"We're 28-10, we're good."

[SoundBreaker]

DENVER -- Thoughts following the Cavs 99-97 loss to the Nuggets:

* The Cavs were quite bitter after this loss because they felt like they had played well enough to win. Can't say that I totally agree with that, especially the way the offense played in the second half. The quote in the headline came after someone asked LeBron James whether he was happy with how stagnant the offense was down the stretch. It was a frustrated and jocular answer. In fact, it was a non-answer.

Simply, when LeBron takes 28 shots and has eight turnovers against seven assists it is terrible offense. He took a stunning 18 shots in the second half and had just one assist. It is not totally his fault but a lot of it sure is. He's breaking off the plays and he's sucking the creativity out of his teammates, which he's been doing at times over the last five years. He did a lot of good things, especially at the defensive end late, but this was a game that could have been had and it would have been a good win. A win that paid off as teams kept coming in here and losing over the next three months.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/01/cleveland_cavaliers_at_denver.html

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

I am so glad we have Windy. It is nice to read someone that is realistic and tells it like it is instead of just being a homer and constantly riding LeBron's jock.

Although, it is kinda sad our beat writer can see LeIso is killing us but LeBron and maybe our coaches can't.

I say maybe our coaches because I find it hard to believe they are dumb enough to say LeBron stand around for 22 seconds and shoot a fade away jumper. It has to be on LeBron more than the coaches IMO.

 

[Gunther]

Windy putting the hammer down on LeBron. Good for him! Even the best players need to be open to criticism. I also like this paragraph right after in the same article:

It wasn't a loss because of a few bad calls, it wasn't a loss because the Nuggets made some clutch shots (and, wow, did they) it was a loss because LeBron took 18 shots in the second half and the rest of the team took 20. If he gets the 18 shots out of good offense then fine. He's a megastar so everyone lives with it. He's going to win games by himself way more than he's going to lose them. But as with everything this season, it is all about the playoffs and doing that in the playoffs won't do. Won't do.

Please note that I am not coming down on LeBron. We'd be a lottery team without him. But he has to realize that "leadership" is a two-way street. A good leader leads by example.

That may be a lot to lay on a 25 year old, but he wants the responsibility, so he has to learn somehow. I hope he can make the necessary adjustments before the playoffs begin. When he shares the ball, doesn't complain, and plays to his potential (as opposed to playing down to his opponent), the team is a thing of beauty to watch.

Love you, LeBron, but you need to learn from this and improve if you want to win a championship. No one is perfect.

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

Windy putting the hammer down on LeBron. Good for him! Even the best players need to be open to criticism. I also likes this paragraph right after in the same article:



Please note that I am not coming down on LeBron. We'd be a lottery team without him. But he has to realize that "leadership" is a two-way street. A good leader leads by example.

That may be a lot to lay on a 25 year old, but he wants the responsibility, so he has to learn somehow. I hope he can make the necessary adjustments before the playoffs begin. When he shares the ball, doesn't complain, and plays to his potential (as opposed to playing down to his opponent), the team is a thing of beauty to watch.

Love you, LeBron, but you need to learn from this and improve if you want to win a championship. No one is perfect.

I also thought that was a good paragraph right there. To all the fans saying well regular season means nothing now, its all about the playoffs, etc.....

Then why the hell aren't we working on new things in close games in the 4th quarter? Why are we continuing to go LeIso every close game in the 4th quarter? If the games don't matter, why aren't we just trying to get better and try out some different plays?

Oh that's right. Fans are just using that as an excuse after every loss we have. We aren't trying new things because in their minds (or maybe just LeBron's mind), LeIso is our best chance at winning games.

I can't wait to watch LeBron go 1 on 5 vs Boston in the playoffs again. :shifty:

 

[jlegg21]

You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink? I'm pretty sure Mike isnt drawing up 1 on 5 fadeaways in the huddle.

Windy also gets on LeBron a little for the 8 TO's, but I'd say at least half of em were pretty good passes that were fumbled away. Kinda like riding Peyton Manning when his WR's drop a pass that hits em between the numbers.

 

[staycoolbruh]

You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink? I'm pretty sure Mike isnt drawing up 1 on 5 fadeaways in the huddle.

Windy also gets on LeBron a little for the 8 TO's, but I'd say at least half of em were pretty good passes that were fumbled away. Kinda like riding Peyton Manning when his WR's drop a pass that hits em between the numbers.

Hm...not really. LeBron was careless today, He wans't really trying to get his team mates involved, he was taking some wild shots with the iso play.

I hate when he does that, run the offense, run some set plays, get your teammates involved, thats what got us most of the wins.

 

[Andrew]

Its not all LBJ here, let's be fair. It's a team effort to lose these types of games, sure LBJ is the leader and the focal point...but this loss is on their lack of defense as a team, not solely on LBJ.

 

[Adam]

Well thats the trouble with being the superstar of a team, win as a team, lose by yourself. Lebron has still got a few lesson to learn, but hes still young and he will learn them, hopefully before it cost the team in the post season.

 

[Benedict_Boozer]

Mo was a ghost out there tonight as well. He was a no show against WAS also even though we blew them out. He's just as much to blame as Lebron and Brown IMO, on this current team he is the #2 option. When he struggles our chances of winning drop like a rock.

He better pick it up against POR

 

[Trill Cosby]

I respect the hell outta Windy & trust me I'm all about accountability...usually the last guy you'll find ever blaming the whistles for a loss. But fact is the officials did a piss poor job out there and missed key calls that baffled the hell outta me. Sure our defense wasn't up to par and I agree LeIso happened way, way, waayyyyyy too much...


But the kid was right, they played good enough to win and should have won. Momentum is a big thing and when a series of bad whistles kills that momentum you're dead in the water.


Ahhh well.... [jay z] "On to the next...On-on to the next......"[/jay z]

 

[DougHeil]

Nice job Windy!!

I believe you may be a tad bit harsh on LeBron however. I saw many times LeBron would be dribbling at the top and the others just watching him without moving one toe. It seemed to be a combination of LeBron wanting to do things alone and the other four making it easy for him as they didn't seem to try to get open or cut to the opening to receive a pass.

The entire team failed last night. The coaches failed as well.

I also believe that at the beginning of games we seem to be conscience of getting the ball to Shaq, but then we seem to get totally away from the further into the game we get. So far away that Shaq is nowhere to be seen in most of 4th quarters. I don't get that at all. He changes the paint and the dribble drives when he's in there. Denver was successful time and time again by driving and passing to the open man. They had much less success with Shaq clogging up the paint. I truly don't get it. I also do NOT get the idea of West sitting out the last half of the 4th. I guess we really believe Parker was better in there than West would have been? It makes no sense. Anthony; you are a nice player my man, but you have your weaknesses of which many of them are strengths of West.

It's also disturbing that the players were upset in the locker room because they thought they played well. That's crap. They played AT TIMES, but they sucked many more times. This team better start to understand how a great team should play a BB game. Hopefully they watch the tape today and come to the realization they truly did not play a good game.

Further; LeBron should try to understand he is much more lethal and a HUGE threat when he's playing OFF the ball and cutting and screening for others. It's hard to believe how much different we can run our offense from one game to the next game. I remember a very recent game where it seemed LeBron was playing off the ball almost the entire game. It was great to watch.

 

[Photon]

Help me out guys. The way I see this it's way to much on one man, It's always like: this player or that bailed LBJ out, like he has to do all the important thing by himself. I agree, definitely, that he does some stupid things and he lacks interest sometimes, but me being form Europe, I just don't get why you guys want so bad that one (or two) superstar to solve everything. I know you are not all like that, but some of you... it's so strange to me...

 

[The Oi]

The Cavs need another player who can score 15+ PPG on a consistent basis, someone that LeBron can trust to get points without him. Don't care what anyone else says. That's what this is about.

End of story.

 

[nime]

Billups shutting down Mo was a big reason for LeIso. Without that consistent second scorer and create guy. LBJ had to run pg.

Needed a stretch 4 last night like Jamison. He would created his own looks and got to the line, probably hit some jumpers as well.

Last night a huge case was made to get Jamison. JJ can't hit that jumper.

 

[CHIMOCHIS]

Once BRON BRON saw MO couldn't get open he said forget this. I would of liked WEST getting more minutes