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Cleveland Cavaliers 2009-10 Thread

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  • #91
    Originally posted by blacklight View Post
    if they continue to play the way they are playing now, they can be a contender for championship, this season.
    Cavs are currently the 2nd best team in the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers. I love to see the Cavs in the NBA Finals this year.

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    • #92
      Sources state that the Cavs are in active pursuit of David West; offering Zydraunas Ilgauskas.

      http://www.morningjournal.com/articl...4236111606.txt

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      • #93
        Originally posted by LordOfLeyte View Post
        Sources state that the Cavs are in active pursuit of David West; offering Zydraunas Ilgauskas.
        If David joins Clevland, I think that the Cavs would be a VERY SERIOUS championship contender. The main reason they lost last year was because they did not have a very good PF. With West in, the Cavs starting lineup would definitely be the best in the league.
        1-Williams (All Star)
        2-Parker/West
        3-James (Hall of Famer)
        4-West (All Star)
        5-Shaq (Hall of Famer).

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        • #94
          They also have Leon Powe who is set to play later in February. I almost forgot about him.

          Comment


          • #95

            LeBron leads way as Cavs take season series from Lakers




            CLEVELAND -- As chants of "M-V-P" filled the electrified air, LeBron James locked his thumbs under his maroon jersey and made it pop off his chest.

            The Cavaliers had beaten the NBA champions again, and James soaked in every second.

            "This," he said, "is what I live for."

            Fast Facts

            • LeBron James finished with 37 points and nine rebounds.

            • The Cavs have won five of their last six home games against the Lakers and swept the overall season series with Los Angeles.

            • James has won seven of his last nine head-to-head meetings against Kobe Bryant.

            • Cleveland forward J.J. Hickson recorded 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

            • Kobe Bryant finished with 31 points and became the youngest player to reach 25,000 points for a career.

            Cleveland showed its Christmas Day win over Los Angeles was no gift as James scored 37 points, including 12 straight down the stretch, and the Cavs, playing their first game without injured Mo Williams, beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers 93-87 on Thursday night.

            J.J. Hickson grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds and Anderson Varejao made three free throws in the final 20 seconds as Cleveland swept the season series between the league's top two teams. That could give the Cavs home-court advantage if they meet the Lakers in June's finals.

            A lot can happen between now and then, but the win gave Cleveland confidence it might be able to survive despite losing Williams, their All-Star point guard, who will miss at least one month with a shoulder sprain. Williams scored a team-high 28 in Cleveland's Dec. 25 win at Staples Center.

            Williams will be missed. But with James around, the Cavs have little to fear.

            "He willed this win for us," Cavs coach Mike Brown said of his star. "He has been doing that for us down the stretch, no matter who our opponent is."

            Bryant finished with 31 points but was only 4-of-15 in the second half as the Lakers lost the opener of an eight-game road trip. Pau Gasol scored 13 for Los Angeles, which shot just 33 percent in the final three quarters.

            Bryant surpassed 25,000 career points, but he was unable to match James in the fourth quarter as both teams turned to their superstars. Earlier, Bryant was looking forward to a physical game and was eager to see how the Lakers would respond to playing "smashmouth" basketball against Eastern Conference squads like Cleveland and Boston.

            Afterward, he wasn't so sure the Lakers are rough enough.

            "The mentality has to change a little bit playing against these teams," Bryant said. "These teams are physical, tough-minded, hard-nosed types of teams. That's not part of our DNA. We have to step up and match that and still play skillful basketball."

            James was careful not to put too much stock into Cleveland's win. He knows the regular-season sweep will mean nothing if the Cavs can't win it all.

            "You don't want to look too far into beating one team twice," he said. "The championship still goes through L.A. It doesn't matter if you beat the team four times, you still have to beat them in the finals to take that trophy away from them."

            With the score tied 80-all, James hit a 3-pointer from the left side, and after a miss by Bryant, James dropped another jumper to put Cleveland ahead by five. James then hit an 18-foot jumper to make it 87-80 with 2:48 left and the Cavs looked to be in control.

            But Ron Artest hit a big 3 for the Lakers and Bryant made two free throws and a quick jumper to tie it 87-87 with 1:32 remaining.

            James then blasted down the left side for a layup with 40.5 seconds to go, sending the raucous Quicken Loans crowd into a frenzy. After Gasol missed two free throws that would have tied it, James was fouled and missed the second of two free throws. But the ever-hustling Varejao was fouled by Artest as they battled in the key for the loose ball. Varejao, a 66 percent shooter from the line, made both attempts for a 92-87 Cavs lead with 20.7 seconds left.

            "I'm glad he's on my side," James said of his frenetic teammate. "I have no idea how he does it at the right time."

            Lakers coach Phil Jackson didn't agree with the call against Artest.

            "I didn't like that," he said. "I thought it was Varejao's foul. When he blew the whistle, I thought he was going to call Varejao for coming over the back. But they called the foul on Ron for grabbing him. A rebound situation foul like that at the end of the game, to make that call is kind of weird."

            Bryant then misfired on an off-balance 3-point attempt and James saved the long rebound, flying into Cleveland's bench after swatting the ball back.

            "It's a huge win," James said. "I can't sit here and say it's just a normal game because it's not."

            Bryant went just 11 of 25 from the floor, not much of an improvement from his 11 of 33 effort against Cleveland last month. He was guarded in the fourth by Delonte West, who started in place of Williams.

            Shaquille O'Neal scored 13 and Hickson, who had just two points in the first meeting with L.A., had 11 and was the difference inside as he outworked Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

            While media members, fans and even the league have pushed to portray the Cavaliers and Lakers as a budding rivalry, Bryant isn't buying it -- not yet anyway.

            "No," he said coldly when asked if the team's were adversaries before the game. "Not at all."

            He may now be warming up to the idea.


            Game notes


            Bryant is the 15th player to surpass 25,000 points. ... Cleveland has won 14 of 15 at home. ... The Cavs are 15-5 against the West and 8-0 against Pacific Division teams. ... Lakers G Jordan Farmar won $1,200 from his teammates in a half-court shooting contest at the conclusion of the morning shootaround.


            Expert recap and game analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA game from January 21, 2010 on ESPN.

            Comment


            • #96
              Definitely a front-runner for this year's MVP plum. He could just get his 2nd trophy.

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              • #97



                CLEVELAND -- For the first time since establishing it as their affiliate, the Cavaliers are going to pluck a player from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League. According to a source, the team will sign Cleveland State product Cedric Jackson to a 10-day contract on Saturday. Jackson, a 6-3 rookie guard, will give the Cavs instant point guard help following injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West. Jackson is averaging 14.7 points and 7.6 assists with the BayHawks. He's coming off a game in which he scored 34 points. Erie runs some of the same offensive plays and defenses that the Cavs run, part of the partnership established between the teams. BayHawks coach John Treloar works with the Cavs coaches in training camp. The Cavs lost Williams to a shoulder sprain on Tuesday then Thursday West fractured the ring finger on his left hand. Tests at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday showed West's injury wasn't serious but he's expected to miss a couple games. Getting Jackson will give the Cavs an extra ball handler plus a player who knows the offense and is regarded as a solid defensive player. Jackson helped the Vikings to a Horizon League Tournament title last year and an upset of Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
                CLEVELAND -- For the first time since establishing it as their affiliate, the Cavaliers are going to pluck a player from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League. According to a source, the team will sign Cleveland State product...



                I hope he become the next Bobby Jackson. Congrats to Cedric Jackson for making it to the NBA.


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                • #98
                  hopefully they beat lakers this season

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                  • #99
                    Originally posted by andreakassi83 View Post
                    hopefully they beat lakers this season
                    They swept the season series against the Lakers.

                    Comment


                    • Cavaliers may not wait until deadline to make a trade decision: Cavaliers Insider



                      By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer

                      February 02, 2010, 7:15PM

                      CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Technically the NBA's trade deadline is February 18th at 3 p.m., which means there's 15 shopping days left.

                      But for the Cavaliers, who are one of the more active teams examining the market, that may not turn out to be the case. According to various league sources, the Cavs may compress their time schedule and make a decision on whether or not to make a trade by the start of next week's All-Star break.

                      As it is, the vibe the team has been giving in talks lately is that they are willing to make a deal, but do not feel it is necessary. Over the last two months, the front office has been in talks with various teams about good shooting forwards and good shooting guards with defensive skills.

                      With Mo Williams, Delonte West and Leon Powe all scheduled to return from injuries right at or shortly after the All-Star break, there's a feeling the Cavs want to make a move sooner rather than later to limit the turbulence to the roster with so many players coming back and roles changing.

                      The Cavs are usually quite conscious of team chemistry and consider it before making any move.


                      Part of the thinking may be the demanding schedule that comes after the current seven-game homestand. After getting a week off for All-Star festivities, the Cavs will play six games in nine days and all are against potential playoff teams. They will host the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets and play at Charlotte, Orlando, Boston and Toronto.

                      Parker holding out hope: Anthony Parker hoped to hear from his agent with a final answer on the Three-Point Shootout Tuesday, but the call didn't come before the Cavs faced the Grizzlies. While Daniel Gibson, who started the week ranked first in the league in 3-point shooting, didn't think an invite was coming, the fifth-ranked Parker was holding out hope. The announcement on the participants is expected to be made Wednesday.

                      There have been reports that Channing Frye of the Suns and Danilo Gallinari of the Knicks have been invited. According to a source, the Suns' Steve Nash and the Celtics' Paul Pierce were given invites. But the field may not totally be set yet as Pierce suffered a foot injury Monday that may affect his status.

                      Jackson re-signs: With West still day-to-day with a fractured left ring finger, Cedric Jackson was signed to a second 10-day contract on Tuesday. Jackson hasn't gotten much playing time and hasn't even been able to show much in practice because the Cavs haven't had a full contact practice in the last 10 days. But the front office still seems intrigued with the former Cleveland State star.

                      "Danny [Ferry] likes him and likes what he saw when he played in the NBDL," coach Mike Brown said. "That has a lot to do with it."

                      Williams hurting: Jawad Williams has been battling a bout with back spasms over the last few days. He first felt them on Saturday night but played Sunday, scoring 12 points against the Clippers. Williams got treatment both Monday and Tuesday and is attempting to play through it, just as he's doing with a left thumb strain.

                      "You just rely on adrenaline to get through it," Williams said. "But after the game, I was feeling it."

                      Dribbles: Lakers center Andrew Bynum said he needed to get a root canal to repair damage to a tooth after taking an elbow from Shaquille O'Neal. ... Rob Kurz, who was cut from the Cavs in training camp, was named to the D-League All-Star roster. So was former Cav Dwayne Jones.
                      According to various league sources, the Cavs may make a decision on whether or not to make a trade by the start of next week's All-Star break.

                      Comment


                      • Shaq inside has made a big difference for Cavs

                        Posted Feb 4 2010 1:09PM



                        Looking at their overall statistical profile, this year's Cleveland Cavaliers are very similar to last year's. They play at the sixth slowest pace in the league, they rank in the top five both offensively and defensively, and they're tops in point differential.

                        But the way the Cavs are scoring and defending is very different this season. While Shaquille O'Neal, with Mo Williams out, is only now starting to put up numbers worthy of a spot on your fantasy team, he's made an impact on the way the Cavs play all season.


                        With the mid-range game being the most inefficient way to score in the league these days, the most important places on the floor are the paint and the 3-point line. The Cavs have thrived beyond the arc (both offensively and defensively) each of the last two seasons, but the paint is another story.
                        Look familiar?

                        Cavaliers by the numbers, last two seasons

                        Season Pace RK Off. Rat. RK Def. Rat. RK Rat. Diff. RK
                        2008-09 91.2 25 109.7 4 99.4 3 +10.3 1
                        2009-10 93.5 25 108.0 5 99.6 3 +8.5 1

                        Last season, the Cavs scored 36 percent of their points in the paint, a lower percentage than all but three teams in the league. This season, they rank 12th by scoring 43 percent of their points in the paint. Their mid-range points (those not scored in the paint, at the line or beyond the arc) are down to 22 percent (10th in the league) last season to just 16 percent (28th) this season.

                        The presence of the Diesel has made an impact on the defensive end of the floor as well. Last season, the Cavs' opponents scored 41 percent of their points in the paint. This season, that numbers is down to 37 percent, the lowest in the league. As a result, their opponents' mid-range points are up from 21 percent (15th in the league) last season to 24 percent (third) this season.

                        So while Shaq isn't the offensive force that he was in the past and he doesn't move too well defensively anymore, he's still a presence in the paint. He hasn't gotten any smaller as the years have gone by. And you can't coach size.

                        The Cavs have outscored their opponents in the paint in 35 of their 50 games so far this season, and they've won 30 of those. They're just 5-4 when they're outscored in the paint and 4-2 when paint points are even.

                        Per 100 possessions, the Cavs have a points-in-the-paint differential of +9.4, which is tops in the league. Last season, they ranked 19th with a differential of -1.4.

                        Who was No. 1 last season? Shaq's Suns, of course.

                        Points in the paint have been tracked since the 2000-01 season. And in eight of the 10 seasons since, Shaq's team has ranked in the top three in points-in-the-paint differential.

                        One anomaly was the 2002-03 Lakers, when Kobe Bryant became the team's leading scorer for the first time and shot a lot more threes than he ever had. The other was the season when Shaq was traded from Miami to Phoenix in February and played just 61 games total.



                        How Shaquille O'Neal's teams have fared


                        Season Team PIP Diff Rank
                        2000-01 Lakers +6.7 3
                        2001-02 Lakers +7.1 2
                        2002-03 Lakers +3.6 8
                        2003-04 Lakers +6.6 1
                        2004-05 Heat +10.5 1
                        2005-06 Heat +12.0 1
                        2006-07 Heat +5.5 3
                        2007-08 Heat (47 G) -5.3 28
                        2007-08 Suns (34 G) +0.1 17
                        2008-09 Suns +12.6 1
                        2009-10 Cavs +9.4 1

                        PIP Diff = Difference between points-in-paint made
                        and points allowed in paint

                        Now, outscoring your opponent in the paint isn't necessarily a formula for success. This season, the 16-31 Pistons rank fifth in the league with a differential of +2.9, while in 2005-06, the 64-18 Pistons were very much a jump-shooting team and ranked last in the league with a differential of -8.6. If you've got four or five guys on the floor who can shoot and you move the ball well, you can still be successful without a post presence.

                        But the Cavs believe that controlling the paint will be critical for them come May and June. That's why they traded for Shaq last summer and that's why, despite his much larger expiring contract, he won't be the center they trade if they want an upgrade at power forward.

                        Even though there are some good teams at the bottom of the rankings when it comes to points-in-the-paint differential -- Portland ranks 30th, Toronto ranks 22nd and Dallas ranks 21st -- the teams the Cavs are focused on are all near the top.

                        The Celtics rank third with a differential of +5.8, the Lakers rank fourth at +3.4, the Magic rank sixth at +2.5 and the Hawks rank 10th at +1.5. So if you can match their size and take away the paint, you will have an advantage against those teams. It's not a coincidence that the aforementioned Pistons, despite their poor record, are one of only three teams who have beat Atlanta, Boston and Orlando this season.

                        The Cavs, of course, are 5-1 against the Lakers, Celtics and Hawks, with the only loss coming on opening night against Boston. They've won the points-in-the-paint battle in each of the six games, by an average of 10.3 per contest.

                        A year ago, the Cavs were 6-7 against those teams in the regular season and famously lost to the Magic, 4-2, in the conference semifinals. In two regular season games against the Lakers, they were outscored 104-52 in the paint. They didn't get outscored in the paint in that Orlando series, but Dwight Howard averaged 30.3 points on 66 percent shooting in Orlando's four wins, and it was his size and quickness on the pick-and-roll that allowed his teammates to shoot 41 percent from 3-point range
                        .

                        In eight career games against Shaq, Howard has averaged just 13.6 points on 56 percent shooting. In the Cavs' Nov. 11 win in Orlando, Howard had just 11 points and took just three shots from the field.

                        On the surface, Shaq's impact on the Cavs seems minimal. But in the games that matter most, his presence is critical.


                        Great Article on NBA.com. Shaq is one of the main reasons why the Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA.

                        Comment


                        • JJ Hickson on Wade

                          Revenge for Andy!?!

                          The Cavs are rolling.
                          http://BuckeyeBallers.Blogspot.com

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by Chigusa View Post
                            JJ Hickson on Wade

                            Revenge for Andy!?!

                            The Cavs are rolling.
                            Sick dunk by JJ Hickson.

                            Comment


                            • With the acquisition of Jamison, Cleveland Cavaliers have soared into the odds-on favorite for the Eastern Conference.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by LordOfLeyte View Post
                                With the acquisition of Jamison, Cleveland Cavaliers have soared into the odds-on favorite for the Eastern Conference.
                                Well, I think they were the odds-on favorite before the trade, too. Jamison is a fantastic player, but so is Z. I think that Z's size made him so important as the Cavs defend players like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. I really hope we get Z back.
                                "I really like the attitudes of eagles. They never give up. When they grab a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn't matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of [an] eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn't let go." -- Donatas Motiejunas

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