Game 22 | Cleveland @ Houston | December 9th, 2009 | 8:30pm EST

[DougHeil]

Yes. I believe it's time to start giving West those 30 to 35 minutes again. Parker would be better off the bench. The third quarter is when we should have made a nice run, but when you don't have but one guard who does not drive and only shoots and passes, you really can't get much going. West, Mo and LeBron running the same minutes is what we have to start seeing.

 

[Andrew]

You know what's sad? We take the losses harder than the players. Of course that is known, because they have to regroup quick for the next game....but is their job.

I have a feeling if we lose at home this Friday, something is gonna go down.

It needs to, you don't see the contenders in the league play uninterested for back to back games.

Unreal.

The team needs to shut up and play basketball, simple as that.

Sad thing is, they would have put their foot on the Rockets throat tonight and failed to do so.

 

[Reeko_Htown]

Hopefully this is one of those games ESPN highlights the plays we got techs on and shows how legit the Cavs' gripes were. That is about the only way we'll get respect from refs, if the league has pressure from the media.

That doesn't get you respect, It makes you look like Douchebags. It's against a team without Star players that out hustles you.

Wining despite bad calls gets you respect.

 

[Dkarode]

Come on guys, the refs sucked but the turnovers / lack of D lost us this one. And I agree with whomever said we aren't doing a good job covering up our defensive weaknesses, and most of that has to go on LeBron's shoulders right? I mean, Ariza goes off and we're keeping LeBron on Battier to ... what? Stand there and look pretty? His version of "getting back on D" has become throwing his arms up and yelling at the referees. Sure the Rockets got calls, but all we did was run ugly P/Rs all night and then watch people dribble around us on D... we deserved to lose.

 

[Andrew]

Come on guys, the refs sucked but the turnovers / lack of D lost us this one. And I agree with whomever said we aren't doing a good job covering up our defensive weaknesses, and most of that has to go on LeBron's shoulders right? I mean, Ariza goes off and we're keeping LeBron on Battier to ... what? Stand there and look pretty? His version of "getting back on D" has become throwing his arms up and yelling at the referees. Sure the Rockets got calls, but all we did was run ugly P/Rs all night and then watch people dribble around us on D... we deserved to lose.

We deserved to lose last night too, and contenders don't do that.

 

[iEchoic]

Anyone feeling kind enough to type up a quick recap of how we lost?

 

[SteelSmack]

That doesn't get you respect, It makes you look like Douchebags. It's against a team without Star players that out hustles you.

Wining despite bad calls gets you respect.

Forcing the league's hand is the only way we'll get respect, we've won plenty of games where the refs have done a great job of helping the other team, that's gotten us no respect. This year - for whatever reason - has been a horrible year from a "call" standpoint. We just aren't getting calls, which is terrible considering we have 2 HOF players out there. Will we look like doucebags to the average fan? Sure, but I don't care about the average fan. ESPN points out what a joke the officiating was and the league has to warn refs that they need to give us some calls. It's becoming all too common that we get the short end of the calls, just look at the PF and FT +/-s compared to last year.

 

[castigador]

20 turnovers, Aaron brooks torching mo 20% from the field williams, and a good 5 techinical foul shots. anything else I'm missing?

Oh yeah questionable effort, questionable calls. I think this team is gonna start trading soon if things dont improve ( David West)

 

[Thunder]

Just start Delonte at PG...he can defend and won't get burned...he's a better passer...start Mo at SG...

 

[Reeko_Htown]

Forcing the league's hand is the only way we'll get respect...and the league has to warn refs that they need to give us some calls.

I think the League trying to shake that image.

 

[GreenCup09]

The team has SIGNIFICANT weaknesses. Plain as day, any REALIST can see this. Still a good team, just definitely not one of the elites. Yeah go ahead and call me a panicy or Chicken little. I'm just taking off the Wine & Gold tinted shades and looking at reality.

 

[rocky145]

Aaron Brooks 27points 6 ast and 41FG%

Mo 7point 4ast and 20FG%

 

[iEchoic]

Does anyone seriously think we need more talent? I've read some people saying that Ferry needs to make changes. This seems absurd to me.

We have one of the most talented group of players this year of anyone in the league. It's just that the effort clearly isn't there, and the coaching is borderline retarded.

 

[Gunther]

Aaron Brooks 27points 6 ast and 41FG%

Mo 7point 4ast and 20FG%

There you go.

Our starting backcourt had 10 points on 3-12 shooting.
Their starting backcourt had 41 points on 11-28 shooting (5-11 on three's).

 

[udilicious42584]

Does anyone seriously think we need more talent? I've read some people saying that Ferry needs to make changes. This seems absurd to me.

We have one of the most talented group of players this year of anyone in the league. It's just that the effort clearly isn't there, and the coaching is borderline retarded.

IMO this team MUST make moves, and the talent is not all there like you say...

We have gone back to LeBron 1-5 because no one else can consistant step up. We cannot allow those types of situations to happen in the postseason. Parker needs to be moved from the starting lineup, Hickson has fallen back into rookie/clueless mode, gone are the days of his 10-20 point scoring nights we saw a little bit last month, Shaq is at his career low here - fouling all the time on D, turning the ball over, defensive 3 seconds, offensive fouls, bricked layups...

Who can LeBron trust? An unstable Delonte West? A streaky Mo Williams who completely lost his defensive effort from last year too? A zombie in Z?

We seriously need to make moves... Ferry and Gilbert know what is at stake, and our current squad stands no chance!