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Game Thread | 2021-2022 Season | Game #14 | Celtics @ Cavs | Nov. 13, 2021

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Cavs are now in 4th place in the East. If Garland's last second shot against the Wizards goes in we're in second place, percentage points out of first.

After losing the first two games of the season the Cavs are 9-3.

It's not about making the playoffs anymore. It's about getting home court advantage in the first round.
That's what I'm saying! Imagine if we could have gotten a wing for Sexton!
 
Cavs are now in 4th place in the East. If Garland's last second shot against the Wizards goes in we're in second place, percentage points out of first.

After losing the first two games of the season the Cavs are 9-3.

It's not about making the playoffs anymore. It's about getting home court advantage in the first round.
Now you're talking! I just went back and found my post from over two weeks ago. At the time, I really wanted to predict 45 wins, but I thought I'd get laughed off the board. I shouldn't have been such a whimp. I don't usually like to say "I told you so" but this time I'm saying it! This is what I wrote.

"I think you all are being too pessimistic about this Cavalier's team. It seems you think you are going out on a limb by predicting they can win 33 games! We are two 4th quarter melt downs away from being 5-0 with a tough opening schedule. Moreover, folding in the 4th quarter is something we fixed in games 3 through 5. I understand the hesitancy to get excited about Cleveland teams due to our history of having expectations dashed. But I don't see how any objective observe who only watched the games played this season, who knew nothing about the past, wouldn't put the Cavs in the top half of the league based on how they are playing right now ... some other stuff ... All this to say ... 40+ wins for the Cavs and a playoff spot. "
 
Wade drops out entirely as he isn’t doing much. I think their return also enables the Cavs to better manage Mobley & Allen’s minutes. We don’t want Mobley hitting the rookie wall cause we’re gonna need him for the playoffs.
Agree 100%. Mobley cannot be at 40 mins a game. If some combo of love and MK can buy 4-5 mins off of Mobley’s mins then great. Same for allen
 
Quote of the Day:

It’s the bond that our guys have built to not want to disappoint one another. We keep talking about chemistry, bonding and belief in one another. It was on full display tonight. That’s the only way you can explain it. There’s no basketball reason we should have won that game. But there was a collective spirit that refused to allow us to lose that game. - JBB

That's what I was trying to say - there was no basketball reason they should have won that game. They won it on "collective spirit". They just wanted it more.

Great job by Bickerstaff in pulling the right strings, including using Valentine in meaningful minutes for the first time this season. He doesn't impress me in the least, but somehow it worked.
 
Why not Cedi at the 2?
I'd like to see them try it. Okoro is not the answer and I don't see anything in Valentine. They can't play Garland and Rubio together for 48 minutes.

I don't know if Cedi can defend opposing 2's well enough to justify him being out there. He may give up more points than he scores, especially if he's matched up against a Beal or a Jaylen Brown. But I love the idea of a 6'8" shooting guard who can hit 3's and slash to the rim, and who has the height to contest 3's on defense.

His lack of rebounding at the 3 would actually be a strength at the 2. But I'm also concerned with his dribbling and getting his pocket picked against smaller guards.

I'd like to see them try Cedi at the 2 when Marky gets back.
 
The other Quote of the Day:

We fought all the way until the end. That’s the character that we’ve been talking about since the beginning of the year. I’m really proud of this team and the way we fought. I know we didn’t play our best basketball, but it was really important to win this game while we were playing like this. Everybody gave 100 percent. These fans were unbelievable. They were like our sixth man. It was like a playoff game tonight. The atmosphere was amazing. - Cedi Osman

With the Celtics inbounding with 9.3 seconds to go I was surprised to see Cedi on the floor. I consider him to be one of our worst defenders and the stats confirm it. Normally Bickerstaff puts in Okoro in those situations, or Lamar Stevens. But JBB went with the team that fought all the way back, and Osman amazingly made the defensive stop on Schroder, who had 28 points after getting 38 the night before.

The last thing I wanted to see was our worst defender on their hottest shooter and I'm sure the Celtics were thrilled when they saw Cedi switch onto Schroder, but Cedi wouldn't let him get to the rim and forced a tough baseline fallaway that thankfully didn't go.
 
Who is still pumped from yesterday. Hopefully curry goes off for 50 since I’ll be at the game tonight. Riding high from that win babyyy
 
Unspoken in this thread is how JBB will integrate Love and Markk back into the lineup. Whose minutes get reduced and who returns to the bench? Hate to mess up the current chemistry.
I'm gonna assume Wade will head back to the bench. But a couple of thoughts about the current chemistry that you talk about.

Dean's high school coach (not Comeback Kid) and his high school coaches brother are two of the most decorated high school coaches in the history of Kansas high school basketball. Even though Dean dominated in high school, he was the very definition of a team player too. We played them twice in the state basketball tournament. Amazingly, many of our fans said they expected more out of Dean.

At Kansas State. That team was very much in turmoil when Dean came in as a freshman. There was a lot of individual play, not much team play, and very little chemistry. Dean played a huge role in turning a team of individuals into a team that was very tough to beat and one that had great chemistry. Meanwhile, many KSU fans were critical of his play even though they were winning and advancing deep into postseason play.

I see the same thing at Cleveland. Last season the Cavs were pretty much a team of individuals. There came a point in the season where Dean went from not even playing to starting. That's about also the point in time that the Cavs started their transformation into playing the way they are playing now. Playing the way all of you are loving watching. Playing together as a team that has chemistry.

The last 2 seasons, Dean has started 25 games. The Cavs are 13-12 in those games. 18-43 in all of the other games over the past 2 seasons. He has started 6 games this season. Cavs are 5-1 in those 6 games. Cavs are 4-4 in the ones he didn't start.

He is probably headed back to the bench to fill a different role. But make no mistake about it, he is a big piece of this thing that is happening with the Cavs.
 
Wade is a "3-and-D" power forward who plays excellent defense but is only shooting 28.6% on 3's after shooting 36.6% last year. But a lot of players have lower shooting percentages in the early going. There's some talk about the new ball having an effect on accuracy.

Hopefully Wade will start hitting more of those uncontested 3's, but with Love and Markkanen coming back at some point Wade's minutes will be reduced or eliminated entirely.

Dean is getting a chance to start with Love and Marky out but he is not taking full advantage of the opportunity. He's had seven games where he has played 19 minutes or more and has not scored in double figures in any of them.

I get that he's in for his defense but the Cavs are below average in scoring and could really use a power forward who shoots better than 41.5% and 28.6%.
 
I'd like to see them try it. Okoro is not the answer and I don't see anything in Valentine. They can't play Garland and Rubio together for 48 minutes.

I don't know if Cedi can defend opposing 2's well enough to justify him being out there. He may give up more points than he scores, especially if he's matched up against a Beal or a Jaylen Brown. But I love the idea of a 6'8" shooting guard who can hit 3's and slash to the rim, and who has the height to contest 3's on defense.

His lack of rebounding at the 3 would actually be a strength at the 2. But I'm also concerned with his dribbling and getting his pocket picked against smaller guards.

I'd like to see them try Cedi at the 2 when Marky gets back.
Lots of people worry about Cedi getting too many minutes - that what caused him to stink so bad last year was getting too many minutes and trying to do to much. What say you?
 
Windler might have taken two shots and missed them both, but Okoro got 7 shots and missed all of them while Valentine took 9 shots and made 2. I'd like to think if Windler took 9 shots, he'd have made at least 3 of them. Maybe foul trouble kept him out, but IMO it's criminal that he only played 12 minutes.
It’s up to windier to take the shot also, how many times do he passes up a shot if he not wide open……
 
It’s up to windier to take the shot also, how many times do he passes up a shot if he not wide open……

But he was playing better as a team and not getting tunnel vision. I'd rather a player who tries to get an open shot than take a shitty one or an uncoordinated drive to the rim.
 

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