Preseason Live Thread: Cavs vs. Celtics
2018-10-06
It’s an Ohio sports night! With the Tribe taking on the Astros and the Buckeye battling the Hoosiers in the late afternoon, we’ll forgive you if you’re a little late tuning in to the Cavs tonight.
Still, it looks to be an interest lineup with a bunch of dude’s out of the lineup.
#Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said David Nwaba (tweaked groin) will not play tonight vs Celtics. Also sitting Kevin Love, George Hill, Tristan Thompson & Kyle Korver
— Marla Ridenour (@MRidenourABJ) October 6, 2018
Still, it’s a good chance to look at what Collin Sexton, Sam Dekker, and Larry Nance would look like joining probable starters Cedi Osman and Rodney Hood from the tip. For the Celtics, Kyrie and Gordon Hayward didn’t make the trip.
#Celtics Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Aron Baynes will start against the Cavs on S… https://t.co/rUTE1DiRhY
— NBA Daily Lineups (@DailyNBALineups) October 6, 2018
So we’ll see if the Celtics look to avenge their moribund home performance from earlier this week, and how Collin controls the reigns from the tip. Hopefully our favorite Ohio teams have everything wrapped up by the time this starts. Go Cavs! Go Bucks! Go Tribe!
Best guess at Lue’s thinking:
Starters: Hill, Hood, Cedi, Love, LNJ/TT.
2nd 5: Sexton, Clarkson, Korver, Dekker, TT/LNJ.
Last 3 active: JR, Nwaba, Zizic (and they all should play consistently).
Inactive most nights: Frye, Taylor
Two ways: Preston + 1 (Holland, Colson, Simmons, Randolph).
Against teams with big frontcourts, Zizic plays more and Dekker less. TT over Nance to start.
Against smaller teams, Nance/Dekker & Nawaba play more. Less TT/Korver.
Questions are:
1) How long before younger players push their way up the depth chart? Sexton (starting), Zizic (2nd C), and Nwaba (top 9).
2) How long before we see some veteran trades? Korver, Hill, JR, TT.
I don’t think they hold onto Holland. He is what he is at this point.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/1048781506087403525?s=20
Didn’t get to see the game, but saw highlights. So another win over that horrible, annoying team, Smart making a complete ass out of himself yet again (and sounding like a dweeb 7th grader with his ‘meet me out by the swing set after school!’ nonsense), yet another JR meme (the waving bye bye)…not bad for a preseason game.
Can the city of cleveland put JR Smith on the side of a building? maybe creation it exactly the same way as lebron…we are all witnesses…something about him makes me want the entire Q to be wearing his jersey and watch him shoot Kobe level fg attempts and just see what happens.
If I am picking the team. Taylor is the 15th man as the #3 PG. I take Colson as a two way with Preston. He is not back in shape and his timing was off on O but he had 3/4 blocks on D. Holland is better right now but is 29/30 and we are loaded on the wing. Simmons & Randolph are athletic, but neither can shoot or run the point & we are loaded on the wing. Though Korver, JR, & Hood could all be gone soon. Worth looking at. Zizic has to get regular minutes. If teams… Read more »
Zizic makes TT look so unskilled. His hands are light years better. I still enjoyed TT telling the press that the east is still Cleveland’s until someone takes it from them tho…haha that was pretty great
Just checked the stats. Happy to see two games with Celts is two too many for them. Throwing out a question, though: Sexton’s got only two assists in 42 minutes of play. Concern? The team only has 28 over two games as well. Same concern?
Not a concern IMO for either Sexton or the offense in general. There’s so much ball/man movement… no one’s dominating the ball. Also, some wide open shots have been missed.
Thanks, CLF. I fear I won’t see enough games to make a call on this–and preseason basketball lacks familiar team positioning/lineups… but a LeBron-centric team will really need to shed some of the past four years’ habits. I am hoping Sexton keys more ball movement, but I wonder if his game is suited to do so…
I think Sexton’s main role will be to attack the paint and score… like Tony Parker’s game. IMO shots will be created by the offensive design with man/ball movement, not individual playmakers.
I’m a little concerned now that you say it about Sexton, but we dont have the same kind of knock down shooting team we have had recently. Assists will need to be more of a team thing and less of a one or two players get them all thing if we are going to score a lot. Like…the spurs.
Agreed–hopefully, KLove will feed others at the elbow, Cedi and GHill can work off the dribble, and the team pushes the tempo, because Clarkson and Sexton are not going to run a conventional half-court set the way a traditional PG would. Lue probably is relieved to develop an offense not so dependent on one player..
Ugh…I am so down on Lue. I really hope it was lebron that derailed his sets cuz if not we are so screwed
Odd after we looked so good for two games.
Preseason means less than nothing in every pro sport. There is zero correlation with how a team plays in preseason and how they fare when it matters.
I was actually going to invoke the Spurs name with respect to how the offense looks now. They never have a high assist guy… just the whole team with 3-5 assists.
Nope. He was a willing passer. Got some guys open looks and they missed. If Love/Korver/Hill are with him instead of Dekker/Hood/Taylor he has more dimes.
He is not a Clarkson/Westbrook/Irving type on offense. Nor Marbury. Has a lot if work to do but his mentality is not Mamba/AI.
Agreed. He and Cedi have the skill set to go assist hunting, but they don’t. Everyone seems to e happy take simple quick swing passes when necessary.
PRESTON / BONZI TO CANTON —–BETWEEN SIMMONS / TAYLOR FIGHT IT OUT FOR ROSTER SPOT ———–ALTHOUGH STILL WAY TOO EARLY—HAS ANYONE CHANGED THEIR OPIN ION ON DEKKER ?
No opinion change on Dekker… he still needs to prove he can hit 3 point shots on a consistent basis for me to think he’s an NBA player.
Dekker reminds me of a poor man’s Chandler Parsons. So yeah, not good.
A very poor man’s Parsons LOL.
He was good tonight. No doubt about it.
That Zizic dunk. The other play of the game.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6uyw0r
Wrong vid Nate.
Although the IT one was funny. He’s a punk.
*fixed
My play of the game.
LIKE HOLLAND BUT HE HAS REACHED HIS CEILING——-GO WITH YOUTH / ATHLETICISM —–CUT THE CORD WITH HOLLAND
” ZZ” —–TY YOU NEED TO GIVE THIS KID MINUTES THIS YEAR !!!!——GO CAVS !!
Somebody must want the Kardashian circus and will be willing to take TT to make it happen. Charlotte maybe???
Zizic really impressive as a lane filler and finisher. Colson looks very intriguing. Isaiah Taylor. Looks Like the third PG.
Zz shook off the first game rust and is back to where he was in summer league. Kid’s got talent.
He’s only 21… there’s at least 3 or 4 years of growth that can happen… he’ll always be limited by his athleticism, but he’s got skills.
I said it during his run last season, he’s a B level P. Gasol in my eyes. He knows where to roll, blocks hard, has a soft touch around the basket and can get to the rim from the free throw line.
He needs to work on a mid-range shot and footwork. Then it’s all about proper usage.
thaat would be awesome… Gasol underrated defensive player.
Simmons with the drive!!!
Preston with the fade away jumper!!!
ZIZIC. TOO EASY.
Colson with tremendous hops and the block!!!!
I count three blocks for Colson so far.
Doesn’t have his offensive timing yet but his defense looks legit.
Really disappointed with Simmons. He was brilliant in summer league and just nothing so far in pre-season
Zizic ball fake and strong finish with the hook shot!!!!! That was some quickness too!!!
Isaiah Taylor nice hesitation move but can’t finish
Zizic cleaning glass and finishing!
Ouch zizic takes a knee to the stomach
Unable to watch the game – any feel on Holland re: improvement from last season?
He’s the same… Tho he’s been on a little roll since the latter half of summer league
Thanks CLF
You’re welcome
I’d. Be surprised if he got a two way. His ceiling seems to be where he is now.
yeah… his age makes it a statistical impossibility he actually improves from where he’s at now.
Have a feeling we have seen the last of the guys who will actually be on the Cavs this year save maybe Frye. Doubt any come back in for the 4th.
Holland coast to coast!
Simmons gotta work on ball handling
Nice hustle defense colson!!!
Did one of the Rookie Celtics eat Kyrie?
Nice hustle defense Simmons
Frye with the post up!!!
Frye to Simmons!!!!!
No thanks to having colson on my team. A guy fighting for his NBA career doesn’t even hustle back on the turnover leadung layup. Just let rozier jog right past him. Didn’t even foul him while he was still in front of him. You can’t show me that kind of effort even in preseason if you are a non-nba player trying to make a roster.