Cleveland

[WiggyRuss]

Great article today on ESPN from Zach Lowe on the Cavs. Probably the best explanation I've seen of some of the strengths and weaknesses of their lineups.

Interesting excerpt...

In practice, the LeBron-Love collaboration has been stilted -- a twist that explains a lot of why the Cavs are so hard to pin down, even as they stand as huge favorites to make a repeat Finals appearance. Sleuthing for the origin of the disconnect takes you down lots of dark corridors, but that pick-and-roll partnership is a good place to start. It never really took off, mostly because defenses just switch.

"It sounded good to a lot of people," Jim Boylan, a Cavs assistant, told ESPN.com, "but it's something we haven't been able to take advantage of. It's easy for teams to scheme against. They switch, and we're stuck with an isolation."

"It hasn't produced the sort of pick-and-pops that you would think," Tyronn Lue, Cleveland's head coach, told ESPN.com, "because teams switch it."

That switch isn't a bad thing, necessarily, even if the Cavs have scored just one point per possession on trips featuring a LeBron-Love pick-and-roll -- one of the lowest figures among Cleveland's core combinations, per STATS SportVU data provided to ESPN.com. It leaves Cleveland with its choice of mismatches: James blowing by a bigger defender, or Love bullying a smaller one.

But to chase those mismatches, the Cavs deactivate the rest of their offense. A team that wants to play fast stands still, measuring entry passes against defenses locking into help position.

yah i agree with a lot of this.

Where Lue has really done well in my opinion is that- when the offense starts sticking and starts devolving into that ISO- Lue has been able to get them to snap out of it, and keep swinging the ball around the perimeter.

Frye has been such a nice addition because he makes open threes. It gives them a 3rd guy that makes open threes at a high clip to go along with JR and Delly. Kyrie has uncharecterstically struggled from 3 most of the year- and Love has been really really bad since the All Star break at hitting WIDE OPEN shots. But- the thing is that the ball just moves better than it did under Blatt and that should help them.

I really thought the Love/LeBron pick and roll would be better as well- but with how poorly LeBron has shot the 3- it takes away the effectiveness- especially considering it almost seems LeBron would be more efficient as the post player and Love making the entry pass- considering their unique skill sets.

The Ki/LeBron PnR has been a lot better than the Love/LeBron PnR that is for sure. that Love/LeBron PnR really has not worked great.

 

[Heatles84]

yah i agree with a lot of this.

Where Lue has really done well in my opinion is that- when the offense starts sticking and starts devolving into that ISO- Lue has been able to get them to snap out of it, and keep swinging the ball around the perimeter.

Frye has been such a nice addition because he makes open threes. It gives them a 3rd guy that makes open threes at a high clip to go along with JR and Delly. Kyrie has uncharecterstically struggled from 3 most of the year- and Love has been really really bad since the All Star break at hitting WIDE OPEN shots. But- the thing is that the ball just moves better than it did under Blatt and that should help them.

I really thought the Love/LeBron pick and roll would be better as well- but with how poorly LeBron has shot the 3- it takes away the effectiveness- especially considering it almost seems LeBron would be more efficient as the post player and Love making the entry pass- considering their unique skill sets.

The Ki/LeBron PnR has been a lot better than the Love/LeBron PnR that is for sure. that Love/LeBron PnR really has not worked great.

Yet your defense is worse now under Lue. Yes, the offense is better, but the defense is worse. And, if I'm wrong, Lue has a worse record then Blatt does.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I don't agree... That team is mentally weak and will break the second a team goes up 2-1 or 2-0.

Plus they are going to be out coached by nearly every team they go up against.

What Team, Outside Miami, has a chance to go up 2-1?

 

[Hambombs]

What Team, Outside Miami, has a chance to go up 2-1?

toronto?

 

[Hambombs]

What's an "unfreaking layup?"

I was wondering the same thing. I guess steph makes some " unfreaking threes "

 

[Hambombs]

3-4 years ago- NOBODY had Steph Curry as a future top 5 (let alone) top 1 or 2 player in the league

3-4 years ago- NOBODY (well beside ME ) had RW as a future top 5 player in the league


Kyrie- 3-4 years from now- when he is right in the middle of his prime- at age like 27-28...will undoubtedly be AT LEAST a top 10 player in the league- prob better.

I don't agree on kyrie. Not a high enough IQ

 

[Hambombs]

If Kyrie is such a "great player" then why does he always have a shit RPM ( real plus minus ) he's like -0.75 which is barely good for top 30 out of all point guards. While steph is number 1 out of all Guards at 9+ RPM.

 

[gordontrue]

I was wondering the same thing. I guess steph makes some " unfreaking threes "

oh, he definitely does

 

[Shanemansj13]

What was the conclusion to this thread after 16 pages?

Kyrie has ice in his veins and dont ever dont him again lol

 

[lebron23james]

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kyrie has ice in his veins and dont ever doubt him again lol

fifm

Kyrie has the clutch gene. Curry is a better player just isn't clutch like Kyrie

 

[Hambombs]

fifm

Kyrie has the clutch gene. Curry is a better player just isn't clutch like Kyrie

Youre obviously a idiot. Hes been way more clutch than kyrie over his career

 

[gordontrue]

Time will tell if this core is good enough to win a title

Time has spoken.

 

[lebron23james]

Youre obviously a idiot. Hes been way more clutch than kyrie over his career

Rofl

 

[Hambombs]

Rofl

Led the league in 4th quarter points

 

[lebron23james]

Led the league in 4th quarter points

How can u be way more clutch than the guy who hits the game winning 3 in game 7 of the finals?

While he other guy is bricking 3's off the backboard? Lol

 

[Shanemansj13]

Youre obviously a idiot. Hes been way more clutch than kyrie over his career

So clutch in the Finals. That was Kyrie's first Finals and it was a great one. Curry's game seems to drop off when he enters the Finals. He can be clutch, just not in the Finals.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Led the league in 4th quarter points

Like I said, he falls off in the Finals.

 

[Hambombs]

So clutch in the Finals. That was Kyrie's first Finals and it was a great one. Curry's game seems to drop off when he enters the Finals. He can be clutch, just not in the Finals.

Youre obviously forgetting the 14-15 finals then. Being clutch is overrated anyway. Not everyone is gonna come through in that time 100% of the time

 

[Hambombs]

Like I said, he falls off in the Finals.

No your wrong lol