Well, that was one of the more enjoyable games I’ve watched in a while.
Playing their sixth back-to-back in only 22 games, the Cavs started slowly but finished monstrously strong to beat the defending champions behind stellar efforts from a 19-year-old rookie, a 29-year-old Brazilian, and Mychal Thompson’s son for two minutes in the third quarter.
It was the Cavs first win of the season against a .500 team, and only their second win in the tail end of one of those aforementioned back-to-backs.
Want some blurbs?
Let’s do some blurbs.
Kyrie Irving puts up 20, 7 and 4. It’s getting pretty hard not to be really excited by the kid. He was pitched in the draft as being good at everything, but potentially, great at nothing.
At this point I’d think it’s safe to say that’s his floor.
Kyrie is faster than anyone gave him credit for, his handle is either insane or on the verge of insane, and there’s the type of nuance in his game that defies physical measurement and amplifies the ability he does have. And then again tonight, he flashed the capacity (slash desire) to seize the important moments of a game, which he did by weaving through the Maverick defense twice in the final two minutes to finish at the rim.
Remember how that wasn’t happening earlier in the season (the finishing at the rim)? Well, it’s happening now. The kid is getting better, and he’s getting better quickly.
Side note: Special thanks to Patrick Ewing for lending Kyrie his kneepads.
Andy Varejao continues to kill it. Andy Varejao has never had a run like this in his entire career. He had 17, 17 and 3 against the Mavs, and is averaging 16.3, 17.3 and 2 in the last 3 games. But more than that, as always is always the case with Andy, stats don’t tell the half of it.
His energy is changing the complexion of games right now. As important as Kyrie has been in improving the Cavs offensively, I would credit Varejao at least as much. His constant movement on the offensive end is surprisingly effective in opening up passing lanes and his offensive rebounding — tops in the league right now at 4.7 per game — is giving the Cavs opportunity to hang around in games they’d otherwise have shot themselves out of.
The Cavs won the game tonight because they took 26 more shots than the Mavericks, a result of their 17 offensive boards (7 from Andy) and 21-9 turnover advantage (only 1 for Kyrie). Remove those advantages from the equation and consider that Cleveland shot 39.8% to Dallas’ 47.8%… Without Andy Varejao, tonight’s game isn’t close.
He is the heart of the team, and really, one of the stronger hearts in the league.
Antawn Jamison…is a really nice person (and seriously, I mean that).
Wrote this down at some point in the first-half: “Antawn Jamison plays the game as though you get ½ a point for every shot attempt.” It’s not that he shoots all the time, it’s that sometimes he’s just shoveling the ball at the basket. I’m on record as saying we’d miss him were he gone (and I do believe we would), but ultimately, the Cavs are going to have to find a more consistent first (or second?) scoring option. Preferably one athletic enough to avoid shooting the ball around the side of a defender. AJ said a few weeks ago that there’s no one in the league who can stop his unorthodox game. I’m starting to question if anyone’s trying to.
Dan Gilbert, social media enthusiast.
I’m not dumb enough to think that Dan’s not pandering a bit…but I am dumb enough to think that he’s not pandering a lot. I’m pretty sure that Dan Gilbert loves this team semi-irrationally, that his heart is in the right place, and that when it’s time to be competitive again, we’ll once more have access to a talent-boosting hoard of his casino money. I feel comforted that he’s so invested. Just please, basketball god(s)…rig the lottery this year, land us Anthony Davis, and then we can all stop worrying about being too good, too quick for the foreseeable future. Then, we can free Dan Gilbert(‘s money).
How about we start throwing bounce passes the rest of the year? The Cavs are, without a doubt, the worst alley-oop team in the history of professional sports. In the past several games, I’ve seen lobs to Jamison, Casspi and even Harangody clunk off the backboard unrequited. With the exception of Gee and maybe Tristan (who I’m not 100% sure is the most natural lob catcher), there’s not a rotation player on the team capable of finishing what should be a NBA-requisite for positions 3-5. By no means is this a disaster (I actually think it’s kind of funny), but it’s indicative of our lack of athleticism on the perimeter and probably something we should try to rectify for 2012-13.
Last blurb. I don’t want to jinx it…but the Bruce Bowen comparison for Alonzo Gee? It might even be setting the bar low.
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Next game is Tuesday in Miami everyone, so until then…enjoy the Super Bowl!
(Actually, I have a picture post coming sometime tomorrow afternoon/night…so keep a lookout!*)
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*And by tomorrow, I mean next Sunday. Sorry folks! Got a little off of my cartooning schedule. That said, here are a few pictures I had sitting on my desktop to tide you over/validate me. One Cavs cartoon, and one (just for the heck of it) Super Bowl promo.
The Kyrie pic was to head an article I wanted to write in a few weeks. Maybe now I’ll just draw a new picture to pair with it.
And this next one…well, happy Super Bowl Sunday.
-Ryan
Great Post. One comment RE Andy’s All Star campaign:
Wouldn’t Andy playing in the all star game; a game where defense and hustling are un-encouraged; be a slap in the face to the type of player he is?? While I think Andy is very deserving and am happy he is catching the attention of people outside of Cleveland, I would hate to see his hustling act wasted while Lebron, Wade, Howard and the rest of prima donnas hoist up bad shots and errant passes.
While Andy is clearly the mid-season MVP, Kyrie is the Cav who is most likely to make the team with his athleticism and flare for the highlight reel. At the end of the day, if we get an All Star, great. Happy for the team, the city, and the individual, but still won’t be enough for me to sit down and watch the actual All Star game shenanigans.
With Parker & Gibson out, our best options are Sessions & Gee. Gee has made huge progress in his offensive game since last season, should be a long term option for a solid weapon off the bench.
Casspi & Thompson blow my mind with their horrendous play & they play at the same time! How many times did the Mavs iso Casspi on the block & he gave up baskets b/c he got pushed under the basket.
The Hollins/Harangody big man pair was a disaster. Erden played solid D v Dwight Howard, he is a better option than Hollins
Are you hearing any new cavs trade rumors?
Jamison actually didn’t bother me too much last night. He missed easy ones at the rim, but he’s been rebounding with more effort lately and played some good ball hawking on Dirk.
Dear JMP,
Your description of horrendous play is not quite clear to me. Did you notice that Casspi led the Cavs in steals and blocked shots. Also, you can’t expect Casspi to score heavily because he plays together with AJ and KI who take most of the shots when he is playing. If you want Casspi to score, give him the ball. Both Casspi and Thompson shot better than AJ against Dallas.
Byron Scott is probably the best coach in the NBA. Look what he has achieved with players that make around 1 mil a year. The team is as competetive as star studded New York, Miami, Clippers etc. Cavs can win any of them. It’s only a matter of lack of little bit of consistency do to inexperience. By the way, Casspi will love to make alley-oops, but that is an impossible shot to make if you don’t get a pass to the rim.
In summary, basketball is a team sport. Byron Scott knows that better than anybody. That’s why his TEAM is as good as the superstar crowded teams. You see my point?
I’ve been impressed with Gee all season. I think a better comparison to a current NBA player would be Delonte West. Hard-nosed and gritty on both ends of the floor, hits open shots, can take it at you, won’t ever be an all-star but can be counted on to come up with big plays and be trusted in the 4th quarter.
I can’t put my finger on it, but I absolutely love watching this team play (not just Kyrie and Andy). Saturday night well spent..
Can we please trade for Delonte West? I miss him :(
Bowen had two above-average skills for his whole career: The corner 3 and defense. And the corner 3 was a late-blooming development and his defense was good but he got dirtier as his reputation increased.
Gee is already looking like more of an all-around player, even if his defense isn’t as stout — but that’s improving, too. He can actually drive to the hoop and finish and he looks like he’s working on a mid-range game. He’s going to be an very good bench player on a very good team in a couple of years. In Cleveland.
What I’m trying to say is comparing Gee to Bowen is selling him a bit short because he legitimately looks more multi-faceted already.
@Kepbabes: Thanks! Totally agree with you re: Andy in the All-Star game…but I still want him to get it as a symbol of what it means. It’s just a nice career achievement (as it was for Z), and as you said, incredibly well deserved. Maybe if we stopped stocking the All-Star benches with no-defense, 20-point scorers the complexion of the game would change. One last note: The prospect of having to watch Andy run a pick-and-roll with LeBron almost makes me second-guess everything I just wrote.
@ Ryan L: I’m probably not hearing anything that you haven’t heard. IMO, the most likely guy to go would be Sessions, who I’d rather keep him for anything short of a first-rounder. (And even then, I think the only reason we do that is to collect trade chips. The likelihood of us plucking a guy better than Session between 20-30 is pretty small.)
@ Kevin: You know what the funny thing is? I actually like Jamison and think he absolutely brings real value to our team (as, you’re right, he did last night). The only thing that’s tough to watch with him (for me) is that in the context of envisioning a championship team, I don’t think he (or even the 25-year-old version of him) fits. And perhaps more frustrating is that I realize we’ve become reliant on him to do what he does, which is essentially to put up shots. I guess what I’m saying is he can’t be the archetype for that position moving forward if we’re ever going to be something more than a perennial first/second-round out. He is playing better defensively though (relatively).
Re: Dirk: Was it me or did he look awful last night? His shot was fine, but his mobility on the perimeter was non-existent. I know the guy is hurt, but he looks a long way off from Finals MVP-Dirk.
@TobaccoRoad: I love watching them too. If Dan Gilbert’s goal was to reload in the image of the 2004 Pistons, he’s off to a good start in terms of well-roundedness/guys who play hard/Byron Scott. We just need a little more strength in the foundation.
One thing no one is talking about, that I think people should: Anderson Varajao is better as a center than a power forward. All this production is coming with Andy comfortable in his role at center. He’s so much quicker, and moves without the ball better than most centers in the league, and is among the best high post passers and dribble drive players at the 5. There’s so much he can do with and without the ball. Against average centers in the league, he’s very effective, and the Cavs aren’t going to be playing Dwight Howard or Marc Gasol every night. I’d love to see him get an all star nod as a reward for how he plays the game, and honestly, to see him run pick and rolls one more time with LBJ.
Ryan,
I was goofing around with Real GM Trade Checker, and was originally trying to figure out trade scenarios for LA Lakers to acquire Howard, but with the rumors circulating about the Lakers wanting sessions, I devised a working trade that nets the Lakers Sessions and Jamison from the Cavs, and Dwight Howard from the Magic, in return, Orlando gets Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Steve Blake and our New Orleans 2nd round pick. Cavs get Ryan Anderson, take Hedo Turkoglu’s terrible contract, Chris Duhon, and Lakers 1st round pick. It seems reasonable for all parties. I like Ryan Anderson’s game a lot, and I think the Cavs could resign him.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6017000
@HoopsDogg: That’s a great observation and I so totally agree with you! I’d be comfortable with Andy manning (FTW) the 5 for the foreseeable future. He’s a top-10 center in the league (just killing with his mobility), and somehow, the prospect of Andy defending Dwight in a 7 game series doesn’t scare me nearly as much as it used to. Andy’s filled out some I suppose…
@Bonus: You know, I like where your head is in regard to facilitating a trade (because that’s probably the only way we’re getting back something substantial for any of our non-Andy tradable pieces)…but two things come to mind re: the one you made…
The first is that, with cap space about to be at a super-premium as the new CBA is phased in, you’d have to be getting A LOT to take on a contract like Turkoglu’s. I’m not sure Ryan Anderson is enough.
The second — check out this article:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/218778/Lakers_Slip_In_Pursuit_Of_Dwight_Howard
I’m not sure Dwight wants to go to LA anymore, and truth be told, I don’t blame him at all. Kobe + Dwight no longer = championship, and that will be more and more the case as Kobe gets progressively older. I think the Lakers will have to get much worse before they get elite again…and that makes me sad for Mike Brown.
In closing: I love your name.
@whoever may be reading these comments looking for the picture/article post I promised: I’m soooo sorry! Had a few computer issues and looks like we’ll be delayed until next Sunday. I promise to make it up to you with an awesome post.
Ryan.
I read that article, and turns out it’s probably false, check this:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/shed_some_dwight_GvwdZ4slGK1AKpXd33m0bP
Anyways, I don’t think Kobe would be that arrogant, but he is Kobe. Also, I still don’t understand why Howard is so enamored with the Nets. That team is D Will surrounded by garbage, and it will be D Will and Howard if he gets traded there and almost no additional talent and probably no lottery pick since that will go to Orlando, I don’t see that team doing much with two superstars and a sack of crap. Lakers is a much better situation IMO. Howard will rule LA when Kobe hangs up the Nikes.
I know taking on Turkoglu’s contract would be an issue with the new CBA and all, but Lakers do have their first round pick and the Mavs, both wont be lottery pics, but the way things look now they might be top 20. Cavs could also ask for Orlando’s 1st rounder. The upcoming draft is stacked and we could still get some pretty good players with those pics – or package them with the Cavs pick to move up higher on draft day. Throw them in the mix with Ryan Anderson and I think it is a pretty good package for the Cavs. Might be able to turn this thing around much faster, I think Ryan Anderson / TT combo would set the Power Forward position, we keep Andy, and look at drafting some wings / shooting guards, and getting a backup center.
Anyways, who knows what will happen. I heard on Mike and Mike this morning a hypothetical proposed trade between the Clippers and Orlando, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson straight up. Would you make that deal if you were the Clippers? Imagine Chris Paul and Dwight Howard together.