Game 2 -|- Cavs @ Bobcats -|- Friday, November 1st, 7:00PM.

[Wine and Gold]

The way we played defensively down the stretch of this game was a very very very good sign. Folks, especially early on in the season we gotta expect to see disjointed play a good deal of the time. Especially on offense, due to the fact we've had to spend so much time trying to right all the wrongs that Mike Brown inherited on the defensive end of the ledger. In essence, Brown is coaching a team, in which,half of it's roster is mentally all rookies on the defensive end .. He's starting from scratch on defense, and that's why he had to devote training camp almost exclusively to defense.

It's also why our offense looks so out of sorts. But, as the season progresses, and the defensive effort and proficiency gradually upgrades so too will our offense .. even moreso I would anticipate.

We aren't going to step right out, early this season, and play like a playoff team .. Just won't happen. But, we gotta just watch close and look to see the forest through the trees. What you hang your hat on tonight is how our defense stepped up in that 4th quarter. If we had anything resembling a coherent offense, we win a game we had no right even being close in given how sloppily we played for three quarters.

Thankfully, I saw enough good things in the last six minutes that I won't lose too much sleep tonight thinking about this loss.

Don't get down ...this is just a part of the process.. It doesn't happen in one training camp ..it's something that gets built over time. As we take what we did wrong in this game, coach them up and learn as we go here throughout this season. It's not gonna be about where we are now, it's gonna be about where we are at the end of this long road this season.

On the offensive end, even though the results didn't bear it out ..I saw improved movement, at times, with the ball..and with players moving off the ball. Again.. good signs, but we just didn't have anything to show for it because we weren't hitting the good open opportunities that that improved movement provided us. We couldn't buy a basket, basically.

Plus, wasn't overly impressed with how the game was officiated. We weren't allowed to play with anything near the defensive aggressiveness that the Pacers were given by them. They had far far more latitude given them when it came to hand checking, and in general just tight aggressive defense. When we tried to play with their level of aggressiveness, we far more times than not ...got whistled. They,, not so much.

Also ...How about Tristan Thompson !! Kid's growing into a man in this league.

 

[Rich]

Zeller, waiters, Bennett, Clark, and gee give you 3pts in 74 minutes it's gonna be tough to beat my rec league team.

Throw in Varejao, who had 2 points.

 

[ice cream man]

Throw in Varejao, who had 2 points.

On only 4 shots. He actually looks a little tired to me.

But the big men really aren't getting many looks in the flow of the offense. They're setting many off ball screens for guards and they're not really opening up when they set ball screens. Even TT's buckets came mostly off of iso situations.
I'm already kind of worried that our guards are getting very few open looks and penetration in comparison to last year. (I know - 2 games)

 

[wuck]

He actually looks a little tired to me.

Agreed. Wondering if we'll see Sims get a little time tomorrow while Zeller is not at full strength and Bennett isn't contributing yet.

 

[Rich]

On only 4 shots. He actually looks a little tired to me.

But the big men really aren't getting many looks in the flow of the offense. They're setting many off ball screens for guards and they're not really opening up when they set ball screens. Even TT's buckets came mostly off of iso situations.
I'm already kind of worried that our guards are getting very few open looks and penetration in comparison to last year. (I know - 2 games)

I understand he only had two shots, but I'm just making the point that 3 of our starts combined for like 4 points. If you win a game when that happens, the other team must have been just awful.

 

[SteelSmack]

The refs were atrocious in this game. They really were the catalyst that gave the Bobcats the lead early, and they made sure they were in the penalty in record time in each quarter. Tough to play 5v8. Still had a chance down the stretch, and the refs were fine the last 3 minutes, so no excuses.

 

[Rainman]

So I'm confused Bennett was a first overall pick in the draft?!?

 

[elcheato]

Agreed. Wondering if we'll see Sims get a little time tomorrow while Zeller is not at full strength and Bennett isn't contributing yet.

I really hope Mike Brown doesn't change his rotation and relegate Bennett to the bench after 2 games..

 

[wuck]

I really hope Mike Brown doesn't change his rotation and relegate Bennett to the bench after 2 games..

I wasn't suggesting Bennett would get benched. But if Bynum doesn't play, someone is going to have play those minutes at center. I'm not sure if Brown can stomach having Zeller play extended minutes when he hasn't handled short stints well.

 

[Rich]

I wasn't suggesting Bennett would get benched. But if Bynum doesn't play, someone is going to have play those minutes at center. I'm not sure if Brown can stomach having Zeller play extended minutes when he hasn't handled short stints well.

Sims has to play. No choice in these games that Bynum is resting. Cannot put Zeller and Bennett out there for even more minutes without first seeing if Sims can be useful.

 

[elcheato]

I wasn't suggesting Bennett would get benched. But if Bynum doesn't play, someone is going to have play those minutes at center. I'm not sure if Brown can stomach having Zeller play extended minutes when he hasn't handled short stints well.

Read that completely wrong, my bad.

 

[JFT]

So I'm confused Bennett was a first overall pick in the draft?!?

three years from now...tt squared...

 

[KilgoreTrout]

I sure hope Waiters and Bennett pulls their heads out of their asses. Because they are making me sad that we decided against Oladipo.

 

[kosis]

I thought our deep front court meant I didn't have to watch Zeller attempt to play basketball anymore. He's so terrible. Earl Clark is getting there too.

 

[gourimoko]

I've been hearing excuses about Mike Brown for how many years now? Sick of it.