Cavaliers hit road seeking victories
Without Hughes, it's time to test mettle
By Tom Reed
Beacon Journal
CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers have played the fewest road games in the NBA.
That statistic is about to drastically change. And if things go poorly, so too will the fortunes of the team
.
The Cavs play eight of their next nine games away from Quicken Loans Arena, including a six-game West Coast swing beginning tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers.
It's a trip that will test the club's mettle and help define whether the Cavs, minus Larry Hughes, are an Eastern Conference contender.
``The importance of the road trip is the simple fact we need to get better on the road,'' said Cavs coach Mike Brown, whose team is 6-7 away from home.
``We need to know how to win on the road so that if we are fortunate enough to get into the postseason we will be prepared to win and know what it takes to win. Playing on the road is the toughest thing you can do.''
Except, maybe, beat the New York Knicks.
The Cavs had hoped to vault into their longest road trip of the season with a home win against the Knicks, the conference bottom-feeder that has bedeviled them the past two seasons.
Instead, the Knicks rallied for a 92-84 win in a game in which the Cavs were guilty of settling for 3-point shots and relying too much on LeBron James.
``This was supposed to be what I like to call our Geico game -- an insurance win before heading on the road,'' forward Drew Gooden said of the loss to the Knicks. ``We are going to have to pick it up if we want to win out West.''
After facing the Lakers, the Cavs travel to the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors before returning home for one game to meet the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 24.
The team has just five more games outside the Eastern Time Zone following this pivotal stretch.
The Cavs (20-12) hold the conference's fourth spot, but the Milwaukee Bucks and Pacers are within two games in the loss column.
``We're going to have to find a way to bring the same intensity on the road that we normally bring at home,'' Ira Newble said. ``That starts with defense.''
True enough, but the Cavs also must adjust offensively to the loss of Hughes, out for at least six more weeks with a finger injury. The team misses his ability to penetrate and distribute.
The Cavs were 6-of-28 from behind the 3-point arc against the Knicks. Brown pointed out the Cavs took eight fewer free throws than 3-point shots. That's a dangerous ratio, especially on the road.
The Cavs are 2-2 without Hughes.
``Losing Larry is definitely going to hurt us,'' Newble said. ``Everyone needs to step it up.''
And, perhaps, take a step or two closer to the hoop. The Cavs are 20-of-81 from behind the 3-point line in the past three games. Nobody is struggling more than Damon Jones (6-of-37 in the past seven games).
Donyell Marshall concedes the Cavs need to attack the basket, but he said they cannot totally change their identity.
``We are a drive-and-kick team, that's what we do,'' Marshall said. ``We were getting open threes, open shots. If we hit half those shots, there wouldn't be questions about settling for jump shots.''
Stop the press
Fans might not think Jones' shooting woes are humorous, but he made light of it anyway Tuesday by delivering a ``keynote address'' to reporters. ``This is only going to happen once, it will not happen again: I'm officially in a slump,'' Jones said.
He added the current slump is not nearly as hazardous to his health as one from a season ago when he played with the Miami Heat and Shaquille O'Neal.
``I don't have a 7-foot, 300-pound guy on my (butt) telling me if I don't hit a shot he's going to send me to Siberia,'' Jones said.
Wild Thing return?
There's a good chance Anderson Varejao will make his season debut tonight against the Lakers at the Staples Center. Varejao, out all year after offseason shoulder surgery, has been cleared for practice for the last week and a half and is ready. Brown said before the team left the final decision will be made after this morning's shootaround.
``We'll talk about it on the flight and tomorrow morning,'' Brown said. ``He probably would be cleared to play. It is a discussion we'll have on the flight out.''
Guarding Kobe
The Cavs face a serious defensive challenge tonight with the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who started last night's game in Portland averaging 47 points over his past four games.
``He's the best player in our league by far,'' LeBron James said. ``You can't stop him. We've got to try to slow down the other guys.''
The real trouble is, without Hughes, the Cavs have bad match-up options on Bryant. It appears James will start the game guarding Lamar Odom, but will guard Bryant as well. The Cavs will likely start with Eric Snow on Bryant and also use Ira Newble on him off the bench.
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Without Hughes, it's time to test mettle
By Tom Reed
Beacon Journal
CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers have played the fewest road games in the NBA.
That statistic is about to drastically change. And if things go poorly, so too will the fortunes of the team
.
The Cavs play eight of their next nine games away from Quicken Loans Arena, including a six-game West Coast swing beginning tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers.
It's a trip that will test the club's mettle and help define whether the Cavs, minus Larry Hughes, are an Eastern Conference contender.
``The importance of the road trip is the simple fact we need to get better on the road,'' said Cavs coach Mike Brown, whose team is 6-7 away from home.
``We need to know how to win on the road so that if we are fortunate enough to get into the postseason we will be prepared to win and know what it takes to win. Playing on the road is the toughest thing you can do.''
Except, maybe, beat the New York Knicks.
The Cavs had hoped to vault into their longest road trip of the season with a home win against the Knicks, the conference bottom-feeder that has bedeviled them the past two seasons.
Instead, the Knicks rallied for a 92-84 win in a game in which the Cavs were guilty of settling for 3-point shots and relying too much on LeBron James.
``This was supposed to be what I like to call our Geico game -- an insurance win before heading on the road,'' forward Drew Gooden said of the loss to the Knicks. ``We are going to have to pick it up if we want to win out West.''
After facing the Lakers, the Cavs travel to the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors before returning home for one game to meet the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 24.
The team has just five more games outside the Eastern Time Zone following this pivotal stretch.
The Cavs (20-12) hold the conference's fourth spot, but the Milwaukee Bucks and Pacers are within two games in the loss column.
``We're going to have to find a way to bring the same intensity on the road that we normally bring at home,'' Ira Newble said. ``That starts with defense.''
True enough, but the Cavs also must adjust offensively to the loss of Hughes, out for at least six more weeks with a finger injury. The team misses his ability to penetrate and distribute.
The Cavs were 6-of-28 from behind the 3-point arc against the Knicks. Brown pointed out the Cavs took eight fewer free throws than 3-point shots. That's a dangerous ratio, especially on the road.
The Cavs are 2-2 without Hughes.
``Losing Larry is definitely going to hurt us,'' Newble said. ``Everyone needs to step it up.''
And, perhaps, take a step or two closer to the hoop. The Cavs are 20-of-81 from behind the 3-point line in the past three games. Nobody is struggling more than Damon Jones (6-of-37 in the past seven games).
Donyell Marshall concedes the Cavs need to attack the basket, but he said they cannot totally change their identity.
``We are a drive-and-kick team, that's what we do,'' Marshall said. ``We were getting open threes, open shots. If we hit half those shots, there wouldn't be questions about settling for jump shots.''
Stop the press
Fans might not think Jones' shooting woes are humorous, but he made light of it anyway Tuesday by delivering a ``keynote address'' to reporters. ``This is only going to happen once, it will not happen again: I'm officially in a slump,'' Jones said.
He added the current slump is not nearly as hazardous to his health as one from a season ago when he played with the Miami Heat and Shaquille O'Neal.
``I don't have a 7-foot, 300-pound guy on my (butt) telling me if I don't hit a shot he's going to send me to Siberia,'' Jones said.
Wild Thing return?
There's a good chance Anderson Varejao will make his season debut tonight against the Lakers at the Staples Center. Varejao, out all year after offseason shoulder surgery, has been cleared for practice for the last week and a half and is ready. Brown said before the team left the final decision will be made after this morning's shootaround.
``We'll talk about it on the flight and tomorrow morning,'' Brown said. ``He probably would be cleared to play. It is a discussion we'll have on the flight out.''
Guarding Kobe
The Cavs face a serious defensive challenge tonight with the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who started last night's game in Portland averaging 47 points over his past four games.
``He's the best player in our league by far,'' LeBron James said. ``You can't stop him. We've got to try to slow down the other guys.''
The real trouble is, without Hughes, the Cavs have bad match-up options on Bryant. It appears James will start the game guarding Lamar Odom, but will guard Bryant as well. The Cavs will likely start with Eric Snow on Bryant and also use Ira Newble on him off the bench.
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