Weekend wrap
Posted March 11th, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
–The Bucks were devastatingly effective at posting the Cavs up. Ruben Patterson and Michael Redd did it over and over. With the Cavs’ size, this should be something they want. It is hard to shoot over Sasha Palvovic, LeBron and Larry Hughes and Eric Snow is a good post defender. Dribble penetration is usually what causes the Cavs problems. So why was it working? I am not sure, but the Cavs repeatedly let them get great position. The Pacers didn’t have time to put it in the game plan but the Memphis Grizzlies scout and the Kings scout were watching right behind me. At one point the Bucks made 18-of-24 shots and 13 of those came from or off a post play of some sort. I was writing all about this when the Cavs made a huge comeback and I had to delete it and praise Ira Newble.
–Before I get off that, Ira did a nice job, but part of it was the Bucks not being patient and chucking jumpers. That flat-footed heave 3 Ira made is just how he shoots 3s, by the way. Not 20-footers, just 3s. He explains this matter-of-factly, as if it were common. I have no explanation for this.
–In the final minute again on Saturday, LeBron went to the basket twice to tie the game. This is remarkable because he’d already hit two 3’s to get the Cavs back into the game. One month ago, I would’ve put cold cash on press row he would’ve taken a 3 in Detroit down two as I watched the play develop. After he made the 3s in Milwaukee, I might’ve gone double or nothing because he was making them. Excellent display of intelligent poise.
–I’m not going to talk much about the Pacers game, because it wasn’t much of a game. Two things I wish to point out. 1. The Cavs remembered the old philosophy of going to Z early in the game. Not a bad idea since he was being guarded by Troy Murphy. 2. I was impressed with the overall defensive energy from the outset. Especially from Z and LeBron. Both were very active and it set a tone for the whole team.
–Oh, one more thing. Whenever Drew Gooden makes his first shot he usually has a good game. That and when he gets an offensive rebound he almost always wants to shoot. This is a deal with the coaches. He doesn’t get plays called for him, so when he rebounds he gets to shoot.
–Someone tell Shannon Brown that he doesn’t have to jump 10 feet from the basket on a dunk attempt. It looks cool, but I don’t think it’s a good idea generally.
–Daniel Gibson is out of his boot, my guess is he’s back on Saturday or thereabouts.
–I made a mistake in my story about the Bucks game. I gave credit to Larry Hughes for the defense on Redd at the end. Just a mistake on deadline, but it made me look like a total fool considering Mike Brown was kissing Eric Snow just after the game.
–Here’s a question…you would rather have your coach kissing players or skipping down the tunnel to the locker room by himself waving to his players to follow? By the way, Mike told me walking back out by himself after the review while being taunted by the fans was rather humbling. I would think the replays of him would be more so. I guess his wife was mocking him as well.
–Try getting from Milwaukee to Cleveland on a Sunday (limted flight schedules) for a 6 p.m. game (which means I need to be there by 4) on the day daylight savings time kicks in. In my four years covering the Cavs it was the fewest hours between games on a back-to-back. And I’ve done them all. The players had just about 12 hours from when they landed in Cleveland to when they had to be back for pregame stuff.
–So downtown Milwaukee was pretty much shutdown Saturday morning because of a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Ahem, ahem, it’s next Saturday! An extra reason for the fine people of Milwaukee to drink, I assume.
–There was some serious action in the locker room before the game Sunday with the Kansas-Texas game wrapping up. Most players were watching it on the big screens or in their personal screens in the lockers. And Dwayne Jones’ TV was tuned…to a D-League game. That’s dedication! He wasn’t even watching it, he was on the floor working out, but it was funny.
–To the friendly blog reader who came up to me at the end of the game at the Bradley Center: Sorry I couldn’t chat and seemed rude but I was totally on deadline pressure at that moment. Don’t take it personally.
–I did a little playoff situation breakdown here. I examined the remaining schedules of the top 10 teams in the East. Detroit, Indiana and Washington have the toughest finish, Chicago has the easiest. The Cavs in the middle. I wouldn’t bet on the Knicks. Check it out, there’s interesting facts in there.
–Oh, yeah, here’s what I wrote on the Varejao incident. I didn’t think it was a big deal at all and I wasn’t even going to write about it until Mike Brown and LeBron seemed all serious about it. Whatever.
–I have been asked to request some discipline in the comments section. This is the time of year when the blog shifts into gear, let’s have a discussion of issues and have good, witty and critical conversation. Let’s not turn it into a bad message board. Otherwise I may have to turn them off for awhile.
March 12th, 2007 at 12:35 am
The Cavaliers really don’t like to double-team an opponents “star”. LeBron regularly gets doubled and usually there are 2 more watching him closely. Even against teams like Miami and LA where Wade and Kobe regularly get most of the touches, the Cavs stand their ground with single coverage. I don’t really mind this as it keeps other teams from getting lots of easy baskets and if they tried this strategy against Utah or Phoenix they would get blown out. However, they seem to resist change. I don’t know if this stems from Mike Brown and D. Ferry’s philosophies but it seems to take the Cavs an eternity to make adjustments sometimes. Sometimes when a guy like Redd or Patterson is killing you, you just have to take the ball out of their hands and make someone else beat you. That being said, LeBron beat a double team with a nice feed to Wild Thing at the end. It seems the formula for Cavaliers success against good teams is to hang with them for 3 quarters with defense and then let LeBron go to work down the stretch. It was really nice to see him get whatever he wanted against the Pistons D. His ineffeciency from the field in last seasons playoffs is often overlooked. If he can attack at will this season the Cavs have a nice shot at going to the Finals.
One Last Note - I wish they could keep their focus. Even at this point in the season I see at least 5 possessions a game that break down into someone heaving a deep jumper who shouldn’t be shooting it. I’m SURE this is why we play well against good teams and sometimes lose to bad teams. They just can’t seem to maintain focus at times. They are improving though.
March 12th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Clear my mind-thought:
During a game it is o.k. to stick out your tongue in response to a little boy (your son)who is sticking out his tongue at you…
But:
it is not o.k. to dunk a basket at the end of a game during regulation time and give free pizzas to fans.
And, it is o.k. to use promotions during a game but it is not o.k. for a player to enjoy a dunk at a 99 point score.
Just so I understand the rules of “the game” within a game.
GO ANDY…
GO LEBRON
March 12th, 2007 at 7:47 am
They looked flat against a Bucks team
that is 23-40 and let a decimated Pacers
team back in the game yesterday. Meanwhile
Pistons win first two out West against
Nuggets and Clippers. They do not have
killer instinct but are playing better.
Must keep Sasha and Andy involved. And by
the way Tucker and Billy this blog is not
disciplined enough. What ever happened to
free speech?
March 12th, 2007 at 7:59 am
It’s official: the Reverend Pluto has lost his last shred of credibility as a professional sports journalist. He honestly published a piece urging that the Zips deserved an at-large NCAA bid despite losing to a 16-14 Miami redhawks team in the conference championship game. Astonishing. What a shill. Does he work for the UA PR department? Even Charlie Frye would admit romeo tarvis and company will be lucky to get into the NIT. Send this joker to the religious pages for good. It’s time BW was made lead sports columnist.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:15 am
I’m glad we’ve got the Snow defending Redd fiasco taken care of. Where would this team be without Snow’s great defense and coach/media kissing?
Speaking of the coach, Brown gets lots of complaints about his rotations but the Cavs must have the most inconsistent bunch of veteran players in the NBA. Marshall, Hughes, Gooden, Ilguaskus, etc., etc.–it’s hit and miss on a nightly basis with nearly every player he throws out there.
He’s got to have one of the harder coaching jobs in the league.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I’m not sure what just threw me off more, Doc’s tirade at Terry Pluto’s descent into the bowels of sports journalism, or Martha’s rant about James’ contrived photo-op and promotional “food” which would have all ambulances within 100 miles rushing thousands of farting victims to the emergency room with searing abdominal cramps.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Sometimes I wonder why our players don’t realize when we attack we win, when we settle we don’t. It looks now as if the light has finnaly turned on for them. Larry’s not taking those incredibly bad shots anymore and the team is bennifiting big time. I’m thinking we should leave him at the 1 and let Boobie play at the 2 spot. That why we can bring Sasha off the bench where he can be more productive. What do you think? Also, is it me or does Sasha play some decent one on one D. I looked at the way he played Kobe a few weeks ago and was impressed.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Ok, Andy made mistake by shooting that 3. But did it warrent all the attention it got? Players and coaches alike blasting him in the press. A simple don’t do that Andy would have be suffice. Instead we’ve got coach Brown issuing apologizes and LB even putting in his 2 cents. Dudes, it wasn’t that big of an issue. What’s wrong with trying to win a free chalupa for the fans?
March 12th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Poor Indiana. They seemed pretty upset by Verejao’s meaningless 3 pointer. This afternoon, I’m going to mail a family pack of tissues to Conseco Fieldhouse. Does anyone want to chip in?
What a bunch of whiners. What’s the difference if they lose by 11 or by 14? This once again goes to prove that professional basketball isn’t played by men; it’s played by millionaire junior high schoolers with misguided notions of “respect.”
Fire away, Andy.
March 12th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Yeah I agree. I respect Rick Carisle but he’s out of his mind getting upset about that 3 at the end. The pacers have got to be the most boring team in the NBA and minus O’neal they are the most boring professional team period (edging out the kansas city royals). He should have been quoted in the media saying “I would like to donate 10 chalupas to every fan that attended tonight as an apology for how boring that must have been for them to watch.” The NBA needs to do more for its fans. Ticket prices are outrageous for crappy seats you’d be better off watching on TV. Change the Chalupa rule to 80 points or start giving away plasma screens at 100 points.
And what’s Carisle complaining about. We were playing garbage minutes from the 2nd quarter on. Mike Brown should have told LeBron to pad his stats. THen we would have REALLY blown them out. Instead he tries to get all these guys involved but they run no set plays. If you’re going to put in these crazy lineups…at least TRY to execute something other than a different guy hoisting perimeter jumpers as the shot clock expires. I’m convinced the Cavs need to be within +-12 points at all times to keep their focus.
March 12th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Tucker:
Can anyone answer Tuckers question on the
following.
A team is allowed to sign a player to a contract equal to the average NBA salary, even if the team is over the salary cap already, or if the signing would put them over the cap. This is known as the mid-level exception, and it can be used each season, either on one player or split up between multiple players. Contracts signed under the mid-level exception can be for up to six years. The mid-level exception in 2004-05 was $4.9 million, while in 2005-06 it is $5 million under the terms of the new CBA.
And I have 2 questions?
What did the King serve to Martha. Bread
and water?
And when are the Cavs going to get a muscle-
man. Did you see the arms on Patterson and
Diougu. Thats why it was working and I am
sure.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:09 am
You guys don’t get it…Brown, James & Co. don’t really care about Chalupagate, but they know other players do. So they’re using their loyal servants, also known as the media, to send a pointed message that says, “Have you seen Ilgauskas’ triceps? And he’s one of our bigger ones! For God’s sakes, please don’t give us a cheapshot during a game, we can’t defend ourselves! Please, please, please! If you heed our pathetic call, not only will we buy you a chalupa, but we’ll pay Tony Parker and you’ll get to plow Eva Longoria!”
March 12th, 2007 at 10:23 am
I think Carlisle should be more concerned with the gun shots and bar fights and all the other incidents his players routinely get involved in than Andy hoisting up a 3 for the fans. It clearly was not a 3 to “stick it” to the other team.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:43 am
You know, it’s a shame: A guy makes a simple (3 point) attempt to please the fans and he gets excoriated.
I wish more NBA players were concerned with pleasing the fans. Maybe then the All-Star game wouldn’t have been an atrocious bore-fest unworthy of your local community rec center.
Tucker, you do bring up a good point. What is with Ilgauskus’ lack of conditioning? Would it kill this guy to hit the weights in the offseason? Somebody buy that guy a BowFlex.
March 12th, 2007 at 11:10 am
The more I think about it the madder I get.
What do you think the 10 year old is more
concerned about or the senior citizen who
attends the games. Whether these millionaire
babies get their egos trimmed or Andy hoists
up a shot for them. It’s time for the NBA to
stop stroking their own and start stroking
the fans. Like Carlisle and the Pacers don’t
know about the promotion. I’m ready to boycott.
March 12th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Well Said, DK. It missed by like 5 feet anyway. I think Andy learned his lesson. Carlisle should have been laughing at the 3 instead of being pissed. The NBA is so full of inconsistencies. You’re “showing up” the other team when you air ball a 3 at the buzzer, but having your PA announcer scream home team nonsense (detroit) earns him a trip to the all-star game. Can’t have it both ways. Oh and I’m counting down the years until Sasha starts getting calls from the refs.
March 12th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Wait–do you want to boycott Pacers games or NBA games in general? Because nobody is showing up for Pacers games this year. Including Jermaine O’Neal.
March 12th, 2007 at 11:48 am
The Pacers and Lebron and Brown had a ridiculous response to the 3 pointer. When the Cavs are playing another team, they should beat them into the ground.
Andy was simply trying to give back to the fans. When you don’t make more than $10 per hour, those kind of extras actually make things a little better.
The only thing that would have made me happier is if Andy would have thrown the ball square into Carlisle’s face.
March 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
That’s “for a while”, not “for awhile”.
Also “shutdown” is not a verb.
March 12th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Exactly how many people who make less than $10 an hour would you guess are in attendance at a typical Cavs game?
March 12th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Quite a few Mr. Bavetta. Most being seniors
or kids who incidentally are the ones that
enjoy the promotions the most and are the
people who the Cavs PRETEND to serve first. But it is really only the arrogant players and coaches who get the service.
March 12th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I’m glad to see Brown has his priorities straight. I mean apologizing to the other team for Andy trying to do something for the fans, while making sure that he’s got on the proper color-coordinated glass frames for his potato head and Larry is wearing the proper color arm panty hose. And LeBron just needs to stay quiet and let his basketball skills do the talking sometimes…his comment about Andy showed just about as much insight and wisdom as his comments about a gay player after Amaechi came out.
March 12th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
No, Bron’s demeanor with Andy after the game is exactly where you would want it to be. Yes i think the Pacers over-reacted to the stupid shot, but the fact is that’s just how the NBA is. It’s not just the Pacers and Carlisle who would have reacted that way. LeBron showed that he is the team’s leader by saying what he said. Im starting to see that in him more and more and i like it.
He got pissed at Andy the other game too when they both went up for the rebound and knocked the ball out of bounds. Afterwards he had this look on his face like he was ready to maul Varejao. But that’s what we want. All this LeBron doesnt have the “killer instinct” stuff is because he never did stuff like that before. He’s starting to realize that this is HIS team and he needs to lead it, in more ways than one.
March 12th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I disagree. I think LBJ’s comment, “You don’t want to show off” is ridiculous. This, coming from a guy that takes 13 minutes just to give Damon Jones five before each game.
I think a real leader would’ve defended Varejao, rather than criticize him. He should’ve told the Pacers where to stick their fragile egos.
March 12th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Yes - the best news i’ve heard all week was gooden’s shut the bleep up comment to ’sheed. hopefully the cavs are shedding their boy scout image for the playoffs. a mean lebron is a lebron going to the hoop hard. a mean lebron sends Rip’s layups to the deck. a mean lebron owns tayshaun.
March 12th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I liked the breakdown of the playoff seedings. I just hope we can get that number 1 seed. Having Detroit and Miami slug it out in a 7 game series in the semifinals would help us alot. Now we face a tired team in ECF.Now just maybe for once we will actually be in the NBA FINALS.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Terry Pluto’s Hair, if the shoe was on the other foot, Cleveland was about to lose its ninth straight game, Cleveland was missing James, and some goofy-haired yutz on the other team heaved up a shot at the buzzer for an Egg McMuffin, you can bet any Cleveland player with an ounce of self-respect would react the exact same way.
There’s a huge difference between a LeBron James photo-op and effectively showing up your opponent.
With respect to those James/Jones pre-game egofests…well, it occurs before the game. However, if it occured AFTER the game, for example, after the Pacers game if it was in Indiana, the reaction would have been a good old-fashioned brawl. And if Ilgauskas’ girlish one-two punch prowess when he battled Greg Ostertag in that hilarious catfight is any indication of their streetfighting skills, Cleveland would have had approximately nine or ten dead players after the rumble ended. Or, to put it another way, the 1970 Marshall University football team would have had almost as many live players as the Cavaliers.
March 13th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Ten to one Artest tries to mug Lebron tonight. Will anybody stick up for him?
March 13th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Most venerable Tucker, I understand your point that if the shoe were on the other foot, “you can bet any Cleveland player with an ounce of self-respect would react the exact same way.” I agree.
However, that doesn’t make it right. I would be just as annoyed with the Cavaliers if they reacted the same way the Pacers did.
Also, I disagree with your defense of Lebron. I tend to think that if he had the ball 15 feet from the hoop with :03 on the clock, he’d throw down an emphatic dunk and later say it was “for the fans.”
March 13th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
The best way to solve the blog comments issues would be to either BAN Alan Tucker or limit his comments to 25 words or less. He goes on and on about nothing.
March 13th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
All you who wanted to trade Gooden, Wild
Thing or Sasha for Bibby I have one comment.
Cavs 88 Kings 69
Sasha 21
Wild Thing 6pts 8reb
Good 8pts 10reb
Bibby 12pts no defense
The best moves Ferry makes are the one he
doesn’t.
March 13th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
These days, the only moves Ferry makes are the ones he doesn’t.
March 13th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Sorry about the multiple posts but I forgot what I was going to write in the first place:
BW has another note about the possibility of a Cavs trade for Bibby this summer and the more I think about it the less I like it.
Hasn’t Bibby always seemed vaguely flaky, and doesn’t he seem to have a sort of listless air about him? And don’t the Cavs have enough highly paid, hangdog veterans who seem completely satisfied with their careers, unmotivated to improve or tweak their games?
If Pavlovic, Gibson and Brown improve any over the summer, the only piece the Cavs should be chasing is an athletic big man who blocks shots, rebounds and plays defense. He could rotate with Verajao in the middle.
These guys seem rare but they do become available. They get drafted high because of their size and athleticism, but then teams become impatient about their third or fourth year because it takes time for them to develop. Any Cavs fan should recognize Diop in this description.
This summer that player might be Kendrick Perkins, especially if the Celtics luck out and get Oden. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the Cavs could trade for him.
March 13th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Joe Hoops, I’d issue an on point rebuttal to your last post, but your blind irony has me chuckling too hard to bother. The hard chuckling affects my ribs, which in turn affects my ability to grip my fingers on the keys.
March 13th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
G.M. Larry, assuming you could somehow make such a move…There is a far greater chance of Donald Trump performing a 69 with Rosie O’Donnell on Howard Stern’s pay-per-view channel than you being able to unload Ilgauskas’ contract. So what do you intend to do with him?
March 14th, 2007 at 1:08 am
Joe Hoops, you should start logging on to RealCavsFans.com. It’s a bunch of kids like yourself that post things like “the Cavs are AWESOME” and “LeBron’s dunk was SICK”
This comments section consists of people that actually have very good (and differing) opinions. I enjoy Tucker’s comments, obviously you don’t. So read BW’s posts and leave it at that. Your comments about Tucker are just annoying.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Sorry…I meant your whining about Tucker is annoying.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:20 am
Joe Annoying!
March 14th, 2007 at 3:49 am
If you can’t unload Z’s contract let him be a sort of exotic role player off the bench. He seems a lot more active when his minutes are reduced.
Or teach him to shoot threes and let him compete for minutes with Donyell and Damon.
March 14th, 2007 at 6:17 am
Need an enforcer. Somebody like Lonnie
Shelton or Windhorst on this blog.
March 14th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Can we stop with the Blog Policing? The point of a blog is to get people with different opinions/ages/etc. I don’t think we should be telling people where they should and shouldn’t be posting. JoeHoops and Alan Tucker stay put.
At this point after last night’s game and JMOES post I’d like to say “I told you so” to all the people that ripped me apart when I was horrified with the Bibby Trade idea. (I’m looking at YOU, DK) Yes we don’t have a “true” point guard but we’re lacking even more in front court depth. I can’t even imagine trying to split 96 minutes between Z, Varajeo, and Marshall (rumors were that Ferry tried to package Pollard and Gooden in that 3 way deal for Bibby). Here’s some other thoughts of mine:
-I see no major changes in the way Larry Hughes is playing - other than he’s hitting more perimeter shots. I keep hearing over and over how the reason for our recent success is Hughes finding a home at the point. It’s nice to have Larry hitting shots and nice when he gets some key steals, but he’s not making the offense around him any better than the other pgs on our team.
-I think the REASON for our success is LeBron playing like he’s possessed and Pavs getting minutes. Regardless of his stat line at the end of the game, his presence is always felt. The Cavs are 12-2 in the last 14 games in which Pavlovic has played. (against GOOD competition) The two losses? In Utah by 1 and In Dallas by 3 (in a game where Pavs was still throwing up with the flu the night b4) The games he DIDN’T play bc of the flu? Cavs: 0-2 losses to Miami and Chicago. These are not Fluke Stats - he is an integral part to the offense and defense.
-I still think Z can be a big factor for the Cavs but I question his decision making. When he receives the ball more than 5 feet from the hoop with his back to the basket, there is a better chance he will air ball it than make a shot or get fouled. He’s still the best in the league at getting tip-ins off missed shots when he’s around the hoop so the cavs have to try to attack the rim when he’s in (even though his defender clogs the lane)
-It’s never a problem to have a deep bench early in the season but it’s getting near the point where you have to be comfortable with your 7-10 guys for the playoffs. For the Cavs they’d be giving minutes to 13 guys right now. Hughes(Gibson/Snow), Pavlovic(Brown), LeBron, Gooden(Marshall), Z(Varjeo) and Damon Jones/Ira Newble for some offense/defense substituions at the end of quarters or when LeBron is in foul trouble. I hope Mike Brown can figure out the best way to use our boys.
-Before the second half of last night’s game I’d noticed how much Sasha has been settling for long jumpers in the last few games. I an 100% convinced this is because he could get punched in the face and the refs would not call a foul. He plays with some shiftiness but unlike a Ginobili or Wade who ALWAYS gets the calls when there is contact - Pavs either gets bumped and NO CALL or they call him for offensive fouls. I hope he starts getting some respect. He’s already a turnover machine and when he’s getting called for charges and getting bumped on his way through 2 defenders to the hoop, he’s not getting the call. Charlie Rosen who HATES EVERYTHING even thinks Sasha is a baller who gets NO CALLS.
-I wish Detroit or Chicago would LOSE A DAMN GAME!
March 14th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Larry, CONGRATULATIONS! This is the first time in history the words “Z’s” and “exotic” have been used together in the same sentence.
March 14th, 2007 at 9:17 am
When Sasha plays at least 20 minutes:
Cavs are 23-4
March 14th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Tom, it’s nice of you trying to be kind, but tip-ins of your own missed shots…well, if the dude had any power game whatsoever, the first attempt could be slammed home. Unfortunately for people who love meaningless statistics, this would also cause his offensive rebounding stats to nosedive so deep into the Earth, they’d reach China by next Tuesday.
March 14th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Tom, speaking of meaningless statistics, gotta love that Sasha statistic. Coincidentally, there is a 50% chance of rain on days when Damon Jones suffers from imaginary back spasms.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Tucker - I don’t think it’s a meaningless statistic. I could use conjecture and say “based on what I see when I watch the games, I KNOW we play better with Sasha in there.”
But since those kinds of statements tend to get shit on by you I thought I’d just use the stat. Oh well…
There’s always strange coincidences with stats. It made no sense why Kevin Millwood was the best pitcher in the AL 2 years ago with an era lower than Santana and yet he had a losing record on a team with 93 wins. (lowest run support in mlb) Strange things happen sometimes. However, I still say that Sasha is the ONLY multi-dimenional offensive player not named LeBron on this team. THe rest of the guys boil down to 1.) Spot up Shooter (DJones, Marshall, Wesley, Gibson, Hughes) 2.)Pure inside (Z, Gooden, Varajeo, Pollard) 3.) Pure layup (Snow, S.Brown)
Sasha can shoot off the dribble, spot up, take it to the rack, and shoot of screens. He also is the best on the team at moving without the ball. This skill set arguably keeps defenses the most off balance. While LeBron is clearly the superior player on this team (if not the league) - he doesn’t really FOOL anybody - he’s just stronger/better. Sasha can wreak havoc on defenses. If he becomes a better shooter I think superstar.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Hey Tucker, DJ made 3 bombs last night.
He was going to fire up more but Mr. Potato
Head was worried that he would become the
first player coach in recent history. His
consultation with Sasha was compelling. Lebron needs to give his missing suit coat
to DJ so that he can switch when needed.
And Tom:
There is a noticable improvement in the
Cavs offense since Mr Hughes is playing
point and it does,t show up in your stat
machine. It,s called court vision and Hughes
has it. He hits the open man in stride way
better than Snow or Gibson. Notice the alley
oops and back cuts. Also he gets to the paint much more quickly which opens up a
multitude of options.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:14 am
jmoe - i agree. But when he is in there playing the 2 and someone else is the “point” he tends to control the ball anyway. Gibson is waiting for open looks for 3 more than using his vision to hit people. All I’m saying is that I think this is more of a Pavlovic for Gibson/Snow thing that Hughes for Gibson/Snow. With the exception of him bringing the ball up the court more - I don’t see his game being that different. I agree that he has better vision, however.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Yes, j moe, when Hughes is at the 2 he is not allowed to hit people on “back cuts” or “in stride”…
What kind of comment is that?
March 14th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Tom, I mentioned it not only because it’s meaningless, but also because it’s comedically similar to a statistic the local media had used a couple of seasons ago. It humored us until most emergency rooms were filled to the brim with comatose Cavs fans suffering from shattered ribs caused by chuckle and chortle explosions. I’m speaking not only of the comedy stylings of hilarious ex-comedian/bombastic shill Michael Reghi, but our very own blog host. It all revolved around one very precious statistic: The Cavs’ fabulous record when Ira Newble started. Really.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Tucker, im convinced you’re at the point now where you’re sacrificing credibility at the extent of NOT being funny..
See, it would be one thing if you rambled on and on and you were FUNNY..
I like how “23-4″ is a “meaningless” statistic.. Have you not noticed that Pavs can play? Have you not noticed he is a better option than 95% of our team? Do these things just sail over your head on the way to China?
What statistic would you like Tom to come up with that’s BETTER than WINS? What would be more MEANINGFUL to you?
Idiot
March 14th, 2007 at 10:42 am
OF COURSE the Cavs play better when Pavlovic plays better. But the specific statistic itself is meaningless. When he plays more than 20 minutes a game? Any statistic can be constructed to make a point. Besides that Ira Newble goodie, there used to be a local media gem about the Cavs’ record when Marshall scores 10 points or more. I mean, so what? The Cavs’ record is 9-1 on nights when sweet Damona sits on the bench and wears violet socks.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Now now boys. IRA is a fill in piece. That
he made 3 treys in a row uncovered, big deal. He is a good defender in specific
situations. Why it took Brown until Milwaukee to figure that out I don,t know.
Biggest missing part of equation now. Are
there enough basketballs for James, Hughes
and Pavlovic at the same time?
March 14th, 2007 at 10:51 am
And Donkey Kong:
When Hughes was playing 2 either LBJ or
Snow was dribbling mindlessly so how could
he hit a cutter without the ball?
March 14th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Tucker - I’m no statistician but I know that very often in science when you are dealing with variables you try to find correlation. And while Correlation does not imply Causation it carries weight. In the instance of the Cavaliers record it would be silly to say that Pavlovic playing minutes is a big reason for their 23-4 success if the Cavs had the Mavericks record. It would also be silly if there were many other similar variables that should be weighed more heavily. I tried to point these out subtly but you seem to pass over my details and attack my main idea with some far-out analogy. I brought up the point that the 12-2 record was against GOOD competition. This is important. It is meaningless to make a case if we were playing charlotte 14 times in that span - but we werent. It is also meaningless if someone else was just dominating during that span - but really it was just LeBron being LeBron. And in the two losses that Sasha didn’t play in and the 2 losses against Utah and Dallas that he DID play in but struggled: LeBron scored 23,39,29,29. So it wasn’t like LeBron’s poor play was the reason we lost those games - something else was missing.
Lastly - basketball is a team sport so individual statistics can be misleading. If you were to tell someone that one team had 2 of the top 5 scoring leaders on it you wouldn’t think that that team is below .500. Likewise you wouldn’t think teams with big men leading the league in FG%(above 60%) are all struggling to make the playoffs. However - sometimes you can look at the correlation between two variables and feel confident that one is causing the other. Maybe the REAL causation is that 1.) Sasha Plays well 2.) Mike Brown Gives Sasha more minutes 3.) Cavs play better
I’m sure your version is: 1.) Damon Jones gets a parking ticket 2.) Mike Brown’s cousin gets to level 10 on Tetris 3.) Cavs play better.
But I think it’s more like this: 1.) Sasha is on the court more. 2a/b.) Defense Improves / Offense is more unpredictable 3.( Cavs play better.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:36 am
The most important thing to bear in mind when posting any comment to this blog — this goes for the host, too — is The Tucker Rule.
In general, The Tucker Rule means that you must not say anything good about any Cavalier except for Lebron, and anything good you say about Lebron must be followed by saying that he will leave Cleveland as soon as his extension ends.
In particular, you must never say anything good about any Cavalier signed or re-signed by Danny Ferry. Those players, like Ferry himself, have no virtues. (In essence, The Tucker Rule denies their very humanity. For instance, if a personal tragedy should strike such a player, a maximum of one (1) reference to the event may be made — unless you demean or mock the player and/or tragedy, in which case unlimited references are encouraged.)
Those who fail to observe The Tucker Rule are either idiots, naifs, shills, or all of the above.
Also heed a crucial corollary of the Tucker Rule: Never cite statistics. Tucker Himself was at the first Cavs game, so he needs no evidence to support his judgment and expertise — and any evidence contrary to his judgment and expertise is, prima facie, fatally flawed.
Finally, don’t forget to say a special prayer for the ex-Mrs. Tucker, who was actually married to this fabissineh nebbish.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:44 am
It’s not Pavlovic. It’s production from the off-guard position. Or production from a position where the Cavs are here today, gone tomorrow. In other words, every position except James’ position. The specific stats are meaningless. You can create a similar stat for almost any guy on the floor.
Jeez, until the Cavs got James to play small forward, they didn’t have a guy at that position since Mike Mitchell. So OF COURSE when Mike Sanders had games when observers didn’t have to wretch, the Cavs had a good record. So the Cavs’ PR flak passed out a stat to the media to cloak the fact the Cavs really didn’t have a quality small forward.
If Pavlovic played more than 20 minutes in 27 more games, logically if would follow that the Cavs’ record in those games would be 46-8, right? So based upon this shocking statistic, Brown should be fired pronto.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Tom - your posts in this tread are more insightful, thought provoking and polite than all others combined. Don’t sweat the snide remarks, esspecially those that seem to be posted purely for the writers own self gratification. I don’t think I agree with all of your thoughts (i.e. Pavs), but I do appreciate the way you present them. Thanks.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Julius Piltz. Catchy.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
First off, Donkey Kong Country 2 is like one of the greatest games of ALL time.. so, though it was intended to be a insult, i thank you very much for the reference.
Second, Snow dribbled the ball up the court, passed it to Hughes/Bron, AND RAN IN THE CORNER. Hughes had the ball in his hands PLENTY then, enough to where he could make these passes of which you allude to. Now, if his MINDSET has changed since switching to PG and he thinks he needs to fascilitate more, then GREAT. However, the real reason to Hughes’ success, as Tom so eloquently pointed out, is that he is MAKING HIS SHOTS NOW. It wouldn’t matter how he passed the ball.. if he was shooting 5-18 every night everyone would be complaining about the same old Larry Hughes.
Hughes going to PG has also, for the most part, coincided with LeBron stepping his game up. Couple that, with Hughes shooting a good % and Pavlovic getting consistent minutes (which is Toms point ALAN), is the reason why they are playing better. Backdoor cuts and alley oops and whatever else is a bonus. And i agree that Snow couldn’t do any of this.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Tucker - He’s averaging 7.1 ppg. He hadn’t cracked 10 points in like 2 weeks. I don’t think it’s necessarily production from his position. I think it’s more intangibles. Larry Hughes has more production than Sasha yet Sasha is more important to this team if you ask me.
Since you’ve done so much to prove why I’m wrong - I’d like your thoughts on why the Cavs are playing their best basketball during the toughest part of their schedule? I’ve already pointed out that LeBron is playing well. Taking into account that the only other changes has been the insertion of Gibson and now Hughes at the point and recently Sasha getting more minutes…find a reason that we are playing better and beating teams like Detroit in Detroit.
Go.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I’d argue it’s because Snow is getting less time, and anything else they can stick in the backcourt to get more scoring from both the 1 and the 2, as opposed to either/or, is going to improve the team’s chances to win. It’s not Pavlovic, per se.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
I would like to post a controversial
comment. Lebron James is a great talent
and an awesome player but the Cavaliers
play better as a team without him.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Donkey Kong 2:
It has nothing to do with shooting. It has
to do with seeing other people for easy shot
opportunities. His height and his foot speed
are major assets compared to Snow or DJ.
Also his defense in the passing lanes is
very good. Hughes creates easy buckets for
everyone else and that is why they are winning.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Tucker - I agree with the snow thing in a way. He plays better off the bench both on O and D.
As far as your points: “It’s not Pavlovic, per se.” and “It’s not Pavlovic. It’s production from the off-guard position.” and “You can create a similar stat for almost any guy on the floor.” Consider this:
Snow-Hughes-James-Gooden-Ilgauskas: 465 minutes played together. +15 points vs. Opp
Pavlovic-Hughes-James-Gooden-Ilgauskas: 100 minutes played together. +30 points vs. Opp Gibson-Jones-James-Marshall-Varejao: 100 minutes played together. +24 points vs. Opp Pavlovic-Jones-James-Marshall-Varajeo: 89 minutes played together. +39 points vs. Opp Snow-Hughes-James-Marshall-Varejao: 31 minutes played together. +1 points vs. Opp Snow-Pavlovic-James-Marshall-Varejao: 36 minutes played together. +24 points vs. Opp
You substitute Pavlovic for SNOW, GIBSON, or HUGHES and you see a sizeable increase in point differential. You don’t see this kinds of staggering difference with any other 1 player on the Cavs.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I don’t want to lead people away from the original point with all the stats. But just by looking at those Raw Stats I just posted - you can only make 1 correlation: The Cavs play better when Pavlovic gets minutes. I can’t possibly present it any better. I guess the Jury’s still out on what effect Damon Jones’ credit score has on the team…but if we can bring ourselves to ignore that point….I think we have a winner in Pavs.
dpl - thanks for the compliment.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Tom:
Do you have an IBM mainframe programmed
just for Tucker? My god you are a stat
machine. One thing about Sasha is his jump
shot. It is quite effective and quite deadly
for a guy 6′7″. It really does remind me
of Jerry West.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Naw jmoe - I have an athlon mobile 2200xp that overheats and a T1 connection at work. http://www.82games.com/0607/0607CLE2.HTM
I just can’t wait until he starts getting the calls around the rim. LeBron and Sasha have the same problem - they never look to get the foul - they look to get the score. Arenas/Billups/Wade put their head down and plow into defenders (wade is skilled/lucky enough to get a shot up over his head after he runs into a guy)
LeBron will double/triple clutch after taking contact to try and get the bucket. Sasha is the same way. I don’t know why referees prefer not to give these guys calls. Instead they bail out guys who TRY to draw fouls. If Sasha keeps his confidence about going to the rim - he is very dangerous because he can open up the floodgates from outside.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
I agree that Pavs is a winner. I am glad the Bibby trade did not go thru. However, I prefer to think that the improvement we see in the Cavs now, compared to what we saw one month ago, could just as easily be explained with the natural ebb and flow of the long NBA season, as opposed to a change in the line-up. Pavs offensive skills do present matchup problems for most teams. I do not agree that his defense is as good as you suggest. I still see him being out muscled by smaller, less gifted small forwards. He is improving. I look forward to more improvement. I just think this team is going to end up where most of us thought this team would be - a 2 seed with a shot at the conf. finals. Anything more will be gravey. The missing pieces to this team is still a floor general (besides LeBron), and a consistent strong forward presence, especially on defense. Gooden drives me nuts with his jekel/hyde performance. But, he’s young. The team is still pretty young. And, this team should get better with time. I’ve always thought this team was built for 2007-08.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Shut up Alan Tucker.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Tom, the great teams of the past never used 82games.com, and somehow they all survived. Everybody is looking for an edge, and never mind fans, I think coaches and GMs really lose focus when they start going wacky off the tracks and getting involved with assistant coaches concocting nutty algorithms.
If you want an edge, then simply trade, draft and sign good players that play well together. Just use your own eyes, your own brain and good old-fashioned common sense. You really don’t need a complex computer for that, and owners can save quite a few bucks on the extra 882 assistant coaches they really don’t need.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
dpl - as far as Pavs’ defense I think he has improved a lot. Last year he was considered terrible on defense. This year his assignments have been tougher. He has covered Kobe/Wade/Redd/McGrady more than LeBron/Hughes and with the exception of Wade’s FT extravaganza none of the aforementioned have put up ridiculous numbers. He really looked bad against Milwaukee the other night but I think that was a case of Redd/Patterson just making everything they put from the post. He couldn’t handle Artest in the first half yesterday but he looked so bad on all ends of the court b4 the 3rd quarter that I’m wondering if he just wasn’t focused yet. He still has issues with screens and low-post defense but as far as one-on-one I think he’s improved a lot. Like you, I think this is a team built for 07-08. I’m happy with the growth of Gibson/Pavlovic/Brown. They are all athletic guys and Gibson has a PURE stroke - this is a team with lots of potential. Shouldn’t forget about Varajeo - he’s been a major factor in many games.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Thanks for the basketball insight and analysis, JoeHoops. Valuable as always.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
lol tucker - I watch all the games, read all the analysis, and occasionally check stats. What is the difference between that and say, watching game tape and reading scouting reports? The “great teams” of past, present, and future (will)watch(ed) game tape and (will)read scouting reports. I only reproduced those stats because I think they paint as clear of a picture as any of what I am trying to say. If the point of basketball is to put the ball in the bucket more than the other guy and the Cavs do JUST THAT CONSISTANTLY when Pavs is in the backcourt…why not point that out? I don’t know what the guys at ESPN.com make but it’s probably more than I do. Watch the games, check the stats, analyze. Repeat.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
They posted this stat last night on FoxSports. Cavs hold opposing Small Forwards to like 10-12 points a game. The lowest opp. SF ppg of any team. They credited it to LeBron but it’s really: Bron, Pavlovic, Hughes, Help Defense.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
No way does a G.M. use just his eyes and gut feel to evaluate his teams performance. G.M.’s in all sports use statistics to measure a players value and performance. That’s just plain fact.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Tom - Right now I see Varajeo as a valuable roll player. I thought maybe he would be great trade bait (not for Bibby), but for the lack of inside presence on tthis team. I don’t see much offensive potential. Defensively, a one trick pony (taking charges) that I here the league might crack down on (flopping). Defenitely an asset, but a future starter for a championship team? I could be wrong though. Where do you see him in the future?
March 14th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Tom, I believe you are absolutely correct about Sasha, and though statistics don’t imply correlation, there is nothing to back up the assumption that “anyone besides snow starting” is responsible for the Cavs’ current success. Also julius piltz, great post.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Varejao does 2 things that I think we absolutely need. 1.) He gets offensive rebounds or “tip-outs” which is so necessary on a less than avg shooting team like the Cavs.
2.) He spreads the floor well for LeBron. LeBron is at his best when Varajeo is in. The amount of possessions he gives us back is amazing when you think of his charges+offensive rebounds+steals.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Varejao is perfect for this team and he doesn’t even NEED to develop much more of an offensive game so long as the people who are supposed to score score. Look at Rodman on the bulls/pistons teams. He didn’t score, yet they were fine. The only reason there is any kind of emphasis from a fan view on Varejao scoring more is because guys like Hughes aren’t carrying their weight. (until recently) They scored 124 points last night WITHOUT LeBron and Andy had 7 points. You’re crazy to think Varejao isnt right for this team. He has won games on his energy alone this year.
Besides, if he turns into an offensive threat too we will never be able to sign him.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
dpl - To follow up: I think that Varajeo’s improvement curve has been steadier than I had hoped. I think he improves team chemistry a lot by his hustle and I think drawing a charge generates a lot of instant momentum (something the Cavs have had trouble doing since LeBron stopped playing the passing lanes.) If you ever watch the Sun, you’ll notice that they NEVER and I mean NEVER allow an opposing team to gain momentum. Their style of game just STIFLES an opposing team’s momentum. You play your heart out to make a great shot and .2 seconds later Barbosa steaks to the other end for a layup or Bell hits a 3. And what hurts teams is not that points from that play, but just the crowd-hushing, momentum killing effect. The Cavs used to be able to generate tons of momentum with high flying dunks from LeBron. I’m starting to see that again with LeBron, Sasha, and S. Brown but for the majority of the season - Varajeo and Gibson’s 3s have been the major source of in-game momentum.
Varajeo needs to improve his scoring and defense. He’s developed a few nice moves, but he needs to finish. He plays too much below the rim for a guy his height. (Must be learning from Z). Also, he shows on the pick n roll better than any defender and is the only guy I trust running a pick n roll with LeBron.
As I said before - ultimately, it is his ability to win us possessions and his paint-clearing abilities when LeBron is on the floor that are the biggest factors. (and why he plays crunch time minutes even though he is inferior to Gooden on Offense)
March 14th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
DK - very good point about his contract. He’ll be relatively cheap as long as he’s only scoring 7 a game.
Edit: I meant watch the sunS. Don’t even WATCH THE SUN lol.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 pm
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