Game: 31| Cavs @ Heat | Tues, Dec. 30th 7:30pm [et]

[staycoolbruh]

I think LeBron domitated the ball too much, I actually didn't really get to watch the game, I am posting my opinion while looking at the stats.

I see that Z was only 4-6, I mean his FG% wasn't bad at all, I don't think the cavs used him enough.

Also, AV is 1-1, he didn't get many shots, where as he averages 6.0 shots a game, and makes about 3.3 of them.
Even Mo, just shot 8 shots, 6 of them from the 3-point line, how about using his mid range game, or taking it to the hoop?

I think we need to get everyone involved even more, like we did at the beginning of the season. We need to get Z established in the post!

And I know it doesn't really help when a guy like Mario Chalmers shoots 6-7 from the 3 point line! How in the world was he so hot? Did we even D him up?

No worries, only thing is Cavs need to show that they can beat good teams on the road!

GO CAVS!

 

[Mr. Glass]

I think LeBron domitated the ball too much, I actually didn't really get to watch the game, I am posting my opinion while looking at the stats.

I see that Z was only 4-6, I mean his FG% wasn't bad at all, I don't think the cavs used him enough.

Also, AV is 1-1, he didn't get many shots, where as he averages 6.0 shots a game, and makes about 3.3 of them.
Even Mo, just shot 8 shots, 6 of them from the 3-point line, how about using his mid range game, or taking it to the hoop?

I think we need to get everyone involved even more, like we did at the beginning of the season. We need to get Z established in the post!

And I know it doesn't really help when a guy like Mario Chalmers shoots 6-7 from the 3 point line! How in the world was he so hot? Did we even D him up?

No worries, only thing is Cavs need to show that they can beat good teams on the road!

GO CAVS!

Box score doesn't tell the story in this case. Everybody else was fumbling the ball, and Mike Brown was fumbling the rotation. They gave us a ton of trouble with the zone, so we went with a pick at the top of the key, LeBron drives and dishes. Guards hit the threes, break the press. It worked for a short bit and we got it down to within one, but the guys just really didn't hit their open threes.

And no, we didn't D up on Chalmers or Cook. Wade gets penetration, dishes off to an absolutely uncovered guard. Every time Wade started to drive, our guard (usually Mo) would jump in to try and deter him to no avail, while leaving his man that shot 6/7.

The defensive strategy was to pray that eventually they started missing and then hit the club for LBJ's party.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Not enough ass-slaps.

 

[staycoolbruh]

Box score doesn't tell the story in this case. Everybody else was fumbling the ball, and Mike Brown was fumbling the rotation. They gave us a ton of trouble with the zone, so we went with a pick at the top of the key, LeBron drives and dishes. Guards hit the threes, break the press. It worked for a short bit and we got it down to within one, but the guys just really didn't hit their open threes.

And no, we didn't D up on Chalmers or Cook. Wade gets penetration, dishes off to an absolutely uncovered guard. Every time Wade started to drive, our guard (usually Mo) would jump in to try and deter him to no avail, while leaving his man that shot 6/7.

The defensive strategy was to pray that eventually they started missing and then hit the club for LBJ's party.

Ya, thats the same offense from the last 3 years. I think we should just run the regular offense no matter what, unless its the end of the 4th Q.

And why would we over help on Dwade, when the other 3 point shooters are hot that night, comeon, Cavs should rather have maybe ben or Z or AV wait at the basket to help out on Dwade when he penetrates and just play tough D and make wade take tough jumpers than have him pass the ball to a wide open(hot) 3 point shooter.
I know I am not an expert, but that strategy makes much sense imo, than have him pass it to a Wide open hot 3 point shooter.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Hopefully, Cavs recover and realize the mistakes they did and become a better team!

GO CAVS!

 

[Zog]

The way we attacked the zone was not poor, but it could have been much more effective. I actually think we attacked it using the right type of play, but it could have been much more effective. Instead of LBJ having the ball at the top and someone setting a screen so he could get to the second level of the zone, draw everyone in, and kick it out to someone for a brick from 3, we should have ran LBJ along the baseline and had Mo or Delonte having the screen set for them, then as the second line of defense focuses on Mo/Delonte, LBJ can cut to the basket for a pass as they take their focus off of him.

Also what we should have done is put LBJ in the high post. This makes one of their players have to stay with him and makes the rotation of the zone a bit slower when we swing the ball. But obviously the real idea is to get LBJ the ball in the high post and then he can shoot, drive, or drive and dish. This is more effective than giving him a screen out top because he still has a dribble, and in addition to that, there should be another big man down low to pass to, as one of them wasn't used to set the screen out top, making the defense have an even tougher task. In that case, LBJ can catch and shoot, catch and pass out for a three, catch and pass down low, catch and drive to score, and catch and drive to pass. So many different options that the defense has to worry about, and there's no way that they will be able to cover all of them. In short, when you have a player like LeBron and shooters like Mo, Delonte and Boobie, you should destroy zone defenses.

 

[Zog]

Ya, thats the same offense from the last 3 years. I think we should just run the regular offense no matter what, unless its the end of the 4th Q.

And why would we over help on Dwade, when the other 3 point shooters are hot that night, comeon, Cavs should rather have maybe ben or Z or AV wait at the basket to help out on Dwade when he penetrates and just play tough D and make wade take tough jumpers than have him pass the ball to a wide open(hot) 3 point shooter.
I know I am not an expert, but that strategy makes much sense imo, than have him pass it to a Wide open hot 3 point shooter.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Hopefully, Cavs recover and realize the mistakes they did and become a better team!

GO CAVS!

I agree we played DWade terribly. We should have gone under every screen. I didn't watch the entire game, but Wade wasn't hitting his jumpers when I was watching. Doubling him as we did resulted in an easy pass for a dunk or a wide open three. Let Wade get 35 or 40, but please don't let freaking Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook combine for 38 points.

 

[PIP]

Not enough ass-slaps.

I was thinking ass-squeezing and/or caressing..

 

[wuck]

I agree we played DWade terribly. We should have gone under every screen. I didn't watch the entire game, but Wade wasn't hitting his jumpers when I was watching. Doubling him as we did resulted in an easy pass for a dunk or a wide open three. Let Wade get 35 or 40, but please don't let freaking Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook combine for 38 points.

The Cavs, and Mike Brown, have been good at making adjustments between playoff games, so it was strange to watch this strategy fail for much of four quarters without many obvious adjustments. It would be interesting to see a Heat/Cavs playoff matchup. It seemed like Brown went further away from his normal scheme to deal with Wade and to force other players to beat the Cavs. Which is what they did. The Cavs stopped Wade near the rim a number of times but those assists just piled up.

Of course, it didn't help that the Cavs played so badly for the last 18 minutes of the first half. There was too little margin for error in the 2nd half (outscored the Heat 61-54 in the 2nd half and still lost by 9). There's even more blame for the lack of urgency show by the Cavs in the first half than for their giving up wide open shots at critical moments in the 2nd. And getting outrebounded by relative midgets. Just terrible.

 

[Adam]

its hard to win when you're opponnent shoots the 3 at 65%.

Hopefully the loss will get us out of the holiday funk we are in

 

[Green Lantern]

I didn't get to see anything but the fourth..and that was annoying as crap..because we pulled within 1 and then they got on a run..
But of course Boston also lost..

 

[The Oi]

I was thinking ass-squeezing and/or caressing..

Really, really immature. You don't see me wandering around in threads making comments like this.

 

[BigErieCavsFan]

We are still 26-5, but those losses are against the Celtics, Hawks, Hornets, Heat and the Pistons...

ALL GAMES ON THE ROAD AGAINST ALL PLAYOFF OPPONENTS

Not good...not good:thumbdown

Not bad...not bad.

We lost to some pretty good teams on the road. I would have much more concern if we were losing to bad teams at home...

 

[Chris]

You see, this has been a recurring theme. I'd rather lose to good teams on the road than bad teams, too, but it doesn't make it GOOD that we can barely beat any good teams in their own houses. And heck, the Pistons aren't even that good anymore. Neither is Miami.

It's alarming and it has been a worry for me from the start (back when people tore me and a few others apart for suggesting we had road woes against good teams). Guess what? We still have them. and its January tomorrow.

I just don't understand . I know we are GOOD enough to beat these teams on the road, so I am just very confused.

 

[-Akronite-]

It's not about who you face it's when you face them. The Heat really wanted that win, and they shot VERY well in order to do so.

We lost to the Celtics, on the road, in the first game of the season. Not a big deal.

The Hornets was while we were still adjusting to a new offense, so it's understandable.

The Hawks game was on a back to back if I remember correctly, can't expect to sweep all of those.

And the Detroit game... well, when was the last time Detroit has played that well or even shot that well (Sheed from WAY deep several times)? They wanted our blood.

Anyway, it's rough to see us miss some opportunities to further prove our team's strength, but as long as we don't blow the next one (Celtics at home), I'll be happy.

 

[Chris]

It's not about who you face it's when you face them. The Heat really wanted that win, and they shot VERY well in order to do so.

We lost to the Celtics, on the road, in the first game of the season. Not a big deal.

The Hornets was while we were still adjusting to a new offense, so it's understandable.

The Hawks game was on a back to back if I remember correctly, can't expect to sweep all of those.

And the Detroit game... well, when was the last time Detroit has played that well or even shot that well (Sheed from WAY deep several times)? They wanted our blood.

Anyway, it's rough to see us miss some opportunities to further prove our team's strength, but as long as we don't blow the next one (Celtics at home), I'll be happy.

Okay, look, you can make up any reason for EVERY single road loss to a good team. If we have the same discussion in 2 months and still are having road woes, I'm sure people would list every single road loss to a good team and put whatever reas they can think next to each one.

The ones I See as valid are the Detroit and Hawks game, because they were on back to backs/4th in 5 and we aren't the most athletic team. There are no back to backs in the playoffs so those don't worry me as much.

We'll know more a month from now, but the fact is that this is certainly a valid concern that people are expressing.