Taking some baby steps over Wolves
Posted February 29th, 2008 by bwindhorst
Cavs 92, Timberwolves 84
–Overall, this was not a very well played game by either side. I think the most interesting thing happened with five minutes to play, after Minnesota cut the lead to four points. Though it was a little different in how it happened, it reminded me of the other night in Milwaukee when the Cavs seemed to freeze up under pressure. This time they executed the offense much, much better and were much more under control. Just seeing Ben Wallace go backdoor — although, that’s probably not the guy you want run plays for in crunch time — when the Wolves were overplaying was growth. The other night in Boston the Cavs just let the Celtics overplay them.
–In the second half, 17 of the 21 baskets were in the paint and 15 of the baskets were assisted. That shows that there is some settling into the offense. LeBron James had 13 assists, which showed he knew where he teammates were going to be.
–Defensively, Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas started to show a little chemistry tonight. They had six blocks between them and many came when they were helping each other from the weakside. Al Jefferson had 18 points in the first half and just four in the second because the Cavs used better help defense on him.
–LeBron said after the game that he’s starting to enjoy playing alongside Delonte West. It is really the first time in his career that he’s had a true “push it” point guard playing with him. Jeff McInnis wasn’t one, really. And LeBron said he’s learning how to run with him. West fed him a couple of times in transition tonight as the Cavs had 15 fastbreak points.
–There’s still issues all around and the Wolves are really terrible, but there was some improvement in this game. Let’s see if it carries over.
–As for the questions about the Cavs adding another player, the feel I am getting from the organization is that they’re going to stand pat for now. They really don’t want to add another major element unless it would be a big upgrade. They are already faced with bringing Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic in the fold in the coming weeks. At this moment, there is a feeling there isn’t a player out there that they could get who would really help. They will probably keep one or both of the 10-day guys for practice purposes, they only have 11 healthy bodies without them.
–As for Ira Newble, who was released by the Seattle SuperSonics today, I think the Cavs could use him because he knows the system, is versatile and is a good perimeter defender. I also talked to a couple people close to Ira today and the feeling was he would come back. However, under league rules he cannot re-sign until 30 days after the trade. Also, I am told a couple of other teams are interested in him. So if he can find a spot where he’ll get playing time I assume he’ll go there instead of waiting around, even if it isn’t a playoff team. Remember that he’s got to think about next season, he doesn’t have a contract.
Recap:
Pregame
Starting lineups
T-Wolves: Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson
Cavs: Delonte West, Devin Brown, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Officials
Bob “Bobby Covert” Delaney, Matt Boland, Monty McCutchen
–LeBron James’ ankle is OK, it may be a little stiff but he’s been able to walk and run on it just fine.
–Brewer has the potential to be a good NBA player, but he’s simply cannot handle James at this point because of the size difference. Maybe the Wolves will use Gomes on him, but if it is Brewer LeBron ought to go right at him right away.
–Jefferson is one of the most underrated players in the league in my mind. He’s got great post moves and excellent touch. He should be an All-Star already but he will be for sure in the future, I really enjoy watching him play.
–Wally Szczerbiak isn’t here, he is with his wife as they get ready to have their third child. He may not be around on Sunday, either.
Halftime — Cavs 40, Wolves 36
–No way this game should be anywhere this close. The Wolves are a terrible team and they are not playing well. They are shooting just 32 percent and at one point missed 21 of 23 shots. Despite a significant size disadvantage they are outrebounding the Cavs and have a shocking 12 offensive rebounds.
–The Cavs seem to be again out of rhythm on offense. It seems the wrong guys end up getting the ball in certain sets. Example: Anderson Varejao is 1-of-6 while Joe Smith has just one shot. I assume this is a continuance of the adjustment period, supposedly they put in about seven new plays for the new guys since the last game.
–It looked like LeBron jammed his right thumb on the alley-oop pass from Damon Jones in the second quarter. LeBron hurt it a few games ago and wrapped it for a few games before it got better. Didn’t seem like it affected him too much.
–This is a game the Cavs could lose because you have to assume Minnesota will got hot from the field at some point. If this malaise continues and the Wolves stay close you are just asking for it.
–Mike Brown’s son, Elijah, who is a ballboy is swishing NBA 3-pointers out on the court right now. I think he’s about 12 or 13 and is a lefty.
Postgame
Stars
LeBron, 30 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists
West, 12 points, five assists
Ilgauskas, 10 points, six rebounds, four blocks
Jefferson, 22 points, 10 rebounds
Quotes
LeBron: “We’re trying to get comfortable with each other, I am learning where guys want the ball. It looked pretty good tonight.”…on the alley-oop dunk from Damon Jones: “I knew he was going to be looking for somebody. He was going 1-on-3 so I said let me go ahead and take off.”
West: “It is just a result of getting more practices and figuring out what everybody can do. It’s not hard to pick up on, it just takes some time.”
February 29th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Get Dan Gilbert out of the booth. He is annoying!!
February 29th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Cmon Wallace
February 29th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
How do you like that Wallace/Varejao pairing to end that half? That was some beautiful basketball especially when West is the best shooter in that lineup.
Z hits 3 shots in a row and gets taken out for the Wallace-Varejao pairing.
Mike Brown - singlehandedly keeping Minnesota in the game.
February 29th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
what about FSN cutting to commercials during the middle of the game… more then once!!
February 29th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Bri, Any chance the Cavs will pick up (released) Giricek and Newble by tomorrow for the playoff run?
February 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Brian, Why is Dan Gilbert Commenting again… we are going to start a thread on RCF just for him. For the first time this season I had to mute my sound. Please give him a tip… he sucks at broadcasting and its obvious he gets off on the attention.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
People, relax, the Cavs will win the next 5. Book it. They have easy opponents and that is just what they need to get their act together with all the new players. Might as well turn this one off right now. Cavaliers +10.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
I just watched a replay of D. West’s dunk on ESPN after listening on the internet from Virginia. I found this article on him from his time in Boston. He looks like my kind of guy.
http://redsarmy.com/mattygvol.19.htm
February 29th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Dave, Thanks for the link. I enjoyed the article (for those using Firefox, you’ll need to open it in Explorer as there is a conflict for Firefox.
I know some have been poking “fun” ?? at Delonte, but he seems a spirited guy and his shots have been falling the last few games. OK assists and he gets steals and blocks.
I’d like to see Joe Smith get some more time and plays.
Also I know some have been down on the trade but I still believe it is going to be good and as has been brought out, it leaves us with flexibility.
Just be happy you get many of the games on local. Here in Montana, I get two or three a year (other than playoffs) and the rest is from the Yahoo Box Scores and articles from Brian etc.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Now I know why I just saw Newble playing in a shirts and skins game at the Darfur JCC. Jeez, the guy can’t even earn a spot on a roster stuffed with stiffs, and yet there he was, recently starting for the Cavs. Oy vey.
I agree about Gilbert. He, his ego and his hair transplants need to go away. What a coincidence, suddenly he’s very publicly showing up at games again, and not just doing that prepared e-mail interview thing that he and the Reverend Pluto do once a year. Gilbert, enjoy your newest honeymoon while it lasts, because just like those boneheaded 2005 signings and your egomaniacal hamminess back then, the giddiness won’t last forever. If they don’t get out of that absolutely pathetic conference alive and well, then everybody knows you’ll be crawling back into your Detroit hole. Which is where you belong.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:28 am
Alan T. is just mad there weren’t a lot of “rubber rims” tonight. Instead, we’ll “throw the hammer down!”
March 1st, 2008 at 1:00 am
Kahn Games - FoxSports
Don’t forget the other guy
Feb 29, 2008
Excerpt from his article
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers: Even though LeBron James dominates virtually every game the Cavs play, it is Z who can be the difference every night. It’s always been confounding why they don’t run the ball through him in the high and low post more often. Sure, it happens early in the game, but when they keep him involved the entire game, they are really tough to handle. At 7-3, he has amazingly soft hands and a great touch inside and on the perimeter. He is slow and often sluggish on defense and even rebounding on occasion with those problematic feet of his. But he is a terrific offensive player, both scoring and passing, who is underused when you consider what little help James has. Considering he’s averaging 13.5 points, a career-high 9.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, it’s amazing they’ve gotten this much out of him with his 33rd birthday in June. And despite the trade that brought Ben Wallace to help at center, along with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for scoring, Ilgauskas gives them balance. They are 9-4 when he scores 17 or more points – that figure is significant as they prepare for the playoffs.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:38 am
“He, his ego and his hair transplants need to go away.” is tucker talking about himself here? one can only dream…
March 1st, 2008 at 2:43 am
oh and for those inexplicably pining for hughes and gooden? check out their performance tonight. hughes shot 5-16 and gooden 2-7. sound familiar??
March 1st, 2008 at 3:06 am
sorry to keep posting these short takes, if you will but just crunching the numbers here on wallace since arriving in cleveland and so far he, in granted only 4 games, is shooting 61% from the field, 62% from the line and avg. 8.2 points and 9 rebounds a game. the FG% is nearly double what he was shooting in chicago so what i and a lot of other people thought, which is that LBJ would create a lot of easy shots for ben, seems to be coming to pass, pun unintended…
i am genuinely mystified by people who don’t like this trade…
March 1st, 2008 at 3:30 am
Gilbert is hilarious in the booth! It’s nice to get some straight up Cleveland homerism in there instead of Fred McLeod’s politically correct crap. I love when he’s in the booth, although you can tell he makes the other guys a little uncomfortable.
Saw some good things tonight. Joe Smith is a clutch jump shooter. In a month or two, I think he and LeBron will click just like LeBron and Z on the pick and pop.
Delonte is so much better than any point guard I’ve seen on the Cavaliers since Andre Miller. He plays solid man defense, he pressures full court, he pushes the tempo, and he can make nice passes here and there. Huge to include him in the deal with Seattle.
LeBron’s shooting doesn’t look very comfortable the last 2 games. I think it’s because his legs are sore from all the ankle twists etc. In spite of that, he’s still going to the rim strong.
If Ben Wallace can turn into a solid defensive presence he won’t be a liability on the Cavs. Varejao’s offensive game will come back in a few weeks and they can just have Wallace crashing the O-boards at all times. I hate having him in there when we don’t have good shooters on the floor but I have confidence that Andy’s midrange jumper (the one we saw before the injury) will return.
This team looks SO much less fluent than the old team on offense. I think it’s going to take longer than we want to really gel. We might not really see what this team is capable of until the playoffs.
-The Old Tom
March 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Tim - I gree with your take on West, it’s refreshing after MacGuinesst and Snow. Why is Snow still here? I never bought into his being a ‘lockdown’ defender as BW and others like to claim, and he makes 6 mil a year.
That’s nice if your point can play D, but he should also be able to dribble, pass, and shoot, and Snow could never do any of that. Tony Parker was loving his awesome D in the finals last year. Funny BW mentions that LBJ enjoys playing with a real PG, since he never had one here.
PS I made a doodie
March 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Another interesting tidbit…. Ira Newble was CUT by the Seattle Supersonics. Wasn’t that guy starting for us just prior to the trade? He starts for us, and then gets cut by one of the worst teams in the league.
WTF?
March 1st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
The Cavs will dump Wally and somebody else next year for
Agent Zero. Then the real fun will begin.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Strictly a salary cap move, Joe Hoops.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
jmoe, I don’t want Agent Zero. He will shoot way too much and Lebron will get fewer touches. We need role players, not selfish superstars like Agent Zero.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I can’t believe anyone enjoys Dan Gilbert on the mic. He is awful, and a distraction. McLoed and Carr are bad enough without them pandering to the boss. Yuck, yuck, yuck. There is only one Mark Cuban, and he’s bad enough.
My only hesitation about bringing Newble back is that we might actually play him. Mike Brown has a tendency to fall a little too in love with the defense over offense thing - which is the reason we struggle to score at times.
Just say NO to Giracek. He’s a decent shooter, but hasn’t been happy with any of the roles he’s had this year. He does get bonus points for not getting along with Jerry Sloan, who never gets enough props for the bigot jerk he is.
March 1st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I agree Chuck. Get Dan Gilbert out of the booth, he is annoying.
He needs to stick to selling sub-prime mortgages to people who really can’t afford them, that way he can afford to pay the inflated salaries of washed up players like Ben Wallace.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:47 pm
JoeHoops, it’s taken a few years, but that’s the first genuinely coherent and rational post I’ve read which has the “JoeHoops” moniker hanging above it. Better late than never, I suppose.
If Gilbert really is “committed” to Cleveland, then he’d buy a house in Cleveland and pay some taxes instead of freeloading and binging at the public trough like Oprah Winfrey feeding herself at the Cheesecake Factory. In fact, Gilbert should put his mouth where his money is, and buy the nicest house in Glenville and actually live in it. That indeed would show he’s actually committed to Cleveland and its neighborhoods. Otherwise, I wish he’d simply operate his flim-flam mortgage business and leave the carnival barking to the guys he pays to be his carnival barkers.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 am
Only in Cleveland can the owner dip into the luxury tax and then get slammed for coming on the air and making bad jokes.
LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE!
May 8th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
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