Cavs @ Bucks, Tuesday 8PM, FSN HD

[chiefwahoo]

@

Tuesday February 26, 2008
8:00 pm ET, Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
TV: FSN HD, Radio: WTAM 1100

Milwaukee Bucks

PG Mo Williams

ESPN's Scouting Report

Defensively, Williams has some work to do. Though he has decent size and athleticism for the position, it appears his lateral movement might be lacking -- he gets beat off the dribble a lot. Then again, it might just be a symptom of the general lack of effort the Bucks show at that end of the floor.

Offensively, Williams has an odd tendency to avoid drawing fouls, which if corrected would make him an even more potent scorer. For a point guard, he takes a huge number of shots in the paint -- 46.7 percent of his attempts last season were from close range. He converted those shots at a respectable clip for a little guy (49.5 percent), but compared to his peers he didn't get nearly enough free-throw attempts from his forays.

Williams averaged only .177 free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, ranking him only 54th among the league's 67 point guards. That seems almost absurdly low given his quick first step -- the thing that allowed him to get to the rim so much in the first place -- and how often he went to the rim. It's also the biggest reason his TS% was so average (51.9 percent, 31st among point guards) for a player whose field-goal and free-throw marks were both in the top 15 at his position.

SG Michael Redd

ESPN's Scouting Report

One way Redd has refined his game is by reducing the number of long 2-pointers he takes. His mind-set seems to be to either shoot a 3 or go to the basket. The proportion of Redd's shots that were long 2s has decreased from 24.6 percent to 22.8 percent to 18.3 percent the past three years, while his proportion of 3s has gone in the opposite direction -- from 26.0 percent to 37.0 percent to 42.4 percent last season. This worked out well for him -- he hits the 3 as well as anyone, of course (39.2 percent for his career), so highlighting that part of his game only makes sense.

But somehow, Redd also managed to draw a career-best 7.9 free-throw attempts per game. His rate of free-throws per field-goal attempt ranked ninth among small forwards, mainly because when he wasn't shooting a jumper he was going to the rim. At a solidly built 6-6 he can take a hit and still complete the shot, and the southpaw's repertoire of moves has expanded significantly since he came into the league.

However, one area he needs work on is creating shots for others. Opponents have caught on to the fact that Redd is a poor passer who gets tunnel vision once he puts it on the floor, and they send multiple defenders at him as soon as he starts dribbling. Redd's assist ratio was once again near the bottom at his position, and should be much higher given all the attention he draws.

Redd is a nonfactor on defense and almost always guards the opponent's worst offensive player. While part of this is simply common sense because of the effort he expends at the other end of the court, Redd is also conspicuous by his absence on plays off the ball. Perhaps Larry Krystkowiak will demand more from him on this end than the Bucks' past two coaches did.

SF Desmond Mason

ESPN's Scouting Report

Though Mason ranked 58th among the league's 63 small forwards in true shooting percentage, the Hornets repeatedly called plays for him to post up on the left block, especially in the first quarter. He has a right-handed jump hook that's reasonably accurate from short range, but as far as offensive strategy goes this was puzzling to say the least.

Where Mason dazzles is in transition. He's one of the league's foremost dunkers and a very strong driver and finisher. Those traits also help him get to the line with great frequency, although his rate dropped considerably last season. For some reason, he's also forgotten how to make free throws -- he shot 76.9 percent and 80.2 percent in his last two years in Milwaukee, but just 68.2 percent and 66.3 percent in the two seasons since.

He needs to take better care of the ball too. Mason's turnover ratio was the fifth-worst at his position, and he also had a very low rate of assists. The turnovers in particularly jumped way up last season, again perhaps because of the bizarre way they were using him.

PF Charlie Villanueva

ESPN's Scouting Report

Though 6-11, Villanueva prefers to play away from the basket and mix in long jump shots with off-the-dribble moves. As a consequence, he gets to the line much less than most power forwards -- unfortunate, considering he was 82.0 percent from the stripe last season. He's also a passable 3-point shooter (33.0 percent for his career), although the greater weapon here is his use of the threat of the triple to beat slower opponents off the bounce.

Despite his size, Villanueva isn't a great finisher around the basket, which is another reason he likes to play outside. He's also a middling rebounder and, despite his many dribble drives, a non-factor as a passer -- he ranked 57th at the position in assist ratio.

Defensively, Villanueva needs to add strength and greatly increase his attentiveness. For some reason, he stopped blocking shots last season -- he went from 63 as a rookie to just 12 last season, and the missed games don't come close to explaining this disparity. Perhaps it's a sign that he was less than full strength on many nights he played; either way, the Bucks are desperate for shot-blocking and would like more from Villanueva in this department.

C Andrew Bogut

ESPN's Scouting Report

Bogut's go-to skill is his passing -- he's a brilliant distributor who ranked sixth at his position in assist ratio. But to really take advantage of that skill, he needs to become a great scoring threat, too. Right now he's a high-percentage guy but he creates very little.

Bogut likes to use a short left hook from the block and has a good weak hand around the rim, but he doesn't seem comfortable shooting from 15 and hasn't shown he has the jets to beat slower centers off the bounce. As a result, using him as a high-post center -- the best way to take advantage of his passing -- hasn't provided the hoped-for rewards. He also needs to work on his foul shooting -- he's at 54.3 percent for his career.

Defensively, Bogut looked a step slow on his rotations all season -- again, I suspect if he slimmed down that would change -- but while he's doing that he also needs to add lower-body strength to help him get better position down low. He takes charges enthusiastically, which is one way to remedy his inability to block shots -- according to 82games.com he ranked third in the NBA in offensive fouls drawn for a second straight season. However, his overall defense is average at best, and probably not even at that level last season.

MILWAUKEE ROTATION

Yi Jianlian (PF) / Charlie Bell (SG) / Bobby Simmons (PF) / Dan Gadzuric (C)

Milwaukee BENCH
>> Royal Ivey (PG)
>> Michael Ruffin (PF)
>> Jake Voskuhl (C)

INJURY REPORT
Awvee Storey (SF) - questionable with flu.
David Noel (SF) - out until late February with wrist injury.
Ramon Sessions (PG) - out until late March with hand injury.

Cleveland Cavaliers

PG Delonte West

ESPN's Scouting Report

A left-handed guard with decent quickness and a soft perimeter touch, West is a classic combo guard who makes a great sub backing up both positions but seems a bit overmatched as a starter at either one. He should focus more on his catch-and-shoot game since he can be a potent long-range threat; that would also create more openings for him to shot fake and pull up from midrange.

West is one of the best shot-blocking guards in basketball, ranking fourth among shooting guards in blocks per minute despite being shorter than most of his contemporaries. However, he's not really a good defensive player. The blocks often are desperation plays after a man has beaten him off the dribble, and at the shooting guard spot he's undersized. Boston gave up 3.0 points more per 48 minutes when he was on the court, although a bad back may have played a role here too.

SG Devin Brown

ESPN's Scouting Report

Jack of all trades, master of none, Brown is a 6-5 wingman who handles the ball fairly well for his size but otherwise is almost perfectly average. He's a decent outside shooter who doesn't shoot as well off the dribble, and thanks to his wide build he can defend small forwards or shooting guards.

Brown has had back trouble in recent seasons, one reason he bombed as a free agent in Utah, but he seemed to be over it last season. That Utah season was his only bad year in the past four, though, with the others being almost completely, forgettably average.

SF LeBron James

ESPN's Scouting Report

One reason James often ends up trying to make a heroic shot at the end of the clock is because there is so little going on up until that point. James tends to be far too methodical when attacking defenses, often waiting several seconds to read the defense before he attacks. That tends to bring the offense to a halt and makes it easier for help defenders to collapse on him. His habit of retreating when double-teamed on the pick-and-roll only exacerbates this problem.

This is particularly noticeable when James tries to post up. Despite his imposing physique, James rarely attacks opponents on the blocks and isn't terribly effective when he does. All he does is wait for the double-team instead of making a quick move, neutralizing what should be his best tool.

Of course, other players would kill for such problems. James is an amazingly good ball handler for his size, acting as the Cavs' de facto point guard and ranking 12th among small forwards in assist ratio. He's almost impossible to stop once he gets some momentum toward the basket and, though a streaky shooter, can get his shot off over anyone. James is also a devastating finisher in transition, making it unfortunate the Cavs can't find a guard to help push the tempo more often.

Defensively, James does a poor job fighting through screens but the rest of his game has become pretty solid. He's still better at playing passing lanes than he is at making help-side plays or taking charges, and he rarely guards the opponent's top scorer. On the other hand, nobody seems particularly anxious to attack him, and he's virtually impossible to post up against.

PF Ben Wallace

ESPN's Scouting Report

Wallace is as bad an offensive player as you'll see. Anything that isn't a dunk is pretty much a no-hoper, and even the dunks aren't a sure thing because the ball slips out of his small hands so often. He has never hit half his free throws in an NBA season and is at 41.7 percent for his career; some opponents have tried to take advantage of this weakness by fouling him intentionally, and conversely the Bulls often take him out of games down the stretch to avoid his being sent to the line. Among the league's 62 centers, Wallace ranked 60th in true shooting percentage and 56th in usage rate.

One thing he can do is pass. Wallace had the second-best assist ratio at his position last season, and it's not just from hot-potatoing the ball to a guard every time he gets it. He also had a low turnover ratio, which is pretty remarkable for a big man who rarely shoots -- most of these guys will have a high mark by virtue of setting illegal screens, but Wallace is almost never called for illegal picks.

C Zydrunas Ilgauskas

ESPN's Scouting Report

Though the Cavs go to him less often these days, the 7-3 Ilgauskas is still a weapon in the post. He's become increasingly reliant on a sweeping one-handed hook shot going to his right, although he also has a nice touch on turnarounds going to either side.

Ilgauskas is also very dangerous on the offensive boards, where despite a lack of elevation he has an almost Rodman-like knack for tipping the ball multiple times before either possessing it or tipping it in. Along with his height, that same ability makes him very good on jump balls.

Defensively, Ilgauskas has the size to be an effective deterrent around the basket, but struggles when he is pulled farther from the basket. Teams try to attack him in screen-and-roll plays, where he struggles to help on the guard and still get back to his man. For that reason, Anderson Varejao often finished games in the middle instead of Ilgauskas.

CLEVELAND ROTATION

Joe Smith (SF) / Wally Szczerbiak (SG) / Damon Jones (PG) / Anderson Varejao (PF)

CLEVELAND BENCH
>> Dwayne Jones (PF)
>> Eric Snow (PG)
>> Kaniel Dickens (PF)
>> Billy Thomas (SG)

INJURY REPORT
Anderson Varejao (PF) - Probable to return tonight after missing a month with a sprained ankle.
Daniel Gibson (PG) - Out until late March with a high ankle sprain.
Sasha Pavlovic (SG) - Out until at least March with a foot sprain.

Game Preview:

by STATS LLC

LeBron James got his first look at his four new teammates, and came away pleased with what he saw.

Those players hit the road with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time the team takes on the Milwaukee Bucks looking for its fourth straight win Tuesday night.

Cleveland (32-24) was rumored to be in the running to acquire Jason Kidd or Mike Bibby, but after failing to obtain either veteran point guard, seemed like it wouldn't make a big move at Thursday's trade deadline. Instead, general manager Danny Ferry pulled off a stunning three-team, 11-player deal that afternoon, trading six players and getting back forwards Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and Wally Szczerbiak and guard Delonte West.

With those players unavailable Friday night, James only had seven teammates surrounding him, yet Cleveland pulled off a 90-89 win over Washington thanks to 33 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists from the All-Star game MVP.

On Sunday, the four players made their Cavs debuts, and even though they'd barely practiced together, didn't waste any time clicking with their new team. Wallace started at power forward and had a season high-tying 12 points and 10 rebounds, Szczerbiak and Smith scored in double figures and West, the starting point guard, had five points and six assists as Cleveland routed Memphis 109-89.

"The energy was unbelievable and I know those guys fed off the energy," said James, who had 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. "It was good to see those guys play well ... and it was exciting to be out on the floor with them."

James, the league's leading scorer at 30.1 points per game, is averaging 30.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists in his last five contests.

He's averaging 29.8 points against the Bucks in his career, and had one of his four 50-point performances at Milwaukee on Dec. 10, 2005, scoring 52.

Wallace, Smith and West are expected to help the Cavaliers improve defensively, as the team has struggled to stop opponents this season after being one of the NBA's best defensive clubs in 2006-07. Cleveland is allowing 98.1 points per game this season, up from 92.9 last season, and has allowed 100 points 25 times.

Last season, they gave up 100 just 18 times.

"I think we can be real good (defensively)," West said. "We are getting familiar and we are trying to get right back where we were last year."

Cleveland's defense should be further bolstered by the return of Anderson Varejao. The forward has missed 13 games with a sprained left ankle, but is likely to rejoin the team against Milwaukee.

The Bucks (21-35) have lost eight of 11 but find themselves very much alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as they're just 3 1/2 games out of the eighth spot.

Milwaukee has won two of its last three games, including its past two at the Bradley Center, both over quality opponents. The Bucks beat the Pistons on Wednesday, then after being blown out 127-100 at Detroit on Friday, returned home Saturday and got a season-high 42-point effort from Michael Redd in a 115-109 victory over Denver.

"Major wins against quality teams, that's encouraging," said Redd, an Ohio native who's averaging 21.7 points against the Cavaliers. "We have to come out every game, from here on out, with an attitude."

The Bucks are 4-21 this season in games that Redd has failed to score at least 25 points.

Redd hasn't been alone in providing Milwaukee with consistent offense lately. Point guard Mo Williams is averaging 23.7 points and 5.4 assists in his last seven games.

The Cavaliers and Bucks have split two meetings this season, both at Quicken Loans Arena. Prior to that, Cleveland had won seven straight in the series.

Quick Facts:

· The Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine games against the Bucks including three straight at Milwaukee.

· Since January 1, the Cavaliers have gone 18-7 (720). During that stretch, Cleveland has the best record among Eastern Conference teams.

· In Sunday night’s win 109-89 win over Memphis, the Cavaliers new quartet of Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith combined for 41 points, 18 rebounds and six assists.

· Over his last four games, LeBron James has 28.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. He is the first player since Wilt Chamberlain from March 16-20, 1968 to average at least those numbers in a four-game span.

· He has scored 25 or more points in 15 straight games and 20 or more in 33 straight games.

· James has posted double-doubles in a career-high four straight games including two triple-doubles during that stretch.

· Zydrunas Ilgauskas has averaged 15.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game over his last four games. He has grabbed at least seven rebounds in all four games and posted two double-doubles in that stretch.

· Over his last two games, Damon Jones has averaged 19.0 points on .636 shooting and 3.5 assists. He has connected on 10-16 (.625) from three-point range during that stretch.

AccuScore Prediction
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=============================================
CHIEF'S PREDICTION
CAVS - 106
Bucks - 94
=============================================

MILWAUKEE ENERGEE DANCE TEAM

​

 

[PIP]

As per new tradition, every time we play the Bucks, the Todd Day video needs to be shown.. :chuckles: (right around the 1:05 mark)

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[CavsRules]

I'm hopeful that we can win this game and move on to face Boston. Win or lose that one, as long as we get this one, I'm happy with it.

ESPN's report rips the crap out of Wallace's offensive game.. :chuckles:

 

[Rick Astley]

There should be a "Quotes around the RCF" segment in Game Threads. I just loved those.

Thank B Mac for this. I know I did.

Oh and BTW, we'll win.

 

[CBBI]

**EXCLUSIVE** Real Cavs Fans footage of the last Cavs-Bucks game.

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[Rick Astley]

Poor buck. It went into the orbit.

 

[PIP]

**EXCLUSIVE** Real Cavs Fans footage of the last Cavs-Bucks game.

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I like where we're going with this..LeBron is a high performance vehicle..:chuckles:

LBJ before he got pulled over for speeding..

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[CavsRules]

Hmm..Wonder where T.J is at. :chuckles:

 

[TheAdmin]

This has a trap game feeling.

 

[Coyote]

Just read Windhorst's report for today (I'm a night owl):

"Unless there is an unforeseen setback in today's shootaround at the Bradley Center, Anderson Varejao is slated to make his return after missing a month to a sprained left ankle."

 

[Wally World]

I think that this one is our win...Bucks only can play good if Redd score 40+ points...Keep him under that and we will win easily....Also i expect better games for Wally and West...Its time for Wally to score 20 points...And play good D...

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

Man, does Todd Day remind me of Dave Chappelle.

 

[_amon _ones]

You know none of those women on the Energee Dance Team are really from Milwaukee. Here is the real Milwaukee Bucks Dance Team:

 

[chiefwahoo]

I love how Branson Wright is so far off base...

Here's what he has to say about Andy returning today:

With guards Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson and forward Anderson Varejao still out, coach Mike Brown is not sure about his rotation. Brown said he is not sure when Varejao will return, but until he does, expect the same starting lineup as Sunday (guard Delonte West, forward Ben Wallace, guard Devin Brown, James and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas), with forward Wally Szczerbiak and forward/center Joe Smith as the first two off the bench.

And here's what Windzy has to say:

Another day, another new addition for the Cavaliers.

The roster has been wildly fluid for the past week and it is probably going to remain chaotic tonight when the Cavs take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Unless there is an unforeseen setback in today's shootaround at the Bradley Center, Anderson Varejao is slated to make his return after missing a month to a sprained left ankle.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say AV will be back tonight.

 

[The Oi]

**EXCLUSIVE** Real Cavs Fans footage of the last Cavs-Bucks game.

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homo.