Live Thread: Cavs @ Celtics
2018-02-11If you hibernated through January and woke up this morning, you might be a little surprised. The Cavs’ brand new roster is set to take the floor this afternoon. The starting lineup this game will be George Hill, J.R. Smith, Cedi Osman, LeBron James, and Tristan Thompson, and if Friday night was any indication, get ready to see a much faster Cavalier offense with more ball movement. The Cavs should have scoring all up and down the lineup (everyone except Kevin Love is available to play today), and at least have the youth and bodies to be a more energetic and athletic defensive team (if not the defensive reputation).
Key to this defense will be communicating like they did Friday night and learning when to switch and when not to switch. If everyone can play in peoples’ faces like Cedi did the other night, they’ll be just fine. Tristan and J.R. seem like the weak links on the starting lineup. Tristan has been getting torched when he gets switched, and J.R. has just been getting burned all the time. If Thompson can stick on Horford/Baynes, and someone can contain Kyrie, the Cavs should be able to hang. The Cavs have to focus on not turning over the ball over against the Celtics young guns.
Offensively, if I was Tyronn Lue, I’d run everything through LeBron when he’s on the floor and when he’s off, use Kyle Korver’s gravity to set up everything else, with a side of Clarkson/Nance pick and roll (they should already have chemistry). The old play where Delly ran high pick and roll with JR running off a screen on the wing would be a fantastic option for Clarkson, Nance, Korver, Green, and Hood. Wow. This team is loaded now.
For the Celtics, Marcus Smart and Shane Larkin are out with a hand and knee issue respectively, while Gordon Hayward is out indefinitely while Celtics fans pray he can come back this season.
Buckle up Cavs’ fans. This should be a fun one. Here’s hoping the Can inspire a Bill Simmons Twitter rage. My prediction: 112-106, Cavs.
Uh oh….
defensive breakdowns are going to happen—-no panic button
Cedi j!
Cedi for two.
Clarkson checks in…
Interesting. Cedi on Ky out of bounds.
Cavs are flying around.
Man… Cedi is like a pinball out there on D!
Hill getting to the line.
Great drive by Hill!
Agreed Koby, I want to watch the game over seeing your interview too
Feel like JR and TT are both going to feel the pressure of the young guys and up their games…
Wow what dunk by JR.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2683976.1466622508!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/nba-cleveland-parade.jpg
JR Jam!! Holy cow!
JR Damn!
Holy ****, JR!
JR!!!
Anyone else think it’s weird that Dray is dressed like a cavalier in that YouTube ad?
Hill will make such an impact.
Boston getting some easier shots than us. But tt has been huge on contesting at the rim. At least one block. Saved at least three layups.
George Hill is a quality NBA player. Not an all-star, but he does a lot of things pretty well.
Kyrie only one really scoring for Celtics
Tristan with a couple nice early blocks
Larry Nance effect?
Wtf Bron. Bitch at the ref instead of getting the loose ball right in front of you, why don’t you.
Love Cedi’s crossover dribble…
Jeez. Does hill have an ounce of fat on him?
Good block by tt after Cedi made a mistake.
Hill’s going to be good for this team…
Omg. Hill such an improvement.
Bron has to back Kyrie down.
Boston’s offense looking good vs our defense.
Celtics moving the ball well off penetration.
Kyrie looking to put on a show…
Fun sequence for the crowd there – LeBron vs Kyrie. Love how loud Boston boos LeBron, usually amps him up.
CELTS TREATING THIS LIKE A PLAY OFF GAME—HO HUM—-GIVE US A FEW WEEKS WITH THESE NEW GUYS THEN WE WILL TALK
That is the thing about Irving. He can always get a makeable shot for himself no matter who, including James is guarding him.
Ridiculous JR!
Oh Swiiiiish! Flying J corner 3
CEDI D
Wow JR!
Hilldini got toasted by Ky there.
I expect Kyrie to have a huge game today.
Bostonās no longer in first place?
Toronto ahead on winning percentage.
I want the Cavs to win so Billy Simmons rage tweets!
Itās good the Hood played with Hill last season. That will help with some of the chemistry.
yes arch saw where KJG said bring back the ” ENCHILADA “——ALL IN MAN !!!!
“pre-season ” game as far as I am concerned ( of course celts think differently)—just want to continue to see the EFFORT / ENTHUSIAM / TEAM PLAY—–looking to see the new guys in a cavs uniform—-next 2 games before all star break I predict will be a challenge —–just got done with my sunday workout–listening to BOB SEGER CLASSICS—-evil have a request for you —please in ” honor of our departed “draino-I.T. “—-post the classic SEGER TUNES —–” TRAVELING MAN—-BEAUTIFUL LOSER “—–think they are rather appropriate —thanks my man ——WELCOME ABOARD RODNEY / “JR “/ JORDAN / GEORGE —GO CAVS… Read more »
Almost 50 pre-game comments. I would say CtB is game ready
Last time cavs made this big trade in 2008 they beat grizzlies by 20 and then things fell to earth until playoffs…possibly could be same case unless new guys adapt more quickly
I’ve compared this team to Game of Thrones in the past, but I think The Wire (season 2) is more appropriate. This franchise enjoys just replacing the whole cast in the middle of the story.
Its a whole new team lol
Some Calderon would make sense when LeBron is on the bench, to guide the new guys.
True. Keep the emotions in check.
Just wait until you see G Hill…
I hope Marcus Smart shoots 20+ times this game.
Not playing…
Haha didn’t even know :(
Once in a blue moon he makes a lot of those trash threes. Hope this is not one of those blue days.
Unlikely since he is out.
At work till 5:00 today, bummer. :( At least I can see the 2nd half.
List of former and current nicknames for the new guys… George Hill: G3 Hill the Thrill King George G3ORG3 Hill Street Blues Hilldini Hillion Dollar Bill or, my current favorite… HILL YEAH! Rodney Hood: All Good In The Hood Hoody Silent Assassin Robin Hood I like the one he gave himself for his mean side… Roscoe https://www.instagram.com/p/p2ZKA0usux/ Jordan Clarkson: He tried to get “Swag Brothers” to stick with him and D’Angelo Russell Sparkson Pacquiao (the Lakers called him this due to his Filipino heritage) Larry Nance Jr: Easy enough to call him “Junior” Retro Boomin’ Space Cowboy He gave himself… Read more »
I am totally on board with “HILL YEAH!”.
Also going with “Roscoe”.
Probably “Pacquiao” if he likes it. How do you pronounce it?
Kind of like “Lights” for Nance. “The Rim Leaper” is kind of long.
Like the boxer… Pack-ee-ow…
I like Hilldini, Hill the Thrill (sounds like an old school boxing nickname), and Robin Hood. Space Cowboy comes from what…exactly? Spacewalker?
That’s what the SAP announcers call Nance…. Space Cowboy (since he went to school in Wyoming)
King of the Hill?
Rodney Dangerfield
George: King of the Hill
be interesting to see how long of leash JR has today and whether Lue will dump him for Hood or someone else if defense is still shoddyā¦.So many intriguing lineups Cavs can use with these new guys. Not gonna care about outcome of game, but it would be nice for Cavs to win and make Boston nervous because they will be if Cavs do win with new guys first game together.
Without Love and after trading Frye, Cavs have no shooting from their bigs. Celtics should be able to clamp down defensively and ride a pumped up crowd with Pierce’s ceremony to a win
Not worried at all about Celtics in playoffs tho. Can’t score well in regular season, playoffs will be rough for them I think
Who knows? I think Pierce is a jerk, so I hope the Celts lost to spoil his parade.
Remember a preseason game in LeBron’s second year, when Pierce was trying to bully a rookie on the Cavs (forgot who it was), and LeBron and Pierce got into some kind of tiff?
Yeah, Pierce spit on LeBron IIRC…
Actually spit at the bench… my bad
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/171091/Pierce-Spits-at-Cleveland-Bench-as-he-Battles-Lebron
video evidence needed!
Gonna see a lot more of Bron at the 4 with Love out.
That picture cannot be real. He is small but not that small.
He might still be shrinking, like the guy in “the Incredible Shrinking Man”, which I saw when I was a kid. Great scene of the guy fighting a spider using a safety pin for a spear.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/962728115343691777?s=20
A lot of us very rightly believed at the time that even mentioning IT’s name in the MVP conversation was completely asinine…
one of the most fake ‘injuries’ in sports history, he’s lucky Celtics won a ring that year or that would be his legacy.
#TheTruth
Him getting stabbed (or was it shot?) & almost bleeding to death was real enough.
Still, Parish must be back on the weed if he thinks Pierce was better offensively than Bird. Not even close. I would also take Havlicek & McHale as better offensive players for Boston.
TT looking a bit nervous knowing Nance is ready to go ;)
Hoping that third time is a charm with #3 jersey…
Whew! At least it wasn’t the Dubs…
Simmons, Redick, Covington, Saric, Embiid. Plus Belinelli. Gives them another legit shooter when Covington is off. Too bad Fultz never got healthy. Plus they have the Lakers pick.
76ers will be a tough out if they make the postseasonā¦.i hope Celtics stay 1 and 76ers 8 seedā¦.that will be a dandy to watch!
So weird:
Did you say Love is available to play?