Game Thread | Game #12 | Cavs @ Warriors | Nov. 11, 2022

[Wham with the Right Hand]

100% deserved to lose that game.

The amount of open 3’s Curry got off of ball screens in the 4th…should be zero, but was at least a few.

Offense waits til below 10 seconds to start moving in the 4th as well.

Gotta put some of this on coaching.

I was pissed about Curry getting a wide open look with 35 seconds left and the W's up by one point. There was no deception involved. Klay Thompson set a screen to Curry's right. Okoro was on Curry, who dribbled around the screen and was wide open on the other side. He easily knocked down the shot, giving the Warriors a 4-point lead and effectively ending the game.

Donovan Mitchell was guarding Thompson. Everybody in the building knew Curry was taking that shot. Why the F didn't Mitchell step out and front Curry as he came around the screen? Simply switch Mitchell onto Curry and Okoro stays with Thompson. I mean, come on. In that situation you cannot let Curry come around the screen wide open. Mitchell actually went the other way and I have no idea why. He stuck with Thompson, who didn't have the ball and was 3-for-13.

Why would you guard the screen setter and let the best shooter of all time get an uncontested shot?

Yeah, Thompson set a moving screen. Austin Carr was incredulous, saying Thompson actually left his feet and jumped in front of Okoro, knocking him down. JBB was upset about it after the game, criticizing the call publicly. He might get fined. But even with the refs swallowing their whistles, Mitchell should have been right there in Curry's face as he came around the screen. You cannot give him an easy shot when you're down a point in the final minute.

In the same situation when Mitchell had the ball, the Warriors player who was guarding Allen (or whoever was screening) jumped out BEFORE Mitchell came around the screen, forcing him back. They showed hard and sandwiched him. That tactic was successful in forcing him to pass the ball. I can't understand why the Cavs expected Okoro to chase Curry around the screen and still stop him from scoring.

 

[Cavatt]

Just watched the second half. Not the worst loss - the last game of a west coast trip against the defending NBA Champions with three days off and everybody healthy.

JBB torched the refs for not calling an illegal screen on Curry's 3-pointer with the Cavs down by a point with 44 seconds left. Hey, the superstars get the calls, especially at home.

The Cavs would not have won even if the moving screen was called - they failed to score a basket in the last four minutes and couldn't even get good shots off. The W's know how to ramp up their defense when the game is on the line.

It was obvious which team has played 100 or more playoff games in recent years and which team hasn't played any. The Cavs were outscored 19-6 over the last 4.5 minutes. The W's dialed up the intensity and the Cavs wilted.

Garland must not be recovered from his illness. He was 5-for-19. After coming in with the Cavs ahead by four points and 3:36 to go he promptly missed three shots and failed to get back on defense, allowing Curry an uncontested layup.

Okoro was a -9 in 19 minutes. If Wade was available this game might have ended differently. Okoro was 1-for-5 from the field and committed five fouls and a turnover. We needed Wade desperately.

I thought the Cavs' bench would be a team strength this year but it hasn't been the last two games. The bench was outscored 28-13 and were a combined 4-for-19 from the field. Cedi, Okoro, and Love were total non-factors while Lamb and Poole combined for 28 points.

Lamb had only played in 3 of their previous 11 games but he was 4-for-7 last night. Poole came in shooting 30% from deep but was 4-for-8 and finished with 18 points, outscoring our entire bench by himself. I thought Lamb and Poole were the keys to winning the game, along with Curry taking over and scoring 15 points in the 4th quarter while Garland was dribbling into traffic and forcing up awful shots.

The Cavs' defense was great, limiting the W's to just 106 points. Curry was responsible for at least 50 of them with 40 points and 5 assists. He's simply unstoppable. On one possession he just threw up a 3-pointer off one foot, anticipating a foul. He didn't get the foul but the ball went in.

Another huge factor was 3-point shooting as the Cavs hit only 8 of 30 while the W's were 15-for-36, a 21-point edge. Make that 20 as LeVert had a 4-point play plus a flagrant foul which gave the Cavs an 8-point lead with 4:43 to go. It looked like there was a chance, but I knew Curry would win it for them, even if there was 1:43 to go.

Mobley had 8 offensive rebounds. I know the W's are small on the front line, but still, that's impressive. He's starting to play more aggressive and physical which is exactly what he needs to do. He's been a total finesse player and that will only take him so far.

I think that if Garland was his normal self and if Wade was able to play the Cavs probably would have won. They were down by one point with 44 seconds to go. I also think Rubio would have made the difference if he could have played instead of Okoro when JBB gave Garland a rest in the 4th quarter.

LeVert still has absolutely no touch on those short mid-range shots in front of the rim. In the 5-15 foot range he doesn't come close even when shooting uncontested. With his burst, height, and jumping ability he easily gets into the paint and gets great looks from short range, but he's bricking every one. At age 28 I don't think that's going to change. He should make every shot either an open 3-pointer or a driving layup. That pull-up jumper just isn't dropping for him.

Hopefully the Cavs learned a lot from these last three losses.

For me it was just 3pt shooting. Donovan and Garland were both not hitting. Can't win against the dubs with no 3s.

Was LeVert the best 3pt shooter? Can't win a a game like that.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Cedi had no points, one rebound, and one assist in 21 minutes. He was 0-for-4 from the field. They actually had him guarding Curry on some possessions. In order to beat Golden State on the road everybody has to contribute. Cedi just looked too slow against the smaller, quicker Warriors.

Cedi and Love are players who need to get the pass when they are open and can catch and shoot without having to beat the defender. The Warriors were not allowing either of them to do that. They did a great job of closing out quickly and preventing open 3's. Love and Cedi were 2-for-8 from deep.

With a little more time and getting Wade and Rubio back so we don't need to use Cedi and Okoro at all this team should continue to stay right at the top of the East. Cedi and Okoro combined for 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 40 minutes last night. They were clearly out of their league.

Milwaukee lost in San Antonio by 18 last night without Giannis, Holiday, or Middleton. The Spurs were 5-7. Teams like Milwaukee, Boston, and Golden State are totally dependent on one or two players. Without Curry the Cavs blow out the W's. Without Giannis the Bucks are probably a .500 team. Take away either Brown or Tatum and the Celtics are a .500 team. Injuries might have a lot to say about how this season turns out.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

In the last two games the Cavs' bench was outscored 71-32.

Against Sacramento the Cavs were outscored 10-3 in the last 2:42. Against Golden State they were outscored 19-6 in the last 4:38.

The main problems right now are the bench getting hammered and the starters being unable to win after being tied or in the lead late.

In their loss to the Clippers they were up by 10 with 2:39 to go and were outscored by 12 points in the last 2:39 in a shocking collapse.

Three consecutive games with a collapse in the final minutes. The refs helped a lot against the Clippers and blew a key moving screen call by Thompson against the Warriors, but it was the Cavs who folded with the game on the line in the final minutes, three games in a row.

 

[Rich]

People do understand Rubio isn't like a week away from coming back, yea?

 

[KilgoreTrout]

In the last two games the Cavs' bench was outscored 71-32.

Against Sacramento the Cavs were outscored 10-3 in the last 2:42. Against Golden State they were outscored 19-6 in the last 4:38.

The main problems right now are the bench getting hammered and the starters being unable to win after being tied or in the lead late.

In their loss to the Clippers they were up by 10 with 2:39 to go and were outscored by 12 points in the last 2:39 in a shocking collapse.

Three consecutive games with a collapse in the final minutes. The refs helped a lot against the Clippers and blew a key moving screen call by Thompson against the Warriors, but it was the Cavs who folded with the game on the line in the final minutes, three games in a row.

And Garland most of all.

 

[Alec]

I did not catch the game, but it's odd how quickly people turn on young players that are learning to gel.

This so well beyond the reactionary takes that I expected from a game thread. It's just pure panic.

If you watch the game, you’ll see why. @Rich is totally correct in his assessment and concerns. The ceiling of this team is obvious. Whether or not they should make moves to rectify the issues this season, is up for debate.

 

[Medina smoke]

We have an 5on 4 for good 20 sec , our pg walks up the court , Dribbling like he walking down sidewalk. No awareness. No urgency. None

 

[Rich]

We have an 5on 4 for good 20 sec , our pg walks up the court , Dribbling like he walking down sidewalk. No awareness. No urgency. None

Drives me crazy.

When he AND Love are in the game it's brutal.

Love literally spends the first 5 seconds after getting a rebound looking down court, trying to see if he can throw a 40 foot pass to the other team.

When he decides he can't, he then gives the ball to Garland, who walks down the court. 12 seconds left int he shot clock before we get into the offense.

 

[Medina smoke]

Drives me crazy.

When he AND Love are in the game it's brutal.

Love literally spends the first 5 seconds after getting a rebound looking down court, trying to see if he can throw a 40 foot pass to the other team.

When he decides he can't, he then gives the ball to Garland, who walks down the court. 12 seconds left int he shot clock before we get into the offense.

I Like 10 sec look to pass it 2 feet

 

[kidduck]

“We have a long way to go,” Kevin Love responded when asked by cleveland.com outside the locker room what he will take from the last five games. “A few balls bounce other ways, and we could have five or six losses on the season. I think the numbers are trending in the right direction for us on offense and defense and it shows how good we can be on both sides of the ball. But at the same time, we have to be able to win close games. We have to. A great team has to win close games.”

 

[ice cream man]

People do understand Rubio isn't like a week away from coming back, yea?

Yes, can you tell me why Neto is not playing?

 

[Ohioplayer00]

Yes, it takes longer than 9 games to gel. We have been through this with Lebron, KI, and Love. This shit takes time.

JBB is not perfect. I do not understand his decisionmaking at times, but he is only one part of this equation.

Gel?????? We only have ONE new player!!! These guys played together last year!!! We have the same coach!! This offense has proven to get stagnant because he brings his big men out on the perimeter to handle the ball late in the shot clock!! JBB is creature of habit and it seems he doesn’t have the basketball IQ to adjust or change his offensive philosophy!

 

[Ohioplayer00]

“We have a long way to go,” Kevin Love responded when asked by cleveland.com outside the locker room what he will take from the last five games. “A few balls bounce other ways, and we could have five or six losses on the season. I think the numbers are trending in the right direction for us on offense and defense and it shows how good we can be on both sides of the ball. But at the same time, we have to be able to win close games. We have to. A great team has to win close games.”

I like Love’s assessment! Brutally honest but true!

 

[Kouki]

I mean when that one player is the best player with the highest usage it's a little different