out...but hey, they've already worked out a few.
Yes, the Cavs played the Bobcats...but hey, the Bobcats are better then the Timberwolves.
Yes, the Browns look disastrous...but hey, this is a Cavs blog.

Game Review:
A lot to cover...

Mo Gotti is returning to form

The resurgence of Mo Williams continues. Mo scored 24 points on 14 shots, and hit the Bobcats with a barrage of 3's in the 3rd that helped open up the lead. Mo really seems to find a comfort zone with LeBron and Delonte out on the floor. With those two being such gifted creators, Mo is free to play the hybrid guard position at which he thrives. Tonight, we saw a familiar two man game with Mo and LeBron, and perhaps the start of a developing report* with Shaq.

*(Stephen Colbert has deprived me of the ability to properly spell this word off the top of my head)

This was the first game where the Cavs seemed to take a net gain from having Shaquille O'Neal on the court. In fact, they did. Shaq was +5 in his nearly 27 minutes, the first time in four games he's achieved a positive +/-. He still wasn't very effective working solo in the post (he finished just 3-7 after a hot start), but both Mo and LeBron were able to take advantage of a Charlotte defense that frequently collapsed on Shaq by rotating the ball for wide open looks. There is significant room for improvement in this area, but let's not discount that tonight itself was a significant improvement. Also notable was Shaq's most effective defensive game yet. Granted, this was the Bobcats, and granted, Shaq still struggled to handle Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin in pick and roll situations, but the Big Fella's presence around the basket altered numerous shots and helped to keep a struggling Charlotte offense completely under wraps.

Speaking of abnormally large centers who had significant impacts...Zydrunas Ilgauskas had, by far, his best game of the young season (if not his best game in much longer then that). Z blocked 5 shots, changed many others, and saw his jumper finally start falling for the first time this year.When the Cavalier bigs play like they did on Saturday, Shaq's proclamation that he & Z together comprise "the best center in the NBA" doesn't seem far-fetched. Also of note, Saturday was the first game Mike Brown didn't utilize the Twin Towers lineup (with Shaq and Z playing together for extended minutes). Be it the matchup with the Bobcats, or just a rotation tweak to accommodate Delonte, it seemed a more natural fit. The less sizable Cavs were more able to play with Z or Shaq when they weren't both on the court at the same time. I'm not saying there is no place to employ the Twin Towers, just that there may be few.

Unselfish Superstar

It was still a single digit lead in the 3rd quarter when LeBron James started the Cavalier rally by (really for the first and only time all game) attacking offensively. He scored a few straight baskets, and then allowed his teammates to take over. The amount of defensive attention it takes to corral LeBron is so vast, that when the Cavs are willing to move off the ball, a good shot is nearly always available. The cross court looks that LeBron makes...the passes that often result in weak side 3's...are a thing of beauty. There are so few people in the league capable of making that pass, and LeBron makes it look beyond routine.

Anthony Parker had his best night as a Cav (which was kind of a theme for the evening), and I think it had to do with two things. One, his continued assimilation into the Cavalier offense. He hit his spots with more authority, and by doing so, seemed to have a few feet of extra space all night long. In a shade over 30 minutes, AP was 5-8 from the floor (3-4 from three), with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. In my opinion, that's what we want to develop into an "Anthony Parker night". And secondarily, I think it helped him to have Delonte back. A vital cog back in the machine = less heavy lifting for our saavy new recruit. Which leads us to...

Boy, was it good to see Delonte West out on that court. Actually, you know what...this deserves it's own section.

Welcome Back Delonte West:
Boy, was it good to see Delonte West out on that court.

Mike Brown says it frequently, but the guy certainly seems to have the type of body that never gets out of shape. No sign of rust at all, a very game (and slightly thinner) Delonte stepped back into the Cavalier lineup and provided a remarkably effective 24 minutes. Final line:

13 points (5-7 shooting, 1-2 three), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and some typically hellacious perimeter defense.

Delonte's contributions extend so far beyond his statistics. Even as a fan, seeing D-West back on the court just lifted my spirits. The building was energized, and effect seemed to be mutual.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (with honorary alums TK & Wally)

The team rallied around Delonte (as they have tended to do for one another) and that is a good sign. It's what has the opportunity to make the team more then a sum of its parts (which are nothing to sneeze at), and it's what makes them so fun to root for.

Mo Williams whispered something to Delonte as the buzzer sounded, and while he would not reveal his words, he did reveal his message:

Stay with us.

On Halloween night, he did. And all seems well in Cleveland.

Up Next:
Tuesday night, the Cavs welcome the Washington Wizards to the Q. It's two days before the game, and already DeShawn Stevenson can't feel his face.

Closing Thoughts:
Are we now blaring a "truck horn" at the Q whenever Shaq does something good? And is it okay that I kind of like it?

Also, they say not to look ahead in basketball, but in blogging it can't hurt. Is it unrealistic to expect the Cavs to enter a November 11th game in Orlando at 6-2? I don't think so, and that's what I'm eyeing. It's been 3 months, and I think I can safely speak for Cavalier nation when I say I have not moved on. Good Lord, I hate the Magic.

Game 3 Review (1-2)

2009-10-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Segment One: Preface
Well, that was better.

LeBron James

The Cavaliers took the first step toward righting their ship Friday night, defeating the Timberwolves 104-87 in a game reminiscent of so many last year. Save for another moderately harrowing second quarter swoon, it was a pretty dominant performance at a time when the team desperately needed one.

Yes, it was the Timberwolves, and yes, the Timberwolves were not even at full strength (Kevin Love is out with a wrist injury, and Al Jefferson and his new ACL are just now cracking 25 minutes a night), but for this Cleveland team, I get the impression that it didn't really matter how they took their first step...just that they got were able to get themselves moving in the right direction.

Also, somewhere in this analogy, the Minnesota Timberwolves represent an escalator.

Segment Two: That's More Like It
The interior passing in the first half was phenomenal. Phenomenal. Shaq to LeBron. LeBron to Andy. Andy to Z. The ball was moving, and it never hit the ground. A sight to behold, and a reminder of how easy basketball can look when everybody is on the same page.

The issues with Shaq still persisted (more on that later), but they were less impacting on the team as a whole. Shaq was able to play some effective minutes, and the rest of the Cavs were able to play a lot of them.

I'm feeling (and hoping) that this game could be step one in the resurgence of Mo Williams.

All-Star Mo Williams

As referenced in my prior post, it's been easy to forget of late that this guy is a really good basketball player. Tonight saw a relatively minor improvement statistically, but for the first time this season, Mo looked like Mo. He was able to penetrate into the teeth of the Timberwolves' defense (snicker...), and just looked generally more comfortable with what he was doing. There's a ways to go to get back to the level he was playing at last year, but like the team as a whole, it felt like tonight was a step in that direction.

A few thoughts as I look over the rest of the roster:

LeBron was LeBron. He came out smoking hot, and could have easily won this game by himself tonight. He didn't have to.

Andy was very active defensively, on the boards, and gave constant movement on offense. It's easy to overlook, but when Andy is active offensively, he is able to open up a lot of space for everyone else (Note: when I write "active offensively", I mean active off the ball. I think it's time the Andy post-up play be stricken from the offense).

Anthony Parker is exceedingly solid. That said, it's going to be a huge boost to get Delonte West back (provided he's able to perform anywhere close to last year's level). AP can knock down threes, hit his marks defensively, and is a sneakily effective passer. What he doesn't seem to be able to do is create his own shot against athletic defenders, or be the type of game-changing, junkyard defender that Delonte can be. Every good team needs an Anthony Parker. But not every good team has a Delonte West.

On to something that may quickly become a more notable storyline as the season progresses...not too much J.J. Hickson tonight.

J.J. Hickson (rare 'in game' photo)

He played a shade over 7 minutes, and the Cavs were up big the entire second half. Have yet to see anybody comment on that. The issues here are, in most cases, unspoken. Ideally, J.J. would be able to serve one of two functions this year: Effective 4, or promising trade bait. To be either, he's going to have to crack double digit minutes.

Segment Three: The Continued Analysis of all Things Diesel and Lithuanian:
All things considered, tonight was better. Really, much better.

I think it's apparent already that Shaq will fare better against traditional centers (Al Jefferson), then vs. the hybrid guys (Andrea Bargnani) that we're perhaps better equipped to handle without him. For now, the most important issue of the Cavalier season continues to be how to hold on to what was so special about last year's team, while integrating Shaq's mammoth presence on both ends of the court.

Offensively, Shaq continues to get unbelievably deep post position. The only thing holding him back right now is himself. The Diesel is shooting a strikingly low .483 from the field, and a perhaps even more astounding .000 from the line. Why is this happening?

An interesting tidbit from Mike Brown:

I've just got to keep playing him minutes. He's going to continue to work himself into great game shape. He's in pretty good game shape right now, but . . . he's got to get his feet underneath him a little bit.

I hope the Diesel doesn't take offense to that, but after watching him play so far, something about Mike's comments seem to ring true. In each of the three games, Shaq has gotten his shots. He's just shooting them like someone might if he hadn't touched a basketball in a few months.

High Percentage Shot?

At first glance, it looked to me like Shaq was rushing. But after reading Mike Brown's comments, it seems pretty plausible that Shaq's timing is just off. Even for someone who isn't notorious for his deft shooting touch, that matters. Whatever the culprit, it looks like the capability is there. And that, is encouraging.

Defensively, I thought both Shaq and Z were much improved tonight. Minnesota doesn't really have the personnel to challenge them on too many fronts, but they both did their best to get out to shooters, and at the same time, neither pulled themselves so far from the basket that they game up their strength (that they're both freaking huge and it's not easy to get around them).

Where they seemed most vulnerable was in transition, and it's becoming increasingly clear that other teams will continuously try to target them this way. Tonight, it was Ryan Hollins, running faster and more consistently then I'd ever seen him do in an NBA game. And while this was the first time I'd ever seen Ryan Hollins in an NBA game, he was still running a lot (just kidding Ryan Hollins...see below*).

* (Ryan Hollins in a prior NBA game)

As Mike Brown learns the capabilities of our bigs, I have to believe the ways we deal with covering for them will improve. I'm curious to see how we deal with this when he hit Orlando in two weeks. Because Dwight Howard can run, and unlike Ryan Hollins, he can finish over Andy.

Part Four: Epilogue
A well rested Cavs team moves on to face Charlotte tomorrow night from the Q, and Minnesota grabs an early lead in the race for "most favorable Finals opponent."

Mo Williams

2009-10-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

Okay. I've calmed down from the two game, season opening debacle. Sometimes, the gate opens and the horse runs the wrong way. On to the positive. I've come to have this realization prior to game 3:

Mo Williams is really good. Remember? Range, handle, tats. Total package.

The artist formerly known as Mo Williams

He's kind of been letting us forget these things lately, but that doesn't change the fact that, at his core, on this team, Mo Williams is a major plus. We just haven't seen it since the playoffs started last year. And if the playoffs can be written off on account of Mo hitting the wall after a Bucks-length season...that would seem to be hinting real Mo is on the way back soon.

A Game 2 Breakdown

2009-10-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Preface:

Well, yikes. That was an inauspicious start.

Where to begin...

Segment One: Game 2 (0-2)

Shaq and LeBron

It's a little shocking to see how unsure of themselves the Cavs currently look. That's LeBron included (although, individually, the guy looks better than ever and makes me feel like I'm eating ice cream every time I watch him play). In some ways, the start to this season brings to mind memories of 2007, when Andy Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic were coming off holdouts, and the team hovered around .500 for much of the season. Of note of '07, they were disheveled, unorganized, and never really got it together. Also of note, that season ended with a massive trade.

The 2009-10 Cavaliers are far more talented then that bunch. However, through two games (which, granted, is an encouragingly small sample size) they seem to lack a singular direction on either end of the court. Or, phrased more loosely, they have no idea what they're trying to do.

With that thought it mind, here are some early season observations in the appropriately titled...

Segment Two: What the F

It was pretty obvious Wednesday night that the most effective lineups the Cavs trotted out were the ones that most closely mirrored last year's "small ball" teams, with LeBron at the 4 and Andy at the 5. Shaq's most effective minutes came with that bunch as well. I'm a big Brian Windhorst fan (as all Cavs fans probably are), and he wrote the following of the third quarter:

"This is how the Cavs played often dating back to 2007 and you could see LeBron, Williams, Varejao and Daniel Gibson fall into a comfort zone at both ends. Shaq and Anthony Parker figured it out, too, mostly because they understood it. James was setting everyone up and it got them more into the game defensively and Varejao got on Andrea Bargnani's nerves and drew a few fouls and the Cavs were rolling. The old Cavs."

The way the Cavs alternated dominance and discombobulation last night was amazing. I hope they find some consistency with the former in the games to come.

One other thing about that third quarter and the small ball rotations: It's the one way the Cavs are able to consistently run the offense through LeBron. To win a championship, it is once again apparent that they'll need to find equally effective alternatives to that. It's been a point of contention for years now, and that's the case because it's true.

Within a few weeks I expect Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to become progressively more effective as they become familiar with what the Cavs are doing defensively. That leaves the following as the biggest issue going forward:

What the F do we do with Shaquille O'Neal?

Defensive Stance?

What seems to be missing here is any idea of how to build something productive off of what Shaq brings. Every time he got the ball in the post, it was as a means to his own shot attempt. That's not necessarily his fault. There were no fluid cuts, no swift ball movement, and no real offense in place to take advantage of a (kind of?) collapsing defense.

So what's left is Shaq in the post with no other option off of that look. And while he's catching the ball deeper in the post then any post player of the LeBron era, Shaq isn't (yet?) converting at a rate that is any more valuable then what Z did last year.

Defensively, I kind of have to equate Shaq to Z. As analogies go, that would be like equating a slow, heavy tortoise to a lankier, more ethnic one. Most discouraging to me was his lack of ability to even get a hand up on shooters who's range extended beyond the foul line. Mid-way through the third quarter, Andrea Bargnani came off a curl and caught a pass literally standing on the left elbow. Where he shot the ball uncontested from the foul line. I told my dad yesterday he would have made 75% of that shot. So did Bargnani.

This is not really meant to be about Shaq not living up to his billing. He is. The Cavs really haven't had a player like him before. He's an anchor in the middle of our defense. The only caveat being that our defense is currently structured to function like a speed boat.

Now, because I put the word "over-reactive" in the title of this blog, I feel like I have to address this: Mike Brown and staff have their work cut out for them. As an ardent Mike Brown supporter, who is constantly in the position of defending him to Laker fans (I live in Los Angeles; the belly of the beast), I have to at least admit to myself that I'm not entirely sure how this one plays out. Mike Brown's greatest assets, to me, have always been his lack of ego, and his unwavering ability to get the team to buy into defense as the means to an end. The challenge on the horizon is more all encompassing.

Epilogue

In closing, and because I'd prefer this blog to more funny then harrowing...

Chris Bosh?

He really does look like the Predator.