Cavaliers @ Bobcats

[Kypus]

Game Number 67

VS

Cleveland Cavaliers (33-24)
@
Charlotte Bobcats (24-42)

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007
7:00pm ET
Radio : WTAM 1100
Television: FSO
Charlotte Arena - Charlotte, NC

Head Coaches

Mike Brown / Bernie Bickerstaff

Probable Starters

Larry Hughes / Raymond Felton

Aleksandar "Sasha" Pavlovic / Derek Anderson

LeBron James / Matt_Carroll

Drew Gooden / Gerald Wallace

Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Primoz Brezec

Cavs Bench

Anderson Varejao / Donyell Marshall / Daniel "Boobie" Gibson / Eric Snow / Ira Newble

Bobcats Bench

Adam Morrison / Jake Voskuhl / Sean May / Walter_Herrmann / Jeff McInnis / Brevin Knight

Charlotte Notes

* Charlotte is now a lame duck team, as it was announced Bernie Bickerstaff will not be back next year.

* Their rotation has been extremely inconsistent due to recent injuries to real injuries (Brezec, Knight), phantom injuries (Wallace), illness (Derek Anderson) and false returns from longterm injury (May).

* The coolest thing their team has going is Walter Herrmann, the Fabio look-alike. That's just freaking awesome. (No one cares about PornStache anymore).
​

Cleveland Key Points

* Larry Hughes will continue to run the point due to his defense on opposing PGs. Brown must figure out how to utilize Gibson upon his return.

* With the Larry/Sasha backcourt, our team is a height matchup nightmare. Cool.

* Our 2.9 second defense in the paint continues to improve, especially when Varejao is on help defense.

* Ira Newble continues to garner minutes at more talented players' expense (Shannon, possibly Gibson)

​

Mike Brown Gameplan Keys

- Force-feed Z in the post against Voskuhl (height advantage) and Brezec (believe it or not, a speed advantage for Z)

- Just keep the interior defense working. Apparently we're 1st in the league in opponents' 3FG% so we have that taken care of.

- Find some way to work Gibson back into the rotation, and get Newble out.

​

Kyp's Prediction: Cavaliers 98 Bobcats 86 ​

 

[Dungong]

Wow, we're really 1st in the league on opp 3pt%? Thats a huge change from a couple years back where I believe we were the worst. This is a letdown type game, with Dallas the following day. Hopefully we can blow them out, have it over the in 3rd quarter and rest up the starters a bunch in the 4th, but you never know, we've lost to these guys before.

 

[CBBI]

I hope Sean May plays. That punk needs to be smacked around from the last time we were in Charlotte when he "blocked" LeBron (he actually hacked him) late in the game to more or less seal the victory and then he stood over LeBron like some tough guy.

 

[Kypus]

Wow, we're really 1st in the league on opp 3pt%? Thats a huge change from a couple years back where I believe we were the worst.

Yeah I know, it's hard to believe, 32 Opp 3FG%. One of our worst weaknesses from the McInnis era has become a strength. :drink:

 

[cavincali]

They better take it to them like they did to the Grizzlies. Dont want to lose this game and have to play against Dallas, could be a two game losing streak while detriot wins.

 

[Karma]

This team is so damn pesky. Stop Felton, rebound, win game.

 

[Pioneer10]

Great game to get Gibson back. He's our only guy who is really set up to guard a guy like Felton

 

[crazedcav333]

Yeah this team is a fast, small team with Felton and the big men anchoring it. I still like Hughes in this one, as they won't be able to match up to our height for 48 minutes.

Match up for the night: Z and Gooden vs Wallace and Brezec. Whoever wins the rebounding battle could very well get the W as well.

 

[Karma]

Someone tell me Matt Carroll is actually gonna try and defend LeBron James.

 

[Kypus]

Well if May has anything, I mean anything in the tank, they'll probably slide Gerald Wallace over to guard Lebron.

 

[cdt]

We need to be strong on the glass..they have a great rebounder in Okafor and eventually Felton Carroll and Morrison will hit their shots the 2nd and 3rd times around..

 

[sikaliusBD]

I'm almost sure that we'll have 9 streak after this game.. If Sasha will show great game again, then they got no chances.. If Carrol will defend LBJ , then he will have great scoring game.

 

[BobSchles]

Lebron averaging less than 20 pts. per game vs. Bobcats this season. I looked at the matchup each time, expected scoring explosion, didn't happen.

There seemingly is a new Lebron now, but he didn't exploit guys like Kapono and Carroll earlier.

 

[bail]

Hope to see Lebron posterize Sean Fat May

 

[B Mac]