Game Thread 2019-20 Preseason Game #3 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics | Oct 13th, 2019

[cabs]

Where do you see him going?

#1? James Wiseman for me.

Too early to know, I just hope whatever draft pick we get we take a stud because we need talent

 

[inliner311]

Should It be concerning that this year's squad looks significantly worse than last year's when comparing pre-season games?

I don't think so. It's just one game. They looked decent against Detroit.

Beilein played 14 players in this game and all got double digit minutes. Only 7 of those players will definitely be on the 15 man roster at the start of the season.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Can we play that weird South American village I had never heard of before again this week?

 

[B Mac]

I didn’t watch, but Love, Tristan, and Garland didn’t play right? So we were down 3 of our top 4 guys and played a bunch of guys who won’t even make the team large chunks of minutes, right? I mean what do you guys expect?

 

[rabman_gold]

I didn’t watch, but Love, Tristan, and Garland didn’t play right? So we were down 3 of our top 4 guys and played a bunch of guys who won’t even make the team large chunks of minutes, right? I mean what do you guys expect?

While you do have a point, watching and rooting for the team becomes a test of tolerance (since who likes watching your favorite team lose over and over?). The emotions end up boiling when you watch embarrassing performances, that these parts of the forum are mostly venting frustration. I should know since I had to turn it off going into the fourth quarter.

Oh well. It doesn't change my feelings that we'll end up moving in the right direction (at least when regular season finally starts). It'll be ugly, though, so let's try to keep ourselves sane while we're at it...

 

[cabs]

I didn’t watch, but Love, Tristan, and Garland didn’t play right? So we were down 3 of our top 4 guys and played a bunch of guys who won’t even make the team large chunks of minutes, right? I mean what do you guys expect?

It was a bit concerning how poor Sexton/Cedi/Nance were, they really couldn’t do anything

 

[Adam]

It was a bit concerning how poor Sexton/Cedi/Nance were, they really couldn’t do anything

I have a concern that making nance a stretch 4 really just encourages his tendancy to stand still and spectate.

 

[Otsego Mar]

Sadly I will not able to watch the game.
How do I find & watch full replay?

You sho bout dat?

 

[Otsego Mar]

I'm not a guy you can call patient. Beilein needs to show me more. This offense is unwatchable.

You might as well skip this season then lol.

 

[Otsego Mar]

I didn’t watch, but Love, Tristan, and Garland didn’t play right? So we were down 3 of our top 4 guys and played a bunch of guys who won’t even make the team large chunks of minutes, right? I mean what do you guys expect?

Probably the exact same thing during the regular season.

 

[Cavatt]

One thing that really sucked was the 2 games before this especially the Pistons game refs taught the Cavs they were being too physical, then Boston beats the shit out of them.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

It was a bit concerning how poor Sexton/Cedi/Nance were, they really couldn’t do anything

These guys aren't going to generate much offense on their own. They're not shot creators like Clarkson. That being said, Sexton was a turnover machine. You'd think by now he could drive off a ball fake without traveling. Or pump fake a three-point shot and drive without stepping on the sideline. Cedi looked horrible, but he has never been good in the half court offense (except when a guy named LeBron was on his team) and there were few opportunities to get out and run on Boston.

The way I saw it the Celtics were defending the paint and letting the Cavs' bigs take all the 3-pointers they wanted. We had Martin, Wade and other guys who won't even be on the roster jacking up 3's the entire game. It was a Brickathon.

No Love, Thompson, Henson or Garland but the Celtics were playing their starters and top rotation guys. That being said, I was surprised at how badly established NBA players like Sexton, Cedi, Delly, and Knight played. Kevin Porter, Jr got some playing time and didn't show me much, even against the Celtics' scrubs. I don't see him in the rotation if that's all he's got.

I wonder if those three hour practices plus being short-handed took a toll. Delly airballed an uncontested three-pointer, for example, and Sexton played five times better in his first game as a rookie.

 

[Cavatt]

These guys aren't going to generate much offense on their own. They're not shot creators like Clarkson. That being said, Sexton was a turnover machine. You'd think by now he could drive off a ball fake without traveling. Or pump fake a three-point shot and drive without stepping on the sideline. Cedi looked horrible, but he has never been good in the half court offense (except when a guy named LeBron was on his team) and there were few opportunities to get out and run on Boston.

The way I saw it the Celtics were defending the paint and letting the Cavs' bigs take all the 3-pointers they wanted. We had Martin, Wade and other guys who won't even be on the roster jacking up 3's the entire game. It was a Brickathon.

No Love, Thompson, Henson or Garland but the Celtics were playing their starters and top rotation guys. That being said, I was surprised at how badly established NBA players like Sexton, Cedi, Delly, and Knight played. Kevin Porter, Jr got some playing time and didn't show me much, even against the Celtics' scrubs. I don't see him in the rotation if that's all he's got.

I wonder if those three hour practices plus being short-handed took a toll. Delly airballed an uncontested three-pointer, for example, and Sexton played five times better in his first game as a rookie.

They were totally taken out of Rhythm because of the Celtics defense and the travelling calls.

Yeah, you can say he shouldn't travel, which I agree with, but they decided to call travelling the way they called fouls every time down the floor in the pistons game. What kind of mixed message was that pistons game where everything was a foul, and then they let Boston be super physical the next game. Each pre-season game the refs get on some new thing they are going to emphasize and it can mess with the players pretty good.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

They were totally taken out of Rhythm because of the Celtics defense and the travelling calls.

Yeah, you can say he shouldn't travel, which I agree with, but they decided to call travelling the way they called fouls every time down the floor in the pistons game. What kind of mixed message was that pistons game where everything was a foul, and then they let Boston be super physical the next game. Each pre-season game the refs get on some new thing they are going to emphasize and it can mess with the players pretty good.

I agree, the refs were letting the Celtics push the Cavs around but were really calling the traveling tight. There was one play where Sexton tried to drive but Smart cut him off and made him pick up the ball in the low post. Sexton was looking to pass out of it and got called for traveling. The Boston announcer (Tommy Heinsohn) was saying Smart caused the travel by bumping Sexton until he forced him to move his pivot foot. The replay confirmed it.

I agree the Celtics played great defense. Heinsohn kept raving about how well they were moving their feet. Williams had some great blocks when switching off his man just at the right moment. One time Cedi got stuck with the ball with the clock expiring. He pivoted and tried a one-footed fallaway from about 20 feet out. Williams came off his man and blocked the shot almost before it left Cedi's hand. Embarrassing.

 

[Cavatt]

I agree, the refs were letting the Celtics push the Cavs around but were really calling the traveling tight. There was one play where Sexton tried to drive but Smart cut him off and made him pick up the ball in the low post. Sexton was looking to pass out of it and got called for traveling. The Boston announcer (Tommy Heinsohn) was saying Smart caused the travel by bumping Sexton until he forced him to move his pivot foot. The replay confirmed it.

I agree the Celtics played great defense. Heinsohn kept raving about how well they were moving their feet. Williams had some great blocks when switching off his man just at the right moment. One time Cedi got stuck with the ball with the clock expiring. He pivoted and tried a one-footed fallaway from about 20 feet out. Williams came off his man and blocked the shot almost before it left Cedi's hand. Embarrassing.

Yeah I don't want to downplay how poorly they played, but nothing they did worked, so it is hard to take anything from the game. Beilein said the ref closest to the ball was watching players feet instead of looking for fouls like they usually do.

The thing it did tell me was that Sexton needs to have an idea of where the pass needs to go before he picks up his dribble and he needs contingencies as well when his first choice isn't open. I thought he passed decently and was dropping it off to the big men correctly, but he needs to keep his head up when dribbling.

Smart is a great great defender though and he regularly gave Sexton trouble by limiting his movement