The Aftermath
Posted May 18th, 2008 by Brian Windhorst
Celtics 4, Cavs 3…season over
–Excuse my tardiness in posting, my computer is no more. I am still not back in Cleveland and am using another barrowed computer to do this.
–The Cavs lost to a better team. I feel they actually played better basketball in the series and even though Kevin Garnett is a great player and a former MVP who geninuely cares about defense, he is not better than LeBron. The Celtics won the series for three reasons: 1. They had homecourt advantage. 2. They had multiple players able to deliver the scoring load. Paul Pierce did twice, in Games 5 & 7, and he was a difference-maker in both games. 3. They had role players they got for free come through in the clutch. Sam Cassell made a few big plays in Game 1, P.J. Brown did it in Game 7. The players the Cavs got for free were Lance Allred and Billy Thomas.
–After the game LeBron was very upset. The reason is because he gave his all and lost. He is not used to playing his best and losing, it has almost never happened before. Against the Spurs he did not play well and he knew it and it was easier for him to accept. Which is why he left shaking hands and saying how much he needed to get better then. Yesterday he walked off without looking at anyone, his teammates or anybody else. Then after the game, without being prompted, he said the Cavs needed to make some personnel changes.
–LeBron is right, the Cavs need more players. I believe they are better than they were a year ago but the conference is much tougher. The Celtics are 10 times better than the Nets were in last year’s second round and I believe the Pistons are better than they were last year. While it may make a difference to the fans and to the owner who got to sell fewer tickets, it really doesn’t matter whether you get beat in the second round and the Finals. The Cavs lost when they ran into a better team. They must take steps to reach that level.
–Ben Wallace was very strong on Garnett in Game 7. Delonte West showed he can be a contributor and that he’s very tough, though I believe the Cavs still need a true point guard and have West as their third guard because West does not handle the ball well under pressure at times and he doesn’t get the team into its offense well at times. Joe Smith is a quality veteran big man who contributed in many playoff games. The roster is flexible, so Danny Ferry must take what he learned and apply it.
–LeBron was tremendous in Game 7, but he did not trust his teammates enough. When push comes to shove — and Game 7 is shoving time — he wanted to control everything. Part of this is something he’s got to overcome. It took Michael Jordan six or seven years to truly trust his teammates. Part of it is he’s got to be given assistance on offense. I have written that I don’t think he respects the system at times so he will break it off. But also the Cavs do not have a realible second scorer or that point guard who will take the ball and tell LeBron to go run a play and LeBron will respect it. This has been said for years. The Cavs play championship quality playoff defense but they just don’t have the offense to do it yet, even though they have the offensive player.
–If LeBron makes the 3-pointer from the wing with the Cavs down one with about 1:40 to go, I think the game might have had a different outcome. However, I felt it played out the exact same way the series played out. The Celtics got ahead early and the Cavs bit their heels the whole way but just were not good enough to pass them. Boston has enough players and enough options — and so does Detroit — that they can withstand some mistakes. The Cavs do not, they have to play at an extremely high level to win. They have done it often and last year against the Pistons LeBron did have a perfect moment that put them over the top. But ultimately they have to become more than overachievers.
–Two things that hurt the Cavs in Game 7. Both LeBron and Z were out of the game together for a minute and the Celtics scored five straight points to push the lead from five to 10. The Cavs never overcame that. Not that Z did much in the last four games of the series. Part of it was him, part of it was the Celtics, part of it was coaching. He said he couldn’t get shots, that’s a coaching issue. But he didn’t make many, either, and you could see his technique slipping and that is nerves. The other was the inability to deal with the high pick-and-roll. The Celtics basically only ran three plays yesterday. A Pierce/Garnett pick and roll, a Rondo/Garnett or Pierce pick and roll, and a Garnett post up on the left block. Yet the Cavs never were able to consistently get stops. Pierce made some really tough jumpers, but he got going because he made a bunch of open ones because the Cavs couldn’t keep track of him on that simple play.
–One thing that is not going to change with this team is Brown. He did a solid job in the playoffs, his in between adjustments were pretty strong for the most part and I thought in the Wizards series his management of matchups was very good at times. Sometimes he is unable to get the Cavs to make changes in the game, part of that is him and part of that is the team (um, LeBron) sort of doing what they want to do on offense and not running anything. He’ll have to look inward and decide how to fix it, that is his next great challenge. But he gets the Cavs to play a style that enables them to have a chance to win and his playoff record is very strong. Take your potshots, even those with merit, but he’s proven that he is a good playoff coach and one that is still growing and learning.
I’ll have more, including some postseason player-by-player breakdowns in the next few days.
Pregame
Starting lineups
Cavs: Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
Officials
Ken Mauer, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore…Mauer is the most demonstrative of the three, Salvatore the most experienced. Over the years, Rush has seemed to give James the benefit of the doubt.
–You can feel the extra tension in the building today, this is two rounds from the Finals but it has a near Finals buzz. There is a general belief that what happens today could be memorable/historic which adds the extra layer.
–That said, the Cavs are keeping it business as usual as much as they can. Mike Brown was reasonably relaxed before the game and said the same things he’s said all along. It’s a one-game focus. Today that is very true. The locker room was a little more quiet than usual but everyone is going about their routines.
–LeBron said before the game that he is looking forward to this and is very confident. You never have to worry about LeBron’s confidence level. What is more important is how aggressive he is and how much he tries to get others involved. While everyone in the large media gathering here seems to be guessing how many LeBron will score today, I believe his assist total will be just as important. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a 40-game in him, he has done it before and he’s been warming up. But I continue to say the way he played in Game 6 in Washington is when he can be at his best and that sort of performance (27 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists) is more repeatable than the 48-point effort last year in Detroit.
–The game plan is the same. The Cavs have to limit Rondo’s drives and stay up on Allen and Pierce. On offense they have to move the ball and attempt to get Z involved. One thing they have not done is run after rebounds, they have stopped to compose themselves instead of pushing it. Offensive rebounding will be important because they have yet to shoot at a very high percentage. Also limiting turnovers to avoid big Celtics runs is vital in this building. But if you have been watching this series you already know all of this. Enjoy.
Halftime — Celtics 50, Cavs 40
–The Cavs are lucky to still be this close, they are still in the game. But they cannot win unless they make some changes. First off, they have got to come up with a new way to cover the high pick-and-roll with Paul Pierce. He is playing very well, but he’s getting space because of the way the Cavs are letting him come off. That is basically the only play the Celtics are running but they are executing it and the options off it very well. Mike Brown must earn his money here. Might be worth giving Devin Brown a look. If they give up 50 in the second half it’s a blowout.
–LeBron is attacking and that is good, but he is not playing a good game at all. He has one assist and one rebound. He continues to back the ball out and not run the offense. He’s playing 1-on-1 ball and he’s losing. He must create for others, otherwise he is not going to lead the Cavs to a win. The Cavs have just five assists but a large reason is LeBron is stopping things.
–That said, the Cavs’ role players have been terrible with the exception of Joe Smith. The starters other than LeBron are 1-of-9. Z has to make some of the shots he gets, he is shooting tight, you can tell my his release. Wally Szczerbiak has done nothing, either. Sasha Pavlovic is maddening, he’s had a couple OK defensive possessions but otherwise he has not contributed. I think you could sum up his season by the possession when one of his weak drives resulted in his shot being blocked by two different Celtics.
–The Cavs are not offensive rebounding and not running off rebounds. They are going to need 6-10 fastbreak points and about the same second chance in the second half, they need the easy baskets.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Will the Count grease his mane for today’s game?
May 18th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I’ve been saying this for 2 years.
Last year, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall sat the entire 2nd half of the season, and then they were playing crunch time minutes in the playoffs.
Damon Jones has been glued to the pine almost the whole year (even though he has shot well)
And here we are in the 2nd quarter of the most important Cavs game of the year, and DAMON JONES is on the court.
At least I can have confidence he is in good game shape.
Unbelievable.
First shot he takes he looked hesitant as hell, he should have shot the 3 instead he puts it on the court and takes a long two.
May 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
First quarter is over, Celts are outrebounding the Cavs by nearly a factor of 2, and we have only 1 assisted basket.
Yikes.
May 18th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I cannot think of one good reason why Devin Brown is not playing. Wally? Crap. Sasha? Awful. Damon? Just as bad. Hell EVERYONE is playing awful. Devin is someone besides Lebron who can create his own shot, he can play defense, and he cannot do any worse than everyone else
May 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
This game is over. We don’t have one guy other than LJ who can step up. Wally and our bench guys look scared. The we play third quarters, there is no way we can go in down >10 and win. Another blown opportunity.
May 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Ricky. You hit the nail on the head. Sasha is giving Pierce all kinds of room to work and then he still drives right by him.
Damon should only be on the floor when it’s Z and Joe Smith along with Lebron and Delonte, so he can just get open off 1-on-1 situations.
May 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
[...] bwindhorst wrote an interesting post today on Cavs-Celtics, Game 7Here’s a quick excerptOffensive rebounding will be important because they have yet to shoot at a very high percentage. Also limiting turnovers to avoid big Celtics runs is vital in this building. But if you have been watching this series you already know all … [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
where did Devon brown go? So strange
May 18th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I think Lebron had a good first half. Would you have passed to anyone on the Cavs in that first half? I would not have. The ball movement so far in the 2nd half is 10x better I will say though
May 18th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Someone needs to calculate Sasha’s FG% for layups (in the playoffs and/or the regular season). It has got to be < 10%.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
If you put Doc Rivers and Mike Brown in a room with pizza dough, cheese, sauce and an oven they would come out with a dead cat.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Biff- What’s the postmortem? What are the results of the autopsy? We need to know.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
i really wonder why lbj waits to game 7 to break out his whipping stick, well so much for that, all i know is that ferry will be on the hot seat this summer…..laaaaaaaaaaaater.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Create your own caption:
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6096/shaqferryqb9.jpg
May 18th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
in order for dan gilbert to protect his 250million dollar investment he will need to fire his gm and coach and get some exp people in here to convice lbj to stay around when his two years are up..laaaaaaaaaaaaaaater.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Yo Alan T, time for you to take the summer off and get a clue!
PS - thought the Cavs were going to pull it out, but Paul Pierce had the game of his career….gotta hand it to him. Too bad he had to have it against us in game 7.
PS - where was Devon Brown this series? Did he even play 1 minute?
May 18th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Wny play Pavlovic so much down the stretch. He produced a ton of empty minutes. One of the rare times he actually did something, he puts his foot on the line to turn a 3 into a 2. Where was Devin Brown all series? At least he hustles. Weak effort on the defensive glass in the last 8 minutes. Brutal watching LeBron trying to carry all that garbage on his back. Imagine if we had one other legitimate All-Star? We would be unstoppable. But, we’ll never get it. It all adds to the lore of pathetic Cleveland sports history.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Alan Tucker: Still a moron.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
The Cavs really need another star next year or it will be the same old story. So tired of Lebron doing everything!
May 18th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Your team played hard and well but cannot defeat the Celtics AND the league in game 7.
::Dreaming of LA vs. Boston::
May 18th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Well, we finally get a run going in the 3rd, LeBron is on fire, and Mike Brown calls timeout and destroys what little momentum we have. What the hell was that all about?
But really, this is on the Cavs role players, I mean f###ing PJ Brown? Are you serious??? He can come off the bench and hit big shots but Wally, Sasha, and D. Jones can’t. That was the difference in the game.
I hope we see the departure of Wally, both Jones’, D. Brown, and Sasha. Build around LJ, Delonte, Gibson, Andy and the bigs. We’ll may to pick up some new bigs as well, I think Z may have burned whatever he has left. Wallace looks surprisingly youthful, he is worth keeping around for the 20 min of defensive intensity he brings.
Anyway, for what its worth, I think Detroit will maul Boston in the finals and take it in 6 games. They have to be the most overrated “elite” team I’ve ever seen.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
And Windhorst, how about getting the ABJ to update this website to the 21st century for next year. Take up a donation plate if you have to.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
If Dan Ferry doesn’t get some decent players around LeBron, he will leave. Dude puts up 45 points in a Game 7 and we still lose. That’s an unacceptable performance by his teammates to not give him any support. What more can this man do? Make a push for Michael Redd, it’s our only hope.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
The difference was second chance points and Pierce - who as someone said above had the best game of his career. I didn’t think he had it in him - I bet the series on the fact that the “Big Three” would disappear…unfortunately for us, two of them did today but the other guy played the game of his life.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I think besides improving the line up in the offseason, the team needs to find an identity which will keep them from falling into the, give LBJ the ball and watch. Likewise, Lebron needs to stop breaking up plays and trying to do it himself. The team needs to make a commitment to passing the ball around and getting assists. That plus continuing the defense and rebounding advantage Mike Brown preaches, should make this team much more effective.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Szczerbiak, G 15 0-3 0-0 0-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 - 0
S Pavlovic 36 3-8 0-1 1-2 2 1 3 1 0 0 1 5 - 7
Great game butfrustrating and discouraging. Thanks specifically to Sasha(”I`m worth more”) and Wally.
Particularly impressed(???) with Wally`s hugs to various Celtics AFTER the game. Nice display of sportsmanship(give me a break!!). He should have walked off as a complete let down. Did anyone let us down more than these 2??
May 18th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Yo. JoeHoops and your many other aliases. Somebody is impersonating me. Unless, of course, it’s you doing that, too. The only post that I posted here was the link to that funny Ferry photo. Still waiting for a clever caption from some of the more inventive and creative writers around here.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
brian you’re right on with your assessment of sasha, by far one of the weakest finishers in the history of the cavs. i know i know, everyone says not to blame brown, but what the hell is the logic in giving sasha so many minutes this series after he’d done jack all year and simply suffered injury after injury? and while gibson can shoot, we seriously need to evaluate what the hell to do with the guy–is there anyone on the team more fragile than him (well maybe sasha)? gives us a glimmer of hope only to go out with some injury or another, be it a hamstring, shin bruise, separated shoulder, or what have you. as for wally, CWG, as i’ve said before, only garnett can rival him for looking like a bigger jackass. wally’s got to be one of the only guys who can make a 3 pointer after missing the previous five and still jump up and down acting as excited as if he’s just given his wife an orgasm.
May 18th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
[...] the same things he’s said all along. It’sa one-game focus. Today that is very true. … credit : [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Shaq,
Can you put your four rings on first? I want to see how they feel when they’re earned!
Thanks,
Danny
May 18th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
That game was honestly heart-breaking. I didn’t really think the cavs would win tonight, but Lebron literally gave me hope.
He played his heart out on both ends of the floor more so than anybody else out there tonight. It was like watching Michael Jordan reincarnated. No, he didn’t make all the right plays or all the big shots or all the big stops, but he never backed down for one second. Nobody can deny he left his heart on the floor tonight. And nobody can claim that game would have even been close if Lebron wouldn’t have played the way he did.
Tonight, Lebron became my favorite player in NBA history. I have no qualms about committing to it because I know he’ll keep it up. I mean, not only did he outplay KG tonight, but he put more heart into it, and that’s saying something because nobody ever does that.
Also hats off to Paul Pierce. He definitely earned his nickname tonight, and reaffirmed how much I love his game.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Cavs got beat in one area they have been strong for the past few years: rebounding. Anyone else think about Game 6 vs. the Pistons two years ago? The all-out effort was not there from the Cavs. Now it’s on to the off-season, where we try to find a serviceable 2-guard.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 7Mike Brown was reasonably relaxed before the game and said the same things he’s said all along. It’sa one-game focus. Today that is very true. The locker room was a little more quiet than usual but everyone is going about their routines …Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers - http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
[...] game pay per click advertising Cavs-Celtics, Game 7Mike Brown was reasonably relaxed before the game and said the same things he’s said all along. [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
What is it now….125 professional sports seasons without a championship in this town?
I actually think the Browns are our only hope over the next 4 or 5 years. This Cavs team needs to be restructured….that process would take several years, and we only have two left.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
can we get this potato out of here now? have you seen enough ferry?
yeah, maybe the talent on the team isn’t up to par. but mike brown has now failed to execute a cohesive offensive philosophy for the third straight year. he inexplicably puts damon jones on ice and then brings him in when the series is almost over. devin brown disappears completely in series when they could desperately use a guy other than delonte west who is willing to scrap for some points. they weren’t even guarding rondo! why not put devin brown in there? and why play pavlovic at all? they guy was complete garbage.
mike brown took a limited team talent-wise and limited it even further with his poor offensive strategy and baffling substitutions. get the potato out of here!
May 18th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Pure and simple the Cavs and Ferry need to find better supporting players to put around LeBron the way Kupchak and the Lakers did for Kobe this past season. It’s just absurd to put all the blame on Sasha. He can contribute in a limited way the same way Sasha Vujacic does for the Lakers off the bench in L.A.
Ferry finally has draft picks and expiring contracts to work with. Hopefully he can start to get something done this offseason. As for Mike Brown, he really needs to see that hiring an offensive assistant could really help him the same way hiring Thibideau has helped Doc Rivers defensively with the Celtics this year.
LeBron really stepped up today. Hopefully by the playoffs next season Ferry will have acquired at least one sidekick for LeBron that can step up and contribute in a big way.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
More than anything, the Cavs need a low post scorer.
Z is a joke with his back to the basket and would be much better if he didn’t have to worry about it. On one play under the rim, he got fouled three times by the same guy before he got the ball above his waist, he’s so slow.
Varejao, Gibson, an expiring contract plus a first rounder might land Elton Brand. But he’ll probably get moved this summer and Ferry will be on sabbatical until next February.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 7–That said, the Cavs are keeping it business as usual as much as they can. Mike Brown was reasonably relaxed before the game and said the same things he’s said all along. It’sa one-game focus. Today that is very true. …Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers - http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs|||Celtics, Cavaliers return to Boston for Game 7 (AP)The Celtics will host Cleveland in the decisive game of their best-of-seven series on Sunday at the new Boston Garden, where the green team has yet to lose in the postseason. Read more.Sports News Review - http://sports.reviewnews.org|||Celtics-Cavaliers: Another Series, Another Game SevenNow, the Celtics are facing possible elimination again as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in yet another Game 7 at home. The Cavs are the reigning Eastern Conference champions, and so the Celtics weren't expected to sweep them, …Bleacher Report - Front Page - http://www.bleacherreport.com/|||Celtics, Cavaliers return to Boston for Game 7The Boston Celtics can drive by the statue of Red Auerbach on their way to work Sunday, pick up some lunch at Faneuil Hall and then warm up under the 16 NBA championship banners their predecessors helped hang … …GOT FANATICS! - http://www.gotfanatics.com|||Celtics, Cavaliers back in Boston for Game 715 hours ago WALTHAM, Mass. — The Boston Celtics can drive by the statue of Red Auerbach on their way to work Sunday, pick up some lunch at Faneuil Hall and then warm up under the 16 NBA…Boston, MA News RSS Feed - YourStreet - http://www.yourstreet.com/boston-ma|||Celtics-Cavs — Game 7 threadThe best way to win a road game of this magnitude is to allow the home team and its fans to feel comfortable. In other words the longer the Cavs can keep the scoring margin /- 5, the better. Just lull everyone along. …Check Ball - http://checkball.blogspot.com/|||Celtics vs Cavs Game 7 Live Thread5 hours ago The Celtics have been clinging to their home court advantage, while Cleveland hasn't been able to hold on to second half road leads. These types of Game 7's with several of the leagues best don't happen very often. Enjoy. …FanIQ Blog - http://FanIQ.com/blog.php|||NBA odds: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Game 7 - WagerWeb Sportsbook6 hours ago SportsBettingat WagerWeb OnlineSportsbook For the second straight series, the heavily favored Boston Celtics find themselves in a Game 7, but just like the first round against Atlanta, the C's expect …Wagerweb Experts - http://www.wagerweb.com|||Celtics, Cavs Back In Boston For Game 75 hours ago The Celtics host Cleveland today in the decisive game of their best-of-seven series at the new Boston Garden. The winner advances to the Eastern Conference finals.Top Stories on Site for myfox Cleveland - http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox celtics cavaliers celtics game red auerbach eddie house ray allen ben wallace lebron james cry baby sharks score doc rivers john croyle Tags: Bleacher Report, Boston 7, Boston Celtics, Boston Garden, Boston Ma, Brian Windhorst, Championship Banners, Cleveland Cavaliers, Decisive Game, Eastern Conference Champions, Faneuil Hall, Game 7, Magnitude, Nba Championship, New Boston, Predecessors, Red Auerbach, Road Game, Sports News, Waltham Mass hot bolg article [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Boy, Gilbert….that’s a whole lotta $$ to risk on a rookie GM and a coach who doesn’t know offense. Your GM brought in shooters who can’t shoot, and your coach only teaches half of the game. Will you still be sticking by “your guys” if LeBron does, indeed, choose to leave in two years? These were fixable problems, and you’ve sat on your chubby little hands. Easy come, easy go, I guess.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
team is one player away. we need baron davis or michael redd and we go all the way as long as lebron is healthy./.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
LeBron almost pulled it off single-handedly. Our next best contributor was probably Delonte, and he had six turnovers. Joe Smith helped a bit, and everyone else sucked.
We definitely need a good shooting guard. This off-season should be dedicated to acquiring that good shooter who can create his own shot on a consistent basis. Delonte is probably our point guard of the future, LeBron is our small forward, and every other position is up in the air. Who will replace Z? Who will step up at shooting guard and the power forward spot? I dunno, but hopefully we can answer those questions before 2010.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Yo Alan, I am not impersonating anybody else on this blog, even you. All my posts lately have been under the name JoeHoops…. I used to post under that AlanTuckerFanClub.com name, but I have resigned from my post as president, so no longer use that.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 76 hours ago by bwindhorst Offensive rebounding will be important because they have yet to shoot at a very high percentage. Also limiting turnovers to avoid big Celtics runs is vital in this building. But if you have been watching this series you already know all …Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers - http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
“125 professional sports seasons without a championship in this town”
That’s just an amazing statistic. That’s an amazing amount of misery. I’ve been alive for 108 of those seasons, and I don’t know how many more I can take…
May 18th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Mike Brown is done. Someone please send him packing. I hate to sound like the angry fan following a tough loss, but the bottom line is this guy has not made the Cavs BETTER in his 3 years as head coach.
Ferry needs to step up as well. Everyone is making excuses for the guy and saying now that he has draft picks and expiring contracts we will finally see what he can do.
I am almost SCARED to see what he does. The reason this team is where it is now is he splurged and signed the amazing trio that was/is Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, and Donyell Marshall. Sweet…
Then he signed Ilgauskas to a huge deal over market value even though the Cavs were bidding against no one.
In his only real draft moves he took Shannon Brown a spot before Jordan Farmar(doh!). But gets a pass from fans because he lucked into Gibson in round 2. Oh yeah… and he traded for Martynas Andriuskevicius….whoopee.
Hopefully he can do something with the expiring deals of Wally, Damon, and E Snow this offseason or he will have, in effect, ruined the Cavaliers organization for the SECOND time.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 76 hours ago by bwindhorst Mike Brown was reasonably relaxed before the game and said the same things he’s said all along. It’sa one-game focus. Today that is very true. The locker room was a little more quiet than usual but everyone is going about their routines …Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers - http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 76 hours ago by bwindhorst Starting lineups. Cavs: Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins. Officials Ken Mauer, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore… …Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers - http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
First, props for the big game 7 performance for LeBron.
But, for you people to rip Mike Brown, when LeBron played well below capabilites for 5 and a half quarters of this series, when most teams would have been swept with their star performer playing the way he did, is laughable. All I here about from fellow Cavs fans is how LeBron is all by himself playing with bums, and that he has the worst coach in the league. Well LeBron played atrotiously for much of this series, and they took the Celtics to 7 games. Hmm, perhaps the coaching is better and the surrounding talent is a little better than you guys give them credit for.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Hey guys thanks for not showing up for Game 7. LeBron had to carry everybody I mean wow he scores 45 and they couldn’t show up for one game then suck some other time? Someone needs to make Mike Brown find an offensive coach because this offense is ridiculous. LeBron shoul not be the one setting up on offense a guard should.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Just not enough talent. What Cav other than Lebron can created and make his own shot? No one. What Cav has a low-post game? No one. Lebron James just had one of the finest seasons in NBA history — one of the 10 best, but most of the media doesn’t even know it. He took a bunch of a stiffs — fragile, injury-prone stiffs — further than perhaps anyone could have, even MJ in his prime.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
My pet peeve is the way the Cavs seem to waste time on offense. The times this team looked best on offense were when it pushed the ball up the floor and got into it’s offense.
I’m not talking about “running and gunning” like the Suns. Just about getting into the offense without WASTING half the shot clock. Too often the Cavs were playing against a 6th defender - the shot clock.
Defensive rotations don’t have to play you straight up when they know you’re up against the shot clock. The “extra pass” is taken away when every shot seems to be FORCED and RUSHED right as the shot clock is running down.
The Cavs waste more time walking the ball up the court than almost any team in the NBA. Today, there were many times when the Cavs finally got into their offensive “set” with about 12 left on the shot clock.
All that does is make it harder on them and put more pressure on their shooters. That is why guys who shoot well on other teams come to this team and struggle - Damon Jones, Wally for example.
The Cavs play best on offense when LeBron does NOT have to handle the PG duties and when they look to get into their offense quicker.
LeBron will always do alot of ballhandling but it isn’t necessary to have him do it ALL.
Sadly, I don’t think either of these things will change with Mike Brown as coach next year.
Mike Brown seems like a nice guy and a tough guy. But he has not made this team better and I don’t see him as the kind of guy who can do so.
Does anyone really think Mike Brown is the guy to take the Cavs to the “next level”? Does anyone really like the Cavs chances with him as our coach when stacked up against elite coaches?
Back in 1989, the Bulls had to make a tough decision and let Doug Collins go. I think the Cavs now find themselves in a similar situation with Mike Brown.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Enjoy LBJ for one more year cleveland. he gets no support and he walked off that court mad today.
he wants to play for d’antoni in nyc.
http://www.nycforlebron.net
May 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
That’s TWO more seasons, John Digg. Better get those facts straight.
And I’m so glad the city of NY has nothing better to do for the next 2-1/2 years than worry about whether a basketball player from Cleveland will be migrating east in frikkin 2010. What losers you all are!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:49 am
This was a tough season. First were the hold outs then the injuries and finally the trade. To finish up the season there were more injuries. I don’t think any team in the league had a rougher season than we did and it’s to our credit that we managed to finish within the top four teams in the East and advance to the “Elite Eight” in the playoffs.
I recognize this was truly a remarkable effort even as I’m smarting from today’s loss. LeBron played his heart out today and everyone knows it. Delonte West stepped up, too.
This team played hard throughout the first and second round, except perhaps Devin Brown (who should have been playing, especially since these were mostly grind-them-out games), Sasha (who didn’t contribute nearly enough) and Damon Jones, who was presented with a nearly impossible task of entering into a game seven after riding the bench for almost half a season.
Daniel Gibson played hard in the earlier games of this series and put his body on the line. That earns credibility from me.
Looking ahead to next season, I think it’s pretty clear we have some weaknesses.
The biggest weakness this team has is a lack of an offense-only assistant coach.
The second biggest weakness this team has is a starting power forward who _won’t_ even consider shooting the ball. Too often Wallace is simply a liability, who passes up perfectly good shots so his teammates can take impossible ones. With that said, Wallace is slightly more desirable than Hughes.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:55 am
aside from brown not being a very good coach and the cavs other players sucking , i’m surprised no one mentioned lebron going 3-11 from 3 . why is a 30 something % 3 point shooter shooting 11 3s ? that number is way too high . why is he allowed to shoot 11 3s ?
May 19th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Ed, you say Mike Brown hasn’t made this team better? Umm, I respectfully agreed. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the league. Look at what they did to the Pistons last season and now the 66-win Boston Celtics. I’m sure any coach could have gotten them to play that kind of defense and withstand their superstar turning the ball over and missing 90 percent of the jumpshots.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am
hey joe hoops and the other alan.t. get a room you guys sound all warm and fuzzy. any hew, did anyone see lebron press conference, he simply said “we got to get better,” and to me that was a message to the gm, aka, “boat shoes” and please do not forget, I AM THE REAL ALAN TUCKER.!!!!!!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:20 am
the cavs need to hire a real basketball coach, and ask bill dukes if he wants to stay around and coach the defense.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:19 am
You mean one player can’t single handedly carry a team past an opponent that won 66 games during the regular season? You’re kidding. I never would have thought that if the other eleven guys in the team show up for the tip off with urine running down their respective legs, that team would struggle mightily to get the win. Just mind boggling.
So where do we go from we? Obviously, this season can’t be considered anything but a disappointment. 45 wins in the regular season. Fourth seed. Out in the second round of the playoffs. That’s not the way you want to follow up an appearance in the Finals.
Clearly, the roster as currently constructed is not good enough for a team with title aspirations. Not good enough when you already have the best player in the league. Journeymen and castoffs and washed up, overpaid big men is not a formula for success in the NBA. Unfortunately, that’s the formula Boatshoes has prescribed. Wallace, Z, and Wally all come back next year, all with 8 figure salary hits, all a year older. We’re already over the cap for 2008-09. We may lose Boobie, West, and Joe Smith because signing those guys is luxury tax territory. Goblin Gilbert may elect to go the Mark Cuban route and pay whatever it takes, but with all those foreclosure signs I see around Cleveland, it’s highly doubtful.
Who’s to blame for this mess? Let’s look at the top ten culprit list:
10) Lebron- For all he does, he still has some holes in his game. Needs to figure out either the in-between game (floaters in the lane and 15-18 foot jumpers) or develop a stronger post up presence. And stop jacking so many threes. Or least start making more than 29%.
9) Sasha- Remember in Lost Boys when Michael became very weak because he refused to drink blood? And when he finally drank a bit he became a bad ass vampire who could fight Kiefer Sutherland? Sasha needs to go back to Transylvania and sink his fangs into anything with a pulse; cows, goats, hairy Eastern European women… whatever it takes.
7) Wally World- Just a ghastly performance in a Cavs uniform. But it wasn’t hard to see it coming. Guys have pretty much hated him wherever he’s been. He shoots without a conscience. He’s a classic “looks better on paper than in real life” sort of player. Put him on the Grizz next year and I guarantee he shoots around 50% and puts 15-18 ppg on the board. Plus, he’s sort of a tool. http://www.timberwolvestoday.com/visual/wally.jpg
6) Larry Hughes- Because I hate him. Just remember to put him down for 30 pts when he plays the Cavs next year. Cause they disrespected him! And then he’ll follow it up with three weeks of desultory 3-13 performances….
5) Z- Spare me the Ilgauskas party line; consistent scorer, good offensive rebounder, low post presence the Cavs really need. Save it for the Hall of Fame induction speech that Reverend Pluto delivers in 6 years. The guy is a shell of his former self. He has NO low post presence. Doesn’t anyone watch the actual games? He scores on face up jumpers and over the back tip ins. There can’t be a slower, more awkward looking big man down on the low post. He doesn’t go left at all anymore. He travels every third time he touches the ball. And next year he will be 33 years old. Cavs fans, say hello to your only reliable 2nd scoring option for 2008-09!
4) Varejao- Is it just me, or has it become increasingly difficult to cheer for this guy. The flopping and hustle were sort of “cute” last year but this year he dropped the hustle and decided he was going to be a guy who shoots a lot and embarks on wild dribbling adventures. I’m sure it had nothing to do with his contract status and any sort of desire to prove he was worth 8-10 million a year. He’s a role player who doesn’t really bring a whole lot to the table. Useful on an occasional basis, but not night in night out. And he sort of gives off an effeminate vibe.
3) Mike Brown- First off, credit is due to him for implementing a coherent defensive system. He knows what he’s doing on D. And he got the whole team to buy into it. But there are a few things you need from your head coach at the championship level. Number one, you have to develop a consistent player rotation during the season. It’s a gradual process, but by the playoffs, everyone knows his role. There’s no confusion. What Brown has done this year with playing time allotments makes one wonder if he simply draws names out of a hat. Damon Jones is a DNP-CC for two solid months, and now he has to play important minutes in the playoffs? Devin Brown starts most of the year and seems to be the sort of scrappy, useful player you need for the playoffs, but he’s a healthy scratch for the entire Boston series? Delonte West plays 45 minutes? Brown simply doesn’t have a feel for this aspect of coaching.
You also have to wonder about the Lebron-MikeBrown relationship/partnership. If Lebron has free reign to ad lib and break off the offense and pull the ball out to the time line like it’s an end of the game situation on every other possession, then he needs to be somewhat accountable for the teams offensive woes. But shouldn’t a head coach in the NBA be able to control what his start player does? Shouldn’t he be able to devise a scheme that puts his star in a position to optimize his talents, without being too constrictive? You can’t fire Brown. At this point it isn’t justifiable. The dude has won a lot of games and he’s established the Cavs identity as a defensive oriented squad. However, another year of arrogant defiance that there’s anything wrong with the team’s offensive philosophy other than a need to “block out more” and “make fewer turnovers” surely will start the buzzards circling.
2) Alan Tucker- His cynicism just corroded the soul of the Cavs and blunted their collective will to win. Hey, JoeHoops, get out of my post….
1) Boatshoes- Well well well. Here we are again. The sweaty footed bald one leads the pack. He screwed up the summer of 2005 and he’s been scrambling to patch things together ever since. Look at the roster. Put Kobe on this team instead of Lebron. Or T-Mac. Tell me how many games they win. 30? 35? 25? It’s a gruesome collection. The Big Trade basically exchanged pus and vomit for a sack of feces. We have no cap flexibility. Boobie, West, and JoeSmith are unsigned. $27 million goes to Wally and Wallace next year. The only hope is a deadline trade next February along the lines of another Pau Gasol fleecing. It’s terrible. He has done an awful, awful job. But we never hear from him. Why doesn;t he give interviews to the local press? Why doesn’t he get grilled by the WTAM talking heads? He hides. You only hear from him when things are going well. Like after game three when Wallce, West, Smith and Wally all played well for once…. He’s the biggest the problem, Donnie Walsh’s ace in the hole. Just watch him fire Mike Brown this summer as a scapegoat and hire Mike Kryzsehsksi as coach. And don;t be surprised if the guy who plays MoonDog gets replaced by Christian Laettner next year…
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11115908/Sebago_Boat_Shoes.jpg
May 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Agreed, Douglar– Mike Brown is not the problem. The talent isn’t good enough.
Also, I wish the local media would stop giving free passes to Z for his poor play. Stats show Z plays significantly worse on the road then at at home (50%fg home, 41% road). Once again, Z disappears and please don’t blame the team for not getting him the ball enough. The Cavs can’t afford to burn 15 seconds while backs his man down and airballs a fade-away.
Granted, Z isn’t the only one that played poorly (see Wally Sz.).
The talent level must increase or it will be the same song next season. Einstein said insanity is trying the same thing over and over with the same results.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Let’s be honest here, this series was lost in the regular season. If we had home court advantage we would have won this series. Getting the 4 seed is not acceptable for a team looking to get deep into the playoffs. 45 wins in the regular season, heck, 50 wins will no longer cut in a more competitive Eastern Conference. You have to be a #1 or #2 seed to have a legitimate shot.
Here’s a fact, no team worse #3 seed (and only one has that happened) has ever made the finals from the Eastern Conference since the NBA went to the current 16 team playoff system!
The team seems to overachieve in the playoffs, but underachieve during the regular season. With this team (marginally better after the trade), can you see (as constituted) winning more than 50-52 games? I don’t think so. Based on the increased competition that will put them in the 3rd or 4th seed again.
Ferry needs get LeBron more talent in order to challenge the Pistons for the central division. I figure that if we beat out Detroit we will probably have at least a 2 seed (I don’t see the Celts winning 66 games next year).
I know alot people want to fire Mike Brown, I’m pretty indifferent at this point. I still think he lacks the talent to beat the big boys, but if you feel he isn’t going to get us to the promise land and you can find someone better that’s fine with me. Personally, I would prefer him to get an offensive assistant. As we have seen in the East, defense is an important part of getting deep into the playoffs (Celts, Pistons).
Well the heat is really on Ferry (which he knew it would be this off-season). Kudos for LeBron letting the front office know they need to get better talent, errrrrr. “get better”.
I still say this off-season will have the biggest impact on whether LeBron stays or goes. This should be a very interesting off-season.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Yet someone else baffled by the chocolate potato head’s use of Sasha. From the Reverend Pluto:
“I’ll ask it again, why was Sasha Pavlovic playing so much? In the first half, in 13 invisible minutes, he was 1-of-5 for two points. He had a rebound and his first assist in 86 playoff minutes in this series! That inspired Brown to play Pavlovic all but 73 seconds in the second half. He was on the court for 36 minutes; only James (47) and West (45) played more. In those 36 minutes, Pavlovic had more fouls (5) than rebounds (3) and assists (1) combined. He was 3-of-8 from the field for seven points. When he ended up covering Pierce, the Boston star destroyed him. Some of these minutes should go to Devin Brown. Yes, Brown shot only 26 percent in the Washington series, but he had 18 rebounds, seven assists and was active in his 86 minutes. In 109 minutes, a passive Pavlovic had 10 rebounds, a single assist, committed 15 fouls, shot 40 percent and averaged 4.0 points.”
May 19th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Surprisingly, the Count was +3 for the game…
May 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
3 draft picks, impending cap room, and all summer to figure it out. This isnt just a big offseason, it is THE offseason. No more excuses from the front office. This season was unacceptable on pretty much all counts.
Danny Ferry, I’ve been very nice to you, I’ve stuck up for you when everyone else in NE Ohio wanted you thrown in the lake. This is your offseason to shine. The Cavs need a 2 guard, desperately. They need a young big man to replace Z. They could really use a true point guard in the Andre Miller mold. Most importantly, the Cavs need a 2nd star, and the whole world knows it. We know this, the rest of the team knows this, and Ferry knows this.
Get the job done, Ferry. Everything rides on it.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Good stats by Pluto on Sasha.
Until looking at the box score, you could have sworn he only played 15-20 minutes, thats how quiet of a game he had.
After all the hold outs, injuries and trades the Cavs had, I am surprised they made it as far as they did. There will be some moves this summer but IMO there are two things needed:
1. Power Forward who can constantly score. Doesnt have to be the grestest defender but can put the ball in the hoop. Ala Drew Gooden without the mental lapses.
2. More fluid offense. I know Brown excelles on defense but part of the offensive problems is LeBron. Pushing the ball up and not always running the Pick-N-Roll with Z. When they ran it with Boobie, it worked well yet they went away from it. Z is a good for what he does but he should be fined everytime he backs the defender up and takes a fade away.
Overall, would I have liked a win? Absolutely, but to take Boston 7 games was more then most of us thought going into the play-offs. If the Cavs make a few solid moves, they dont need to be blockbuster, they can be right back in it next year. Remember, Boston and Detroit will be a year older and the Cavs are a relatively young team
May 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
“Hmm, perhaps the coaching is better and the surrounding talent is a little better than you guys give them credit for.”
Coaching probably, surrounding talent, not at all. Nope, no way, no. They are all backups or role players. Not a single legitimate star power player in the bunch. After the greatness of James, the next best player is Z, and he can’t do anything without help (as most big men). After that? Probably Delonte. And he’s marginal at best. No, it’s an extremely flawed roster. No doubt about it.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I blame Pavlovic for all of the world’s problems.
Damn you Pavs!!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
getting kinda anxious to see what bw has to say about everything i dunno about the rest of you…anyways, great game but it is obvious this team needs several upgrades. as productive as lebron was scoring it was very obvious he did not have much trust in his team on the offensive side of the ball. sasha can hit an open shot from time to time but he’s becoming a black hole….i love what delonte brings to the table and i think w a better mix of players delonte would be a great fit..even starting… on this team, think a taller bj armstrong. there is no way we can keep wally next season, that contract has to go, as does damon jones…another year of not knowing his role will make him an even larger malcontent. if we could pull of brand from LA or Redd from Milwaukee that would be great, but im convinced getting better role players and not definitely a star would be fine on this team. maybe score an emeka okafor from charlotte now that hes up for an extension or mike miller. and what about an andy for david lee swap..it seems to me andys game might fit well in a d’antoni system and lee would be able to bring the energy andy brings as well as some offensive ability. upgrade the supporting cast, if we can score another star type player than great, if not i think those types of players might be a big difference for this team
May 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
SHAQ: ok mr alan t. who is a mental midget now? Ferry: i told you my name is danny ferry not alan t. so please get up off of me.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
wow instant post, boy am i impress? its about time windy, what is the abj doing, making up for that broken down lap top.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
wait just one second, my last post at 3:53 posted right away, now its back to filter.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
hey hanford dixon, when will you brothers learn, when you retired from football you are just another brother, take your butt over to the eastside, where you will get away with your dui’s.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6096/shaqferryqb9.jpg
After mishearing the defensive call, Shaquille O’Neal switches from “man-to-man” defense to a “hot man-on-man zone”.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
yeah brian, you are probably right. mike brown isn’t going anywhere. and that is the difference between a winning organization and a losing one. dumars and krause made the coaching switch because they wanted to win it all and not give in to the “next year” mentality. in cleveland it is always “next year”.
this team will not win an nba championship with mike brown as head coach. i would take avery johnson. he is just as serious about defense as mike brown and he will command respect from lebron. the main problem in dallas is that dirk is not a team leader or a first-rate nba star. he would be a perfect sidekick. avery was stuck with a loser from the beginning. i can’t imagine the word “partnership” coming from johnson’s perpetually clenched jaw.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Terje,
Let me ask you this. Would you rather have Doc Rivers or Flip Saunders is better then Mike Brown? Outside of Pat Riley, I cannot think of another coach in the Eastern Conference I would rather have then Mike Brown.
As I stated before, I do not think coaching is one of the major problems to the team. Yes it needs improvement, but not leaps and bounds like some people want. Doing so would only cause more of an adjustment, and possibly waste another year.
I so think Mike Brown needs to be called out more (i.e. why Devin Brown did not play, etc…) but he can get the job done.
If only Carlos Boozer were still here….
May 19th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
[...] Cavs-Celtics, Game 7Offensive rebounding will be important because they have yet to shoot at a very high percentage. Also limiting turnovers to avoid big Celtics runs is vital in this building. But if you have been watching this series you already know all … - [...]
May 19th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Cavs fans making Devin out to be an all-star…
May 19th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
This was a disappointing season for me. It was hard to ever really enjoy the Cavs. Obviously it was all doom and gloom as the season started because of the contract holdouts. Then, when the Cavs finally scraped together a couple wins and beat Boston in December, I got really excited - and then LeBron got injured and we lost 6 straight games. Eventually we pulled ourselves out of that hole and beat a bunch of quality teams in January and February and even celebrated a few LeBron game winners against the Lakers on Natl TV and against Portland. But then, the injuries to Varajeo, Pavlovic and Boobie paid their toll and we became a very ordinary team again. Then the Cavs made the major trade, which was exciting for 1 game, and then the Cavs were very ordinary again. The Wizards series was annoying as hell because of all the disrespect we had to put up with towards LeBron. And the Celtics series was just one bad bounce after another. Should have won game 1, could have won game 5, could have won game 7. To me, the Celtics never had a chance to win a game in Cleveland. The Cavs controlled those games from start to finish.
Anyway, I love the Cavs, and as a displaced fan, I kind of lead the charge in Dayton. I really hope we have something to get excited about in the offseason. We need to improve, that is true, but not to get past the Eastern Conference teams. We need Pavlovic and Varajeo to play the way they are capable of playing. We need Boobie Gibson healthy for an entire season. We need the newly acquired pieces to learn the system and play like they played in some of the games in the Boston series.
I think we could definitely use an all-star caliber player to get us over the Championship hump, but in terms of all the adversity the Cavs had to deal with this year, I am impressed at how far they actually got in the post-season.
It’s really difficult figuring out what the ONE piece the Cavs need. Because you have to wonder if it is better for LeBron to be a point-foward, utilizing his tremendous passing skills, or if he should be receiving passes and finishing.
If the Cavs do try to get a high-quality point guard, then LeBron definitely needs to do more than “tweak” his post-game. It is non-existent. He needs to learn to dominate people in the post. If they decide to get a dominant low-post scorer, then he needs to do more than “tweak” his mid-range jumper.
You look at the Lakers right now and say, “wow, that is the perfectly constructed team” everyone has a role. Kobe’s role is to just score and play defense. Lamar Odom’s role is to run around like crazy giving defenders havoc. Pau Gasol’s role is to dominate in the post and pass out of double teams to 4 guys that can shoot 3s. Derek Fisher’s role is to hit outside shots.
I wonder what the Cavs could DO personnel wise to improve greatly next season. I think the improvements are going to have to be more subtle. More based on LeBron’s leadership in demanding his teammates practice hard to improve. Delonte’s got to be a more consistent 3 point threat, Boobie’s got to become at making an entry pass, Joe Smith has got to knock down that 15 footer CONSISTENTLY, Varajeo has got to learn to freaking JUMP again, Pavlovic needs to get out of his funk, and Mike Brown needs to learn not to sit Damon Jones for an entire season just so he can play him 19 minutes in game 7.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I’ll agree that Mike Brown is not irreplaceable. However the coach to take over the reins would have to be a clear cut, no brainer upgrade. The example listed a couple of posts ago talked about Joe Dumars pulling the coaching trigger. If there was a candidate with Larry Brown type credentials available I think Ferry would have to seriously consider it. I do not think Avery Johnson is that guy. You can take your shots at Dirk, but most of those Dallas teams were staked and he still couldn’t find a way through. His philosophies are very similar to MB’s. However the rumors were that he was EXTREMELY controlling on the O side, alienating most of his team in the process. I think Avery would be a great coach for a young team looking for direction (aka Bulls, Raptors, or Hawks). I don’t think he would mesh well here.
At this point I really don’t see a viable candidate.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Sadly, I agree with Windy that Mike Brown WILL be back. However, I DISAGREE that he deserves to be back.
The bottom line is the Cavs don’t have the GUTS to make the right move here. After 3 years of Mike Brown I don’t see how anyone can honestly think this team can win a title with him as coach.
Windy seems to HINT that sometimes the problems with the Cavs come because LeBron freelances too much, not because of Mike Brown’s offense. Perhaps that is true…but that simple fact right there shows you that Mike Brown does NOT have what it takes to be the coach of this team.
He does not make LeBron James better. He doesn’t even have the ability to control James and get him to run his “system”.
Well…maybe that’s because the Cavs have no “system”…
Seriously what is this team’s “system”?
It’s hard to respect a “system” when there is none to speak of and/or the so-called “system” is so flawed and simplistic almost every NBA expert out there and even casual fans recognize the system is flawed.
Even beyond that, let’s assume for a minute that Mike Brown’s “system” works. The fact that Mike Brown can’t get LeBron to run the system shows he doesn’t have the STONES to be the Cavs head coach.
Maybe instead of constantly fawning over “King James”, he should do what a REAL coach does and make him a better player.
This is almost EXACTLY why Doug Collins got fired as the Bulls coach after taking the Bulls further in his 3rd season than they ever went previously.
He couldn’t stand up to Michael Jordan and instead of making Michael Jordan BETTER, he simply rode used Jordan’s talents as a cushion to fall back on.
Joe Dumars and the Pistons did a similar thing when they fired Rick Carlisle after back-to-back 50 win season’s and some Playoff success.
I don’t feel the Cavs as an organization have the stones to makes a similar move just like Mike Brown doesn’t have the stones to stand up to LeBron…and that’s why I feel no matter what “talent” we add…this team will still remain flawed.
I don’t want to hear about Mike Brown’s “record”. With the teams he’s had and the Playoff MATCHUPS he’s had, his record really isn’t that impressive. The Cavs beat the teams they should beat and got by the Pistons last year carried on the back of LeBron James and the hot shooting of Daniel Gibson.
Sorry…but anyone who argues otherwise is fooling themselves. LeBron James and Gibson carried this team to the upset of the Pistons last year resulting in this team’s FLUKE NBA Finals appearance. Not Mike Brown.
That Finals appearance may actually wind up HURTING this team more than it helps in the long run because it seems like it is keeping the Cavs rolling down the wrong path…using that fluke appearance in the Finals as justification to continue down that road.
I still don’t feel this roster is as terrible as some people seem to think. I will not be shocked when some of these players are dealt that most will suddenly see their careers revived outside of Cleveland.
I haven’t even talked about basketball philosophy in this post…and that is where Mike Brown’s weaknesses really show up. The Cavs constantly walk the ball up the court and often don’t even get into their offense until there is under 14 or so on the shot clock.
That’s like playing 5-on-6 on offense with the shot clock as an extra defender. If Varejao or Wallace are on the court, suddenly it’s 4-on-6.
It isn’t just a coincidence that the Cavs shooters look out of rhythm since they are constantly asked to take shots with 1 or 2 on the shot clock because the Cavs get into their offense so late.
Damon Jones and Wally Szczerbiak are lights out shooters elsewhere and suddenly they meet Mike Brown’s offense and can barely draw iron and struggle at sometimes to shoot 33%?
Did Szczerbiak just “misplace” his 46% shooting percentage on the cross country flight from Seattle to Cleveland?
Part of the reason a lot of fans and experts alike seem to have a problem pinpointing what the Cavs NEEDS are is because the Cavs have no “system” or PLAN on offense. Really…what type of team is this?
What do the Cavs need? Is it a true PG? Is it a PF who can shoot from outside? Or is is a PF who can post up? Is it a spot up guy like Michael Redd or a slasher/scorer like Richard Jefferson(wasn’t Larry Hughes a slasher/scorer?)?
Saying “they need more talent” is a bit of a cop out if you can’t suggest WHAT talent that exactly is.
Most people don’t even have a clue because it’s difficult to really know HOW the Cavs would actually USE any of this talent because the Cavs have no REAL “system” or PLAN in place.
They have Mike Brown riding the coattails of LeBron James. They have Mike Brown too SCARED to stand up to LeBron James, not in a “power struggle” but in an effort to make LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a better basketball team and a legitimate NBA title contender.
Pretty soon, if they’re not careful….all they’ll have is Mike Brown…with no LeBron James left to FAWN over.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Ed… why dont you shut up for a while? Seriously, go sit in a corner somewhere and wipe the sweat and tears off your keyboard. Are you trying to rip Mike Brown or set a world record for “most misguided sentence fragments in one post”?
To all the dim bulbs out there who blame Mike Brown for everything, I have a few “defenses” for Cleveland’s favorite defense-first coach….
-He’s no different than any other coach in the NBA. Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni, or even the great Gregg Popovich, all defer to their stars and basically give them the green light on offense. That’s what you do with a star player, you feed him the ball and allow him to make plays. Do you idiots really think George Karl screams and berates Carmello Anthony and Allen Iverson for their shot selection on a daily basis? Even if he does, do you think it makes a LICK of difference what they do with the ball? Absolutely not. Asking Mike Brown to “control” LeBron James is like asking him to re-invent the wheel. Just stop already.
-He can talk all the strategy he wants, draw up plays where LeBron throws a behind the back lob to Z while Damon Jones does the worm at midcourt if he wants to, but at the end of the day, the players must execute. NBA coaches get the scapegoat treatment all the time (and usually for trying to discipline a SUPERSTAR), but the truth is, players determine the outcome of games, in all sports. Coaches bear almost all of the responsibility in the fans’ small minds, but really they affect about 15-20% of the outcome of the game. You people act like his markerboard possesses some kind of supernatural power that makes Wally shoot the ball with both hands around this neck. Really, its the plays??
-Flip Saunders nearly got fired after last season. I bet Detroit is REALLLLY glad they didnt pull the trigger.
-Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, Phoenix, and New York will all take at least 1 step backward next year, and it will be in no small part due to the coaching changes they’ve made.
-The worst kept secret in NBA history: The “Triangle Offense” consisted of 3-4 different plays in which the ball was entered to a big guy in the high post, Michael Jordan either ran to that side of the court for a pass or took a handoff, and Jordan then proceeded to destroy anyone or anything in his path. Tex Winter gets all this credit and Phil Jackson is a genius with 9 rings, but the VAUNTED Triangle Offense was basically “get the ball to #23″. It was a joke of a system, and if you watch the 90’s Bulls games, it was the same thing LeBron is doing now, only Jordan had that deadly 18 foot jumper going. Incidentally, that mid-range/post game was the last thing Jordan developed, and not until he was nearly 30.
-If you criticize a 23 year old LeBron James for not winning a title RIGHT NOW, you’re obviously either drunk or a complete fool. Considering that we’re talking about Cleveland fans on THIS board, both is a distinct possibility.
…That is all
May 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Nice personal insults….the sign of true class.
Phil Jackson “deferred” to Jordan? Really? When?
Phil Jackson “defers” to Kobe Bryant? Hahaha…yeah sure.
- I’m sorry but if you want the Cavs to look anything like that squad in Denver with Carmelo, Iverson, and George Karl - then you likely are NOT a Cavs fan.
I want whoever the Cavs coach is to take notice of whatever they do in Denver…and do the exact opposite.
Phil Jackson put the “clamps” on Michael Jordan. More so than Doug Collins did. Great players WILL freelance at times…but they cannot freelance all the time. The Bulls and MJ never won a title until Jordan realized that. Phil Jackson played a role in that.
- It cannot just be a coincidence that shooters come to Cleveland and DIE. Shouldn’t they get BETTER with all the open looks they get from LeBron? They don’t. Marshall, Jones, Szczerbiak, even Devin Brown…all got worse. Hughes as well.
The coach and the markerboard makes a difference.
- If Flip Saunders and the Pistons lose to the Celtics, they will be WISHING they had pulled the trigger. Everyone is ready to pencil in the Pistons into the Finals, but that team has had it’s problems this year. If they have 1 or 2 of their usual “no-show” games in this Celtics series Flip will be gone…possibly a year too soon.
Also…Comparing the Pistons situation to the Cavs is a real apples and oranges comparison.
- I disagree. Charlotte and New York will win more games next year than this year. That Charlotte team isn’t bad and the East is weak, the bar isn’t very high for those teams to improve. Plus, again you are comparing different situations there.
- Whether the “triangle offense” was simple or not - it worked. The fact is is an actual SYSTEM as opposed to whatever you call what Mike Brown currently has, says more than enough.
This isn’t rocket science, it’s basketball. No one said it was complex. But it was a system that consistently got Jordan open looks, kept his teammates involved and kept opposing defenses from loading up on MJ too much by spacing the floor.
That’s a lot more than anyone can say of what it is the Cavs do on offense. The triangle also got MJ touches on the wing, in the post and at the elbow.
Rarely, if ever, does LeBron get those kind of touches. Even when the Cavs TRY to post him he winds up “posting” 17 feet from the hoop.
The triangle is NOTHING like the Cavs are doing now. I don’t have to watch old Bulls games to see that. I can watch current Laker games and see the kinds of touches Kobe gets in that offense.
There is NO comparison between what the Cavs do now and what the Lakers do…NONE. If you think so, you aren’t watching these games.
No where did I criticize LeBron for not winning a title. NOWHERE.
Keep the personal attacks going though, bud. They are always the sign of someone who feels they are losing an argument.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Biff’s Reflections on the Celtics series and State of the Cavs address…
I took some time to mull over what happened Sunday but here are my current thoughts on the Cavs:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers, I have no complaints with your performance in the 08 Playoffs. You did your job against a bad Wiz team and then took a good but not great Boston team to the brink. Honestly, as disappointed as I was that the Cavs lost a close game 7, I was not even expecting that game to be close. The Cavs really played well and have nothing to hang their heads about. In the very end, Lebron came up big but so did Pierce and he had a little more help and a home crowd behind him.
2. That game reminded me a lot of game 6 in the Detroit series 2 years ago. If either Delonte, Lebron, or Damon hit their big 3s down the stretch…If a few rebounds that bounced the wrong way or a few airballs that resulted in easy baskets go a different way, we’re headed to Detroit. It’s just the way it happens sometimes.
3. I thought Mike Brown did a decent job in the series. He mismanaged his big men a few times and there was no reason for Damon Jones to be getting minutes but overall, he did ok. It’s easy to look good when you’re coaching against Doc Rivers.
4. Losing to Boston is really my worst fear in life because I hate all things Boston with a passion. However, this loss didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Maybe its because I knew the Cavs weren’t going to win anything anyway and I really don’t think the Celtics are good enough to win anything either. I just have a feeling both of these teams and this series will be a forgotten footnote of this season.
5. Feeling on Boston’s major players:
KG - Really fundamentally sound….an excellent player but he can’t dominate the ball in crunch time and needs a lot of help. He’s the perfect second option on a good team.
Pierce - He was big when it counted and I give him credit but he’s not in the same league as Lebron. I loved it how the commentators were trying to make Pierce out to be the same franchise player that Lebron is…..nevermind the fact that without KG, Pierce has averaged 31.5 wins over the past 2 years while Lebron has won 50 games and carried a team to the NBA finals. Pierce had a couple of great games in this series but let’s be honest here: He’s no Lebron.
Ray Allen - R.I.P. Coney Island Jesus. Have fun with that contract going forward Boston fans.
Rajon Rondo - Setting aside the fact that he looks like a Somali warlord, I was impressed by him in this series. Obviously he’s inconsistent and the Cavs have trouble with penetrating guards but I was very impressed with his game. He could end up being pretty good.
PJ Brown - God it must be nice to get free players.
Sam Cassell - R.I.P. Sam Cassell’s career.
Overall, Boston is the weakest 66 win team I’ve ever seen….They are ATROCIOUS on the road and aren’t particularly suited to play close games….but as long as they are at home and up 15, they’re in great shape. They might beat the Pistons just because they have the home court but I really don’t see them winning another 2 close series.
6. Final thoughts on the Cavs’ Season:
The biggest compliment that I can pay to these Cavs is that post-trade, even in spite of their offensive ineptitude, they were watchable. Honestly, maybe its just because we had been forced to watch so much Larry Hughes and Donyell over the last few years but I never really got upset at the Cavs after the trade. I felt that 90% of their roster deseved to be on and NBA team and most of the time, I felt that they played hard. It was a forgettable season record wise and I doubt this roster will stay in tact past midseason next year but I will have no lasting negative feelings towards the 08 Cavs. They basically did what they were expected to do.
7. Thoughts on the Cavs Roster:
LBJ - Yeah yeah, he needs to improve his shooting amd get better from the line…blah blah. Listen, we can no longer rely on Lebron to get better. He’s the best offensive player in the league and his defense is leaps and bounds better than it was last year. When he wants to be (which is often now) he is a lockdown defender. I don’t want to hear any complaints about Lebron’s game. He’s the best player in the league. It’s time to fix the problems around him. My biggest concern right now (and Windhorst seems to be pointing to this) is that he starts acting like Kobe and openly questions management and pleads for better players. I’m sure Gilbert and Ferry know they have to make this team better. I just would hate to see Lebron stoop to the level of Kobe and start to drive a wedge between himself and the Cleveland fans. If the team isn’t good enough in 2 years and he wants out, that’s fine. I just don’t want him to stop being the classy franchise player that he is or to strain his relationship with Cavs fans. Really, at this point, that’s all I can hope for.
Delonte West - Windhorst pretty much hit the nail on the head in my opinion: He’s probably not the starting point guard on a championship calliber team. That being said, I like having him on my team and he showed in the playoffs that he has some brass balls. Unlike many others, he didn’t come up small in big moments. If we ever got a real PJ, I would love to have him as my sixth man.
Ben Wallace - I was very surprised by how well he played in the Boston series. He rebounded well and played good defense. Realistically, however, he’s not going to put out for 82 games for the next two years. You can tell, he is at the point in his career where he’s only going to play hard when he thinks it really matters. He could contribute 25 quality minutes a game next year and we could all still be very thrilled with his ability to not be Larry Hughes.
Szczerbiak - He’s a streak shooter, plain and simple. My feeling on him is that if the Cavs don’t re-sign Gibson, you need him. If not, you either hope he has a good shooting season or that his expiring deal can be used in the right trade.
Dan Gibson - Obviously, I’d love to continue to have him on the team. That being said, you don’t really NEED him assuming you can upgrade other parts of the roster. We have seen time and time again over the last few years that pure shooters can only get you so far. Be it Damon Jones, Walley, or Gibson, they are useful when they are hot and useless when they aren’t. Yet, rarely do they ever create their own shots. So when good teams like Boston or San Antonio are closing out on shooters, they can’t take the offensive burden on Lebron. Every team needs snipers but you also have to have more than just 1 guy that can create his own shot. Obviously the Cavs can’t let him walk away and get nothing in return but I don’t see him developing into any more than he already is: a one trick pony.
Z - I will never stop giving Z credit because he could’ve taken his 70 million and quit years ago but he didn’t. Instead he continues to get better every year. Z has tons of faults and its often painful to watch him plod around the court. Still, the league isn’t exactly crawling with 7′3 guys that are lights out from 15 feet, great free throw shooters, and great offensive rebounders. He’s probably going to start slowing down rapidly but he will be a useful player to the end of his contract. His minutes should start to decline but I think even late in his career, he could be a valuable scorer off the bench.
Joe Smith - Every team needs quality depth in the front court. He’s quality depth. There’s nothing wrong with having him as your 4th big man.
Varajao - A disastrous year followed by a very up and down postseason. There was a time when i thought he was the perfect big to play with Lebron. Now….I just don’t know. We will see what next year brings. He’s either going to wise up and start rebounding and defending every single game or he’s going to be playing somewhere else.
Damn Jones - Will not finish next year in wine and gold. He’s an expiring contract and nothing more.
Sasha - He’s never going to be reliable. Much like Varajao, he just can’t be trusted in the clutch. He’s another guy that I think could be traded next year.
Devin Brown - Maybe good enough to be somebody’s 4th guard but doesn’t bring enough to the table to get big minutes on a good team.
Eric Snow - I would think he will be traded as an expiring deal and then get bought out by his new team so he can start coaching somewhere.
8. Thoughts on next year:
Obviously, they have to upgrade but that isn’t going to happen until probably midseason. So, our only hope is that the right superstar on the right team becomes available and there is a Chris Wallace or Kevin McHale out there that is stupid enough to do for us what those guys did for the Celtics and Lakers (side note: Does anyone else find it funny that 2 of the 4 teams left in the playoffs are only even remotely decent because of gifts from the two worst GMs in the league?). I just hope the Cavs don’t bite when Milwaukee tries to dangle Mike Redd for picks and our expiring deals. Trading for a 30 year old shooter with a ton of miles on his tires is not my idea of a roster upgrade. If we can’t get a pure point guard (and newsflash, team’s don’t just give away franchise point guards) then we have to get a guy that has reasonable young legs and can create his own offense. My guess is that guy probably won’t be available. I also doubt that we are going to be able to get a difference-maker in the middle of the first round. So, as I said earlier, unless a bad GM decides to give the farm away for nothing, we’re probably not going to get a whole lot better next year.
9. Mike Brown: I’m not going to beat a dead horse here. Mike Brown gets the credit for the Cavs being an exceptional defensive team (and by the way, watching them play D during the Boston series was a thing of beauty). But the Cavs just aren’t going to win a title without any semblance of an offense (unless you added a legit superstar to go with Lebron like Boston did with Pierce). I really think management has to force Brown to bring on an offensive coach. It just defies logic to think that you would let a guy manage the Lebron era who is admittedly inept with regard to half of the game. This just makes NO SENSE. You wouldn’t hire a D-Coordinator to be your head football coach and then just sit idle as he refused to hire an O-Coordinator. Please Cavs, swallow your stupid pride and bring in someone to help!
10. That’s it for Biff. I won’t even both to say go Tribe since they are another lost cause but I will say this: GO BROWNS
May 19th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Exclusive photo of the insides of Ferry’s brain:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8PUBUIO1&show_article=1&image=large
May 19th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Excellent post, Josh. Mike Brown’s vaunted defensive system, rebounding, and LeBron are the three reasons we win. Without one of those, we will usually lose. On Sunday, we lost the rebounding battle, and we lost the game. We should give Mike Brown the credit he deserves for vastly improving our defense with shoddy defensive personnel.
In order to improve our offense, we need an All-star to play with LeBron and we need a little more variety in our offensive system. Obviously, our system will be centered around LeBron, but we can mix up our use of LeBron (post, decoy, etc.) Hopefully we can improve our team and go all the way next year.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Biff: Great post, very well thought out and I agree with you, which makes for an easy read!
I was talking to someone today and said something about how great lebron is going to be next year because he will be hungry, and as I was saying it I thought ‘how much better can he really be?’
From here on out it really is not going to be about lebron getting better. it can’t be. it’s going to be about who ferry puts around him.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Ed, I agree with you almost 100%…..I don’t agree that the Finals appearance last year was a “fluke” though. The Cavs advanced to the Finals because they were just better than the Pistons. A lot of people still have trouble believing that, but it’s true.
Josh, I respect your opinion as always, but I wouldn’t put Mike Brown in the same sentence as Popovich (other than to say that they used to work together). IMHO, Pop is by far the best coach in the game. He will defer to Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, but he’ll also get in their face when needed.
The Cavs are in a tough spot right now. I really don’t think Brown is the guy, but you pretty much have to keep him because you only have two years left before LBJ can be a free agent. I don’t think they have enough time to go in a new direction at this point.
Go Browns.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
josh, were you even old enough to watch the triangle offense during jordan’s championship years?? judging by your post you didn’t see one minute of it. that “joke of a system” won 9 rings!! and that joke of a system is in the western conference final with a team that is good enough to win number 10 for phil jackson. the joke is on you.
yes, the triangle offense was designed to control the flow of the offense from the post to get the ball into jordan’s hands. don’t you wish mike brown had some sort of scheme to make lebron the playmaker as opposed to the guy who is forced to make every decision from the top of the key? i guess you don’t.
the triangle offense is designed to create options on the floor for an attack on the hoop. a strongside shooter, a weakside cutter, a post-up on the high or low post. options josh!!!! how many options do the cavs have on an average possession? my guess, not counting second changes off rebounds…..one! the passing is sloppy, the picks are usually 25 feet from the hoop, the cuts are slow and imprecise. this is fundamental basketball josh…..and the cavs suck at the fundamentals.
in phil jackson’s triangle offense role players were used to their maximum potential. john paxson, steve kerr, bill wennington, luc longley, ron harper in the twilight of his career….the names of scrubs from those teams is a long one. our role players often make you want to smash the television! pavlovic looked awful and had no business on the floor, damon jones still had ice chips in his arm pit hair when he played because brown kept him in the cooler for so long, varajao has regressed and thinks his spin move on duncan last year actually went in. mike brown is not developing these players. they are getting worse.
now lebron is in favor of another overhaul. you saw his head down when he left the court. he was defeated and he was forced to do the work alone because his teammates left him hanging out to dry. windhorst calls it freelancing. i call it not trusting your sucky teammates and your sucky offensive system.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:24 am
yet another article detailing how the knicks are paving the way for james:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=dantonibronwalsh-080513
May 20th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I agree with Biff and Zack about LeBron. He’s been in the league for 5 years, worked a ton on his shooting last summer, and his 3pt and FT percentages are not really better than when he came into the league. Although I think his shooting will still get better, there’s never going to be a drastic improvement. He’s never going to shoot like Bird or even Kobe, and that doesn’t mean he can’t ultimately be a better player than both of them. Most of his improvement will come on defense, and I’m sure he’ll end up being one of the best at that. His other skills (driving, handle, passing, rebounding) can’t even really be improved upon at this point.
I am also skeptical about trading for Redd. Not just his age, but I think we need a player who can not only score, but be a good two-way player and passer.
And I don’t think we should give up this year’s draft pick for anything that’s available. This team is going to be good as long as it has LeBron, so #19 might be the best pick we get in the next few years. And this team needs young guys to build around. West, Boobie, and Varejao are the only impact players who aren’t in danger of breaking down from old age. And we’re trying to build a contender around a 23-year-old with this roster? I don’t know who the pick should be (I kinda like Brandon Rush), but it seems like there should be a player available there who can make a difference at some point. Hopefully management keeps it and picks the right guy.
I also think that Boobie is a keeper. 3 point shooting is so important in the NBA today, and he is one of the very best. Look at San Antonio. They have so many guys who do nothing except shoot 3 pointers well (most of the time), and it wins them championships. Boobie is young and improving, he hustles and plays good defense at times, and he has a great rapport with LeBron. He shouldn’t be the 2nd option, but he can at least be this team’s BJ Armstrong/Steve Kerr.
I like Delonte too, but I’m not sure how he fits in with Boobie getting a lot of PG minutes. It seems like he might have to start to be effective, and he’s not the ideal starter. That said, he’s still pretty young too, and he makes plays on defense. If he can get significantly better all-around, then we’ll be obligated to keep him and give him a major role.
As far as trading targets, there’s not too many obvious ones out there. I can see Vince Carter working pretty well with LeBron, and NJ doesn’t really have any reason to keep him if it can get an expiring contract. It would be wonderful for LeBron to be able to throw lobs to someone for once. But he’s really getting up there in age, and if he starts declining that contract will be a burden. Obviously it’s probably gonna have to be an older guy, but 31 makes me nervous.
Jermaine O’Neal is another guy. A couple years ago he would have been ideal, but I don’t trust his knees, and his contract is expiring soon anyway. Indiana would need picks or something else in that deal, which I don’t think the Cavs can afford to give up.
I am really hoping that the Cavs can somehow get Elton Brand. The Clippers are pretty much rebuilding around Kaman, Thornton and this year’s pick. Brand’s deal is expiring next year, but I think they could still do a deal that would save the Clips a good amount of money. Brand might have to force his way out, but that franchise owes him and I bet he’d love playing with LeBron. He’s still only 29, and I trust that his achilles won’t be a problem and that he’ll age gracefully enough. I would love to pair his shot blocking with Varejao’s man defense and charge-taking, and we really need a good offensive player in the frontcourt as Z loses effectiveness from aging. Considering that Z, Ben Wallace and arguably Varejao are better as centers, PF is a position of need.
Anyway, a second-best player of his caliber would really put the Cavs over the top. I’m not even that sad about them losing this year, because they had no business winning with this roster. Anything they accomplish is like a bonus. Hopefully they can make the right moves this summer to get younger and better.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Ed – Everything you say has merit on some level. The one thing your posts lack is a soltuion. I am curious. You are so eager to fire Mike Brown. A lot of people are. However no one has yet to give me a hands down, no brainer replacement. MBs offense sickens me like everyone else. But I don’t see that knock out canidate that would put his ouster over the top. I am all fore letting MB go. But remember you have to hire someone to repalce him. Would you like to see some no name, hot shot assistant head coach that you have never heard of? Avery Johnson or some other veteran? This is open to anyone. Who would you replace Mike Brown with?
May 20th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Biff, you need your own blog or some facetime with the Cavs brass. Your analysis of what happened is right on the money. But now what? You suggested why no off-season upgrades seemed likely. Do we wait for an idiot GM to make a mistake? What’s plan B?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:38 am
If it were me, and it’s obviously not, my move would draw so much fire fans would go nuts.
Personally, I would like to see Mark Jackson as the Cavs head coach.
Yep, a guy with no NBA coaching experience taking over for a guy who just won 50, 50, and 45 games and went to the Finals last year.
I realize Jackson has no experience but for 16 years he was a coach on the floor on every team he played on. He’s a former player who would command instant respect in the locker room, something some coaches with no NBA experience have trouble with some times.
I think he would help the Cavs immensely on offense and not set then back on the defensive end.
Again, this would easily qualify as a brash move by a team and franchise like the Cavs.
Honestly, I don’t see the Cavs pulling the plug on Mike Brown unless something happens that forces it, ie LeBron comes to then and says “No more Mike Brown, please.”
Even if the Cavs did make the move, I doubt Jackson would be the choice and I almost fear that Gilbert would go and do something crazy like snag his boy Tom Izzo from the land of the Spartans. Uh-oh…
So it looks like we are stuck with Mike Brown. As a fan, I cannot be the ONLY one who sees the Cavs future and LeBron’s future as a Cav in Mike Brown’s hands and starts to worry, right?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:07 am
HEY BIFF, SOMALI WARLORD, LMFAO!!!!WHAT A RIOT, THAT WAS CLASSIC, oh yeah your post was on the mark. i am alan.t, hear me roar.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Billy:
A lot can change over the course of a summer. Just because it doesn’t look like the right player will be available now, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be a couple of teams that decide to tear down and rebuild between now and next year’s trade deadline. You have to keep your fingers crossed that a Gasol type miracle happens for us. Looking at the NBA right now, here are the teams that I would say might be likely candidates for a major rebuild:
Washington - I’d love to have Jamison or Butler but the truth is that Washington is too dumb to realize that they are never going win anything with that group. Also, I wouldn’t touch Arenas with a 10 foot pole given his injury problems and the fact that his team magically got better without him.
Indiana - They don’t have a single player that can help us including Jermaine O’Neal who will be 30 next year and who has the body of a 75 year old man. If the Cavs even thought about trading for him I might jump off a cliff.
New Jersey - I saw another poster suggested that the Cavs trade for Vince Carter. Let me tell you something about Vince Carter….he is cancer is the form of an NBA shooting guard. If we traded for this 31 year old blue collar gem of a superstar, I might jump off the same cliff as I did for Jermaine O’Neal only I’d have to light myself on fire before jumping. He is the laziest man alive and no team will ever win as long as he’s a major part of it. Plus, I’m not really interested in helping New Jersey speed up their rebuilding efforts another 3 years like Dallas did. As for Richard Jefferson, he’s a horrid shooter with a horrid contract who would be of no value to us.
Chicago - I’ve heard rumors that they have a lanky 6′5 slashing guard who was once an all-NBA calliber defender who just might be available! Seriously though, the pieces that the Bulls will look to move aren’t the ones that could help the Cavs. The only young piece that might be on the move is Ben Gordon and all he will do is help you win by 10 one night and lose by 20 the next. I think its safe to say we’re done trading with the Bulls.
Charlotte - Seeing as they are going nowhere, its possible they could implode what little foundation they have. Unfortunately however, at 11 million a year, I don’t think Jason Richardson is the answer and even if they decided to move a young Gerald Wallace, I can’t help but think that his scoring numbers are just a mirage because he plays on such an atrocious team. I wouldn’t want either guy at their current salaries.
Milwaukee - OK, maybe if next year was Lebron’s last under contract, I might say we should try to throw a haymaker and trade for Mike Redd and Mo Williams. However, such is not the case as the Cavs will be well under the cap after next season (assuming no moves are made) and thus, will have at least one year to bring in the right supporting cast. So I just don’t think it would be wise to trade for an aging Mike Redd at about 15 million a year for 3 more years and a decent but not outstanding Mo Williams for another 4 years starting at about 8 million per (and going up I’m sure). If you made that trade and it wasn’t enough to win it all (and I really don’t think it would be), the franchise is sunk. Lebron would be on his