The fans are hurting the team

[G-MAN]

not that it is larry's fault but damon's slump just happened to be at the wrong time. if damon was on a hot streak now he'd be god for filling in and larry would look bad.

it's all timing. the knicks were hot and we were not. until we get our rotations straight we will have a tough time. i'd prefer to have newble or jackson start and get damon back to being a scorer off the bench. he doesn't really look comfortable on the floor with lebron either.

i'd like to see jackson get some run. right now he still looks uncomfortable on the floor and he rushes his shot. put newble in late in the game. good d and good bb sense.

 

[LyXo]

The fans are the most important part to a player's motivation... behind money. Once the contract is signed, the money is guaranteed.

After that, there are players that play for themselves and those that play for the fans. But regardless of what they do, the mood of the crowd regularly sets the tone for the player's mood. No matter how much of a competitive spirit a player has, if you are showered with negativity, your confidence gets shot. If you go into a slump, they boo you. If you play your role, but don't live up to their expectations, they boo you. Pretty much, if you aren't a golden boy (LeBron James, Luke Jackson, Anderson Varejao), and you go into a slump, you get booed. Plain and simple. Donyell Marshall is the sole exception.

Some fans just need to get it into their heads: The players are paid to play 82 games, not 48 minutes. If we want the team to perform, then we must cheer them on. If we continue to boo, then they'll continue to sulk. Fair-weather is for the weak. Let the GM/coach do the deciding whether a player is performing and should or should not be moved. Not the fans.

 

[jimmychitwood]

If we continue to boo, then they'll continue to sulk. Fair-weather is for the weak.

First of all, this is the NBA, not a grade school rec league...if a Professional basketball player can't hold his head up and play hard while being booed, I don't know how he had the mental toughness to get to the league in the first place.

Second of all, Damon Jones deserves every boo that he gets. I will boo Damon Jones until he leaves the Cavaliers or changes his attitude. I don't even care about his slump. When I played, I was a slow one-dimensional player (shooter) as well. I had slumps...I know what they are like...it happens to everyone. I watched the Knicks game on Tuesday...most of his misses were in-and-out. I know he is a decent shooter. My problem with him is that he is a cocky jackass, and a virus to the team. He talks about himself and his shot the same way Muhammed Ali talked about himself, and I think there is a difference between those two people that I don't have to explain. After complaining about playing time and stating that you are the best shooter in the world, how could you not expect to get booed if you didn't hit the majority of the wide open 3's you get.

 

[KI4MVP]

when did he complain about playing time? He boycotted talking to the press so he wouldn't complain about playing time and he still gets criticized for complaining about playing time.

Did you ever consider that the "arrogant" things he does actually help the team by making the other team more aware of his 3 point threat. The whole purpose of the 3 point threat isn't so much to get the points off of the makes, it's to open up the court for the rest of the offense. If the other team is afraid of Jones hitting shots, they won't leave him to double on LeBron or Z.

We want them to think - I hate that arrogant Damon Jones and he sure isn't going to get that shot off on me. Have one guy each night worry about Damon and forget LeBron - that's what we're after.

 

[jimmychitwood]

After boycotting the press for a while at the beginning of the season, he finally talked to the plain dealer, and although he didn't exactly whine about it, he did state that he was unhappy about playing behind snow.

Did you ever consider that the "arrogant" things he does actually help the team by making the other team more aware of his 3 point threat.

No. The other team knows their opponents (us), knows our players, knows our strengths, knows our exact statistics...and if they don't, their coach has failed at his job. Nobody is going to be intimidated by Damon Jones.

Also, the point of having a 3-point threat is that when Lebron drives to the hole and people collapse on him and he can't get a shot off, he has that 3-point threat to fall back on. Not the other way around. We don't give the ball to Damon Jones, watch the defense spread out, and then give the ball to someone cutting down the lane. I agree, a 3-point threat helps spread out the defense, but Damon Jones is not a 3-point threat right now...and the ridiculous things that he has said only make it worse. To make his defender stick on him instead of helping when Lebron or someone else drives to the hoop, he has to hit a 3 or two in the first half and make his defender pay for that mistake.

 

[West Remy]

Cleveland fans have a right to be bitter or cynical. My take is I've been to games in other cities where their sports teams SUCKED royally for many years and the fans weren't really booing. They were still showing up and having fun, almost with a party vibe and staying positive even when the teams sucked. I was at Chicago Cubs games in years past and Cincinnati Bengals games in years past and the fans still kept plodding along. Sure, the opimistic smile was semi-leaving their faces but not all faith was lost. It's always the endless sports argument trying to find out which city had it worst. But there's something to be said for fans who are like, "You're my team, my boys regardless if whether you lose everytime or win the championship." I won't get into the argument of who had it the worst and who has the right or deserves to be most cynical. But one thing I know is not all fans are created equal. Some will stick through thick-and-thin better than others (which is why sporting experiences vary so much city to city).

 

[bomber]

I would think winning is the most important motivation to a player. Maybe I'm just crazy.

 

[Karma]

Every fan is showing their displeasure toward a player who carries on like he is bigger then the team. They see a player who is beaten on defense nearly every play which often is contributed to lack of effort. They see a player who disrespects the coach when substituted. They see a player that sulks when he doesn't get want he wants. The fans would not be overly attracted to this player when he is playing well and hitting his shots. He is an eyesore when on song. But he's not hitting his shots and the fans are not seeing other effort areas to show that he really cares. Donyell is misfiring but he is hawking the defensive boards. What else does Damon do but pout, abuse the media and mock the crowd. That'll get'em behind you Damon. What a punk.

 

[PIP]

Every fan is showing their displeasure toward a player who carries on like he is bigger then the team. They see a player who is beaten on defense nearly every play which often is contributed to lack of effort. They see a player who disrespects the coach when substituted. They see a player that sulks when he doesn't get want he wants. The fans would not be overly attracted to this player when he is playing well and hitting his shots. He is an eyesore when on song. But he's not hitting his shots and the fans are not seeing other effort areas to show that he really cares. Donyell is misfiring but he is hawking the defensive boards. What else does Damon do but pout, abuse the media and mock the crowd. That'll get'em behind you Damon. What a punk.

:chuckles:

I love it when Karma strongly dislikes an athlete...

 

[KI4MVP]

No. The other team knows their opponents (us), knows our players, knows our strengths, knows our exact statistics...and if they don't, their coach has failed at his job. Nobody is going to be intimidated by Damon Jones.

players can and do piss off their opponents and take them out of their game plan. YOu don't think there's been any players determined to shut damon jones up? Just payign a little extra attention to him, giving us that extra split second to get a shot for LeBron or Z, helps the offense.

And it works both ways on opening the court. You can open up a defense by hitting shots - which Snow did in a game earlier this year, or you can open up defenses by beign a legitimate threat to hit shots. Like you said, teams know their opponents. If they know we have a 3 point threat, they'll tell the guy guarding him - don't leave him, we'd rather give up 2 points than 3. Now that he's slumping, he'll have to hit a few shots in a few games to get back to that point.

 

[KI4MVP]

also, someone said - on another board I think - that if Damon Jones had more strenghts to his game, we never would have been able to sign him for just $3.5 million. Marshall has other strengths, he cost us $4.8 million. We didn't have $4.8 million and our first choice for 3 point threat at guard went to Indy. He was the last guy we signed (other than league minimum guys), we had limited funds at the time, we got the best we could get. Whining about his limitations doesn't help - for $3.5 million, you get a guy with limitations to his game.

 

[Karma]

also, someone said - on another board I think - that if Damon Jones had more strenghts to his game, we never would have been able to sign him for just $3.5 million. Marshall has other strengths, he cost us $4.8 million. We didn't have $4.8 million and our first choice for 3 point threat at guard went to Indy. He was the last guy we signed (other than league minimum guys), we had limited funds at the time, we got the best we could get. Whining about his limitations doesn't help - for $3.5 million, you get a guy with limitations to his game.

If a guy is a one trick pony like you state and better alternatives are off the market, why do you sign him for 4 seasons? This is a guy who has been on 10 teams, and there are reasons beyond his on court performances for this. If this guy was signed for a 1-2 year deal, I would not be as hard on this issue. But the fact that we committed 4 years irked me at the time, and now it justs makes me feel ill. I support any player who will give 100%. Thus far, I'm yet to see that.

 

[KI4MVP]

The heat were going to give him 3 years, we had to top their offer to get him to leave miami.

 

[ootbttnlagitnbasf]

damon is the best shooter in the world and we were cheering him the other night.

it just looks like he misses a lot of shots. and our cheers just sound like boos.

take your pick.

 

[Karma]

The heat were going to give him 3 years, we had to top their offer to get him to leave miami.

That doesn't change a thing. Why give a one trick pony who hasn't lasted at a team more then a season a 4 year deal. Let Miami sign him. I always said once the quality point guards were off the market, go short term. You sign 4 year deals to quality players and people. Damon is neither.