Cavs/Lakers! It’s the NBA Finals on ABC!

Big trade, huh? Anybody see that coming? The Lakers, with Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar holding down the 1, didn’t part with much of value to acquire one of the better big men in the game in Pau Gasol.

Crittendon was unnecessary with Farmer playing so well already. Kwame was good for little more than cap room. The 1st round picks probably wouldn’t have been much higher than 20.

The Grizzlies get a heap of flexibility to throw money at whomever they think will fit into their point guard heavy system come the off-season (Conley, Lowry, Crittendon, plus kinda Juan Carlos Navarro), plus some extra picks never hurt a team looking to add talent.

I think this makes the Lakers terrifyingly good. Perhaps not this year, with Bynum potentially out the remainder of the season and Pau needing to learn the triangle, but as soon as next year, the Lakers are back to being title contenders.

Lamar Odom is now their 4th option. Think about that starting lineup:
C – Bynum
PF – Pau
SF – Odom
SG – Kobe
PG – Fisher

Yikes! And they back that up with Farmar, Walton, Turiaf and a couple foreigners. I think we’ll see a rotation where only 2 of the 3 bigs are on the floor together, but that just means their 2nd unit is almost as potent as their first.

Pau will excel in an offensive system where he has capable cutters and shooters and ball movement, and he’s not relied on in a stagnant system from the low block.

Defensively, Bynum will be a beast, handling any bigs and protecting the rim, Turiaf will almost literally play his heart out banging, and Odom can handle any quicker 4s, in the Marion mold.

I love watching the triangle. Players just keep moving, passing and cutting until a shot presents itself. Now it’s going to get even better.

Kobe heard the news and proceeded to drop 46 on 28 shots, 7 and 5. Odom smiled as a burden was lifted from his shoulders, leading to a 12, 10 and 8. I see no reason they can’t put up those same numbers with Bynum and Pau’s 18 and 8.

I’m looking forward to beating them in the Finals.

Also, I noticed somebody found their way to LeCavs by searching for “Lebron Roy feud”. Wouldn’t it be exciting if the Cavs needed to beat the Caron-led Wizards to reach a finals against the winners of the Lakers/Blazers showdown in each of the next 10 years? I could see it happening.

Go Cavs!

~edit~
We couldn’t give the Grizzlies anyone with as much potential as Crittendon nor as big an expiring contract as Kwame. And while we could give up picks, we could use some young talent instead, preferably in a form that fits our system better than Gasol. So no, I’m not disappointed that we let one “get away”.

The 1-2 punch

This afternoon one Cavs shot better than 50% on more than 3 shots. One hit 50% from deep. 4 assists was a team high and a lone Cav managed multiple blocked shots.

Was Lebron just doing it all? Was Boobie running the offense? Did Z go crazy?

Or is (Larry Hughes + some confidence – the boos) earning every penny of that 13 million?

In addition to stuffing the box score for the 2nd consecutive game, Larry Hughes has been coming up with big play after big play without the ball in his hands. That’s really becoming a theme to Cavs games.

Of course, Lebron was dominant – 41 points on 50% – but with frustrating flaws in his game, it takes that Robin to his Batman to earn big west coast road wins.

Speaking of Lebron, before Ori comes around tell you all about how great he was, I just want to point out his shot chart from tonight, since every game I get more and more frustrated with his shot selection. Sure, he went 16-32, but how much better would that look without the 1-5 from deep? And with 14 shots at the rim, the excuse of crediting the opposing D goes out the window.

Take a look at those made shots, on the left. King James hit 16 shots from 5 spots on the floor. Yeah, one deep 3. Two two on the line jumpers. One baseline floater. And 12 dunks and layups. Then take a look at that volume on the right. 12 bricks on long, long jumpers, often without any attempt to pressure the offense and force a reaction.

Add it all up: 12-14 when he gets to the rim. 0-2 on twisting floaters in the lane. 1-2 on medium jumpers. 3-14 on his favorite shot.

Look, it was a big win. We played well. Lebron led that charge, playing as well as anybody. But that isn’t what wins championships. And that is exactly what we look at almost every night.

I love the Cavs. I love watching them win. Each game like this is damned fun to watch. But I’m greedy. I want more! I can try to rationalize – he’s doing enough to win; he’s avoiding injury; he’s just streaky. But that’s BS. When have we shown we can consistently impose against quality defenses in tough spots? If this were last June, would have have had 16 shots from the lane, or we would have lost by 10 as Lebron went 10-32?

So Lebron, do it. Attack. Kill. Get to the rim. Demoralize. Set up the team. We have the shooters. You’re not really one of them. You’re bigger, stronger, faster. You don’t need to throw up that awful crap. I’m glad you worked on your jumper, but it still needs more work. And we have plenty of talent around you. No, they aren’t all-stars off creating on their own; they need you. I could take those jumpers. They don’t need me. They need you. Ok?

Good win. Go Cavs.

(PS – Looks like a bad sprain for Varejao. X-rays were negative; MRI tomorrow. Hello Donyell; it’s a pleasure to see you again.)

Cavs/Lakers! Lebron/Kobe! It’s the NBA on LeCavsTV!

The battle of two of the top teams in the league; the battle of two of the top players in the league.

For once, the news in LA isn’t about the latest celebrity DUI.

Discuss.

Go Cavs!

~~~~~~~
Halftime update:
We’re shooting poorly, barely getting to the line and Kobe hasn’t missed.
But wait, thanks to rebounding, we’ve taken 7 and made 1 more shot the Lakers, everybody aside from Kobe is cold, the Lakers really aren’t getting to the line even less and aren’t even hitting when they do. And it all up and it’s a solid 9 point halftime road lead.

I like to see us pushing for easy easier shots, especially when we’re this cold. I don’t feel like we’re falling into the Lakers style, despite them being known as a fast paced team. While they do break and try to keep their rosters stocked with good passers to capitalize on those breaks, a bigger part of their high scoring their half court system, which often works to get quick shots.

I think it’s going to be a lot of Kobe vs Lebron, especially if the Lakers slip further behind while Kobe defers in the 3rd. Should be exciting.

Game Blog!

8:11 Mike Brown is mic’ed tonight. The opening snippet was the locker room speech.

Let’s bring it. Let’s make them feel us tonight for 48 minutes. Let’s make the Lakers feel us tonight for 48 minutes. Ok? So we can feel good about what we did on that floor. Let’s go.

8:15 Sound like Marv has a sore throat tonight. Let’s give him enough “Yes!” moments to send him on sick leave.

8:16 Sasha aggressive on the first possession. That’s a great sign. Nothing gets you out of a funk like layups and free throws.

8:17 Sasha and Z 2 man game on possession 2. Looks like we’re trying to establish both of them.

8:17 Ugly shot by Boobie, especially so early and without any pressure on the D. Somebody tell him to just stand in the corner and look pretty.

8:18 Derek Fisher could’ve been a Cav this year. I guess the Cleveland Clinic was good enough for Hughes, but not good enough for Fisher.

8:19 If Walton is sticking on Lebron, how is Lebron not going for 50? Especially if he’s moving without the ball (and making free throws 1… and 2.)

8:21 So far Kobe is settling on jumpers while Sasha is getting it done on both ends. No way that lasts – Kobe is Kobe – but it’s huge for Pavs. He’s the early key to the game.

8:23 Second needless early, long jumper from Lebron. Why??

8:23 First blow by and foul (and 1) for Kobe. It’s a game of runs.

8:29 Another fadeaway…

8:29 Kobe draws another foul. Guess they’re alternating who gets to drive and who takes the jumpers.

8:33 Hughes passed on the long jumper. (good) Then he threw the ball softly up in the air for a turnover and got called for the foul trying to recover. (bad)

8:38 Another fadeaway. Then a transition And 1. I kinda wish Odom would’ve hit Lebron harder. Yesterday it seemed like Lebron was the only one who cared. Tonight he’s back on cruise control.

8:39 Two man game with Hughes on the wing and Andy on the block. Yeah, that was going to end well. Turnover.

8:46 Glass 2. Dinner is what we’ll call honey mustard chicken fried rice. I can’t wait for halftime.

8:49 I believe Devin Brown should be getting 30 minutes consistently. Even when he’s bad, he’s not awful, and when he’s good, he brings a lot of glue.

8:49 Yes, Hughes sucks. We know.

8:50 The slickest thing about the Farmar/Bynum oop was the way Farmar sold it by so intently looking away after they first made eye contact. You’d have thought he was looking to pass it to a streaking Lebron going the other way.

8:52 Willie Mcginest is in the house. Maybe he can bring some interior D right now.

8:58 The 2nd quarter to this point has seemed very sedate. No oohs or aahs from the crowd, no mini-runs. I guess that’s why nobody pays to see the bench bunch.

8:59 Lebron could’ve dove the loose ball. Instead he just points towards our basket and hopes. Lakers ball.

9:06 Kobe is casuall aggressive. With minimal effort and fanfare he gets easy baskets – often free throws, puts pressure on the defense – drawing fouls, and racking up stats. When Lebron rumbles to the hoop, everybody notices. Maybe it’s his size, or maybe he has a lot to learn about getting easy baskets.

9:11 Eric Snow might be the best coach on the Cavs. No wonder they mic’ed him up along with Mike Brown. And Reggie Miller is absolutely right questioning Shannon Brown for not trying to be a sponge. Does he really think he’s going to earn big minutes for his offensive game alone?

9:17 Wow, Bynum only played 27 high school games? So what’s Diop’s excuse for sucking for so long?

9:17 Lebron keeps the NBA logo in the front of his headband. Hughes keeps it in the back. Tells it all.

9:18 Halftime! Down 2 despite spreading it around pretty well. Let’s check the stats to see if they can tell a story I haven’t noticed.

Let’s see…

• Lebron’s shooting well. All 5 misses were on those lazy fadeaways.
• Wow – I know I haven’t seen tons of tip ins, but can Z really have 0 boards?
• Not surprisingly, Odom is killing us. Who could defend him? Obviously not Gooden, but I don’t buy that Andy would slow him down, either. Maybe we’ll throw Lebron onto him to give him a different look, though with 2 fouls on Lebron already, I have to assume Coach Mike will want to protect him for a 4th quarter duel with Kobe.
• Dinner time!

9:39 Lebron with a bricked 3… I hate the way the announcers extol Lebron for trying to carry his team. He’s so great without trying that he gets way more credit than he deserves. He hasn’t broken a sweat tonight.

9:42 Remember the first play of the game, when Lebron cut away from the ball? That was a long time ago.

9:43 Howard/Bynum is going to be way more exciting to watch than Lebron/Carmelo in 5 years.

9:44 Lebron with another long jumper, and his man leaks back for a layup as Lebron challenges Kobe at midcourt.

9:48 Dribble, dribble, dribble… Hey! It’s a pass! And the basket and the foul! Three cheers for positive reinforcement.

9:50 He drove! He attacked the rim! The Cavs are going to win!

9:54 I jinxed it again. The Cavs went back to sleep and are down 9.

10:02 Clearly, I’m running out of steam. But then the crowd is booing sporadically (mostly for Hughes) so it’s not just me. We just don’t do anything that looks good. There are no crisp plays, no hustle plays, no tense moments. At least the fans care.

10:o5 Devin Brown holding for the last shot tells you all you need to know about a) Larry Hughes, b) Sasha Pavlovic, and c) the Cavs ability to run a play without Lebron (or Z).

10:05 Down 5 after 3 is actually pretty remarkable. Our 3rd quarter swoon looked a lot worse than the Lakers made it. This game is still definitely winnable. This 4th quarter should be must win.

10:11 Seriously, Devin Brown is clearly the best guard on the team. Why would he ever not get 30 minutes?

10:27 Has Varejao ever successfully dribbled without looking down at the ball?

10:27 Layup Lebron. It’s allitera-tastic!

10:35 1:13 left, and he settles for a jumper.

10:35 Kobe meanwhile, gets to the hoop and passes. Luckily Fisher missed the wide open 3.

10:35 Lebron got next to the lane this time, at least, but couldn’t get rim.

10:38 And Kobe outmuscles Andy for a rebound. Guess who wants it?

10:40 Whew, lucky miss by Kobe, lucky loose ball foul on Fisher. Boobie got the worst of it, and I guess that’s what earned him the call. Hooray for weighing 142 pounds!

10:43 I have to admit, we’ve been excellent from the line lately. I also have to admit, I hate the Cavs Canadian announcer.

WHEW! Go Cavs! We just beat a top 5 western conference team. (Record-wise. Seriously, check the standings. The Lakers are good.)

There were moments when we played the D and moments when we were aggressive on offense. As moments turn into quarters and quarters turn into games, the wins will come.

Decisions, decisions

I’m thinking about live blogging tonights game against the Lakers.

On the one hand, there should be plenty of fireworks as Lebron squares off against Kobe.

On the other hand, I can’t afford a new laptop if tonight’s game plays out like last night’s.

I should do it because this is a rare chance to watch a Cavs game unimpeded, start to finish, buffered with the aid of Tivo, and the solitude to shout at the TV as loudly as I’d like.

But if I don’t, I’ll be able to enjoy the gifted bottle of wine from my boss. And the wine makes the shouting that much more liberating.

I’ll leave it as a maybe. I’ll dig into the wine now and see how quickly my emotions rise, like cream to the top, and whether my patience wears as I watch Farmar and Vujacic frolicking in the lane, Odom outrebounding our team and Kobe casually reigning jumpers.

If all that happens, live blog or not, the laptop will probably end up broken. Along with that lamp over there. And this chair. And that bookcase. Oh, and let’s not forget that wall. I’ll be red like the Kool-Aid man if the defense doesn’t show up at home.

Go Cavs!