Game #38 Cleveland Cavaliers (25-12) @ Boston Sucks (30-12) Jan 3rd 2018 8pm tip

[mhi]

This post assumes the Cavs CAN overcome their deficiencies in the postseason against the most talented team ever, which we don't know to be true, whether they "build good habits" or not.

But the point is, by building those good habits, you give yourself a better chance. We can argue wether than means an extra game or an extra quarter before being sent home, but better is better. Success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

 

[Rich]

Middleton has been one of the worst defenders at his position in the league this year and is shooting threes at 35%. I seriously don't understand what the infatuation with Khris Middleton is.

He's a really good player who is miles and miles better than this 3 and D stud we have in Crowder? Plus he's on an extremely team friendly deal beyond just this one season.

35% shooting from 3 while taking almost 6.

Jae Crowder 32% while taking a little over 3 and creating none of them for himself.

Besides, your blatantly ignoring stuff. Thomas.is/was a guy who missed the first 2+ months of the season and is a free agent.

You put Brogdon and Middleton on this team from day 1, we dont have 13 losses. We have a plausible chance of getting the number 1 seed, which is our only hail Mary prayer at winning in the Finals.

But more importantly, you get security if LeBron leaves. You can easily trade Middleton and his good team deal for an asset next summer. Brogdon, meanwhile, is on a rookie contract and therefore under team control.

Here's the thing IBWT, you accuse me of hitching, but you simply cover for the Cavs no matter their course. Go back and read what you thought the Cavs should get depending on the length of time IT was out. Then read how quickly you resigned yourself to the fact that they werent going to get that and you just so easily settled that what they got instead was just fine.

The fact that the Celtics still have Brown, Tatum, the Lakers pick and the Memphis pick is AWFUL news for the East for like the next 6+ years.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Pro-Tip

No one gives a damn about beating the Celtics. The fact we still can't dominate the regular season (compete for home court?) and show the consistent skills to beat the Warriors are most people's issue. Now's the time to build those habits to being able to do that. These ups and downs throughout the regular season proved last year that it doesn't work when we go up against a different monster and have to play hard/smart 48 minutes.

Screw the Celtics.

Only two things are going to give us a decent chance of beating the Warriors:
1) trading for Rudy Gobert;
2) sending Jeff Gilooly after Kevin Durant.

 

[TyGuy]

The guy I want is Basemore. A defensive shooting guard that shoots the ball extremely well from catch and shoot threes. That guy next to Isaiah should be dynamite.

 

[bboy]

Only two things are going to give us a decent chance of beating the Warriors:
1) trading for Rudy Gobert;
2) sending Jeff Gilooly after Kevin Durant.

we'll see on the 15th with Isaiah if we can hang

 

[czvo]

But the point is, by building those good habits, you give yourself a better chance. We can argue wether than means an extra game or an extra quarter before being sent home, but better is better. Success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

But again, we've seen this team slack in the regular season, then when they have time to prep for a series, they play really well.

I'm just saying, you kind of have to throw those old adages out the window when it comes to this team.

 

[kookoo]

Everyone here knows we're going to beat the Celtics. I think everyone has seen enough of our team play over the last 3 seasons that we know the Eastern Conference playoffs are usually easy for us. But the problem is our defense has taken such a fucking awful downturn that even if we can get through the East with it, Golden State is so good at basketball we're not going to win a championship. Our regular season last year hurt us because we got into a really bad habit of letting guys shoot, getting lazy on defense, not communicating, ect. A lot of it was effort, but if you don't practise communication, it can hurt you against teams that play very well on a team oriented level where you need everyone to be in sync.

For these old asses, we need to hold real team practises or it's going to be the same thing again.

 

[Gus Zing]

But again, we've seen this team slack in the regular season, then when they have time to prep for a series, they play really well.

I'm just saying, you kind of have to throw those old adages out the window when it comes to this team.

Here's the difference.

LeBron "7 straight finals" turns it up such a level in the playoffs that the East doesn't matter anymore.

He steps it up so much that he's capable of dominating an NBA finals.

The problem is that now that KD is on the Warriors it neutralizes some of LeBron's dominance. There's no Harrison Barnes bricking up shots for the Warriors. There's not as much roaming and playing off defenders like LeBron use to can do. There are times he's just not going to bully them with ease.

So its important to not have defensive breakdowns like we did in the 4th Qrt of games 3 and 5.

Its important that our offense can actually execute plays. Its important that our role players play at a high level. Yes during our dominant run in the playoffs our role players played well....until they get to the finals. I'd say thats happened for 3 straight years. LeBron/Kyrie just were on another level that 2016 finals.

We simply have to be better in every way . We can't have those bad habits sneaking in at the wrong time and killing us.

Poor transition defense bit us in the ass in the finals

 

[OptimusPrime]

Team is so old and slow and unathletic. Crowder looks even older than our geriatrics out there. Tristan's pregnant, Love's never been an athlete, and Thomas has a broken hip, so it doesn't look like that's going to improve much either. Even our young players that never play are slow.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

Crowder is at that bottom as well.

So what? His TS% is still good and he's averaging 20 a game.

20 points a game on 57% is efficient. It's not like he's just chucking for those points.

But the three ball is a big concern if we were to bring him here to play with LeBron. He'd probably be getting to the line less. Certainly less freedom to rise up for long twos.

As for his DRPM. Middleton is a solid on-ball defender, always has been.

DRPM doesn't take that into account. It just means his team defends better with him off the floor.

Last year Leonard wasn't a plus player defensively.

It's an imperfect stat. Not suggesting he's not been struggling.

But throughout his career, he's been a really good defender.

Still--- I expect more from a guy who would be the main piece of a Kyrie trade. I feel like the upside with Middleton is extremely limited.

Either way, is he not miles better than Crowder?

Yeah but we didn't get the equivalent of Crowder and Brogdon for Kyrie. So I'm not sure why that matters.

Is he not younger and offer more longevity than IT?

He's younger and has 1 more guaranteed year on his deal. So technically yes. Does that makeup for how much better IT is? Hell to the no. HELL NO.

Most importantly, does he not match up really, really well against GS?

Sure, but hey why did the Cavs lose on Christmas? We couldn't buy a fucking bucket. Middleton wouldnt have changed that really. We need a dynamic scorer. The one consistent thing that we've had that has always given GS problems is having a dynamic scorer at the 1 next to LeBron. I think that is being criminally under-rated in terms of importance.


I would have just been monumentally disappointed with the Bucks package. I believe we got the better player (IT) and the better asset (even if its the #10 pick it's a better asset than Malcolm Brogdon). I don't think that was a good package. The grass isn't always greener despite the warts we've seen on this side of the fence.

 

[czvo]

Here's the difference.

LeBron "7 straight finals" turns it up such a level in the playoffs that the East doesn't matter anymore.

He steps it up so much that he's capable of dominating an NBA finals.

The problem is that now that KD is on the Warriors it neutralizes some of LeBron's dominance. There's no Harrison Barnes bricking up shots for the Warriors. There's not as much roaming and playing off defenders like LeBron use to can do. There are times he's just not going to bully them with ease.

So its important to not have defensive breakdowns like we did in the 4th Qrt of games 3 and 5.

Its important that our offense can actually execute plays. Its important that our role players play at a high level. Yes during our dominant run in the playoffs our role players played well....until they get to the finals. I'd say thats happened for 3 straight years. LeBron/Kyrie just were on another level that 2016 finals.

We simply have to be better in every way . We can't have those bad habits sneaking in at the wrong time and killing us.

Poor transition defense bit us in the ass in the finals

Yeah, no, I get all that.

But what I'm saying is that those breakdowns likely aren't from ANYTHING that happens in the regular season. Those breakdowns happen because of the opponent they're playing against.

 

[Pjlea28]

The guy I want is Basemore. A defensive shooting guard that shoots the ball extremely well from catch and shoot threes. That guy next to Isaiah should be dynamite.

Was thinking about trying to get him & Dedmon.

 

[Wajdi77]

Thank you Paul pierce for keeping it real.. said it was a scheduled lose.. and It meant nothing for the cavs..

Tell me please how many good teams we beat this season?!
Maybe 2 teams... we had the easiest schedule in the league and we suck!
It’s incredible how most of you don’t understand that this team is just old and slow!
I just hoped that LBJ win his fifth MVP this year but it seems that even this won’t happen!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Certo17]

Tell me please how many good teams we beat this season?!
Maybe 2 teams... we had the easiest schedule in the league and we suck!
It’s incredible how most of you don’t understand that this team is just old and slow!
I just hoped that LBJ win his fifth MVP this year but it seems that even this won’t happen!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

IT did help push the pace for this team last night and he’s still not even close to full speed yet.. I’m sure once he is that will help with that a lot.. and yes we are the oldest team in the league right now so back to backs are killer for a lot of our players.. good thing there are no back to backs in the playoffs. I think we will be okay coming out of the east again.. but we still do need to make some moves if we want to stand a chance against the warriors.

 

[Andrew]

My gut is telling me this year's Celtics pose the same threat as last year's squad to the Cavs, none.

I just feel when this team actually game plans for the Celtics and can ready themselves for a series, it might be 4-1. 4-2, if Boston is lucky.

I have nothing to back that up, but I just think the Cavs are clearly better than the Celtics when both are fully healthy and it isn't close.

With all that being said, tonight when you shoot 35% from the floor and its the second night of a back-to-back, losing is inevitable so I am not taking this loss that hard.

It still stings to lose to Boston, I seriously hate everything Boston sports. But let their fans think they have a shot, it will make their tears that much sweeter when we crush their dreams.