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

[castigador]

That Mo Williams pick is the thread ender. No more discussion here.

 

[MikeSwim07]

Making moves is just going to make it worse. We will have to totally redevelop chemistry.

We would have won most of the games we lost this season if we would just play with some more effort.

 

[GreenCup09]

This franchise is such a roller coaster. How can players just bring it on nights when they feel like it? Lebron looks like a bratty child out there. Mo is almost as streaky as Larry Hughes and proves to be pretty worthless when his shots aren't sinking. West is unstable. Shaq and Z are totally spent. JJ has no basketball IQ and neither does Moon. Parker gets no touches and seems to have trouble on defense nowadays. Gibson is one dimensional.

I do like Andy:chuckles: But he's only a solid energy bench guy.

There you go! Only the start of this team's problems summarized.

 

[Snarly]

I been saying this for a while. we seem to lose when Mo has bad games. He really has to score If we got at least 15 point out of him we win this game. also 5 T's on a team that has almost none all season? come on BS the refs took them out of it and the players for some reason seemed to have let it get to them. i did not see the start so i can not say if they came out lazy. But 5 i thought 6 but T's uncalled for. Why Is the NBA trying to make Ariza and the Rockets a super team?
I will give them credit they are a good team and played well. Also back to back late flight little rest game and then the refs do this? I can see why this team was dragging. but No excuse on the the execution and the moronic coaching. Long season though so lets get through as fans as the team should to. Can not wait for the trade deadline to come and Powe to get back. JJ Is killing out D.

 

[Obawan12]

Do you want to trade Gibson, Moon, Z and Varejao as well? Because Gibson and Z can only shoot. Moon can only play defense, and as far as I'm concerned he hasn't even done that. And Varejao can only rebound the ball and draw an offensive foul.

Not gonna argue with the Z and Gibson part, but to say that Moon is one-dimensional with the way he was balling before the injury is ridiculous. To say all AV does is rebound and draw offensive fouls is ludicrous. AV is an All-NBA defender and while his jump shot is horrible, he is a good P&R finisher and a scrappy rebounder.

Right now, AV is the best Center and big man on the team.

 

[Obawan12]

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

This was essentially how it was last year. They just switched assignments on defense.

 

[abuC]

The Cavs clearly need a real number 2 option, Mo Williams proves time and time again that he just isn't reliable enough to carry the team when LeBron is not having a great game. He is a 3rd option that is forced into the 2nd option role, other elite teams have 3rd options as good or better than Mo, and the Lakers/Magic have 4th options as good as him. Im not a fan of Mike Brown, but the Cavs need to make a move to get a legitimate second option, talent is the only way this team will win a title because Brown is not going to outcoach anyone.

 

[Gunther]

Shaq is showing his miles right now: Windhorst Beat Blog
By Brian Windhorst
December 09, 2009, 11:59PM

HOUSTON -- Thoughts following the Cavs' 95-85 loss to the Rockets:

* If anyone just watched this one Cavs game, and plenty of people in Houston did including some that know a lot about basketball, you could come to the conclusion that Shaquille O'Neal's time is over. In truth, he looked terrible in this loss. It was the first time this season he looked this way. This on a day when he was playing against a 6-6 center in Chuck Hayes, a game where most thought he put the Cavs over the top.

After shooting the ball pretty well in the preseason, Shaq has not been as effective as in the regular season. A prime issue is that he just doesn't get much lift on his shots. This is not a new problem, but Shaq has not compensated for it by adding loft to his hooks. He continues to shoot them they way he did five years ago, like a line drive. Like his free throws. But when your arm is more than 11 feet in the air, like it used to be, you have a better chance than when it is just over 10 feet in the air. The angle doesn't work as well. But beyond that, he's missing easy layups and he has been for several weeks now.

When you ask Shaq about this he gives a standard answer, which is he is no longer a focus of the offense and he isn't looking to take 20 shots a night. That he wants to come in an be a complementary piece. That is what he's been saying since day one and it is also true. But that doesn't explain why his shooting percentage is down nearly 10 percent this season.

Shaq has been very effective for the Cavs in certain ways. He has directly helped the Cavs defene the paint, score more points in the paint, free shooters and keep opponents honest. He has shown against some big centers what his value is. It is not fair to look at this game, the second night of a back-to-back, and make a proclaimation. I am sure that is what some will do. But it is fair to point out where he's struggling right now and this game showed it.

* Teams are starting to figure something out about the Cavs, if you get physical with them defensively they are going to turn it over. A lot. This has happened in each of the last two nights. Neither Memphis or Houston are good defensive teams. But they forced the Cavs into a lot of turnovers by simply applying pressure, getting up into them like Mike Brown would say. The guy who seems to really be feeling this is LeBron, who has 15 turnovers in the last three games. He's forcing passes and trying things that aren't normal for him.

* Mo Williams is officially in a slump. He's 21-of-59 over the last five games shooting and his defense has been suffering because of it. Though as I wrote before the game, Aaron Brooks is a tough cover.

Also, Anthony Parker hasn't hit double figures in scoring for five of the last six games. His minutes are down a little because Delonte West is playing more. But he's not being as effective in getting open or shooting. Plus, J.J. Hickson is averaging just seven points in the last six games and Jamario Moon has scored exactly four points in the last four games (yes, he missed two to injury).

The point: The Cavs are suddenly in a slump. Just like how they had 10 players doing well a week ago, now only Anderson Varejao has really brought his game every night recently. This is the NBA season, folks.

* After the game, Yao Ming spent about 10 minutes talking with Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the Cavs locker room. Still on crutches, Yao is battling back from the same type of foot injury and foot reconstruction surgery Ilgauskas had that saved his career. They were in touch when Yao was deciding how to proceed last summer and Ilgauskas has been a bit of a support system for Yao because not too many people in the world can relate. Without a doubt, Ilgauskas is a massive success story because his feet have held together for the last nine years and he's ended up with a great career.

That is the NBA, too. Two massive men, one from China and one from Lithuania, speaking English in a locker room in Houston about a radical surgery. Small world.

SOURCE

 

[camakazee]

IMO that's been our biggest problem the entire year. Just complete apathy from time to time.

Have to agree. I don't know if it's a sense of entitlement, lack of energy, or what. Probably a mix of many things. Decided to do a little writeup...

http://www.numbersdont.com/?p=394

 

[Mikey]

I don't see Lebron dancing now.... LMAO

 

[bob2the2nd]

I don't see Lebron dancing now.... LMAO

:gtfo:

 

[Green Lantern]

Teams are starting to figure something out about the Cavs, if you get physical with them defensively they are going to turn it over. A lot. This has happened in each of the last two nights. Neither Memphis or Houston are good defensive teams. But they forced the Cavs into a lot of turnovers by simply applying pressure, getting up into them like Mike Brown would say. The guy who seems to really be feeling this is LeBron, who has 15 turnovers in the last three games. He's forcing passes and trying things that aren't normal for him.

Thats a interesting remark..first Lebron should be used to contact,pressure on him so him getting rattled may mean he still doesn't trust the players around him..yet..
Second the Cavs used to be the ones getting up in opponents faces and they aren't doing that this year..

 

[DougHeil]

Thats a interesting remark..first Lebron should be used to contact,pressure on him so him getting rattled may mean he still doesn't trust the players around him..yet..
Second the Cavs used to be the ones getting up in opponents faces and they aren't doing that this year..

LeBron had both Mo and Delonte last year for most of his time on the floor. He hasn't had both this year. Parker is no Delonte in handling the ball and relieving the pressure that both Lebron and Mo are feeling. I feel this is a big issue right now unless/until Delonte is starting and getting the minutes.

 

[rabman_gold]

Oh well... it was one of those nights. Anytime a player's shot clunks the side of the backboard, anytime a guy misses an open dunk, hell... anytime LeBron mishandles an easy rebound, you know it's one of those days.

We're in a slump. Hopefully, we'll get out of it in the next game or so. Hopefully, Shaq can play better later on, when we'll need him to. Hell, maybe Ferry will eventually pull of a good deal when the going gets tough (the back up plan).

There's more than one way to crack an egg. That applies to how the Cavs can get better, recover, etc.