2023-24 Season | Game #39 | Bucks @ Cavs | Jan. 17, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

[Jscc]

All the Cavs starters were +33 to +37. Allen totally outplayed Lopez, scoring 21 points in 26 minutes against last year's DPOY runner-up. Allen's mid-range jump shots were falling and if he gets confidence in that shot - look out.

When JA is on offensively and defensively, especially hitting those teardrops and smooth middies, he is the most fun non-Jokic center to watch in the NBA.

The all-star roster at center should be Embiid and JA.

 

[cabs]

When JA is on offensively and defensively, especially hitting those teardrops and smooth middies, he is the most fun non-Jokic center to watch in the NBA.

The all-star roster at center should be Embiid and JA.

Hope so, I like angry Heat fans

 

[kookoo]

Hope so, I like angry Heat fans

I was at the Raptors game tonight. Bam looked like absolute trash against a team without a real center or power forward.

 

[Dr No]

They said Dame didn't score on Okoro at all. I think he got by him once though lol

Just watched the game. Okoro, Wade & Allen just owned the Bucks on defense. I know Wade & Okoro go to the bench when Mobley & Garland return, but Lord they have been impressive in this winning streak, especially on the defensive end.

 

[Smooth]

• However, the Bucks could not stop Georges Niang, they could only hope to contain him. Niang came in with 9 straight points off the bench, and finished with 20 points in the first half (8-8 FG). To give you an idea of what was occurring, these are the shot makes as described by NBA.com: 7' driving floating Jump Shot, 17' turnaround fadeaway Jump Shot, running finger roll Layup, 3PT pullup, 7' turnaround bank Jump Shot, 26' 3PT.
• Meanwhile, despite his career-high 33 points, Niang was a net neutral on the night. For a game the Cavs won by 40 and he posted a career high, that’s just as spectacular as his offensive outburst.

RCF RECAP
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[KansasCavFan]

All the Cavs starters were +33 to +37.

Not all of the starters. One of them was +40.

 

[avs2000]

I don't want to get too excited over this since there was no Giannis, but what pleased me the most was the defensive effort throughout the entire game. We can hang with any team if we brought it line that every night.

Yes no Giannis. But we were out two starters as well

 

[Comeback kid]

Well, that was fun. I'm glad Giannis decided to take only his second game of the year off against us.

Niang had a night he never came close to before and probably never will again. But it's nice to see him hitting all his shots, including the floaters. He's starting to find his game. Give him the medal thingy.

Middleton went 1-for-10 and was a -40 in 20 minutes. He kept trying to draw fouls but the refs weren't buying. There has to be real concern in Milwaukee about him.

All the Cavs starters were +33 to +37. Allen totally outplayed Lopez, scoring 21 points in 26 minutes against last year's DPOY runner-up. Allen's mid-range jump shots were falling and if he gets confidence in that shot - look out.

Okoro did a great job defensively on Dame, holding him to 7-for-20. As a team the Bucks shot 40% and were outrebounded 55-36. The Cavs had an incredible 36 assists and won the fast break battle 33-8. The Bucks looked very, very old tonight.

I'm sure the Bucks will remember this game a week from tonight when we play them in their house with Giannis on the floor. That will be a real test. In the meantime the roll continues as we've now won 11 of 14 and we have two days to get ready for the Hawks.

Except for the Cavs starter who was +40.

 

[KansasCavFan]

Yes no Giannis. But we were out two starters as well

Interestingly enough, when those other two starters were playing, this team was lingering on the line of barely making the playoffs, to maybe not even making the playoffs. This current lineup has rocketed the team up in the standings, winning games at an amazing percentage. Almost all of you are enjoying watching this team play right now. The chemistry throughout the entire team has been amazing. And yet somehow most of you can't wait until we get these other two starters back.

 

[shoes22]

Interestingly enough, when those other two starters were playing, this team was lingering on the line of barely making the playoffs, to maybe not even making the playoffs. This current lineup has rocketed the team up in the standings, winning games at an amazing percentage. Almost all of you are enjoying watching this team play right now. The chemistry throughout the entire team has been amazing. And yet somehow most of you can't wait until we get these other two starters back.

I'm honestly concerned about it more than anything. When Garland comes back our defense will get worse, Mitchell and LeVert have to adjust their games to his presence, Merrill won't play every game and CPJ won't see the floor anymore.

When Mobley comes back our spacing will go away again, and Allen will have to adjust to his presence.

I'm not looking forward to the adjustment period.

 

[avs2000]

Interestingly enough, when those other two starters were playing, this team was lingering on the line of barely making the playoffs, to maybe not even making the playoffs. This current lineup has rocketed the team up in the standings, winning games at an amazing percentage. Almost all of you are enjoying watching this team play right now. The chemistry throughout the entire team has been amazing. And yet somehow most of you can't wait until we get these other two starters back.

I completely agree. It is very odd, but getting two very good players back is going to be highly disruptive. Allen thrived without Mobley. No way around that. The team has won while playing at a much faster clip than Garland likes to run.
As was mentioned, playing time for Merrill and Niang will decrease. DM and Levert will have to change their game.
Cannot get around the fact that there is only 1 ball

 

[boostorbust1]

I'm honestly concerned about it more than anything. When Garland comes back our defense will get worse, Mitchell and LeVert have to adjust their games to his presence, Merrill won't play every game and CPJ won't see the floor anymore.

When Mobley comes back our spacing will go away again, and Allen will have to adjust to his presence.

I'm not looking forward to the adjustment period.

History with JBB says he will not be able to get it right and so the new version with Mobley and Garland back is going to struggle.

What happens if they struggle and drop us to 6-8 seed? Do the cavs do anything?

Everyone on this forum knows these two things:
Mobley with Allen on the floor hasn't worked
Garland with Mitchell on the floor hasn't worked

So we are going to go back to what hasnt worked

 

[foucault87]

History with JBB says he will not be able to get it right and so the new version with Mobley and Garland back is going to struggle.

What happens if they struggle and drop us to 6-8 seed? Do the cavs do anything?

Everyone on this forum knows these two things:
Mobley with Allen on the floor hasn't worked
Garland with Mitchell on the floor hasn't worked

So we are going to go back to what hasnt worked

Thats just untrue tho. Garland/Mitchell has struggled but we have seen good minutes with the pair. On the other hand, Allen/Mobley is the backbone of a top 5 defense. That pairing doesnt just work, it excels. You just have to balance the rotation properly which I dont trust our coach to do.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Everyone on this forum knows these two things:
Mobley with Allen on the floor hasn't worked
Garland with Mitchell on the floor hasn't worked

When Garland and Mitchell are on the floor together (763 possessions this year) the Cavs are outscoring their opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions, which puts them in the 90th percentile.

When Mobley and Allen are on the floor together (633 possessions) the Cavs are outscoring opponents by 4.5 points (72nd percentile).

I think the Mobley/Allen pairing has a chance to do better now that Allen is starting to hit jumpers from the elbow. That opens up a nice high/low game with Allen lobbing to Mobley cutting to the rim against a smaller defender. If Allen's man sags to help on Mobley, then Jarrett just knocks down the open jumper or takes one dribble to the middle of the lane and shoots his floater.

Allen's offensive game has evolved nicely since Mobley went down and I don't see that going away when Evan returns.

What will be interesting to me is that when Garland returns in a couple of weeks the starting lineup will likely be Garland/Mitchell/Strus/Wade/Allen, at least until Mobley gets back. That lineup has played 79 possessions, a small sample, but has outscored opponents by a whopping 25.3 points. I want to see if that lineup continues to dominate.

 

[bleedwineandgold03]

Thats just untrue tho. Garland/Mitchell has struggled but we have seen good minutes with the pair. On the other hand, Allen/Mobley is the backbone of a top 5 defense. That pairing doesnt just work, it excels. You just have to balance the rotation properly which I dont trust our coach to do.

Perfect take if jbb can come up with some good meshing line up the team can keep taking another step but the team is deeper than what we thought that’s for sure