Truths, falsehoods and consequences
Posted March 2nd, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
Chicago — I will be spending this weekend writing about what is wrong with the Cavs and what must be done to fix them. So I don’t want to let too much of my thunder go here. However, following the fifth straight loss to the Kings, I think it is time for some hard realities to be addressed.
Things that are true
–LeBron James is tired, I don’t care what he says. It is why he’s been falling off in the second half all the time.
–Playing LeBron at the point guard is no good, it doesn’t work. More on this later, but trust me, it makes him too easy to defend.
–Nobody ever wants to throw the ball to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so I wouldn’t blame him if he never passed. This is a fundamental failure of how the Cavs play the game, they do not use their second most valuable asset to anywhere near his potential.
–Eric Snow is not the problem, he’s an answer. He needs to be playing more because he gets the Cavs into their offense and wants to play defense all the time. Yes, it is 4-on-5 on offense, but the same goes for Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons and they survive just fine.
–For all his talk, Damon Jones is actually very insecure about his ability, which he why he talks about himself so much. You can see it in the way he passes up shots because he’s lost faith in himself.
–Flip Murray should never attempt another 3-pointer under any circumstance, but he is a good addition because he can get baskets when the offense isn’t working.
–Mike Brown’s weakness is offense and no one on his staff seems to be able to offer difference-making help. Only rarely do they make in-game adjustments that actually work. Usually, the offense gets worse as the game goes on, especially after halftime.
Things that are false
–The Cavs are a good defensive team. They aren’t. Brown has a good scheme but doesn’t have the players to make it work. They are slightly better than at the start of the season, but all-in-all, they are in the bottom third of the league.
–The Cavs will miss the playoffs. They’ll make it, but it will be a fight to avoid the seventh or eighth spots the way things are going now.
–LeBron or Z are to blame for the struggles. The role players have been letting this team down all season. Starting with the inconsistency of Donyell Marshall and Jones, who are having bad seasons compared to their contracts and recent numbers.
–LeBron needs to score 30 points for the Cavs to win. No, he needs to average about 25 and Z needs to average about 20.
–The missed free throws are big problem. It’s not good, but it isn’t making much of a difference and overall LeBron has been shooting them at near his average for his career. There are so many bigger and more important issues.
–The Cavs are an above .500 team. Maybe their record says it, but they aren’t. Without Larry Hughes, they are simply average at best. In fact, they’re 14-16 without him. They’ll probably do well to be .500 for the rest of the season.
More later.
Also, read about Dan Gilbert’s first year as an owner and Terry Pluto’s perspective on it.
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:08 pm
wow I beat Alan Tucker…Don’t agree with this at all:
The missed free throws are big problem. It’s not good, but it isn’t making much of a difference and overall LeBron has been shooting them at near his average for his career. There are so many bigger and more important issues.
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:26 pm
I have to agree with a lot of your points. One area I happen to disagree with is that Eric Snow is the answer. He is not the answer, but neither is DJ or LeBron playing the point so I guess he’s the most logical option. You compare Eric Snow to Ben Wallace as far as offense goes, however one BIG problem with that if Eric Snow is not making jumpers, teams pack the lane, making it even more difficult for our interior guys to do their job. Against the Pistons, you have to keep their backcourt honest or they’ll burn you, so Big Ben can be a non-factor and it still wouldn’t change an opponent’s defensive scheme.
March 2nd, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Comparing Eric Snow’s contributions to Ben Wallace’s is questionable, to put it kindly. Whatever Wallace’s offensive limitations, you can’t play off a guy who’s usually about 5 feet from the rim. The Pistons play five on five.
Of course, Wallace is a multiple defensive player of the year if I remember correctly and the backbone of a championship caliber team. Against the Cavs recently, he was a game changer.
As for Snow, I’m not a scout so I’ll concede he may be above average defensively, though its not something that’s obvious from the games I’ve watched. What is obvious is that Snow just may be the worst shooter under 6′9″ in the league. He’s not a consistent creator either; getting the Cavs into their offense seems to mean dribbling past halfcourt and passing to LeBron. Because Snow can’t create easy baskets for players like Gooden and Pavlovic, the Cavs are playing two on five and that’s a pretty big problem.
March 2nd, 2006 at 3:50 pm
According to the points given up per 100 possesions stat , the cav’s are average on defense with 102.3. And that is averaging in the first 20 games of the season when they were playing down right poor defense (above 106 diring that stretch) . I don’t think you can say that the cav’s are in the bottom 1/3 defensively when the numbers seem to indicate that they are at least average–
March 2nd, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Congratulations, Kidd. You’re a pistol.
The fictional excuses about Ilgauskas’ possessions have just gotta go. They make as much sense as blaming Julius Caesar for Venus de Milo not having arms.
Ilgauskas cannot pass. The complete polar opposite of Brad Daugherty, which my friend Terry Pluto always seems to forget when he continuously raises the comparisons. What point does it serve to pass it to him more often? So statisticians can pad his offensive rebounding numbers when Ilgauskas repeatedly gets rebounding credit for the missed tips of his own missed shots?
Contrary to the original entry above, there is absolutely no way to “fix” a roster in its current form. Once the local media accepts this fact, the airline peanuts and Sunday morning brunches will go down a lot smoother.
It’s not the minutes, it’s not the schemes, it’s not the play-calling, it’s not Larry Hughes sitting on a bench, it’s not the sounds of the team masseuse pulling Ira Newble’s painfully tender groin. Hey, here’s an unpublicized secret: Yes, they were 18-10 with Hughes. But after opponents woke up from their early season 11-game coma, the Cavaliers were only 9-8 with Hughes. I repeat, only 9-8. Look it up. In my opinion, with Hughes, their record wouldn’t be much different than it is right now. Hughes isn’t the problem, Hughes isn’t the solution.
There is no “fix,” Brian, unless a source has passed on to you the government’s top-secret blueprints for a time machine. On what date was Ferry hired? Set the time on your machine for the day before.
March 2nd, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Thank you, Flip.
March 2nd, 2006 at 6:57 pm
I’m going to exercise my 2nd post limit just for this.
“Flip Murray should never attempt another 3-pointer under any circumstance…”
March 2nd, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Yeah, that one hurts, B.
March 2nd, 2006 at 7:29 pm
“Flip Murray should never attempt another 3-pointer under any circumstance, but he is a good addition because he can get baskets when the offense isn’t working.”
Umm I found the transcript and it acutually said “Flip Murray should never attempt another 3-pointer under any circumstance, unless the cavs are down by two against the Bulls, but …”
So good work B you’re a prophet.
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Whenever they show Mike Brown during the game he always looks like he’s clueless and has run out of ideas
March 2nd, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Mike Brown looks clueless and out of ideas? Oh, please. If he was strapped into Ferry’s power wheelchair, even Steven Hawking would look clueless and out of ideas.
Mike Brown is not a black Jesus. Mike Brown can’t walk on water nor turn grilled cheese into wine. Larry Brown is finding that out right now. You play with the cards you’re dealt, and Mike Brown was dealt a bad hand. Being hampered by his own inexperience is just an unfortunate bonus.
If fans simply INSIST upon blaming somebody or something, then blame the screenplay entitled “Wayne Embry’s Albatross, Act II.” I just wish BW, Terry Pluto, Bill Livingston, Bud Shaw or ANYBODY in a local media position would access to a forum and some newsprint would fess up and finally come right out and say what is patently obvious to any person with two working eyeballs and one working brain.
The New York media is filled with pit bulls and Rottweilers devouring any crotch that stands in its way. On the other hand, the Northeast Ohio media is a Golden Retriever and a collie drinking out of the toilet and sniffing the burglar’s butt. I like all breeds of dogs, I really do. But if Damon Jones breaks into your house, who would you rather have at your side, Lassie or Cujo?
March 3rd, 2006 at 5:26 am
I hope Lebron bought Flip dinner last night….
March 3rd, 2006 at 7:05 am
Loved the new BW piece regarding Damon Jones. That guy sucks the media into printing nonsense like Paris Hilton sucks her way through the Los Angeles phonebook.
Jones claims he’s going to lessen the self-promotion, and in the very same breath, he name-drops the two words “Shaquille O’Neal.” Yes, I am so sure that Shaq took time out of his busy schedule to call Jones with the express purpose of telling him during an extended 18-hour pep-talk what a charismatic and dynamic leader he is. Indeed, the entire Cavaliers roster looks to Damon Jones for his leadership and guidance.
The franchise is blessed to have a clone of Jesse Jackson signed to a four-year, $16.2 million guaranteed contract.
March 3rd, 2006 at 8:45 am
Truth - Cleveland franchises are cursed.
I strongly believe that anything short of a second round exit in the playoffs will cause LBJ to reconsider his future in Cleveland. While looking for any excuse to stay in his native playground, LBJ undoubtedly wants to win. If Hughes stays healthy, a second round playoff advancement is a distinct possibility. Now that Hughes is hurt, a low seed and early exit is more likely. In short, Hughes injury (and unsuccessful first-try surgery if you want to take this curse thing even further) will be the impetus (along with the stupid boo-people) to LBJ leaving Cleveland.
March 3rd, 2006 at 9:11 am
Nothing personal, but the “LBJ” reference really, really bugs me and just about everybody who’s seen 40 come and go. Call the guy LeBron or James, or maybe Manipulate the Media ‘08. All the latter names are short, sweet and satisfactory, except maybe the last one, so shorten the street lingo to MTM08. There is only one “LBJ,” and he and his acronym already died years ago.
March 3rd, 2006 at 9:52 am
I’ve been an Alan Tucker supporter from day #1 but c’mon…now you’ve got a problem with a nickname/initials? You’re sinking quickly in your negativity boat.
Relax, old man!
By the way, Lassie or Cujo if Jones breaks in my house? Is that a trick question?
March 3rd, 2006 at 11:45 am
Unless James also has the ability to grow great big ears and speak with a Texas drawl, “LBJ” was hung from the rafters and permanently retired years ago. It’s time to find some new initials.