Comments on: Gameblog: Cavs at Orlando Magic – ECF Game 4

By: alan t.

alan t. — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:11:44 +0000

You mean figuratively on the line. That always drives me even more nuts than I already am, when people refer to something that’s figurative as literal. If the season was literally on the line, it might appear something like this: http://xr.com/iwl

By: still not sober

still not sober — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:17:45 +0000

Mike,

I’ve been saying the same thing. If Mo, Z, or Delonte shoots 40% in any of the games, they would have swept this series (Z was 5/9 last game, the lone exception).

They are folding under the pressure; now, with the season literally on the line, and the pressure at the highest level possible, how can you logically expect them to perform?

Z has performed poorly in all playoff series since 2006, so his struggles are par for the course, as alan noted above.

There’s not a big enough sample size on Mo or Delonte, but they too have struggled enough that you can’t expect it to turn around. Don’t get me started on Andy and the bench (Joe Smith, Gibson).

I want to believe, but I don’t see it happening.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:49:55 +0000

i have to agree with alan here. orlando has played this series at a level they havent played all season – in a positive way. cleveland has played at a level they havent played all season – in a negative way. the X factor to even this thing up has been lebron. despite how amazing orlando has played and how poorly cleveland has played, the cavs could realistically have won games 1 and 4 just as easily as they lost. of course, they could have just as easily lost game 2. even game 3 was fairly close until the very end when it got to free throws. this series is 3-1 in favor of orlando but could just as easily be 3-1 in favor of cleveland. its maddening!
however, if orlando finally comes back down to earth even a little and if mo, et al. start making shots they have hit all year even a little, i dont see the cavs losing. the defensive issues are one thing that i dont know we can fix completely but they have done a decent job for the most part on that end. the defensive issues arent why they have been losing these games – its the offensive issues and the strange fact that guys are missing wide open shots they have made all year long. the defensive issues dont explain mo and delonte and everyone else missing wide open 3’s. if mo and delonte each hit one of those wide open threes in games 1 and 4 that they missed but have been making all year, cavs win both games.

By: alan t.

alan t. — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:26:17 +0000

Since 2003, they’ve won all their regular season and playoff games playing one on five, and this James is 10 times as good as the 2003 James. So unless somebody shoots him before the final buzzer, they’ll likely win, and Vegas knows it. I’d rather they lose the series because it would make for infinitely more compelling a story on so many levels, but I just can’t see it happening. He’s too much of a beast to lose, it’s like watching Moses Malone carrying the Rockets on his back in the playoffs in 1981. Too dominant, so what if the majority of his teammates are stiffs, doesn’t matter. I’ll be stunned if they lose another game.

By: still not sober

still not sober — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:19:35 +0000

Alan,

I will bet $500 that they lose this series in Game 5. I will bet $1,500 that they lose this series in Game 6.

My boy cannot win playing one on five. No one else on this team has shown up, therefore the writing is on the wall.

By: alan t.

alan t. — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:06:35 +0000

Technically, Ilgauskas IS “maintaining some semblance of consistency.” Tell me what he isn’t doing now that is any different from any other game he has played over the course of the past 10 years, George. Don’t pretend he’s something he’s not, we’ve been force-fed enough of that by your apologist brethren for what seems like forever. He’s the exact same guy on the court he’s always been. You live with him, you die with him, he is who he is.

Besides, who really thinks James won’t win this series for Cleveland? They’ll be heavily favored tomorrow, I’m guessing by 8 or so, and they’ll again be favored when it goes back to Orlando. It doesn’t matter how much the individual talent on the roster actually sucks.

By: MenoRikey

MenoRikey — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:10:13 +0000

How do you double team Courtney Lee on the last inbound pass and let Lewis get the ball again (even though he missed one)?

By: terje

terje — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:47:59 +0000

putting ben wallace on rashard lewis at the end of the 4th was inexcusable. it’s time for mike brown to go the way of doug collins and rick carlisle so someone else can get this team a ring.