Cavs vs Bullets: Opening Day

[motherscratcher]

Kyrie Irving is so very very good.

Andy is being Andy.

Luke Walton is on the team, apparently.

[YahooFanChicago]

Dion looking good in his first game also.

[jfiling]

Wish I could figure out the seven dashes under each team's name.

[YahooFanChicago]

5 assists for TT....WTF?

[Gradysmanldy]

Outside of Kyrie and Varejao, there is some god awful basketball going on in this game.

[Gradysmanldy]

Not sure what it is about this team, but they consistently get back down the court, even after baskets. Just lazy fucks.

[Gradysmanldy]

I'd really like to see Zeller and Varejao on the floor together more until AV gets hurt; having TT and AV run the floor together is silly.

Let Z's pick and pop game work with AV's pick and roll/off the ball game. Usually having AV on the court will mask a bit of Zeller's defensive shortcomings.

[YahooFanChicago]

Andy's a damn rebounding machine.

[Gradysmanldy]

Damn TT dunk show to finish out this game. Just terrible defense from the wizards and great passing from Kyrie.

New record on amount of dunks TT had in this game that werent blocked at the rim. #hater

[Spin]

Well our run to the first pick got its first setback tonight.

[Gradysmanldy]

Its ok, if we got the first pick we'd likely use it on a 6th man or undersized PF with small hands who cant dunk or play defense.

[motherscratcher]

Can't say I was thrilled to see them give up an 18 point lead, but that was a fun team to watch for stretches.

Waiters Gonna Wait with 17 is encouraging as well. I'll take more of that, although I'm sure the peeps here that know BB will let me know why I should temper enthusiasm.

[Spin]

Andy really boosted his trade value with 22 reb's.

[mattvan1]

Can't say I was thrilled to see them give up an 18 point lead, but that was a fun team to watch for stretches.

Waiters Gonna Wait with 17 is encouraging as well. I'll take more of that, although I'm sure the peeps here that know BB will let me know why I should temper enthusiasm.

Jesus Quintana drops 25+ on the Wiz. Guy can roll.

Jus' sayin'

[motherscratcher]

Can't say I was thrilled to see them give up an 18 point lead, but that was a fun team to watch for stretches.

Waiters Gonna Wait with 17 is encouraging as well. I'll take more of that, although I'm sure the peeps here that know BB will let me know why I should temper enthusiasm.

Jesus Quintana drops 25+ on the Wiz. Guy can roll.

Jus' sayin'

True, but 17 is better than 5, right?

[mattvan1]

Can't say I was thrilled to see them give up an 18 point lead, but that was a fun team to watch for stretches.

Waiters Gonna Wait with 17 is encouraging as well. I'll take more of that, although I'm sure the peeps here that know BB will let me know why I should temper enthusiasm.

Jesus Quintana drops 25+ on the Wiz. Guy can roll.

Jus' sayin'

True, but 17 is better than 5, right?

Well like man, that's just your opinion, man.

[Mr. X]

Waiters missed a lot of shots around the rim. Looked good other than that IMO. I liked seeing him be aggressive and active on the defensive end.

[StewieG]

Waiters played well tonight. He needs to finish better at the rim, but he showed some quick hands on D, and shot it pretty well from the outside.

Not sure if I'm seeing things or not, but does it look to anyone else like he's more interested in looking good than using good fundamentals? What I mean is, on his drives to the rim his hand would be outstretched with the ball, and he'd have to bring it all the way around his body to complete the layup. He missed a few looking like that. The other thing is that lean on his jumper. Didn't look as pronounced as I've seen it, but he still leans back.

We need 3 healthy months out of Varejao so we can trade him. But man did he play great tonight.

We're going to have the best player on the floor a lot more often than I thought this year. Kyrie is incredible.

[Prosecutor]

Missed seeing the game thanks to the hurricane, but I liked that Andy and TT combined for 15 offensive boards. I'm looking for more of that.

Waiters with three steals, three blocked shots and didn't get whistled for a foul in 28 minutes. His defense couldn't have been too bad, right?

No John Wall so I can't get too excited, but it looks like this could be an entertaining team to watch.

[jclvd_23]

Was encouraged by a few things tonight. Dion didn't look as bad as I thought he might, Kyrie was really good, and Andy was a rebounding machine and was his normal active self.

Negative things.....Tristan should be a 3rd or 4th big man off the bench on a playoff team (already knew that). Alonzo Gee should not be a starting SF (already knew that as well). There's no way we'll be able to make a playoff run with that bench. Good Lord they were awful. Luke Walton is not an NBA player.

[Gradysmanldy]

Felt like Walton and Gee took turns mishandling the rock and taking bad, forced, well defended, early in the shot clock jumpers. This team is a huge mess at the 3 spot.

TT played better defense than normal, and was strong on the boards. His block at the other end of the floor was nice. I don't even mind him as the starting 4 in the defender/rebounder mold, but you can't put him on the floor with AV. No offense at all there, and you saw that at times last night when the lane collapsed.

This team is going to get smoked most nights, because of that. Zeller had a nice touch on his jumper, and Waiters looked pretty good on both ends of the floor. More often than not the shots around the hoop will fall, and he got to the rim basically at will.

[peeker643]

One thing that Waiters showed (and Scott kept raving about) was a calm beyond his years. For a rookie in his first NBA game/start he was extremely composed and under control. I did like seeing that. And between he and Kyrie you're going to get to the rim. Waiters handled the ball fairly well and did a decent job getting into the offensive sets.

I was impressed with the kid last night. And FTR, Scott said he's never had a kid improve as much from draft day to opening night. And Scott ain't one for platitudes so maybe Waiters is willing to work. You can see some of the characteristics that caused the Cavs to fall for the kid. He ain't scared.

[rk]

I'm confused about this Waiters first game talk. Wasn't the official start of his career like a month ago?

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22253

Only saw part of the game and listened to part. Still seemed like Beal was playing a different and arguably better game from Waiters but didn't have Wall or Nene to help out. Disappointed that from the sounds of it Waiters needs Kyrie in there to really work. Thought the hope was that he could play off anyone and create his own pressure on the D.

Andy stays healthy and the Cavs are a borderline playoff team. Although they were arguably in the same position last year before Andy went down. This year they -should- do better even if he falters.

If they were really playing for the 1st pick they would have traded Andy in the offseason.

[motherscratcher]

I don't think they are playing for thenfirst pick any more. Theynwld never have admitted it the last 2 seasons but that's what they were doing then. But not now. I believe that they have what they thnk is a good core to grow together and now it's time to win.

I don't think they have any illusions about a championship at this point, but I think the mindset is different this season.

I still think they trade Andy this season because he will be so valuable it will be impossible to pass up. Of course I've thought that for about 3 seasons now.

I just hope they are rit about the core.

[Gradysmanldy]

I think it's going to be really tough for Andy to make it to the trade deadline, the way he plays.

Think it will take an injury to him or Kyrie to keep this team out of purgatory.

[pup]

IF Andy and Kyrie stay healthy, this squad is in the 6/7/8 seed mix.

If this team is in the 6/7/8 seed mix, there is absolutely NO WAY they trade Andy, I don't care what the haul would be.

[pod2dawg]

Good points.

Good win.

Waiters will adjust to the NFL contact around the rim.

It will take a miracle for Andy & KI to survive the pounding and be standing for a playoff run.

Man do we need a "3" to take the pressure off KI and open it all up for everyone else.

[Gradysmanldy]

I think our SF situation is potentially the worst in the league.

[jerryroche]

One regular-season game under the belt, against a less-than-formidable opponent. I'll wait another 9 or 10 games before I start forming any new opinions, especially about Waiters and TT (both of whom had pretty darned good games, incidentally).

As we've learned the last two seasons, 82 games is a long, long, long haul.

[mattvan1]

As we've learned the last two seasons, 82 games is a long, long, long haul.

66,82 whatever

[jerryroche]

Oh, yeah. The strike. Blame it on Alzheimer's.