• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Chris Parker/Cleveland Scene answers your questions part 2

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
I hate when people just disregard refs because "you can't do anything". They literally decide what is and what is not allowed. The ref game should always be top notch and balanced.
Take a look at the soccer when video refs will be fully incorporated. I bet you anything the amount of unfair results will be reduced drastically in contrast to what is happening now.
Once again, the refs should be the most consistent part of the game- the good part. /endofgeneralrefrant
 
posted what looks to be my final cavs column of year, perhaps ever.

Cavs Lose Focus for Four Minutes and Warriors to Bury Them

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-an...us-for-four-minutes-and-warriors-to-bury-them

We romanticize our youth because there’s no better time in life than when you didn’t know any better. Similarly, when you live the dream for long enough, you don’t believe you’ll ever wake up. Last night any Cavs fans not woke to Golden State historic roster talent had to escape from the burning wreckage of their crash-landed cloud. The Cavaliers slim chance at making it a series went sideways and disappeared down the drain grate in a 118-113 loss.

After witnessing LeBron James reach a peak performance level unparalleled in his career, we can hopefully be forgiven for believing the King could make the impossible happen. Unfortunately there are hierarchies of miraculous and what we witnessed last year was like Christ on the corn chip compared to the task laid at their feet this year. It wasn’t impossible, but neither was there a large margin for error.

Realistically, the Cavaliers needed to control the boards, outscore the Warriors by 10-20 points in the paint, outscore them on points off turnovers, limit Warriors fastbreak opportunities, keep their own turnovers down, and run at least opportunistically while conceivably keeping from getting into an up-and-down game with the Warriors.

(This last point is one that Lue debated, but given his substitution patterns and overplaying of the only five guys who were really effective last night, you can’t help but wonder if given enough distance he might concede he’d have had a better chance if James and Irving weren’t so tired at the end.)

Neither James nor Irving scored the final five minutes and collectively missed six shots during that time. Maybe it’s just a make/miss league. However Kerr made sure he got Durant and Curry two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half minutes rest in the fourth. Kyrie played the entire second half and James rested for 34 seconds. It’s hard not to think that made a difference watching them front rim jumpshots while the Warriors stuck threes off the dribble.

Like Game Three, the first half pace was breakneck, though not quite the ridiculous 119 possesssions/game of Game Two. There were 112.4 possessions, and like Sunday’s game, that dropped precipitously in the second half to 94.7 (on Sunday the second half was 98 possessions). We can’t help but wonder if the Cavaliers might’ve been better served slowing it down more in the first halves both games to a pace where the Cavs could better conserve bullets since half the team was firing blanks...
 
posted new column:

Cavs Unleash Pent-up Offense, Spoil Warriors' Perfection with Record Barrage
https://www.clevescene.com/scene-an...spoil-warriors-perfection-with-record-barrage

Every journey begins with that modest first step, and the Cavaliers finally took theirs. Like any artist, they want to top their last effort, so you’ll excuse them for seeking a larger challenge than trailing 3-1 to a 73-win team. (After all, their medium’s drama.)

After watching last night’s performance, you wouldn’t need David Blaine to convince us someone (like LeBron) did the Jedi Mind Trick on Draymond Green, and told him to go running to Durant in the tear-soaked hours after last year Game 7, just so it wouldn’t get boring.

So congratulations, Cavaliers, it’s no longer boring. But if the Cavaliers could’ve played the entire 48 minutes on Wednesday like they did last night, we’d be in a different series and would have saved enough hot takes about Durant as GOAT and how great the Warriors are to heat the Midwest for half the winter.

Finally after three games where they missed plentiful open jumpers – perfectly encapsulated by four-time NBA three-point FG% champ, Kyle Korver, missing a wide open corner 3 on Wednesday – the Cavaliers spun dame fortune round like a record baby, right round, round round. They made a record 24 of a record 45 three-pointers (53%) and 26 of 44 uncontested shots (59%), after shooting 48-125 (38%) on uncontested shots the first three games, including 16-46 Wednesday.


This is the way the Cavs can and should be able to play. Indeed, as we noted in Wednesday’s Column (which would’ve been our last had the Warriors won), Cleveland had two horrendous stretches at the end of the first and final quarters in Game 3 totaling four minutes in which they were outscored 21-0. The other 44 minutes they were +16. Last night the Cavaliers showed those other 44 minutes were no fluke, winning by 21 and setting a slew of scoring records.

There was a priceless moment in last night’s game, after the Cavaliers had shot out to a big lead, and the Warriors had closed it to seven, 27-34 with 2:48. There was a vague but perceptible kind of knowing-nod look about the Warriors after Livingstons’ offensive board and Iguodala’s dunk when James gave him baseline. That said, “Yeah, you may have rocked us for a moment, but we got you.” The Cavs finished the quarter on a 15-6 run that left the Warriors reeling with a familiar shellshocked look they’re used to seeing on other teams’ faces. Golden State would never get it back to single digits again....
 
Yay you came back! Good thing too, that epic historic performance deserved to be written about.
 
Chris Parker said:
Every journey begins with that modest first step, and the Cavaliers finally took theirs. Like any artist, they want to top their last effort, so you’ll excuse them for seeking a larger challenge than trailing 3-1 to a 73-win team. (After all, their medium’s drama.)

After watching last night’s performance, you wouldn’t need David Blaine to convince us someone (like LeBron) did the Jedi Mind Trick on Draymond Green, and told him to go running to Durant in the tear-soaked hours after last year Game 7, just so it wouldn’t get boring.
Click to expand...
I alluded this in another discussion before I read your column. I'm only half serious but it would be the ultimate troll job and a historical feat that could never be surpassed if Lebron and company could pull off a series win after spotting the Warriors 3 games. After seeing JR's now deleted tweet about Cavs in 7 the thought has to at least cross one's mind even if it's something sub-conscious and something no rational person would ever undertake intentionally.
 
buzzdog said:
I alluded this in another discussion before I read your column. I'm only half serious but it would be the ultimate troll job and a historical feat that could never be surpassed if Lebron and company could pull off a series win after spotting the Warriors 3 games. After seeing JR's now deleted tweet about Cavs in 7 the thought has to at least cross one's mind even if it's something sub-conscious and something no rational person would ever undertake intentionally.
Click to expand...

I really think this might just be who they are as a Team... They didn't put all effort out in game 4 last year even though they already figured GSW out in Game 3..
And now Game 3 was totally winnable... But i think they subconsciously make it harder on themselves because thats how they thrive.

They likely dont do this intentionally.. but i cant help but feel like on some Level they actively are like "Lets see what we can do now"
 
BigJ said:
I really think this might just be who they are as a Team... They didn't put all effort out in game 4 last year even though they already figured GSW out in Game 3..
And now Game 3 was totally winnable... But i think they subconsciously make it harder on themselves because thats how they thrive.

They likely dont do this intentionally.. but i cant help but feel like on some Level they actively are like "Lets see what we can do now"
Click to expand...
It is interesting how everyone, especially in the media, assumed that the Cavs were going to roll over and die last night after such a demoralizing Game 3 loss...and instead we responded with such energy and intensity and played one of the most well-played games in NBA Finals history. I think literally everybody outside our team was shocked at that, including the Warriors themselves. You can tell from their faces they just weren't expecting it.

This team defies any and all expectations people have for them, both good and bad.

With that said, there are a lot of things that will be going against us for Game 5...the biggest of which is we won't have that element of surprise anymore. It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
 
shoes22 said:
It is interesting how everyone, especially in the media, assumed that the Cavs were going to roll over and die last night after such a demoralizing Game 3 loss...and instead we responded with such energy and intensity and played one of the most well-played games in NBA Finals history. I think literally everybody outside our team was shocked at that, including the Warriors themselves. You can tell from their faces they just weren't expecting it.

This team defies any and all expectations people have for them, both good and bad.

With that said, there are a lot of things that will be going against us for Game 5...the biggest of which is we won't have that element of surprise anymore. It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Click to expand...
Game 5 is set up to be an all time epic battle.
 
posted final column...
Cavs Margin For Error Too Thin To Survive Non-Call on Durant
https://www.clevescene.com/scene-an...-error-too-thin-to-survive-non-call-on-durant

  • Ref Ed Malloy blows call on what would've been Kevin Durant's third foul, 10 minutes left in the second, Cavs up by 8. Thus enabled, Golden State went on a 28-4 run the next 7 minutes.
It wasn’t their night. On their night, the Cavaliers could have taken apart the Warriors like Legos. On their night the Cavs are even more explosive than Golden State (as Cleveland’s record-breaking Game 4 performance demonstrated). They might be Warriors, but the King’s forays to the hoops left them as befuddled as Monty Python’s watchtower guards.

But like we said, it wasn’t their night, as Cleveland fell to Golden State 129-120 in Game 5 in Oakland.

Instead of Brian’s Song, Clevelanders were treated to Thank You For Smoking. And maybe that’s for the best. It’s a little discussed fact of life – one of those unsavory secrets like the smell of asparagus leaving your body or that children aren’t necessarily a perennial joy and treasure – that wholesome Midwesterners sometimes have to cede their seat to smug coastal elites who believe they fart CK-1 and are as taken with mirrors as Insane Clown Posse are with magnets....
 
I know it’s been a tough journey at times, but thanks for covering the Cavaliers the past three years like you have Chris and being a part of this community. You were the first Cavs writer who didn’t act like they were better than everyone here just because they had a press pass and actually tried to engage in real discussion.

We know how hard you worked in putting these pieces together, for a much smaller readership than other outlets.

Even if you don’t make writing about the Cavs a regular thing of yours anymore (believe me, I know better than anyone about trying to pursue other passions), it would be nice if you returned to it on special occasions if the situation warranted it. (Like the 2018 playoffs revenge tour, perhaps? ;) )
 
Good article and great cultural references but it seems like we had a very good shot at taking these guys down if we played smarter. Split Games 1-2, take both home games, and then let the chips fall where they may.

Would not have been as disappointed had we lost in 7 with 7 hard-fought games. At least we didn't lose the series at home like in 2015.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-15: "Cavs Survive and Advance"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:15: Cavs Survive and Advance
Top