JayP146
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http://www.cavfanatic.com/austincarr/blog/2010/02/02/barreling_towards_the_break
Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 12:43 PM EST [General]
Hey, Cavalier fans! It’s Mr. Cavalier, A.C. What’s happening?
The homestand continues on and what the Cavaliers have done – running off eight straight wins without their top two guards – has been amazing. That speaks to the depth of the team.
The fact that we can keep moving forward without too much of a problem means that the team was built to withstand anything – injuries, different styles of play. This team is built to win. And if we stay healthy – if our big people stay healthy – then I think we’ll be alright. We’ve already proven that we can get by for a while without our guards. (I’m not sure about how we’d handle our big people missing time.)
It’s almost as if the Cavaliers made the adjustment on the fly – moving Boobie into the lineup and LeBron into the backcourt for stretches. And Boobie has played well.
One thing Boobie does a good job of is that you don’t get a lot of dribble penetration off of him. He’s a tough little guy. He doesn’t let you beat him off the pick-and-rolls easily. That’s helped quite a bit because it keeps the pressure off your big people and keeps them out of foul trouble.
Right now, LeBron is playing more of the 1, anyway. Boobie starts the offense, but once we’re into it, LeBron becomes the 1 and Boobie becomes the 2 – with Gibson spotting up for the jump shot. That’s another move that was made on the fly.
But no matter who’s in the lineup, the Cavaliers hang their hat on defense. And having Jamario back is huge. He can defend three or four positions, he can run the floor, he’s full of energy, he shoots the ball well. It’s just a huge upgrade to have him back and healthy.
We’ve made all those adjustments to the backcourt with Mo and Delonte injured. But maybe the biggest thing in this recent run has been that Shaq is starting to pick it up – big time.
I’ve been out of the game for so long that I’ve forgotten, as a veteran, what it takes to work your way into the season. At first, I didn’t understand. But now, watching Shaq, I remember exactly what it was like, because I did that towards the end of my career. You just learn how to ease your way into the season. And because you’ve eased your way in, you can keep your legs longer.
A perfect example came in the Indiana game. In the first half, Shaq blocked a shot in front of the Pacers bench – and it was a “quick block” not a “muscle block.” It was the kind of block I haven’t seen him make this year. Mike Dunleavy had beaten his man and drove to the basket and Shaq cleaned it right off. At first, I thought it was J.J.
Shaq’s bringing it on little by little. He’s starting to get more lift off his shot. He’s using the square more when he gets in traffic. His free throws look different – Coach Egan has him working on his form. (He’s even got the “gooseneck” going now!) So, it’s just good to see the Big Fella coming.
If you don’t double-team the Diesel, you’re going to be in trouble – because now you have to pick your poison. And you can see that LeBron is starting to know how it works with Shaq, and how he takes the pressure off the rest of the guys. Because when Shaq gets the ball down low, the opponent is aware of what’s getting ready to happen. You can slip through the back door, you can cut down the lane, you can diagonal cut up the lane. There’s a lot of options with a big man who can pass the ball like Shaq.
Shaq’s added another huge dimension to our team. But defensively is where the biggest change has come. There aren’t those open driving lanes any more. They close quickly. And if players don’t get through those lanes quickly, you will have the Big Fella waiting on you. As an opposing guard: you don’t want that.
The Diesel’s been to 15 All-Star Games, but only one Cavalier will be making the trip to Dallas this year. And I think that puts a chip on the Cavs’ shoulder. It’s a smack in the face.
Even the coaches didn’t pick one of our guys, and for us to be where we are – with the best record in the NBA – and have but one All-Star (and the Celtics with three and Atlanta with two), it just doesn’t make sense. To me: if we don’t have two All-Stars, then we have five All-Stars.
For the fans to think it’s just a LeBron James team, that’s one thing. But the coaches see us every day. That’s an insult.
And I hope the team takes it that way. I would love to win a Championship with one All-Star. Then you really can say we have five All-Stars.
But before then, we have this homestand to get through. It’s nice to be home. The team has a chance to get their legs back – regroup, be around family a little bit, focus on ending the first half on a positive note.
Tuesday night will be tough; Memphis is playing well. And it’s going to be Zach Randolph against J.J Hickson. That’s their strong suit and J.J.’s going to need to grow up in a hurry.
And the rest of the games – I expect us to either win out heading to the Break, or have no more than one loss. If we get by tonight, I don’t see us struggling until Orlando. And I don’t see Orlando beating us. And The biggest difference there is how we’ve changed.
The Magic still play the same style. But we are different now. Shaq can deal with Dwight Howard, like he did last time. And then you have the other guys – you play them one-on-one and see what they have, instead of letting them shoot three-pointers while we’re doubling-down on Howard.
Let’s see how they play regular basketball without that three-point shot. That’s what I’m looking forward to – when the time comes.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 12:43 PM EST [General]
Hey, Cavalier fans! It’s Mr. Cavalier, A.C. What’s happening?
The homestand continues on and what the Cavaliers have done – running off eight straight wins without their top two guards – has been amazing. That speaks to the depth of the team.
The fact that we can keep moving forward without too much of a problem means that the team was built to withstand anything – injuries, different styles of play. This team is built to win. And if we stay healthy – if our big people stay healthy – then I think we’ll be alright. We’ve already proven that we can get by for a while without our guards. (I’m not sure about how we’d handle our big people missing time.)
It’s almost as if the Cavaliers made the adjustment on the fly – moving Boobie into the lineup and LeBron into the backcourt for stretches. And Boobie has played well.
One thing Boobie does a good job of is that you don’t get a lot of dribble penetration off of him. He’s a tough little guy. He doesn’t let you beat him off the pick-and-rolls easily. That’s helped quite a bit because it keeps the pressure off your big people and keeps them out of foul trouble.
Right now, LeBron is playing more of the 1, anyway. Boobie starts the offense, but once we’re into it, LeBron becomes the 1 and Boobie becomes the 2 – with Gibson spotting up for the jump shot. That’s another move that was made on the fly.
But no matter who’s in the lineup, the Cavaliers hang their hat on defense. And having Jamario back is huge. He can defend three or four positions, he can run the floor, he’s full of energy, he shoots the ball well. It’s just a huge upgrade to have him back and healthy.
We’ve made all those adjustments to the backcourt with Mo and Delonte injured. But maybe the biggest thing in this recent run has been that Shaq is starting to pick it up – big time.
I’ve been out of the game for so long that I’ve forgotten, as a veteran, what it takes to work your way into the season. At first, I didn’t understand. But now, watching Shaq, I remember exactly what it was like, because I did that towards the end of my career. You just learn how to ease your way into the season. And because you’ve eased your way in, you can keep your legs longer.
A perfect example came in the Indiana game. In the first half, Shaq blocked a shot in front of the Pacers bench – and it was a “quick block” not a “muscle block.” It was the kind of block I haven’t seen him make this year. Mike Dunleavy had beaten his man and drove to the basket and Shaq cleaned it right off. At first, I thought it was J.J.
Shaq’s bringing it on little by little. He’s starting to get more lift off his shot. He’s using the square more when he gets in traffic. His free throws look different – Coach Egan has him working on his form. (He’s even got the “gooseneck” going now!) So, it’s just good to see the Big Fella coming.
If you don’t double-team the Diesel, you’re going to be in trouble – because now you have to pick your poison. And you can see that LeBron is starting to know how it works with Shaq, and how he takes the pressure off the rest of the guys. Because when Shaq gets the ball down low, the opponent is aware of what’s getting ready to happen. You can slip through the back door, you can cut down the lane, you can diagonal cut up the lane. There’s a lot of options with a big man who can pass the ball like Shaq.
Shaq’s added another huge dimension to our team. But defensively is where the biggest change has come. There aren’t those open driving lanes any more. They close quickly. And if players don’t get through those lanes quickly, you will have the Big Fella waiting on you. As an opposing guard: you don’t want that.
The Diesel’s been to 15 All-Star Games, but only one Cavalier will be making the trip to Dallas this year. And I think that puts a chip on the Cavs’ shoulder. It’s a smack in the face.
Even the coaches didn’t pick one of our guys, and for us to be where we are – with the best record in the NBA – and have but one All-Star (and the Celtics with three and Atlanta with two), it just doesn’t make sense. To me: if we don’t have two All-Stars, then we have five All-Stars.
For the fans to think it’s just a LeBron James team, that’s one thing. But the coaches see us every day. That’s an insult.
And I hope the team takes it that way. I would love to win a Championship with one All-Star. Then you really can say we have five All-Stars.
But before then, we have this homestand to get through. It’s nice to be home. The team has a chance to get their legs back – regroup, be around family a little bit, focus on ending the first half on a positive note.
Tuesday night will be tough; Memphis is playing well. And it’s going to be Zach Randolph against J.J Hickson. That’s their strong suit and J.J.’s going to need to grow up in a hurry.
And the rest of the games – I expect us to either win out heading to the Break, or have no more than one loss. If we get by tonight, I don’t see us struggling until Orlando. And I don’t see Orlando beating us. And The biggest difference there is how we’ve changed.
The Magic still play the same style. But we are different now. Shaq can deal with Dwight Howard, like he did last time. And then you have the other guys – you play them one-on-one and see what they have, instead of letting them shoot three-pointers while we’re doubling-down on Howard.
Let’s see how they play regular basketball without that three-point shot. That’s what I’m looking forward to – when the time comes.