Game Thread: warriors at cavs

[WiggyRuss]

The Cavs played a weird game.

If people have really watched them lately- they run a lot of that high weave- and then a lot of rolling to the basket....a lot of moving the ball....

This game? It was giving LeBron the ball in the corner just going 1 on 1....Kyrie going 1 on 1....

I had two theories on this.

1. The Cavs wanted to do something that confused the WArriors- do something they did not prepare for

2. They realized that the Warriors have great team defense- but individually they are not nearly as good- especially at the 1 and 3 defensively- especially against guys like Bron and Kyrie- and the Cavs exploited that.....


The TNT guys were totally right at halftime about the Cavs balll movement- but that was different then what it has been- anyone that has watched them lately knows that - this game they looked like they deliberately said- we have better guys one on one- and we are gonna beat you with them.

 

[ducky]

They look completely diffrent from the rudderless mess of November, December

What is crazy is that looking average early on is what everyone should have expected.

They were a completely new basketball team with a coach that had never been in the league before and had to get used to playing with each other. It was going to take some time.

And here's something to think about: The Cav's aren't even close to being as good as they eventually will be. With a little more time to get used to playing with each other and defining their roles further, they will just continue to get better.

Although the Knick's losing their mind and giving away their only good players for peanuts sure did help get the Cav's depth to where it needed to get to. And OKC idiotically forfeiting a 1st round pick for a horrifically inefficient ball hog really freed things up of the Cav's to make that move. I still can't believe either of those two teams made that move.

 

[Hambombs]

The Cavs played a weird game.

If people have really watched them lately- they run a lot of that high weave- and then a lot of rolling to the basket....a lot of moving the ball....

This game? It was giving LeBron the ball in the corner just going 1 on 1....Kyrie going 1 on 1....

I had two theories on this.

1. The Cavs wanted to do something that confused the WArriors- do something they did not prepare for

2. They realized that the Warriors have great team defense- but individually they are not nearly as good- especially at the 1 and 3 defensively- especially against guys like Bron and Kyrie- and the Cavs exploited that.....


The TNT guys were totally right at halftime about the Cavs balll movement- but that was different then what it has been- anyone that has watched them lately knows that - this game they looked like they deliberately said- we have better guys one on one- and we are gonna beat you with them.

They're really both on team defense and individually it's just Kerr didn't play bogut enough IMO. Cavs were also making tough shots which made it look like we couldn't individually defend well lol hard to explain.

 

[WiggyRuss]

They're really both on team defense and individually it's just Kerr didn't play bogut enough IMO. Cavs were also making tough shots which made it look like we couldn't individually defend well lol hard to explain.

i mean- i guess i should further clarify- that it was not like Love did much- Green pretty much contained him...Smith and Shumpert did nothing offensively really beside move the ball well- they had like 5 points between them in like 60 some minutes

Its LeBron- with 42- and Kyrie with 24.....those guys are arguably 2 of the top 6-8 one on one players in the entire league.....Curry isnt a great defender- but not many oint guards are- he cant stop Kyrie--- and Iguadala is definitely a good defender- but its LeBron....

Tristan Thopson actually played a very nice game- and Mozgov got his 10 poinsof put backs....

butits hard to fault Golden States indivdual defenders giving up 65 to Kyrie and LeBron (and i mean, 42 WAS LeBron)......who in the league has 2 guys that can defend those 2 well?

I was surprised there was not more Bogut and Lee- especially with Lee's great start. It was clear the Cavs really were guarding the perimeter- and makng the WArriors go to the hoop- and the Warriors were getting to the hoop early and converting but kind of went away from it....the CAvs were going over ALL the picks...

I like that they put Shumpet on Curry- and had Kyrie crowd Thompson on the 3pt line- id MUCH rather have Kyrie go over the picks and crowd Thompson and try and take the 3 away- and give Thompson the lane- then the other way around -especialy with Mozgov giving him some backup....

 

[WiggyRuss]

What is crazy is that looking average early on is what everyone should have expected.

They were a completely new basketball team with a coach that had never been in the league before and had to get used to playing with each other. It was going to take some time.

And here's something to think about: The Cav's aren't even close to being as good as they eventually will be. With a little more time to get used to playing with each other and defining their roles further, they will just continue to get better.

Although the Knick's losing their mind and giving away their only good players for peanuts sure did help get the Cav's depth to where it needed to get to. And OKC idiotically forfeiting a 1st round pick for a horrifically inefficient ball hog really freed things up of the Cav's to make that move. I still can't believe either of those two teams made that move.

yah...a lot of people framed those trades as "panic moves".....but was giving up Dion Waiters and a heavily protected first rounder of Memphis' a panic move in any respect? They got 3 very solid high level role players out of the deal- that fit the Cavs holes perfectly.....the Mozgov deal had been in the works for months- literally- and the Knicks deal was only possible beause the Knicks were awful and had given up on the season. If the Nugz are in it they might not even do the Mozgov deal- all though - 2 late first rounders when you have Nurkic in the wings would be tough to turn down on the Nugz part.

Griffin deserves alot of credit for finding willing trade partners- and leveragiing his assets- a late 1st rounder and Dion- into 3 players that have fit in great and filled big time holes. The CAvs went from a team with litle depth- and a mal content - to a team with a lt of depth- with everyone on the same page.


Last night was a great example. Shumpert gets 0 points but makes a huge contribution by blanketing Curry. Jr Smith has like 5 assists, 4 steals, and 5 boards, and passed up some shots he woud have taken in NY - to get the ball into the guys with the hot hands (kyrie and lebron) and passed up good looks for great looks.

 

[Hambombs]

To clarify. Curry is actually a solid defender but kyrie just makes tough shots no matter who's defending him. Also those 2 ( lebron and kyrie) are great one on one guys.

 

[Hambombs]

Curry before this game shutdown wall and tony parker. Against kyrie they cancelled each other pretty much. I don't think kyrie owned steph at all. Lebron was the ultimate difference

 

[WiggyRuss]

Curry before this game shutdown wall and tony parker. Against kyrie they cancelled each other pretty much. I don't think kyrie owned steph at all. Lebron was the ultimate difference

Kyrie realy dont cover Curry- Shumpert did....Kyrie actually mostly covered Thompson in that game

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Curry before this game shutdown wall and tony parker

A cardboard cut-out can shut down Tony Parker right now....something is physically very wrong with him

He is a mess physically right now. I think he scored 9 total points in the last 3 games on a 3-22 tear.
He cannot move to his side to defend anyone either making the defense worse.

The team's swoon sort of matches up with the black hole at PG right now.
There is talk that Pop might send him home for the rest of the roadtrip to heal up. He cannot move.

Cory Joseph is actually a better option for the time being unitl Parker gets correct.