Game 36 | Cavs (19-16) vs Rockets (23-11) | Wednesday, January 7th, 2015 | 7:00 PM ET

By the way, I know this will be met with, "All that matters is being healthy and gelling by April," but this team is closer to missing the playoffs than they are getting home court in the first round. We're almost to the midway point of the season.

Czvosec said:

This has been the excuse for Kyrie going on 4 years now. At some point, it can no longer be used as an excuse.

But it's not just about who's around him, it's about the mindset. If Kyrie is going to play point, if he's going to have the ball in his hands 90% of the time, then he has to play a style of ball that makes his team want to play with him and each other. If his teammates feel like they are only getting the ball because Kyrie didn't have a shot, two things happen:

1. They either go out of their way trying to get it back to him (Delly, Thompson)
2. They go out of their way to try and get theirs because giving it up likely means not getting it back (Love)

Team ball starts with the point guard. Give it up and move without the ball, and it will rub off on everyone else. The same goes for LeBron when he comes back because lord knows his first look to pass is if he can get an assist.

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Pass to Love miss, pass to Delly turnover, pass to TT stone hands. Kyrie had a great night it's bullshit because he tries to work other players in but if you can't make a bucket 3 times down the court you start falling behind. So Kyrie plays hero ball. He has never had a shooter that could make the open shot. Dion couldn't fit . TT needs his hands in the basket to make a shot, Love is a disappointment. Please explain how this team can score outside of Kyrie right now.

We've played so many bad games with all our players healthy this season and I didn't panic or overreact one bit.
I certainly won't overreact after tonights game. We played the f*cking Houston Rockets with a 10 man rotation and no frontcourt depth at all!

It was close game, that's all I asked for. Team competed and played with heart, imo.
But in the end, I knew it wouldn't be enough to win against this Harden/Howard-duo.

Kyrie had very little rest between the third and fourth quarter. He was doing everything for us on the offensive end. So I guess it was just a matter of time till he cooled of a bit and then the offense instantly became stagnant.
Harden, on the other hand, almost had a 7-8 minutes(!) rest in the fourth quarter. When he came back, he made some plays and it was over.

Also Love's jumper was off and we had some real dumb turnovers that killed our momentum a few times.

So it is what it is. Of course I wanted to win this one, but we were just incredibly shorthanded tonight. Still liked the team effort.

Czvosec said:

By the way, I know this will be met with, "All that matters is being healthy and gelling by April," but this team is closer to missing the playoffs than they are getting home court in the first round. We're almost to the midway point of the season.

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So is OKC. Think either team is realistically worried about it?

Are starting lineup is going to be 5 guys who had never played a single game together with any of each other or this staff before this year.

Our roster has 4 players out of 15 who had ever played together before this year(and one of those four is out for the year)

Why would anyone not think that it would take till March and April for them to not only win games but look even vaguely cohesive.

brownsbuck6 said:

That's fair. Hyperbole to be sure- but between his wide open misses, missing free throws, not even TAKING shots he should have.. it was a very poor performance. A max player shouldn't need so many things to be right to perform around him, would you agree with that at least?

I agree that he will play better with a center, finally. But his performances for a 'max' player leave a lot to be desired sometimes.

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Just like Chris Bosh did.

The Oi said:

Nah.

He's intelligent enough to see exactly what I'm seeing. You are too.

You're just not ready to admit it.

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Saying this isn't a .500 team is pretty ridiculous. I will say it again, and especially now with all of the new players, it will take until the all star break or maybe longer for this team to figure out Blatt's offense, whoever's defense, and each other. It would be the same no matter who the coach is. By the end of the year it will be a much different team.

I don't disagree with your observation about character though. LeBron built this team. LeBron leads this team. They definitely reflect his leadership.

brownsbuck6 said:

That's fair. Hyperbole to be sure- but between his wide open misses, missing free throws, not even TAKING shots he should have.. it was a very poor performance. A max player shouldn't need so many things to be right to perform around him, would you agree with that at least?

I agree that he will play better with a center, finally. But his performances for a 'max' player leave a lot to be desired sometimes.

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Yes this is it. The wording I have been looking for. A max player should need t have so many caveats. He can't play next to x, he can't play next to y. His opponent can't have any length or ability. If his opponent is physical, uhhhh

OKC with a slow start, is it Dion time yet?

SteelSmack said:

OKC with a slow start, is it Dion time yet?

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Nope. Still firmly planted at the end of the bench.

I doubt Waiters get major minutes tonight being so new and all.

Man I dont care Kyrie has 38p, 3 assits / 41min, this is just wrong.
I really want Lebron back. we cant win shit with a PG who doesnt pass the ball.

p.s - GET OFF DELLY FFS.

This game pissed me off for some reason. I actually thought we started the game well, moving the ball, playing hard D - overall competed well.

Then the 4th quarter happened. Seemed obvious Rockets were just going through the motions knowing they could turn it up on us without LBJ.

That's when Love needs to step up and take over the game IMO. Demand the rock in your spots, create plays either offensively or off the double/pass. As long as he's aggressive I'd live with the results but he needs to show some swagger and confidence and step his game up in games like this against contenders.

Still not happy with the lineup management either from Blatt.

Snarly said:

This thread is giving me an hernia. We only three players who played at least a year together and major injuries. Yet we should cream top teams in the west or beat them? I was fully ready to come out of this trip right around 500 before we get going.

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Because it is so HEAVY?

KilgoreTrout said:

Because it is so HEAVY?

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Yes with negativity. It was not as bad as some are making it out to be.

godfather said:

It doesn't matter that he hit two shots, he blows. The other teams know he blows, they don't even pay him any attention, nor should they, because he BLOWS.

You know who the burden falls onto, the other 4 that's out on the court. The fact, he could hit two shots, believe me, isn't very telling in a good way for Delly. If he were any good at all, which he isn't, he'd have had a monster 4th Q.

No one even tries to pretend to guard him out there.

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Whoa. Godfather on FIRE!