BW and Pluto talking CAVS(12/20)

[raisen]

Hey, Brian! Brian Windhorst answers your Cleveland Cavaliers questions

By Jamie Turner, The Plain Dealer

December 19, 2009, 11:09PM

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerShaquille O'Neal shook off this eye-scraping foul by Portland's Joel Przybilla and made both free throws in the Dec. 11 game at The Q. Of course, Shaq's rate of success isn't always so high.

Hey, Brian: I saw Shaq make five free throws in a row this week and got to thinking. What is the most consecutive free throws Shaq has made in his career? What is his personal record for most consecutive misses? -- Joe Rossin, Columbus

Hey, Joe: Let's ask the Elias Sports Bureau, shall we? Their computers report the most consecutive makes for Shaq was 17, believe it or not. It spanned the end of the regular season in 2001 and the start of the next season in the fall. The most he's missed in a row is 12 in December of 2000.

Hey, Brian: After watching the Cavs in Oklahoma City, I'm curious as to how that is working out in the
eyes of the NBA. Do they regret no longer having a team in Seattle? Any word on whether an expansion team is on the radar for that market? -- Laz Buda, Toronto

Hey, Laz: The NBA has rolled the dice with small market relocation over the last decade, going to Memphis and New Orleans in moves that have been questionable. David Stern, however, believes Oklahoma City has a strong economic base and it can be a success story like Portland, Salt Lake City and San Antonio. He may be right, there is a buzz there. As for Seattle, there's a chance they'll get another franchise (relocation probably, not expansion) but not until they have a new arena and that isn't close to happening.

Hey, Brian: Is it the Cavs' strategy to have LeBron or Mo Williams dribble the ball around when they are ahead to take time off the clock when they are ahead? Or do they just seem to fall into this pattern because of a lack of focus on offense and a lack of killer instinct? -- Doug Smetzer, Ashland

Hey, Doug: One of the Cavs' most effective late-game plays is what they call "rub 13," which is a middle pick-and-roll with James and Williams. This play got the Cavs a couple of big baskets in the win against Philadelphia. However because it has worked, the Cavs tend to grab onto it in possessions when they need to score. It isn't lack of focus, it is lack of confidence in other options to this point.

Hey, Brian: I've always wondered what would have happened if the Cavs lost the LeBron lottery and drafted second instead of first. I recall reading at the time that (owner) Gordon Gund wanted to trade the pick if they couldn't get LeBron, rather than pay the salary a second overall pick would garner, but I can't find the article anywhere. Have you heard that or do you have any way to find out? -- Tyson Lowery, San Diego

Hey, Tyson: There is a chance the Cavs would have looked to make a trade, but not because they didn't want to not pay the salary. They felt they could have gotten a good player anywhere in the top seven so they probably would have considered moving down to pick up a good player already in the league. Because they had young developmental big men in Chris Mihm, Carlos Boozer and DeSagana Diop with Zydrunas Ilgauskas coming off an All-Star appearance, they were looking for a wing scorer. That is why they liked Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. They were not as interested in Darko Milicic, Chris Bosh or Chris Kaman. But they could have traded farther down and looked for a point guard as well.

-- Brian

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/12/hey_brian_brian_windhorst_answ_40.html

About the Cavaliers ...

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerIs LeBron James dominating the ball too much in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers?

1. Is LeBron James dominating the ball too much in the fourth quarter? Mike Brown doesn't seem to think so, or at least he is not ready to go public with that concern. But there are stretches of the game -- especially in the final period -- when James has the ball too much. There's nothing wrong with triggering the offense by driving to the basket, and then either shooting or passing off. But too often, he just dribbles and dribbles and stands around -- while his teammates stare at him.

2. I watched a tape of the Cavs' victory at Philadelphia. At least twice in the fourth quarter, Anderson Varejao came to the top of the key to set a pick for the dribbling James. But James waved him off. Varejao moved away, and James continued to stand and dribble down the 24-second clock. Late in the Philadelphia game, Mo Williams set two picks for James -- and stayed there, until James used them. The result was Williams getting open for a couple of jumpers that broke open that game.

3. James sometimes seems to lose confidence in his teammates. No doubt, plays are being called for the ball and players to move, but James is sometimes breaking them off. On one level, it seems silly to complain about the current MVP shooting too much when he is making a career-high 51 percent of his shots. He's also averaging a career-high 8.0 assists. But he's also averaging a career-high 3.8 turnovers (second highest in the NBA), some because of the stagnant offense.

4. When the Cavs get to the playoffs, they will need more than James to reach the NBA Finals. Other players must be able to take and make big shots in the fourth quarter. This is not a complaint about James dominating the final few possessions of a close game, but how he has been doing so for four- to six-minute stretches.

5. Varejao is having an outstanding season, leading the team with 8.0 rebounds per game, while also averaging 7.8 points and shooting 51 percent when coming off the bench for 30 minutes per night. More revealing, the Cavs outscore the opposition by 12.7 points when he's on the court. Next is James at 8.6, Delonte West at 7.9 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas at 7.8.

6. The Cavs have won nine of 10, and the reason is their defense. They are allowing the fewest points in the paint, and part of that is because of Shaquille O'Neal -- along with the coaches insisting that the team stay focused on defense. The numbers show it. The Cavs ranked No. 2 in defensive field-goal percentage (43.2), fourth in defensive 3-point percentage (32.4) and fourth in points allowed (94.0).

7. It seems a team with James would rank higher than 22nd in scoring off the fast break, but that's the Cavs. It's also a sign that too often they settle for walking the ball up the court. They also miss West, who is very good at making long passes to players to start a fast break. West's moods continue to go up and down. He had a game last week where he became very agitated when taken out (he was not playing well).

8. I will be signing copies of "LeBron James: Making of an MVP" (written with Brian Windhorst) on Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Westlake. On Wednesday, I will be at Borders in Fairlawn from 7-8 p.m.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2009/12/terry_plutos_talkin_about_the_8.html