LeBron preaches, Sasha raps and Cavs win
Posted March 27th, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
Indianapolis — Beating a team that is eight games under .500 can’t be classified as a great win. The Cavs will have plenty of tougher games between now and the playoffs. Still the 105-94 win over the Pacers got them their playoff berth and, for the time being, their focus back. So it had its merits.
Some thoughts…
–There was some disagreement over whether the Cavs had one of those famous/infamous "players’ only" meetings this morning. Mere semantics. Basically, LeBron James asked the coaches to leave the huddle and had a few words about taking the road trip very seriously. Two things are important here: 1. LeBron took it upon himself to do it. 2. He led by example when he got on the first bus and came over to the arena early to get extra shooting in. It is the first time I can remember LeBron coming over on the first bus since his rookie season.
–In the fourth quarter I was closely charting each Cavs’ possession with a "G" or a "B." As in good or bad. I only wrote down two Bs. They played at a controlled pace, ran when they could and calmly used their sets. The Pacers aren’t a great team obviously, but they are a good defensive team yet couldn’t stop the Cavs in the fourth. Six of the nine baskets in the fourth were scored in the paint. Plus the Cavs were 12-of-13 at the line in the fourth.
–This game was more like how they played during the winning streak. Yes they made shots, but it was the focus that was the major difference. They lost focus in the fourth quarter in Charlotte and it was gone until tonight.
–Mike Brown took the interesting step of playing Eric Snow instead of Larry Hughes down the stretch. Larry was having a bad night. I still don’t like Snow playing 12-15 straight minutes, but tonight he was attacking and hitting jumpers so it made it easier. He had seven rebounds as well. The biggest decision Brown made with Snow was to run a clear-out play for him — yes Mr. Snow! — with three minutes left. It turned into a 3-point play that clinched the game. Of course, had Eric been blocked everyone would’ve ripped both of them. That’s life.
–Three years ago I voted Jermaine O’Neal first team All-NBA. I still believe he’s one of the top 10-12 players in the league. Tonight he scored 32 points on one leg with the Cavs running all sorts of different defenses and defenders at him. It was a great performance.
–So LeBron is hosting the ESPYs and he says he’s not sticking to the script. Hey Bron, not a good idea.
–After the game, Sasha Pavlovic was trying to sing a Young Jeezy song. First, Sasha can’t rap, at least not in English. Second, he was apparently messing it all up. So Donyell Marshall and David Wesley were trying to explain to him the lyric was "Go Getta" as in "he’s a go-getter" not "he’s a go get her" as Sasha as saying. He wasn’t getting it, but it was damn funny watching the two of them attempting to explain what a "go-getter" is in comparison to what he thought "go get her" meant. (Note: this was modified once I was clued in to who Young Jeezy was).
–He was playing during the show, but I wonder if Scot Pollard would’ve liked Sanjaya’s hair tonight.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Come on its Young Jeezy featuring R.Kelly not 50 cent
March 28th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Dan’s right, and the song’s “Go Getta”. ‘Yell and Wesley sound pretty bad too, because Sasha is right half the time. There’s “this is the life of a go getta” and “i’m'a go getta”. The latter, translated for Windhorst and Co.: “I am going to go get her”
March 28th, 2007 at 3:53 am
HEY BW thanks for explaining what “B” AND “G” stood for, if it was not for your explanation I would of thought it stood for “BAD GANGSTA”, whats, all this talk about rapping on a sports board. lets stick to sports.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:14 am
IN before Alan Tucker posts something stupid!
March 28th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
So on espn.com hollinger wrote an article about the most overpaid players. Who is the guy on the right in the picture?
March 28th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Ronnie Duncan.
March 28th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
In the picture on the homepage, the player on the right is Chris Webber, I think.
March 28th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
If Lebron is a preacher he better pray that
DWades shoulder doesn’t heal before April 19. And if Sasha is a rapper Emininem is
in trouble because he is one pasty fellow.
And Tucker you cannot possibly be your
loquacious self today with that last post.
Give us some meat. Tell us what is wrong
with our team so JH can go postal.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
its actuaaly funny watching sasha rap
March 28th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Watch Isiah and his goons tonight. Main
event at MSG. Wild Thing vs. Malik the
masher Rose and Damona the man she vs.Blubber James. Step right up.
March 28th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
damn, this time really blows my mind, they are so hard to figure out, as of tonight i have given up on the cavs, mark this post i do not care what they do from this day on. Larry Hughes did not have one assist. sasha shot 8 times hit six shots 7 from 3pt line, gibson looks like the rookie that he is, and the rest of the team just sucks, they need to cut dmarshall tonight, he is worthless, oh wait he is worth 30 millions thanks to danny ferry. any way THIS TEAM SUCKS AND I AM DONE. I really was giving them the benefit of the doubt but they contiue to prove me wrong 2and 3 will be this road trip they will slip behind chi town and be the 3 or 4 spot. man i feel like cursing, wait a minute its not that deep, there is more important things to be upset about then an over paid over achieving basketball team. this team is mediocre at best and will not be any good any time soon, icon or not.
March 29th, 2007 at 1:37 am
GOOD MORNING LADIES, now that i ranted myself to sleep, i had time to think and guess what? i still hate this team. by the way who is the guy with all the stats a couple of blogs ago? do me a favor, check the cavs record against the knicks since the icon birth into the nba, if my guess is right, its a losing record, the knicks just give the cavs fits. and the icon rarely have a good game at the garden. Who knows it may be his new home in a couple of years.
March 29th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Trouble in paradise? Why worry when Warren
Buffet comes to my games and I am building
the Taj Lebron. I have made it big before
my time. Oh me and Larry need to focus? I
thought the trophy would just jump into my
trophy case. What I am not at VASJ anymore?
This is the NBA?
March 29th, 2007 at 6:47 am
RELAX. The Cavs won 50 games last year, they probably won’t get quite that many this year (unless they win 70% of their remaining games). But they still have one of the best records in the league. THE PLAYOFF ARE WHAT MATTER. Now, I will be pissed if Chicago passes us….the Cavs should not worry about catching Detroit, and instead make sure they don’t get caught by the Bulls.
But yea, the team is hard to figure out. Larry sat out most of the 2nd half, DJ has been sitting on the bench with his velour jackets…almost looks like an assistant coach. And Gibson does not appear to be living up to the hype that the media has given him. Lebron seems interested in playing well, but you gotta wonder if he is having fun dealing with building a new house…we all know what a pain in the ass that can be, and he’s building one thats about 20x the size of ones we may build.
Next up, Alan Tucker and his complaining…
March 29th, 2007 at 7:03 am
It’s not that hard to figure out. Big Z and the other older players are getting too many minutes. If Z plays 20 minutes, you get 12 or 14 pts., 8 rebs. and a couple blocked shots. If he gets 30 or more minutes, its usually about 16 pts., 5 rebs., no blocks, 5 turnovers and terrible defense.
The veterans on this team are all terrible, both in performance and attitude. They sap the energy out of the younger players and the fans.
March 29th, 2007 at 7:31 am
I keep forgetting to ask–was there any thought to going after Randolph Morris among the Cavs’ deep thinkers?
March 29th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Horrendous loss. Lebron basically mailed it in. He has to be one of the worst perimeter defenders in the league. Nate Robinson, for crying out loud, was licking his chops whenever he found himself in one on one isolations with the Chosen one. He doesnt block out (see balkman grabbing every rebound when “marked” by james), he plays passively; he basically doesnt seem to care. As for the offense. King James, here’s a news flash: YOU CANT SHOOT FROM BEYOND 20 FEET. Four years of bricks and line drives and off balance fade aways are ample enough evidence. I cant take it anymore. Stick to what youre good at; that assortment of hard drives, floaters, and runners in the lane that basically are unstoppable. When was the last time LBJ scored 30 plus points and you thought, wow, that jumper is really working tonight? He scores when he drives. It’s quite simple. I know his mammoth ego wont allow him to entertain the possibility that he isnt a very good shooter, but it has to stop. The most disturbing thing, though, was the effort and attitude. Of course lebron wasn’t “disappointed”. A classic I dont give a damn game. This team is going to end up as the five seed.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:43 am
I did not see the game but I heard LBJ got
roughed up again. We should put Ferry and
Gilbert out there and let each one of the
Knicks kick each one of them in the balls.
Then they will get an enforcer, when their
own nuts are bleeding and not his.
March 29th, 2007 at 10:44 am
My personal stalker is right. Who cares? Kneejerk reactions all over the place. It’s a regular season game against the human garbage that is the Eastern Conference.
All the Knicks game was good for is to again ask the question: Why does our beat writer keep evading the Damon Jones situation? Fake strep throat distributed to the media, fake back spasms distributed to the media, zero playing time distributed to everybody with two eyes. Something happened to make Jones plunge deep, deep, deep into Browns’ doghouse, and I want to read about it. And no, Brian, exposing Jones’ own little private eBay auction doesn’t count.
With respect to Randolph Morris, I’m guessing Ferry thought that Thomas signed the famous reindeer’s younger brother and the famous commercial kitty. Randolph Morris? Those two must be cute and furry. Easy mistake to make.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Does anybody have a link to DJ’s auction on eBay?
I personally think that DJ has been having too much input into game strategy while on the sideline, and the coach doesn’t like that. I remember a few games back that DJ was in all the coaches huddles on the sidelines while the players sat in their seats. I don’t think coach Brown likes when his players try to take over and run the show. I think he’s even had some run-ins with Lebron for trying to tell him out to coach.
GO BUCKEYES!!!!
March 29th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
baby doc, you are feeling my pain, but do not put to much faith in buckeyes, sure they will be gtown, but if they have to play florida watch out, then again if the gators are heavily favored then maybe we could cast the giant upset. but i rather play the bruins, im not into revenge, i just want to win. whats going down with the indians, get this if cc do not start the opener they will go with westbrook, how sic is that westbrook use to be the 4 or 5th starter and now he might start the opener, hey dolan brothers “oh what a web we weave if at first he pratice to decieve.”
March 29th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Screw the Indians. The only teams in Cleveland that matter are the Cavs, the Browns, and the Buckeyes!! Baseball sux.
March 29th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Hey, Everyone…
With no new blog post to read, I was bored. So I decided to write Terry Pluto’s Sunday column for him. Enjoy…
March 29th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
TALKIN’ TRIBE
I’ve mentioned this fact about 3,488 times since November, but General Manager Mark Shapiro made the bullpen a priority during the offseason. This is good. Last year, the team gave up lots of wins because of their shaky bullpen. That was bad.
Fans are still angry about Coco Crisp being traded for Andy Marte last year. But fans need to realize that sometimes players get traded, and that Coco Crisp was a player. So that means he could’ve been traded. And he was. I think this will turn out to be a good trade in the long-term, because Andy Marte wears his cap straight on his head, and Crisp always wore his cockeyed.
I am currently in Florida covering spring training. Fans need to realize that it’s warmer here than in Ohio, because Florida is much further south. One Who Knows told me that this means Florida is closer to the equator and, therefore, gets more of the sun’s heat.
TALKIN’ BROWNS
I would sure feel better if the Browns drafted an offensive lineman early in the upcoming draft. So would you. So would the Browns. That being said, I don’t know why I bother to make this point every Sunday.
TALKIN’ JESUS
It is hard not to sin. I do it and then I feel bad. But I ask for His forgiveness, and everything’s better. You should try it.
TALKIN’ APOSTROPHE
I like to leave off the letter ‘g’ in my headings because it makes this column seem more hip and informal. I don’t recommend that kids try this in their own writing, though, because it’s not proper spelling. Kids need to understand that apostrophes are tricky and should only be handled by professionals.
March 29th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Well done TP’s Hair. Please feel free to enlighten us the following sunday under future headings such as TALKIN’ SANCTIMONIOUS DRIVEL and TALKIN’ KEITH DAMBROT’S A GENIUS and TALKIN’ I HAVE A CRUSH ON CHARLIE FRYE and TALKIN’ DRU JOYCE USED TO BE 5′3″ WHEN HE MADE THOSE SHOTS WITH LEBRON. Incidentally, that book “Dealing” that gushes about the genius of mark shapiro is priceless. Nothing like anointing a guy as the next billy beane who has had five years to turn around a team but without a single playoff appearance to show for it. Might as well write a book about phil savage. Ah, the mighty reverend pluto.
March 29th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Trade the whole team for the rights to
Oden. Trade Ferry and Gilbert for a hot
dog vendor. Trade Terry Pluto for Hal Lebovitz. Trade Charlie Frye for a mono
syllabic hillbilly. Trade Winslow for a
rocket bike. Get back fat boy Wickman
and Manny. Get rid of fat boy CC. And
good riddance to my wife is my rock Thome.
March 29th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
HEY TERRY’S HAIR, the browns would be a fool to draft a olineman with the 1st pick, peterson, russell or charles, or brady, someone who could get the ball in the endzone. TPH, do not talk about Christ on the blog if you are not serious, its more then feeling bad for a sin, its about repenting and turning from that sin then allowing the Spirit of God to use you for his Glory.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Terry Pluto’s hair, that was hilarious. And CHRIST, billy, are you serious? Why is it that the dumbest sounding people are also the biggest christian nuts?
March 29th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Funny stuff, Terry Pluto’s Hair. But no Talkin’ Cavs?
March 30th, 2007 at 1:18 am
HEY GEDDY, im not a nut, just when it comes to Christ i get serious. remember, God is not mocked, whatsover a man sow that also shall he reap.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:35 am
Well, the BULLS beat the Pistons last night. So if they beat us on Saturday, will they take over second place in the East. Yikes!! Cavs better get with the program. Put DJ back in to hit the game winning 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shut up Tucker.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Billy:
Please give your utmost blessing to the
Cavaliers at exactly 3pm tomorrow as they
will need divine intervention to beat the
Bulls tomorrow. If they play like they did
Wed night they will reap just what they sow.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:42 am
What do you think of this, under the NBA Rumors section on cnnsi.com:
The general feeling is LeBron James is almost certain to move on given the older team the Cavs have put together and limited likelihood they’ll go anywhere in the playoffs.
– Chicago Tribune
March 30th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Billy,
The point of the fictional View From Pluto was to mock Terry Pluto’s predictability, lack of journalistic insight, and condescending writing style. There was nothing at all offensive about Christianity.
Please take a cold shower and ask the nurse to adjust your dosage.
March 30th, 2007 at 8:54 am
It would be poetic justice if Global Icon trips over the stewardess and severely twists his ankle while the plane is sitting on the runway waiting for Team Nike to depart Hopkins on the way to China. He wouldn’t be able to play, and he’d have to have his giant panda photo-op while wearing a walking boot. Will the bear tolerate James shaving the “I’m a Witness” slogan into the bear’s chest? Do giant pandas bite?
March 30th, 2007 at 8:58 am
As for the rumor posted above,
“The general feeling is LeBron James is almost certain to move on given the older team the Cavs have put together and limited likelihood they’ll go anywhere in the playoffs”
I discount it for several reasons.
First, I wouldn’t categorize the Cavs as “older.” Varejao, Pavlovic, Gibson, and Shannon Brown give the team a nice core of young players that should be hitting their prime by the time James is a free agent.
Second, what is this “general feeling” crap? That’s the kind of vague neo-journalism that Roger Brown could be proud of.
Third, Chicago newspapers love to perpetuate gossip for the sake of selling newspapers. If the hacks in Chi-town were right even half the time, Kevin Garnett would’ve been traded to the Bulls 6 years ago.
Finally, a lot can change between now and 2010. That’s why any rumor about James staying or going is pretty much worthless. It’s definitely not worth obsessing over.
March 30th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Terry Pluto’s Hair, seriously, where was your TALKIN’ CAVS? I thought your post was witty and clever, but I want to read some TALKIN’ CAVS. And some other additional stuff from your View. It was too short. Come on, give an old man something to look forward to.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Sorry, Tucker. I figured there was nothing that fictional TP could’ve written that would be funnier than what people have already posted in this blog.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Oh, come on. Even if I say, “Please?” Come on, do it. For me. Peer pressure, peer pressure, peer pressure.
March 30th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
What do you think the Chicago Tribune is
going to write the day after they beat the
Pistons and the day before they are going
to lose to us. And all of you will be on
tomorrow saying how great we are until we
lose to Boston Sunday night. Then you bipolar freaks will sprout again. I love it!
March 30th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Lebron will remain in Cleveland for the forseeable future. The 35,000 square feet home he is building south of Cleveland will be very hard to sell now that the local housing market bubble has burst, especially if there is a statue of the owners head in the front yard. Warren Buffet has advised Lebron to stay put until housing values go back up and he can get a return on his investment. He has also been advised to take Damon Jones in as a roomate to help pay some of the mortage. There is pleny of room for DJ’s collection of sport coats in Lebrons two story walk-in closet.
Your up Tucker you sucka.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Yeah, I thought that rumor was pretty bunk too. It always seems like Chicago newspapers have bad things to say about LeBron. I always chalked it up to a case of we’ve got the next “MJ” and they don’t envy.
I will say this- I worked with someone who played with LeBron at St. V’s and I asked him if he thought LeBron would ever leave. He said that there’s nothing LeBron wants more than to win a championship with his friends and for his hometown… loyalty. that’s why he stayed in Akron when he could have easily gone to Oak Hill or someplace more “on the map” in high school.
I’d say the fact that he’s building his own personal LeBronland in Bath would indicate he’s here for a few more years.
I just wish we’d here a little less about what he’s investing in and becoming the first billionaire athlete and a little more about winning championships. This conference is wide open and with LeBron playing like LeBron, we’ll go as far as he wants.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Excellent post Joe. Now we need a GM who
can swing a decent deal for a big man with
big arms. Lebron can only take this beating
for so long. Anybody seen MAHAWN OR FOWTSAHN. Maybe Tucker or Terry Plutos
Hair could play POWA FOWAD. They could just
raise their arms and the bullies would back down.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
What?, know talk of the icon taking his teammates to a strip club after there embarrasing lost to the knicks. It was said that the icon, formerly known as lebron, set out the big bucks, with champagne, and tipping the girls very well, and each player was given a lap dance. hey bw, why did you not write a blog on this. by the way how is that for lebron new name, “The Icon”, formerly known as Lebron, hey I like that. Oh, Joe good post, more talk about championship less about investments. I concer.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I heard about the teams trip to the strip club. Last I checked those places were perfectly legal and I’ve been to my fair share of them as well. If I made as much money as these guys I would visit those fine establishments every freaking night with $100 bills in my hand….the chicks always flock to the table with the big bucks, so you know those guys had a good time. Maybe Austin Carr will ask Lebron about it in tommorrows post game interview!!!!
March 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
BREAKING NEWS…. POLLARD AND WESLEY MAY RETIRE AT END OF SEASON… http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Cavs-Pollard-Wesley-pondering-retirement;_ylt=Atnhk_naN_OBzb2Rhrr9q1R50bYF?urn=nba,27753
March 30th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
WOW, JOEHOOPS, and this is coming from a guy who find Tucker’s post to be upsetting, dude, check yourself. I hope you do not have any daughters, or younger sisters.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
When he lost to a bunch of stiffs, I don’t think Larry Bird took his team to the back room of a strip club to get 12 apples polished. Good to know that Spawn of Nike has his priorities in order.
March 30th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
They went to a strip club after the loss to the Knicks? Well, at least this will give Pluto something to preach about in his next column.
Although, maybe there’s a positive side to this. Unlike during games, Damon Jones was finally able to get some action while sitting down.
March 30th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
THANK YOU ALAN, THAT IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO CONVEY. any hew, after watching kobe take the rockets into overtime, i came to this quick conclusion, Lebron cannot carry kobe’s jock strap, im sorry, i said it and im sticking by it. at least at this point in there career, you could call kobe, selfish, and all the other names they call him, but when the game is on the line he is a winner and know how to will his team to win. I like that “spawn of nike”, that is funny.
March 30th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Hell, he can’t carry tracy mcgrady, jock straps at this point in there career, tracey knows how to win games. I might of stretch it with this one, but im sticking by it.
March 30th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
The problem with the icon is he is not hungry, he got all the money and endorsements that he need, so he do not have any thing to earn, he was given every thing on a silver platter before he even stepped onto a nba court and he is just not hungry, all the other guys before him had to earn the type of money that the icon is getting. some one from espn.com did an article about the exact same thing a while ago and i am starting to agree with that person. “HEY ICON” save the house building and tv appearence for the off season, concetrate on winning a championship, show us why nike sign you to all that money, hell you are not even the top three scorers, on a team that lack scorers you should be avg. at least 30 to 32 pts per game. dude, has i type this post, im really starting to dislike you, because im starting to see you for what you really are.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I know we’re up 6 - but this is why I get so frustrated watching the Cavs.
1.) Hughes
2.) Traveling calls. Sasha goes to the hole - 1 step, 2 steps, jumpstop, off 1 foot - goaltending +1 right? No, it’s traveling. ok… 8 seconds later: Ben Gordon goes to the hole, 1 step, 2 steps, jumpstop, off 1 foot - traveling right? Nope! Foul, 2 foul shots.
3.) The second call was charging, but the first was unreal. 4 bulls crowd around him grabbing for the ball. He’s holding on with 2 hands, and goes up and it’s charging…
4.) Gooden needs to step up. He had some good rebounds early on and then just dissappeared. Can’t let Tyrus Thomas get 5 dunks in the first half.
5.) Inconsistancy: If Marshall starts missing from 3 in the second half and the rest of the Cavs start missing free throws, we lose.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:51 pm
If the Cavaliers can hold on and win this game - the media will say next to nothing. If the Bulls win, there will be articles about the Rise the Bulls and the Fall of the Cavs and everything else you can imagine.
I guaransheed it.
March 31st, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Why why why why why does lebron chuck these long jumpers at the end of games. SCORE THE BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 31st, 2007 at 2:46 pm
This is the most painful non-playoff game I have ever watched. We have 2 field goals in the last 8 minutes. LeBron can’t enforce his will on a high-schooler at this point. Hughes has been utterly ineffecitve. These kinds of games are bad for my health.
March 31st, 2007 at 3:04 pm
kobe bryant, baby, I will be glad when the Icon could be mention in the same sentence as bryant when it comes to closing games. HEY TOM, I KNOW HOW U FEEL YOU NEED TO RELAX.