• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Casspi is the pit bull Byron Scott wants on the Cavaliers

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

raisen

NBA Starter
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
638
Reaction score
2,946
Points
93
Omri Casspi is the pit bull Byron Scott wants on the Cavaliers

By Bob Finnan

Published: Sunday, December 18, 2011

Some would say the Cavaliers were dog-awful last year.

Cavs coach Byron Scott is hoping to change that perception. One of the players who could make a difference is Omri Casspi.

The small forward has a nasty streak, and that's not necessarily a bad thing for a team like the Cavs.

"We need some guys like that," Scott said after the Wine & Gold Scrimmage at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday. "I always put it this way: We don't need Chihuahuas. We don't need poodles. We don't need German shepherds. We need pit bulls.

"It's good if you have a few of them. If you have a bunch of Chihuahuas, you might be in trouble."

Scott said the combination of personalities on last year's team was between a German shepherd and large poodle.

Casspi had been sidelined with a sprained right knee. He had nine points and two assists in the Gold team's 67-57 win over the Wine before 7,836 fans.

Rookie guard Kyrie Irving paced the Gold team with 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds in 31 minutes. He turned the ball over five times.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Casspi was held out of the Cavs' preseason win over Detroit on Friday because of his knee injury.

"He's an intense competitor," Scott said. "I like that about him."

Casspi, 23, said his knee is doing much better.

"Kudos to our (medical) staff," he said. "They did an amazing job getting me back on my feet. This was the first time I've played five-on-five in quite some time."

He liked being compared to a pit bull.

"I'm trying to compete all the time, play tough and play hard," Casspi said. "I think I'm making strides.

"It feels good to be out there and playing. I was in Israel this summer, and the whole time I had something else wrong with me and couldn't play."

Scott is making a strong push to improve the team's defense.

"Coach said we need to play defense to earn minutes," Casspi said. "That's what I've been trying to do."

Casspi will be the starter at small forward.

"He's a little more athletic than people think," Scott said. "He gets up and down the floor. He moves real well. What's carrying him right now, he has very good basketball IQ.

"Having a 6-9 small forward who can get up and down the floor like that is a good thing."

Forward Samardo Samuels had 15 points for the Wine team, while forward Tristan Thompson added 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

"It was my first time being on The Q's floor," Thompson said. "It was very exciting."

Irving is becoming lethal with his lob passes.

"It's a basketball play," he said. "I've been throwing lobs since eighth grade, even though no one could dunk."

Irving marvels at Thompson's jumping ability.

"When you see Tristan go after a block, his hand is clearly above the white box (on the backboard)," Irving said. "He's got young legs."

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/12/18/sports/nh4877898.txt?viewmode=default



Casspi’s intensity on display for Cavs

Coach Scott says he’s looking for ‘pit bulls’ to fight for points

By Jason Lloyd
Beacon Journal sports writer

CLEVELAND: Too many times last season, Cavs coach Byron Scott was stunned at his team’s lack of focus and intensity during games. The Cavs lost plenty of games by more than 20 or 30 points and too many of the players barely seemed affected or bothered by it.

It’s one of the reasons Scott is happy to have Omri Casspi on the team. Casspi’s intensity was on full display during Sunday’s Wine & Gold scrimmage.

Casspi missed Friday’s preseason win at Detroit with a bruised knee, but returned for the scrimmage with nine points. But it was his competitiveness that made him stand out.

He slammed the ball into the padded support under the basket after a foul call and knocked the ball away in disgust after missing a 3-pointer. His teammates have referred to him throughout training camp as a gritty defender.

“We need some guys like that,” Scott said, referring to Casspi’s demeanor. “We don’t need Chihuahuas, we don’t need poodles, we don’t need German shepherds. We need pit bulls, and it’s good if you have a few of them. I think he’s one of them. If you have a bunch of Chihuahuas, you’re going to be in trouble.”

Scott said last season’s team was mostly made up of players somewhere “between a German shepherd and the large poodles.”

That wasn’t meant as a compliment.

As long as he’s healthy, Casspi is the starting small forward. Alonzo Gee is probably second and Christian Eyenga is a distant third. While he’s easily one of the most athletic players on the roster, Scott said, Eyenga still has a lot of work to do if he’s going to start jumping over guys on the depth chart. A Development League assignment for Eyenga is not out of the question.

“Christian has to do a lot of other things before he plays,” Scott said. “There are a few guys in front of him he will have to beat out.”

One of those is Casspi, who averaged 9.5 points in two seasons as a spot starter with the Sacramento Kings before being traded to the Cavs hours before the lockout began. He has battled injuries to both knees, but he is assured of a starting role with the Cavs when healthy. He simply chuckled at Scott’s pit-bull analogy.

“Trying to compete all the time, trying to play tough and play hard. No easy baskets, stuff like that,” Casspi said. “I want to keep learning the system and our tendencies that we want to do defensively. We’re making strides.”

Also making strides is Kyrie Irving, who had another impressive stat line Sunday. Irving had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. At least three of those assists came on perfectly placed lobs at the basket that became dunks.

“I’ve been throwing lobs since I can remember. Even when no one could dunk in eighth grade, I was still throwing lobs,” Irving said. “I’ve been practicing my whole life. It’s just a basketball play.”

Tristan Thompson, the Cavs’ other top pick, had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. He also had two blocks in Friday’s preseason game against the Pistons.
Scott believes both Irving and Thompson are a little ahead of schedule.

“[Irving] has grasped everything pretty quickly and so has Tristan,” Scott said. “Both are farther along than I expected at this time.”

Harris update
Manny Harris didn’t reveal much about the burn he suffered on his right foot while visiting Nike’s facilities last month. He didn’t really know how it happened, but said he would not pursue a lawsuit against Nike.

“It was like a freezer burn,” Harris said. “I didn’t know it was going to take this long [to heal].”

Harris hasn’t been able to practice yet because of the burn and he limped barefoot through the locker room Sunday with his right foot raised so it wouldn’t touch the carpet.

The Cavs’ team doctors were off limits during the lockout, so Harris said he didn’t immediately seek medical attention because he thought it would heal on its own. When it didn’t, a doctor in Detroit gave him a cream to rub on it.

The Cavs brought shooting guard Mychel Thompson into camp to take Harris’ place, but Scott said Sunday that Harris can still make this team without a training camp. He is on a nonguaranteed contract this season.

“I know what I’ve got in Manny. I know what he can do,” Scott said. “Not playing doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t make the team.”

Goodbye
The Cavs waived forwards Tyrell Biggs and Kyle Goldcamp before the scrimmage. Their roster stands at 17. The only camp invites remaining are guards Mychel Thompson and Kenny Hayes.

Buzzer beaters
Zydrunas Ilgauskas attended Sunday’s scrimmage as a special guest. He is now retired and considering a role somewhere in the league, but hasn’t determined anything. He said he has not talked to the Cavs about a front office role. … More than 800 toys were collected for underprivileged children in the Cavs’ and Lake Erie Monsters’ annual toy drive this year. After the scrimmage, Eyenga, Harris, Semih Erden, Anderson Varejao and Samardo Samuels distributed toys to children from the West Side Ecumenical Ministries.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/cas...lse&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
 
Casspi was the best draft pick by far this summer ::troll face::... Anyways I was never and and not really on his bandwagon even when he was with the kings. I am not one for the guys who talks big game and call out everyone else when things go wrong when they hardly do anything special. I hope he proves me wrong and he becomes a player I love moving forward... as long as he backs up his words and attitude with play and hard work then he can bitch piss and moan all he wants and I will support him.
 
I am not one for the guys who talks big game and call out everyone else when things go wrong when they hardly do anything special.
I have no clue what you are bitching pissing and moaning about. :cool:

Casspi once covertly complained about the treatment by Westphal, and suggested that maybe it was better that he'd be traded, which caught a lot of attention. Just a young guy who's impulsive and passionate and for once didn't know when to shut up.

I don't know much about dogs, but the pit bull analogy seems to fit.
 
James Harrison is a pit bull. Ndamakong Suh is a pit bull. Ron Artest USED to be a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is not a pit bull.
 
James Harrison is a pit bull. Ndamakong Suh is a pit bull. Ron Artest USED to be a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is not a pit bull.

Well he isnt a big oversized poodle ! (see JJ hickson, Graham and Mo williams
 
I am fine if Casspi cannot be compared to a guy who leads with his helmet when his team is in a playoff hunt, a guy who shit stomps a player while in a hissy fit, and a guy who is simply batshit crazy.
 
James Harrison is a pit bull. Ndamakong Suh is a pit bull. Ron Artest USED to be a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is not a pit bull.

There are plenty of intense players out there who don't cripple their team with suspensions or jump into the stands to fight fans. You set the bar pretty high.
 
The Cavs’ team doctors were off limits during the lockout, so Harris said he didn’t immediately seek medical attention because he thought it would heal on its own. When it didn’t, a doctor in Detroit gave him a cream to rub on it.

This part sounds incredibly stupid. Couldn't they figure out a way to still provide team medial attention during a lockout? Certainly they could have reached some sort of temporary agreement over that while the other issues were being negotiated.
 
There are plenty of intense players out there who don't cripple their team with suspensions or jump into the stands to fight fans. You set the bar pretty high.

At no point did I say that Casspi doesn't have his use out there, or even that he's a bad player. Or hell...even that each of those guys are better than him (they are). I just said he's not a pit bull.

You're telling me that if someone let the dog equivalent of Omri Casspi off his leash and he came running towards you that you'd leap on top of the highest object in your general vicinity?

Exactly. Omri Casspi= not a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is probably more of a Giant Schnauzer than anything. Not really scary, but a little mean and definitely not a go-to pet for drug dealers.

Pit Bull:
huntington-beach-pit-bull-attack-attorney.jpg


com_110920nfl_CDDInsight_Suhnew.jpg


6a00d8341c630a53ef01156fb5cec3970c-800wi


ray_lewis.jpg


Ron-Artest.jpg



...






Not a pit-bull:

omri-casspi1.jpg


1190781531giant_schnauzer.jpg
 
Last edited:
At no point did I say that Casspi doesn't have his use out there, or even that he's a bad player. Or hell...even that each of those guys are better than him (they are). I just said he's not a pit bull.

You're telling me that if someone let the dog equivalent of Omri Casspi off his leash and he came running towards you that you'd leap on top of the highest object in your general vicinity?

Exactly. Omri Casspi= not a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is probably more of a Giant Schnauzer than anything. Not really scary, but a little mean and definitely not a go-to pet for drug dealers.

I didn't even say Casspi was a "pit-bull". Frankly, I doubt most people here have even watched him enough to make that kind of determination. I know I haven't yet. I was just saying that your examples were a bit extreme and personified the bad parts about having a "pit-bull" on your team. Ray Lewis is a much better example. (even though he's a murdering psycho...he doesn't harm his team through suspensions :chuckles:)
 
At no point did I say that Casspi doesn't have his use out there, or even that he's a bad player. Or hell...even that each of those guys are better than him (they are). I just said he's not a pit bull.

You're telling me that if someone let the dog equivalent of Omri Casspi off his leash and he came running towards you that you'd leap on top of the highest object in your general vicinity?

Exactly. Omri Casspi= not a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is probably more of a Giant Schnauzer than anything. Not really scary, but a little mean and definitely not a go-to pet for drug dealers.

Pit Bull:
huntington-beach-pit-bull-attack-attorney.jpg


com_110920nfl_CDDInsight_Suhnew.jpg


6a00d8341c630a53ef01156fb5cec3970c-800wi


ray_lewis.jpg


Ron-Artest.jpg



...






Not a pit-bull:

omri-casspi1.jpg


1190781531giant_schnauzer.jpg

It's because he's white isn't it? Smdh.

I'm just kidding.
 
I didn't even say Casspi was a "pit-bull". Frankly, I doubt most people here have even watched him enough to make that kind of determination. I know I haven't yet. I was just saying that your examples were a bit extreme and personified the bad parts about having a "pit-bull" on your team. Ray Lewis is a much better example. (even though he's a murdering psycho...he doesn't harm his team through suspensions :chuckles:)

Pitbulls are pitbulls for better or worse. They are what they are. They harm their teams- and owners- by attacking things viciously and without any regard for suspensions, injury or other negative results. But they sure as hell back up their bark with some bite to the extent that noone wants to provoke them.

Casspi is not a pit-bull and will never be a pit-bull. You'd know he was a pit-bull because people would look uncomfortable when he was mentioned and avoid saying anything about him at all. They'd also shy away from him on the basketball floor and he'd get suspended every few games for cheap shots and attacks.

There's really only one true pit-bull in the NBA nowadays and it was the old Ron Artest. All the other guys are just thugs or wannabe's.
 
Pitbulls are pitbulls for better or worse. They are what they are. They harm their teams- and owners- by attacking things viciously and without any regard for suspensions, injury or other negative results. But they sure as hell back up their bark with some bite to the extent that noone wants to provoke them.

Casspi is not a pit-bull and will never be a pit-bull. You'd know he was a pit-bull because people would look uncomfortable when he was mentioned and avoid saying anything about him at all. They'd also shy away from him on the basketball floor and he'd get suspended every few games for cheap shots and attacks.

There's really only one true pit-bull in the NBA nowadays and it was the old Ron Artest. All the other guys are just thugs or wannabe's.

There has to be a few well mannered/trained pitbulls in the world...
 
At no point did I say that Casspi doesn't have his use out there, or even that he's a bad player. Or hell...even that each of those guys are better than him (they are). I just said he's not a pit bull.

You're telling me that if someone let the dog equivalent of Omri Casspi off his leash and he came running towards you that you'd leap on top of the highest object in your general vicinity?

Exactly. Omri Casspi= not a pit bull.

Omri Casspi is probably more of a Giant Schnauzer than anything. Not really scary, but a little mean and definitely not a go-to pet for drug dealers.

Pit Bull:
huntington-beach-pit-bull-attack-attorney.jpg


com_110920nfl_CDDInsight_Suhnew.jpg


6a00d8341c630a53ef01156fb5cec3970c-800wi


ray_lewis.jpg


Ron-Artest.jpg



...






Not a pit-bull:

omri-casspi1.jpg


1190781531giant_schnauzer.jpg

:werd:
 
I think the interpretation of pitbull is screwing everything up. I'm sure Casspi has been all over the place in practice, earning him the term "pitbull", as an adjective to describe his tenacity. I have no problem with it - some guys are called pitbulls because of their extreme actions (the mugshots Jigo posted), some guys are called pitbulls because they exhibit energy well above and beyond others.

Its all about ball bearings people.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top