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Chris Fedor Discussion
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These are all I could find with a quick search:
View: https://twitter.com/uuords/status/552120582696103936
View: https://twitter.com/talkhoops/status/552121382029766656
View: https://twitter.com/BrettEP/status/552120803366825984
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Dylan Windler's Mom
I have two Harvard degrees!
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David Blatt's shining moment and Tristan Thompson excels as a starter: Fedor's five observations
By Chris Fedor, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The only way for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the sweltering heat off themselves and head coach David Blatt is to win games. They did just that, finishing a tough Western Conference road trip with back-to-back wins for the first time since before Christmas.
It's one thing to beat the Lakers, a team with one of the worst records in the NBA. But Friday's 126-121 win against the Clippers, a very tough team, is as good as any win on the resume, especially given the circumstances and the drama that has surrounded this team recently.
The shorthanded Cavs improved their record to 21-20 and 20-12 with LeBron James in the lineup.
James was brilliant in his third game back from knee and back injuries, scoring 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
Kyrie Irving led all scorers, finishing with 37 points on 12-of-18 from the field in 41 minutes. With Kevin Love nursing an achy back, Tristan Thompson started at power forward. He scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Here are five observations from the Cavs' most recent win:
A new LeBron – James was clearly bothered by a pair of injuries in the first half of the season. Despite having good numbers, the look on his face, his effort level and lack of explosiveness showed a player who knew he wasn't at full strength.
So James took two weeks off, the longest stretch of missed games in his career, and has returned a different player.
It's been more than the highlight reel dunks, the scoop-shot layups, dagger threes and slick passes. It's been his body language, aggressive mindset, the look on his face and newfound athleticism. Simply put, he looks like LeBron James again.
The suffocating expectations can be tough to handle but James appears to be having fun again.
He's been celebrating after plays, dancing on the sidelines, jawing with the opponent, smiling, communicating with his teammates and firing up the bench. James even praised Blatt after a brilliant out of bounds play late that led to a basket.
The other change for James has been on the defensive end of the floor, an area of his game that has been questioned at times. He fought and hustled, even taking the challenge in the post at times against bruising Blake Griffin and lengthy DeAndre Jordan on Friday night. James defended Chris Paul on Los Angeles' final possession, a three-point attempt, but still recovered and hustled to grab the board.
If the Cavs are going to reach their ultimate goal then James needs to buy in to Blatt, continue to improve as a leader and play like the four-time MVP.
With a young and relatively inexperienced team it's up to him to show the way, a challenge he said he welcomed in his letter announcing his return. Everyone on the court is looking to him for guidance. This three-game stretch where he is averaging 33.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists, and showing a new attitude, needs to be close to his norm for the rest of the season.
Irving relishes the challenge – Irving has been compared to Clippers point guard Chris Paul for quite sometime. They both have nifty handles, can score inside and outside, played college ball in the ACC and were both coached by Byron Scott at one time.
Paul is a better passer and better defender, but there are some similarities.
Playing against Paul seems to motivate Irving, who scored 37 points and dished out five assists on Friday night. He also made 12-of-18 from the field.
After his most recent outburst, Irving is now averaging 27.0 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field against Paul. The most important stat is Irving's win total. Irving, who has played three full games, is now 3-0.
Flourishing as a starter – Staying ready has been one of the themes for the Cavaliers this season. With the myriad of injuries, Blatt has been forced to shuffle players in and out of the lineup and change up his rotations. Thompson stepped into the starting lineup on Christmas Day following the injury to Anderson Varejao. But the trade for big-bodied Timofey Mozgov put Thompson back as part of the bench unit.
He has had a solid season, averaging 9.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. He has also become one of the league's best offensive rebounders.
But when starting, Thompson has been a different player. He got the call once again on Friday night, this time in the place of injured Love, and Thompson finished with a season-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
In 10 starts this season, Thompson is averaging 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds.
He won't make an All-Star game anytime soon and may not be worthy of a reported $52 million contract he turned down this off-season, but Thompson understands his role, makes winning plays, does the dirty work and brings hustle and energy every time his number is called.
Blatt's shining moment – Blatt's offense was referred to as "borderline genius." He was considered a brilliant basketball mind overseas, able to adapt to his personnel. But the European coaching legend hasn't impressed in the first half of the season.
He is still getting used to the NBA game. He is still a stranger among players and opposing coaches. He is going through the natural growing pains of a first-time head coach. There have been, and will continue to be, times when it makes sense to focus on his shortcomings.
But Friday night was not one of those instances. In fact, it was Blatt's best performance and possibly an enormous stepping-stone.
With rumors swirling about his future and him having to fend off questions before and after games, Blatt did a few things to show why the Cavs made him their third coach in the last three years.
First, he helped his team get back in the game in the third quarter with a Hack-a-DeAndre strategy. The defense was too generous again, giving up back-to-back 30-point quarters to open the game. Los Angeles' offense showed no signs of slowing down in the third quarter so Blatt sent Jordan, who is a 40 percent free throw shooter, to the line repeatedly. It worked.
Jordan made 5-of-12 from the foul line in the third and the repeated fouls forced Doc Rivers to take one of his best players out of the game. Without Jordan's defense and rebounding, the Cavs finished on a 13-9 run to get within three heading into the fourth quarter. It also allowed Blatt to get extra real-time rest for some of his players on the second night of a back-to-back on the road.
Then came the play of the year.
The Cavs were leading, 119-115. There was less than a minute remaining. They had just called timeout to set up a sideline inbounds play. Blatt had James inbound the ball and he rifled a pass to an open Thompson for the layup and foul. Thompson completed the three-point play, giving the Cavs a seven-point advantage.
Blatt knew the defense would key in on Irving so he used him as a decoy to draw to defender. Griffin hesitated and left Thompson open as expected. The play design led to the bucket and James pointed to Blatt, acknowledging the head coach for a great play at the perfect time.
Blatt pushed the right buttons and his late-game strategy helped get a second straight win. It's those kinds of moments that can galvanize a disjointed team and help Blatt earn the trust of his players.
Speed kills – The Cavs have been searching for an identity all season. It's not defense where the team is far too inconsistent, giving up 121 points to the Clippers, 15 more than their season average. It's not on offense when too often the ball sticks and the Cavs revert to hero ball.
If they'd be willing to stay committed to it, pushing the pace will give them quite an advantage.
The Cavs scored 24 fast break points and turned 13 Los Angeles turnovers into 21 points. Irving can be dazzling in the open floor and James is like a freight train. Running helped the Cavs get some easy buckets, finishing at 55 percent from the field.
The 126 points are the second-highest total of the year. There's no reason this team shouldn't be playing running more.
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/01/david_blatts_shining_moment_an.html
By Chris Fedor, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The only way for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the sweltering heat off themselves and head coach David Blatt is to win games. They did just that, finishing a tough Western Conference road trip with back-to-back wins for the first time since before Christmas.
It's one thing to beat the Lakers, a team with one of the worst records in the NBA. But Friday's 126-121 win against the Clippers, a very tough team, is as good as any win on the resume, especially given the circumstances and the drama that has surrounded this team recently.
The shorthanded Cavs improved their record to 21-20 and 20-12 with LeBron James in the lineup.
James was brilliant in his third game back from knee and back injuries, scoring 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
Kyrie Irving led all scorers, finishing with 37 points on 12-of-18 from the field in 41 minutes. With Kevin Love nursing an achy back, Tristan Thompson started at power forward. He scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Here are five observations from the Cavs' most recent win:
A new LeBron – James was clearly bothered by a pair of injuries in the first half of the season. Despite having good numbers, the look on his face, his effort level and lack of explosiveness showed a player who knew he wasn't at full strength.
So James took two weeks off, the longest stretch of missed games in his career, and has returned a different player.
It's been more than the highlight reel dunks, the scoop-shot layups, dagger threes and slick passes. It's been his body language, aggressive mindset, the look on his face and newfound athleticism. Simply put, he looks like LeBron James again.
The suffocating expectations can be tough to handle but James appears to be having fun again.
He's been celebrating after plays, dancing on the sidelines, jawing with the opponent, smiling, communicating with his teammates and firing up the bench. James even praised Blatt after a brilliant out of bounds play late that led to a basket.
The other change for James has been on the defensive end of the floor, an area of his game that has been questioned at times. He fought and hustled, even taking the challenge in the post at times against bruising Blake Griffin and lengthy DeAndre Jordan on Friday night. James defended Chris Paul on Los Angeles' final possession, a three-point attempt, but still recovered and hustled to grab the board.
If the Cavs are going to reach their ultimate goal then James needs to buy in to Blatt, continue to improve as a leader and play like the four-time MVP.
With a young and relatively inexperienced team it's up to him to show the way, a challenge he said he welcomed in his letter announcing his return. Everyone on the court is looking to him for guidance. This three-game stretch where he is averaging 33.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists, and showing a new attitude, needs to be close to his norm for the rest of the season.
Irving relishes the challenge – Irving has been compared to Clippers point guard Chris Paul for quite sometime. They both have nifty handles, can score inside and outside, played college ball in the ACC and were both coached by Byron Scott at one time.
Paul is a better passer and better defender, but there are some similarities.
Playing against Paul seems to motivate Irving, who scored 37 points and dished out five assists on Friday night. He also made 12-of-18 from the field.
After his most recent outburst, Irving is now averaging 27.0 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field against Paul. The most important stat is Irving's win total. Irving, who has played three full games, is now 3-0.
Flourishing as a starter – Staying ready has been one of the themes for the Cavaliers this season. With the myriad of injuries, Blatt has been forced to shuffle players in and out of the lineup and change up his rotations. Thompson stepped into the starting lineup on Christmas Day following the injury to Anderson Varejao. But the trade for big-bodied Timofey Mozgov put Thompson back as part of the bench unit.
He has had a solid season, averaging 9.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. He has also become one of the league's best offensive rebounders.
But when starting, Thompson has been a different player. He got the call once again on Friday night, this time in the place of injured Love, and Thompson finished with a season-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
In 10 starts this season, Thompson is averaging 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds.
He won't make an All-Star game anytime soon and may not be worthy of a reported $52 million contract he turned down this off-season, but Thompson understands his role, makes winning plays, does the dirty work and brings hustle and energy every time his number is called.
Blatt's shining moment – Blatt's offense was referred to as "borderline genius." He was considered a brilliant basketball mind overseas, able to adapt to his personnel. But the European coaching legend hasn't impressed in the first half of the season.
He is still getting used to the NBA game. He is still a stranger among players and opposing coaches. He is going through the natural growing pains of a first-time head coach. There have been, and will continue to be, times when it makes sense to focus on his shortcomings.
But Friday night was not one of those instances. In fact, it was Blatt's best performance and possibly an enormous stepping-stone.
With rumors swirling about his future and him having to fend off questions before and after games, Blatt did a few things to show why the Cavs made him their third coach in the last three years.
First, he helped his team get back in the game in the third quarter with a Hack-a-DeAndre strategy. The defense was too generous again, giving up back-to-back 30-point quarters to open the game. Los Angeles' offense showed no signs of slowing down in the third quarter so Blatt sent Jordan, who is a 40 percent free throw shooter, to the line repeatedly. It worked.
Jordan made 5-of-12 from the foul line in the third and the repeated fouls forced Doc Rivers to take one of his best players out of the game. Without Jordan's defense and rebounding, the Cavs finished on a 13-9 run to get within three heading into the fourth quarter. It also allowed Blatt to get extra real-time rest for some of his players on the second night of a back-to-back on the road.
Then came the play of the year.
The Cavs were leading, 119-115. There was less than a minute remaining. They had just called timeout to set up a sideline inbounds play. Blatt had James inbound the ball and he rifled a pass to an open Thompson for the layup and foul. Thompson completed the three-point play, giving the Cavs a seven-point advantage.
Blatt knew the defense would key in on Irving so he used him as a decoy to draw to defender. Griffin hesitated and left Thompson open as expected. The play design led to the bucket and James pointed to Blatt, acknowledging the head coach for a great play at the perfect time.
Blatt pushed the right buttons and his late-game strategy helped get a second straight win. It's those kinds of moments that can galvanize a disjointed team and help Blatt earn the trust of his players.
Speed kills – The Cavs have been searching for an identity all season. It's not defense where the team is far too inconsistent, giving up 121 points to the Clippers, 15 more than their season average. It's not on offense when too often the ball sticks and the Cavs revert to hero ball.
If they'd be willing to stay committed to it, pushing the pace will give them quite an advantage.
The Cavs scored 24 fast break points and turned 13 Los Angeles turnovers into 21 points. Irving can be dazzling in the open floor and James is like a freight train. Running helped the Cavs get some easy buckets, finishing at 55 percent from the field.
The 126 points are the second-highest total of the year. There's no reason this team shouldn't be playing running more.
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/01/david_blatts_shining_moment_an.html
Matches
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Why can there not be one version of the freaking truth? The above is from Fedor; meanwhile Vardon from the very same newspaper...errr..."media group", published the following about the exact same play:
The play, according to James and Thompson, was to free Kyrie Irving (37 points) at the top of the key and let him go to work. And, actually, James wasn't even supposed to inbound the ball – that responsibility was delegated to Dellavedova. Once I knew I was going to be a decoy in the play, and get Kyrie to the top, I told them let me take the ball out, let me make sure we secure it in," James said.
Thompson, who scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in place of the injured Kevin Love, said James "called an audible" once he spotted Thompson rolling to the hoop with Blake Griffin on his back.
Two guys from the same outfit can't even determine whether or not the play was designed for Irving to get the ball or be a decoy.
For Haynes' part, he points to Irving as the target of the play:
With 48 seconds left and the Cavaliers up by four, James inbounded from the sideline. The play was to find Irving at the top of the key, but the Clippers were overplaying him. James instead zipped a pass to a cutting Tristan Thompson, who finished a layup and was fouled.
I'm pretty comfortable settling on what I usually settle on, that Chris Fedor has no idea what he's talking about.
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I am sure it has to do with Fedor not actually being in LA on the road trip with the Cavs, unlike the other two who traveled with the team. It sounds like Fedor was going off of what he heard on the TV broadcast, rather than actually talking to his colleagues.
In some ways, having a not entirely functional trio of reporters covering the Cavs for the main paper in Cleveland is appropriate for this team...
Last edited:
killerkev369
Mike Brown's Dietitian
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The Plain Dealer has The Three Stooges running around while McMenamin and Lloyd keep puttin' in work. Nothing to see here.
supermario21
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Yeah, thank God for Lloyd and McMenamin. Vardon is basically LeBron's personal reporter, and Fedor is apparently the "voice of the fan" or something like that. It's sort of a joke. Vardon was covering politics for the longest time and Fedor was just taking turns getting fired on various Cleveland stations.
Matches
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How is it that the ABJ always fields better reporters than the PD? I know he's persona non grata these days, but Windhorst started with the ABJ and ran circles around whoever it was pretending to cover the Cavs beat at the PD, before the PD got him.
Dylan Windler's Mom
I have two Harvard degrees!
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Acquired for games like Monday night against Chicago, new additions Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith show their value
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers made a pair of recent trades with one thing in mind: finding a way to close the existing gap that separated them from the rest of the top-level Eastern Conference foes.
A hard pill to swallow for a team with championship aspirations and plenty of hype, the Cavaliers found themselves looking up at Atlanta, Washington, Toronto and Monday's opponent Chicago as the halfway point of the season drew near. The Cavs weren't going to catch them without a boost.
Monday's trouncing of Central-leading Chicago, a wire-to-wire win that finished with Iman Shumpert and Shawn Marion dancing on the bench while LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and the other starters rested, showed exactly why the Cavs were willing to part with 2012 fourth-overall draft pick Dion Waiters and a pair of first rounders in an attempt to find the missing ingredients to the championship elixir.
Timofey Mozgov scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, his second double-double since coming to the Cavaliers. He also blocked two shots and altered a handful of others inside. He turned Derrick Rose's drives to the basket and usual layup attempts into contested floaters. Mozgov protected the rim in a way the Cavaliers had not been used to and rendered Pau Gasol, Chicago's big free agent pickup, ineffective, holding him to 11 points on 4-of-14 from the field.
"We need it," James said after the Cavs 108-94 win. "When we made the trade everything that he brings us is what we needed and wanted. He's going to be huge for our team. Very, very skilled offensively and understands defensively. Just a smart basketball player and great playing with him."
Gasol had averaged 25.8 points per game in his previous five contests before Monday night. He averages 18.9 on the season and is Chicago's second-leading scorer. The 11 points are his fifth-lowest total this season.
"It's a good matchup against players like that, a really good player," Mozgov said of Gasol. "You have to understand no matter who we're playing against you have to be ready to try to show your best every night. Play hard every time."
Chicago's talented frontline -- Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah, who did not play on Monday night -- was expected to be the Bulls' strength this season. But Mozgov's addition helps combat that while also taking pressure off his teammates.
"I just think when you have someone who can protect the rim and know he's going to be there it helps a lot," James said. "He's very big and he plays big. A lot of big guys don't always play big. That's something that he brings. He brings an aggression and he's physical. We needed that."
The Cavaliers held the Bulls to 30 points in the paint, well below the 41 that Cleveland has grown accustomed to allowing. The Cavs also outrebounded the Bulls, 54-40, and have won the rebounding battle in five of the six games since Mozgov arrived from Denver.
"We were able to clean up with a lot of guys out there tonight," Love said. "We're missing Andy but with Timo out there he's going to really help all of us clean up the glass."
In six games wearing the wine and gold, Mozgov is averaging 9.3 points and 9.0 rebounds to go along with 1.0 block in 26.3 minutes.
"He's opened up a lot of shots inside," Love said of Mozgov. "It's tough to double-team when you have a guy that big in there. He plays the high-low. He's a guy that if a guy pump fakes on the weak side he's going to come and block the shot. I think you saw that a few times tonight. He consumes a ton of space in there and that's very big for us."
The Hawks have Al Horford. The Wizards have Marcin Gortat and Nene. The Raptors have Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. And the Bulls have Gasol, Noah and Gibson. The Cavs needed more size and now they have it with 7-foot-1 Mozgov.
J.R. Smith, a fearless player now removed from the New York rubble, got off to a slow start with the Cavs, but is starting to find his niche.
"It's easy for me because I have three guys that you have three guys that you have to pay attention to," Smith said. "Most guys have one or two but when you have three you have to give up something. I'm that fourth or sometimes the fifth guy that you have to leave open. I love it."
He was a risk, given past antics on and off the court, but the Cavs needed more outside shooting and floor spacing. They needed a lethal scorer, capable of punishing the opponent for paying too much attention to Love, Irving and James.
The 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year has delivered. One of five players in double figures on Monday night, Smith poured in 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
"I've got guys telling me to shoot the ball, telling me to be a little more selfish," he said. "When guys like that tell me that it's easier to play."
Smith has now scored 20-plus points in three of six starts for the Cavs and is averaging 14.5 points in the seven games overall. He is shooting 39 percent from three-point range, and has hit 17-of-35 triples (48 percent) in his last four contests.
Monday's game against Chicago, even without Noah, is exactly what the Cavs envisioned when assembling the new Big Three in the summer and then adding another trio in the winter.
"I think it was a great team win," Love said. "I think everyone played well together. We shared the ball and made several different plays in there and a lot of guys stepped up and did a lot of different things on both sides of the ball. That's something that I think hopefully we will continue to see and bring that energy. Even when Shump gets back we're going to take another step."
That should be soon. Recovering from a shoulder injury, Shumpert admitted before Monday's game that he has been "bouncing off the walls" as he awaits the chance to play again. His return could come Friday night against Charlotte. If he's not ready to go, Shumpert and the Cavs will target Sunday against Oklahoma City and Waiters, the player he was traded for.
Shumpert was brought to Cleveland to be an on-court irritant. Just the way he likes it.
"I don't think anybody likes to play against me," he said before the game. "I would hope nobody likes to play against me. I feel like if I'm going to go all out there is no way you're going to like me at the end of the game."
Even though Shumpert has yet to make his debut, opponents know what he's capable of and how much he'll help Cleveland's defense, which is ranked 29th in field goal percentage, allowing opponent's to connect on 47 percent.
"I've always had a lot of respect for what Shumpert brings," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before Monday's game. "Great intensity, can guard multiple positions and I think he's comfortable offensively making plays. He can handle the ball and do a little bit of everything. I thought that was really a good pickup by them."
Shumpert likely would've spent time guarding Rose as well as Jimmy Butler, who Shumpert has drawn comparisons to because of a common aggression and defensive DNA. The two even share the same agent and work out together in the off-season.
The Cavs aren't just concerned with the Bulls. They can't be. Not with the way Atlanta (34-8), Washington (29-13) and Toronto (27-14) have played in the first half.
In a matchup against the Wizards, Shumpert will battle John Wall and Bradley Beal. When the Cavs see Toronto again he will be asked to make things difficult for the Raptors' talented backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. When it comes to Atlanta, it means chasing sweet-shooting Kyle Korver and taking away the driving lanes from Jeff Teague.
"With this team I think they are looking for somebody to help add on to that side of the floor," Shumpert said prior to the game. "I don't think you're going to see any team progress in the playoffs until they have somebody committed to that side of the floor that's going to take the challenge of taking away whoever the other team's main guy is. I think there's a space I can help fill there."
Winners of three straight games, the Cavs still face a steep climb. But the pieces of the championship puzzle are starting to come together.
The Cavs weren't good enough. They didn't have enough size and the defense was suffering because of it. The spacing on the floor wasn't where it needed to be, missing a reliable outside shooter. James' return combined with the new additions, two of which proved their worth against Chicago, have changed the team's outlook. Many of the cracks in the roster have been patched. And there's a new sense of confidence emanating from the locker room.
"We have a long way to go," Cavs coach David Blatt admitted. "But I feel the ship is sailing in the right direction in every respect."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_cavaliers_make_chang.html
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers made a pair of recent trades with one thing in mind: finding a way to close the existing gap that separated them from the rest of the top-level Eastern Conference foes.
A hard pill to swallow for a team with championship aspirations and plenty of hype, the Cavaliers found themselves looking up at Atlanta, Washington, Toronto and Monday's opponent Chicago as the halfway point of the season drew near. The Cavs weren't going to catch them without a boost.
Monday's trouncing of Central-leading Chicago, a wire-to-wire win that finished with Iman Shumpert and Shawn Marion dancing on the bench while LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and the other starters rested, showed exactly why the Cavs were willing to part with 2012 fourth-overall draft pick Dion Waiters and a pair of first rounders in an attempt to find the missing ingredients to the championship elixir.
Timofey Mozgov scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, his second double-double since coming to the Cavaliers. He also blocked two shots and altered a handful of others inside. He turned Derrick Rose's drives to the basket and usual layup attempts into contested floaters. Mozgov protected the rim in a way the Cavaliers had not been used to and rendered Pau Gasol, Chicago's big free agent pickup, ineffective, holding him to 11 points on 4-of-14 from the field.
"We need it," James said after the Cavs 108-94 win. "When we made the trade everything that he brings us is what we needed and wanted. He's going to be huge for our team. Very, very skilled offensively and understands defensively. Just a smart basketball player and great playing with him."
Gasol had averaged 25.8 points per game in his previous five contests before Monday night. He averages 18.9 on the season and is Chicago's second-leading scorer. The 11 points are his fifth-lowest total this season.
"It's a good matchup against players like that, a really good player," Mozgov said of Gasol. "You have to understand no matter who we're playing against you have to be ready to try to show your best every night. Play hard every time."
Chicago's talented frontline -- Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah, who did not play on Monday night -- was expected to be the Bulls' strength this season. But Mozgov's addition helps combat that while also taking pressure off his teammates.
"I just think when you have someone who can protect the rim and know he's going to be there it helps a lot," James said. "He's very big and he plays big. A lot of big guys don't always play big. That's something that he brings. He brings an aggression and he's physical. We needed that."
The Cavaliers held the Bulls to 30 points in the paint, well below the 41 that Cleveland has grown accustomed to allowing. The Cavs also outrebounded the Bulls, 54-40, and have won the rebounding battle in five of the six games since Mozgov arrived from Denver.
"We were able to clean up with a lot of guys out there tonight," Love said. "We're missing Andy but with Timo out there he's going to really help all of us clean up the glass."
In six games wearing the wine and gold, Mozgov is averaging 9.3 points and 9.0 rebounds to go along with 1.0 block in 26.3 minutes.
"He's opened up a lot of shots inside," Love said of Mozgov. "It's tough to double-team when you have a guy that big in there. He plays the high-low. He's a guy that if a guy pump fakes on the weak side he's going to come and block the shot. I think you saw that a few times tonight. He consumes a ton of space in there and that's very big for us."
The Hawks have Al Horford. The Wizards have Marcin Gortat and Nene. The Raptors have Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. And the Bulls have Gasol, Noah and Gibson. The Cavs needed more size and now they have it with 7-foot-1 Mozgov.
J.R. Smith, a fearless player now removed from the New York rubble, got off to a slow start with the Cavs, but is starting to find his niche.
"It's easy for me because I have three guys that you have three guys that you have to pay attention to," Smith said. "Most guys have one or two but when you have three you have to give up something. I'm that fourth or sometimes the fifth guy that you have to leave open. I love it."
He was a risk, given past antics on and off the court, but the Cavs needed more outside shooting and floor spacing. They needed a lethal scorer, capable of punishing the opponent for paying too much attention to Love, Irving and James.
The 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year has delivered. One of five players in double figures on Monday night, Smith poured in 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
"I've got guys telling me to shoot the ball, telling me to be a little more selfish," he said. "When guys like that tell me that it's easier to play."
Smith has now scored 20-plus points in three of six starts for the Cavs and is averaging 14.5 points in the seven games overall. He is shooting 39 percent from three-point range, and has hit 17-of-35 triples (48 percent) in his last four contests.
Monday's game against Chicago, even without Noah, is exactly what the Cavs envisioned when assembling the new Big Three in the summer and then adding another trio in the winter.
"I think it was a great team win," Love said. "I think everyone played well together. We shared the ball and made several different plays in there and a lot of guys stepped up and did a lot of different things on both sides of the ball. That's something that I think hopefully we will continue to see and bring that energy. Even when Shump gets back we're going to take another step."
That should be soon. Recovering from a shoulder injury, Shumpert admitted before Monday's game that he has been "bouncing off the walls" as he awaits the chance to play again. His return could come Friday night against Charlotte. If he's not ready to go, Shumpert and the Cavs will target Sunday against Oklahoma City and Waiters, the player he was traded for.
Shumpert was brought to Cleveland to be an on-court irritant. Just the way he likes it.
"I don't think anybody likes to play against me," he said before the game. "I would hope nobody likes to play against me. I feel like if I'm going to go all out there is no way you're going to like me at the end of the game."
Even though Shumpert has yet to make his debut, opponents know what he's capable of and how much he'll help Cleveland's defense, which is ranked 29th in field goal percentage, allowing opponent's to connect on 47 percent.
"I've always had a lot of respect for what Shumpert brings," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before Monday's game. "Great intensity, can guard multiple positions and I think he's comfortable offensively making plays. He can handle the ball and do a little bit of everything. I thought that was really a good pickup by them."
Shumpert likely would've spent time guarding Rose as well as Jimmy Butler, who Shumpert has drawn comparisons to because of a common aggression and defensive DNA. The two even share the same agent and work out together in the off-season.
The Cavs aren't just concerned with the Bulls. They can't be. Not with the way Atlanta (34-8), Washington (29-13) and Toronto (27-14) have played in the first half.
In a matchup against the Wizards, Shumpert will battle John Wall and Bradley Beal. When the Cavs see Toronto again he will be asked to make things difficult for the Raptors' talented backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. When it comes to Atlanta, it means chasing sweet-shooting Kyle Korver and taking away the driving lanes from Jeff Teague.
"With this team I think they are looking for somebody to help add on to that side of the floor," Shumpert said prior to the game. "I don't think you're going to see any team progress in the playoffs until they have somebody committed to that side of the floor that's going to take the challenge of taking away whoever the other team's main guy is. I think there's a space I can help fill there."
Winners of three straight games, the Cavs still face a steep climb. But the pieces of the championship puzzle are starting to come together.
The Cavs weren't good enough. They didn't have enough size and the defense was suffering because of it. The spacing on the floor wasn't where it needed to be, missing a reliable outside shooter. James' return combined with the new additions, two of which proved their worth against Chicago, have changed the team's outlook. Many of the cracks in the roster have been patched. And there's a new sense of confidence emanating from the locker room.
"We have a long way to go," Cavs coach David Blatt admitted. "But I feel the ship is sailing in the right direction in every respect."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_cavaliers_make_chang.html
Sumac13
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kosis
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The thing that annoyed me the most this year was when Ryan Anderson was going off on us, and Vardon tweeted (paraphrasing) "Now everyone is going to act like they know who Ryan Anderson is". Yeah Joe, we absolutely know who he is. We follow NBA basketball, bro.
Kizzle
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Mozgawd showed his ass against Chicago. To beat us in a 7 game series I honestly feel they need great series by Rose Butler and Gasol. I'm definitely biased but I feel we can get away with a win as long as Lebron plays good
shoes22
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They also need a healthy Noah. While Rose is their leader on offense, Noah is their leader on defense and glues them together. You can tell they're missing him.
However I agree that I'm not worried about the Bulls in the playoffs. LeBron has NEVER had trouble with them in the playoffs his entire career. He knows how to best them, and especially Rose.