The Cavs give me a headache
Posted February 9th, 2006 by bwindhorst
Minneapolis — I went around telling everyone for two days that I really didn’t like the way the Cavs played when they beat the Bucks Monday night. I thought they were lax in handling their business in that game, playing focusless offense and not showing urgency on defense when the game was very much in doubt. They ended up pulling it out with a big offensive play and a big defensive play, but honestly, it never should’ve come to that.
So then last night, the Cavs rallied to beat the Wolves and feel completely the other way. Even though the Bucks are a better team, last night’s win to me was way more impressive. They made several in-game adjustments, going to zone on defense being the primary weapon. Tricks like that never work for long — remember Paul Silas’ little experiment with the triangle-and-2 last season that worked for awhile while opposing teams were dumbfounded by it — but this was an excellent decision. It totally took the teeth from Kevin Garnett and allowed Ricky Davis to shoot the Cavs back into it. By the way, much of the credit goes to assistant coach Kenny Natt, who suggested it to Mike Brown.
Also on offense, the switch of LeBron to point guard down the stretch got it done in the end. It wasn’t gold because often LeBron dribbles too much and doesn’t run the play — the Cavs shot just 33 percent in the quarter — but he made the play when it counted. I was much more impressed with how Brown got his team to use Zydrunas Ilgauskas early in the game when the Wolves were up big. After hoisting up jumpers after refusing to test the middle, it was remembered that Mark freaking Madsen was starting on Z and they got him the ball and he got points. He ended up scoring 10 down the stretch of the first quarter to get the Cavs back in the game.
So, what I’m saying it, I think what’s going on is good, but then again, maybe not.
Now, a few more things:
–Larry Hughes is in a huge hurry to come back, but don’t get excited because the Cavs won’t let him. Why have the surgery unless you wanted to get to 100 percent? Seriously, right now just assume it is March.
–I keep getting e-mails about the comments section. It is not meant to be a chat room, if you want one I’ll suggest this one. I really don’t have the time to deal with this, but I guess I’m going to have to start enforcing the two comment rule effective now. There’s some funny and insightful stuff in the comments, let’s try to respect it.
–Joe Vardon of the Wooster Daily Record does excellent if unheralded work covering the Cleveland pro teams. I think you’ll also enjoy his blog if you check it out.
February 9th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Good job, kj.
February 9th, 2006 at 9:02 am
back off of kj! i too am tired of tucker’s raggin’ all the time of the ferry and djones and marshall. how many posts of his keep saying the SAME thing over and over and over?? kj made some really good points and it’s sad that when facts get put up on a board, people get mad. where are the ACTUAL cavs fans??
February 9th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
The Cavs went to Minnesota and beat the Wolves. Talk about a dysfunctional team, that would be Minni. The players that McHale has assembled around KG have seemingly sapped the energy from the Big Ticket. I know he put up huge numbers last night with 21 points, 18 boards and six assists, but he doesn’t look like the same player he was a few years ago.
Good to see Ricky Davis still gets his numbers for a losing team. Uniforms may change, a player’s motivation will not. However, tht ally-oop dunk on the baseline was so sick by Mr. Fake Triple-Double it spread flu-like symptoms amongst his teammates.
And was that LeBron I was watching last night, or did Kobe Bryant steal his uniform. 11-for-34??? Very Kobesque, BronBron.
I know, the Cavs won, he scored 35, so who cares. It’s just troubling to watch.
Windhorst, get Flight 23 in a corner sometime and tell him to quit relying on that falling away off-balance jumper that needs serious tinkering. Apparently, Mike Brown will not. Why doesn’t Bron just go to the basket everytime down the floor? It’s evident no one can stop him when he puts the ball on the floor, and if he doesn’t get to the tin he’s bound to find somebody (Sasha, hopefully) spotting up for an open jump shot.
February 9th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
Let Hughes sit and heal. It’s just a matter of time before he hurts something else, anyway.
Too early to tell, but just like Ferry greatly inflated Marshall’s and Jones’ worth, let alone the unwise decision to re-up Ilgauskas, I question if Ferry may have been fooled by Hughes, too. But I suppose if you can’t get Allen, Redd or Joe Johnson, then he was a splurge worth taking a risk on if you really, really, really have the strong compulsion to sign a free agent to finally get a replacement for Ricky Davis. There should be little debate the other guys he signed should have been passed on. Take all that major cap space and use it to build a great team through good trades. Man, this could have been a contending team and been so for a long time if had taken advantage of the lost opportunity.
Here’s my biggest problem with the Hughes signing, and it’s not just his mediocre 16 point average for a starting shooting guard and his health that always has seemed to have a shelf life of a carton of milk - - Hughes is locally and constantly put on a huge bronzed pedestal with respect to his defensive history. As if he came to the Cavs as some kind of long-time world-renowned defensive God. I have not seen nor heard any local media guy anywhere even come remotely close to touching upon the fact, and most probably aren’t even aware of it, so I might as well mention it: Did you know that over the course of Hughes’ entire career, until last season, he NEVER received even one single vote from a coach for the all-defensive team? Not one coach’s vote for first-team. Not one coach’s vote for second-team. Nothing for honorable mention. Not one single vote during the course of his entire career. Zippo. To put this fact into greater perspective, prior to last season, did you know that guys such as Bob Sura and Darius Miles received votes for the all-defensive team? And those votes did not and could not come from their own coaches, because coaches aren’t allowed to vote for their own players.
So is Hughes *truly* a very good all-around player? Does he truly possess the necessary skills? Does he truly possess the necessary motivation? Or was Hughes merely just yet another guy in the NBA who was busting his butt and doing everything he could to play well both offensively and defensively only because he heard that sultry once-in-a-lifetime sound of “CHA-CHING!” that an NBA contract year provides? Did Ferry get fooled out of his pants again, or is the 2004-2005 version of Larry Hughes the real deal?
February 9th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Tucker,
Isn’t “nba all-defensive first team” an oxymoron? There is no defense played in the NBA, with the exception of Tri-Cs own B-B-B-Ben Wallace.
The only reason I even watch the league anymore is to check out LeBron and see how the local kid does. If you can actually watch an entire game start to finish without changing the channel you must be overdosing on ritalin. That would be the only way my attention would stay on this slop Stern and company serve up to us. God is it awful to watch. And to think, you have to pay $60 to get a decent seat.
And while I’m on it, I’m glad to see Al Michaels take the money and run from ABC to NBC.
Was it Michaels who said: “I feel like I’m a creatue of Monday night. I’m at home and I’m staying home,” in July of 05 when ESPN announced that it was taking over MNF? I think it was.
Then when NBC offers more dough, “Mr. Do You Believe in Doublespeak” was gone in less time than it would take Windhorst to eat a Big Mac. Michaels actually makes Reghi tolerable. I’ll have to stack up on barf bags with Michaels and Bob Costas actually share air time.
Hopefully they’ll pull Michaels off the NBA, now. After all, how many plays can really be unbelievable.
Gots to run. I’ve got a one-on-one game with Samaki Walker.
February 9th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Chones, I don’t think the NBA’s all-defensive team is an oxymoron at all. Yes, there are many morons in the NBA, and yes, a certain Cavaliers ironman would be wise to use something over-the-counter with the word “Oxy” in it. God bless Ira Newble, the Cal Ripken of Professional Basketball. But no, the all-defensive team is not an oxymoron.
In fact, I think it’s one of the few credible honors given in the NBA. It is not voted on by any of the fan clowns and/or media boobs. It’s entirely up to the coaches, and coaches can’t vote for their own guys. So anybody who gets even one vote very likely deserved it. Eric Snow, for example, despite all of his obvious shortcomings, usually receives a few votes. Does anybody who reads this blog know Jeff Foster has received a vote? As opposed to the Cavaliers’ center, who probably will never receive an all-defensive vote even if he plays in the *W*NBA.
I always had to roll my eyes whenever a certain TV shill on the Cavaliers payroll and most of the supposedly independent people in the print and television media would regularly froth at the mouth over the Defensive Legend known as Ira Newble. Basically, just eating up whatever the Cavaliers PR staff would tell them. But even Paul Silas didn’t vote for Newble back when he coached for the Hornets and before Paxson whipped out his blank check. In fact, Newble has never received a single vote in his entire career.
Well, it had to come out some time. Newble’s deepest hidden secrets have finally been exposed: The guy can’t play defense, and the guy can’t pop his own pimples without completely ruining his health.
By the way, if this blog starts to go by “invitation only,” will there be a dress code? Will readers and writers be ordered to wear a coat and tie? I am totally like Mark Cuban in that regard. If it’s not for your family’s wedding, funeral or Bar Mitzvah, then go to hell.