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Chris Parker/Cleveland Scene answers your questions part 2

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simple answer - their defense will have to get a helluva lot better. last year they were just outside the top ten now they're middle of the pack. They need to be at least to where they were defensively at end of regular season and then still get better. they guard ballhandlers half time like they don't really care, they'll get it on the other end. Just bad defensive attitude a lot of the time, showing up most in their transition and indifference to boxing out at times.
 
Chris Parker said:
simple answer - their defense will have to get a helluva lot better. last year they were just outside the top ten now they're middle of the pack. They need to be at least to where they were defensively at end of regular season and then still get better. they guard ballhandlers half time like they don't really care, they'll get it on the other end. Just bad defensive attitude a lot of the time, showing up most in their transition and indifference to boxing out at times.
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I think the whole team is in a bit of "chill mode" this year. Last year gave them the confidence that they can win anywhere under any cirsumstances. No need to wear yourself out playing hard-nosed defense for 82 games with a short bench. I'm sure we'll see them continue to focus on building offensive continuity and then really rachet up the D the last month or so before the playoffs.

The #1 seed in the East doesn't really matter and they aren't going to get home-court from GSW. Hope Detroit moves out of the 8th seed. Not worried about losing to them, but they can be a pretty physical team.
 
Bob_The_Cat said:
I think the whole team is in a bit of "chill mode" this year. Last year gave them the confidence that they can win anywhere under any cirsumstances. No need to wear yourself out playing hard-nosed defense for 82 games with a short bench. I'm sure we'll see them continue to focus on building offensive continuity and then really rachet up the D the last month or so before the playoffs.

The #1 seed in the East doesn't really matter and they aren't going to get home-court from GSW. Hope Detroit moves out of the 8th seed. Not worried about losing to them, but they can be a pretty physical team.
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RJ even said in the podcast that the team is like little kev only showing up for the playoffs
 
Did players ever ask the media to ask them certain questions because there was certain info that they wanted to get out there, or were they ever ostentatiously talking about stuff where you thought it was because they wanted the media to raise it so it'd get into print?
 
Chris Parker said:
new column up about trade

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2017/02/14/loves-labour-lost
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Good column, you push back on this notion that we can just assume that KLove and JR will magically return at their peak levels just before the playoffs.

However, you don't raise the elephant in the room, which is the possibility of trading Love.

Don't want either of the Pelican bigs. Asik is just a stiff and has a horrible contract. Ajinca is even worse. We need somebody with some real skill at least defensively.
 
Posted a new column....

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...guest-andrew-bogut-checking-how-mainsail-sets

"... The ship hands, quite honestly, look bored, which plays a lot worse to spectators than nervously active but in practice is a lot closer to sandbagging. Nobody needs to show these guys how to hoist the Wine & Gold jib or swab the deck with the Eastern Conference. They’ve “been there, done that” with the ferocity of a jaded teen. Attempts to reason with their indifferent transition D, porous defensive board work or spates of iso- dribble-mania receive an invitation to talk to the jewelry."
 
New column up...
http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...e-wine-and-gold-in-cloud-of-cavalier-attitude
Nuggets Vaporize Wine and Gold in Cloud of Cavalier Attitude


This is a team that needed to go down three games to one to realize they absolutely had to play defense for forty-eight minutes to win. Sometimes it appears like they’re waiting for history to repeat before they do it again. That’s certainly the impression left by their 126-113 loss to the Nuggets last night.

Despite fielding a fully-healthy team for the first time since December, their approach to defense lived up to the Cavalier name as they surrendered 73 first half points to the Denver on 59% shooting. They went to the rack like they carried a speed pass, which kept the Nuggets layup lines free of congestion....
 
posted a new column....

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...-and-what-have-they-dont-with-my-world-champs

Who Are These Cavs and What Have They Done With My World Champs?

The truth, it’s said, is something that trickles out a little at first and then comes flooding forth all at once.

Fans’ acceptance of the Cavaliers’ flaws has followed a similar trajectory, through denial and anger at the product on the floor, and finally the past few weeks, bargaining: “They’ll turn it on when the playoffs come around.” Unfortunately that nostrum’s accurate as “an apple a day. (Consider the value of produce versus the cost of health care.) That faith’s looking shakier than a San Andreas, California townhome, as Cleveland fell yet again to the Chicago 99-93.

That was their ninth loss against six wins in March. To the shock of everyone, the Wine and Gold look like a candidate for Life Alert, on the growing awareness that they might not get up. The team’s as complacent as the fandom, simply expecting to win because they’re the world champions. They can’t be bothered most of the time with the hard work of defense, or even, oftentimes getting back in transition. Perhaps they feel if they don’t go back on D, maybe it will be time to play offense sooner, and they’re sorta right.
 
More evidence of complacency is their record against the West, which is now complete.

Last year the Cavaliers were 22-8 against the West. They lost twice to GSW, and lost to Memphis and Houston at home while losing to New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio and Utah on the road. They beat a lot of quality West teams on the road, and swept four West playoff teams. The one team that did sweep us out of the West, GSW, was dealt with eventually of course.

This season, they went 16-14 against the West, including 4-11 on the road. They beat the four worst teams in the West on the Road -- all .405 or worse overall.

In fact, they only have six quality wins at home all year (Toronto and Washington twice each, plus the Bucks and Hawks) and have lost FOUR games at home to losing teams (Chicago twice, Sacramento and Miami).

The Cavaliers did not lose at home to a sub-.500 team all last season.

So the Cavaliers are good at beating up on weak teams and winning at home, but not as consistently as last season. Against better teams away, not so much.

Hopefully it's mostly complacency and attitude. If it's more, we'll be done sometime in May.
 
New column up as I get back into doing gamers for playoffs

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2017/04/06/cavs-arent-afraid-of-no-celts

Cavs Aren’t Afraid of No Celts!


Nobody likes a challenge more than the Cavaliers. Blessed with more talent than anyone in the Eastern Conference, they’ve treated the regular season like their senior year in high school, with sporadic attendance and attentiveness. There were injuries, new players, not enough practices, irregular rotations and a grueling March travel schedule to share the blame for their inconsistent and indifferent effort, particular on defense. It often seemed they enjoyed playing offense so much they could barely be bothered to get back on defense, and whenever the offense tanked, the defense followed suit.

Then yesterday morning, dispiriting news emerged: Tristan Thompson had sprained his thumb and would miss at least the next two games. Those who’ve noted Thompson’s faltering rebounding and defensive numbers worried that the heavy load had worn him down, saw a mixed blessing: At least Thompson would get some rest. Lue admitted in a recent postgame that last season’s insertion of Mozgov into the starting lineup in March was to ease the load on Thompson, a luxury he hasn’t had this season at least since Chris “Birdman” Anderson’s injury (though as luxuries go he was pretty much a pocket protector).Naturally, with the best big man tied behind their back, the Cavaliers played one of their best games of the season. Even on the back-end of a back-to-back on the road – circumstances under which the Wine and Gold have gone lost nine of ten this year – they brought the intensity and energy all game long.

Most importantly, however, LeBron James activated the Zero Dark Thirty protocol, transforming from one of the best players in the NBA into a one-man Apocalypse, whose passing amplifies the skills of his already fierce horseman-henchman. They had no answer for his power.
 
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