Cavs/Mavs

[consigliere]

Interesting game tonight.

But, I don't subscribe to the idea that it is a barometer test for the Cavaliers. One game litmus tests are horrible to take seriously in the NBA or MLB. If the Cavs play well and win in Dallas, does it mean any more than the Cavs losing in Atlanta? Anyone can win on any given night....so I am not buying the talk on the radio today that this game is as big as some are making it out to be.

I just want a win.

[Dozen]

Exactly, it isnt the NFL where any team can just get hot...........consistancy is needed for series and the Cavs have been anything but.

[GreatGoo]

Smoke'em if you got 'em.

We get smoked by 20 tonight. Laura shots 7 for 21.

[FUDU]

The Mavericks are going to embarrass us.

[swerb]

Larry out with the flu ...

[swerb]

That was one of the greatest dunks I've ever seen. We're going to be seeing that one for a LONG time ...

[lynch011]

And the worst attempt at a lay up by David Wesley!! Are u kidding me?

[Guest]

Too bad those missed free throws won't make SportsCenter.

[leadpipe]

Actually they couldn't wait to show the missed free throws.

Look, The King is coming under scrutiny. Much of it deserved. He's got to shoot free throws better, the desire issues etc. But understand this, Lebron James is not the reason this team loses games. If he ain't the only God Damn Cav on the floor tonight those missed free throws fail to pull the Cavs within 30. When Jordan watched BJ Armstrong go to the hoop, rarely did he wince as BJ almost breaks his nose with a lay-up caroming from the bottom of the hoop. Nor did he turn his man over to Horace Grant on 57 consecutive pick and rolls only to have him lose his man like Drew Gooden does. His center position, whether it be Cartwright, Perdue or even Corzine rarely hung doughnuts in big games. His strting point guard didn't get shut out much either.

So Z gets shut out, Snow gets shut out, Gooden explodes for 4.

C'mon Lebron 1/2 the points and 1/4 of the assists just isn't going to cut it. Christ.

[swerb]

What Pipe said ...

[Guest]

Hanging with the best team in the NBA and only losing by 3, others guys must have done something no?
Are the Cavs going to win it all? No
Is Lebron the best player in the league? No, 60% Ft doesn't work.

They are a pretty good team though Pipe
If I just read your posts, I'd think they were 10-52

Marshall was solid last night and so was Andy that helped out.

One other thing also, Snow is no longer the starter, maybe you missed that too.

[Dozen]

That was one of the greatest dunks I've ever seen. We're going to be seeing that one for a LONG time ...

Man the was the sickest dunk he's ever done, even the one over Duncan.

[Eric]

lynch man as much as I wanted to see that layup by Wesley go in, when he just bricked it like a 7th grader trying a layup for the first time with their off-hand, all I could do was laugh... like "are you kidding me?!?!"

[Birdman]

Wesley has been a great addition to this team. That layup was the highlight of his season and IMO was worth whatever we are paying him.

[Eric]

I dont think LeadPipe is out of line at all with those comments. Lebron needs help, no question. He carried the team last night, sure Marshall hit some shots, but aside from him doing OK, Lebron carried them. Andy did his thing on the boards like usual, and Marshall and Sasha both had OK games I thought, but nobody truly stepped up to help.

Snow isnt the starter anymore, but between him and gibson they played a total of 51 minutes, and had 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists. While I think Gibson at least has potential to improve on those numbers, last night it didnt happen.

And DeSagana Diop(spelling?) should not score 4 fewer points then Z, Gooden, and Andy combined. Lebron wanted that win last night. he just needs to hit some free throws and get some more consistent help.

[Guest]

His comments aren't really out of line for last night's game.
My thing is, he says the team is garbage and has no good players besides Lebron the Bricklayer from the Line.
Lebron is a f-ing stud but needs a ton of work on free throws. He also needs to take over many more games. I have seen too many games where he just stands around way too much behind the 3 point line.

The team as a whole is decent but is way too inconsistent.
That's their biggest problem.

[jdrake10]

I believe LeBron has that desire to win that only a special few players have. If you recall, he had a poor outside jump shot coming out of high school. Then after struggling from the perimeter in his rookie season he dedicated the entire summer to improving this. I heard he shot 1000 shots a day. And he has in fact improved dramatically in my opinion. Driving to the basket is still his strength but his outside shot is now ten times better than his rookie year.

So I expect that he will work on foul shots until that is no longer a weakness. This should be much easier to improve then a jump shot.

[Guest]

I think Lebron will work on it, no doubt about it.
He is way too good of a player and an athlete to be shooting that many bricks from the line.
Is it focus? I wouldn't think so.
It seems to be the million dollar question.

[swerb]

LeBron was dominant last night. At both ends. In addition to being unstoppable at the offensive end, he shut down Nowitzki on D for the last 6-7 minutes.

Blaming LeBron for last nights loss is way, way, way off base.

[Guest]

I didn't balme him for the loss Rich.
His missed free throws didn't help however and it happens way too much for such a dominant player.

"Just my 2 cents"

[GreatGoo]

I believe LeBron has that desire to win that only a special few players have. If you recall, he had a poor outside jump shot coming out of high school. Then after struggling from the perimeter in his rookie season he dedicated the entire summer to improving this. I heard he shot 1000 shots a day. And he has in fact improved dramatically in my opinion. Driving to the basket is still his strength but his outside shot is now ten times better than his rookie year.

So I expect that he will work on foul shots until that is no longer a weakness. This should be much easier to improve then a jump shot.

I said that every same thing last year in the playoffs to my friends. When Lebron's ft's really started going down at the end of the year i thought he would work on them and become great at the line. Obviously he didn't think it was a problem over the summer. And don't use the excuse that he was playing for the USA team.

But i really was impressed with Lebron last night. I know he missed some critical shots but the game would have been a blown out without him.

For the first time this whole season i got the feeling i had numerous times watching lebron last year. When you are watching him just explode and keep thanking your stats he is in Cleveland.

I don't know if anyone noticed but there was a kid in a lot of the back round shots in the 3rd and 4th quarter. His body language and gestures when Lebron was making every shot imaginable really gave me joy. I enjoy just watching opposing fans reactions when Lebron is like that. Kind of like when we watched Jordan in his prime.

[leadpipe]

His comments aren't really out of line for last night's game.
My thing is, he says the team is garbage and has no good players besides Lebron the Bricklayer from the Line.
Lebron is a f-ing stud but needs a ton of work on free throws. He also needs to take over many more games. I have seen too many games where he just stands around way too much behind the 3 point line.

The team as a whole is decent but is way too inconsistent.
That's their biggest problem.

Spoon, This is pretty much what I'm saying, no?

As a whole, as I've said, they are a mediocre team in a horrible organization. What makes them mediocre instead of God-awful is Lebron. He is the reason the team's record is what it is. Again, their formula, Lebron and another player playing relatively well each night is not going to cut it as far as championships are concerned even in a pathetic conference.

And, yes I was aware Snow is no longer the point. Who could forget the day in FEBRUARY when it finally dawned on them that he was about the worst starting player in the league. However, there are still nights where he plays starter minutes or splits times with Gibson. He is still air mailing 15 footers, incidentally.

Lastly, honestly fill in the blank of this statement;
____________ on the Cavs is a GOOD NBA player.

[Birdman]

____________ on the Cavs is a GOOD NBA player.

David Wesley.

Didn't his performance last night do enough to prove how good Wesley really is. The layup was one of the highlights of the season.

[swerb]

____________ on the Cavs is a GOOD NBA player.

David Wesley.

Didn't his performance last night do enough to prove how good Wesley really is. The layup was one of the highlights of the season.

Hnat said it well this morning in his "what I liked" section ...

Danny Ferry: Yes, Danny Ferry. I admire people who have qualities that I do not possess, and Mr. Ferry obviously has oceans of patience where I have but a raindrop.


In the fourth quarter, with the Cavs starting to put some plays together, they got a rebound off a Jason Terry miss and pushed the ball for a fast break. The ball found its way into David Wesley’s hands. Wesley had a clear path to the hoop. And … he missed the layup. No, hold on there. Missed does not do justice to what Wesley did. He banged the ball off the bottom of the backboard. With no defenders around him. The Mavericks collared the rebound, Terry hit a jumper at the other end, and the lead was back to a dozen.


Were I GM, I would have cut Wesley on the spot. I wouldn’t have even waited until the end of the game. It would have taken all available restraint to wait till the next stoppage in play. And then I would have had the PA guy announce, “the Cleveland Cavaliers have just released David Wesley.” And I would have made him pay for the plane ticket back home.


To be fair, Ferry doesn’t have the luxury of not having to live with the consequences of recommended knee-jerk decisions, like smart-ass Internet columnists do. Besides, I have the attention span of a two-year-old on Rit