Game Thread | 2021-2022 Season | Game #57 | Cavs @ Hawks | Feb. 15, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.

[CavzAddict]

If Okoro is not making life difficult for the guy he’s guarding, or scoring, or assisting, or rebounding, what’s he doing?

He's good at passing the ball back. Hot potato

 

[PIP]

 

[Dr. Claw]

A perimeter threat... until it's there, consistently, losses like these happen.

 

[Dunkqvist]

Cavs have not been among the best transition offense teams, but now looking back at this game feels like there were almost no fast breaks or running the floor at all. It is now mostly (slow) half court plays with insufficient spacing to be effective and slow ball movement and unnecessary dribbling. Yes, Lauri will help here but will not be the saviour and game changer as some now seem to expect ( believe me I really wish he would be). The only way here is to get back the defensive team effort and wear the opponent down. This was a lame effort of a tired(?) team.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Really do not understand the defensive gameplan by JBB tonight. Do not udnerstand why he kept Okoro n Trae even though he couldn't keep up with his foot speed. Do not understand not going at Trae on the offensive end all night. He was guarding Dean Wade for crying out loud.

The defensive regression is worrying.

 

[Mr. Orange]

Damn. I can see the Cavs sliding to the play in round. Even then it’s a successful season but I really hope they can stay in the top 6.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The way that the game went and the whistles were blown, we weren’t allowed to play defense. - JBB

If that were the case the Cavs should have attacked the paint relentlessly and gotten the benefit of those easy whistles. I'd say it's their fault they only got 12 free throws on a night the officials were calling the game really tight.

Young has perfected the technique of beating his man off the dribble then leaning into him to draw contact followed by immediately throwing the ball and both arms in the air while staggering like he's been body slammed. Works like a charm.

JBB also said the Cavs just got beat by great performances by Embiid and Young. He's right. Embiid had the first Sixers 40-point triple-double since Chamberlain. Young had 41 and 9. And Gallinari had his highest scoring game of the season with 25. Why does it seem that frequently when the Cavs lose it's because somebody on the other team had their best game of the year? The last time they lost to the Hawks it was because Capela had a season high 11 offensive rebounds and a season high 23 overall.

The Cavs are now on notice; teams are going to be giving them their best shot every night. Even a team going nowhere like Indiana had 20-point leads the last two times they played.

Speaking of the Sixers, they lost at home by 48 to Dallas last night. It was the same lineup we lost to the other day. The Sixers were down 27 at halftime and 43 after three quarters. And Miami lost at home to Dallas so we didn't lose any ground on the first place team.

Obviously the 76ers were fired up to play the Cavs but a couple nights later against a Western Conference team they came out flat and were never even in the game.

That doesn't happen with this team. The biggest loss the Cavs took this year was by 17 points to Washington on a night where Garland, Rubio, and Allen were out. Pangos, Nembhard, and Windler played 62 minutes and scored 7 points. One thing about the Cavaliers - nobody punks them.

 

[Rich]

Pick and roll coverage was bad.

They were trying to hedge on those really, really high pick and rolls and that didn't make sense. It just left other guys open and thats what the Hawks want.


Honestly, when you look at Young's percentages, you're bettero ff just going under screens on him and letting him shoot 12 3's a game. You may lose that way, but more often than not I'd say it's better than letting him get into the paint and start finding other guys.


Having Kevin Love try and hedge 10 feet beyond the 3 point line was brutal to watch. IT was a wide open shot for someone else basically every time.

Have his defender go under that screen and if Young wants to pull up from 30+ feet 5 straight possessions then let him. If you lose that way, then you lose that way.

 

[Ohioplayer00]

Pick and roll coverage was bad.

They were trying to hedge on those really, really high pick and rolls and that didn't make sense. It just left other guys open and thats what the Hawks want.


Honestly, when you look at Young's percentages, you're bettero ff just going under screens on him and letting him shoot 12 3's a game. You may lose that way, but more often than not I'd say it's better than letting him get into the paint and start finding other guys.


Having Kevin Love try and hedge 10 feet beyond the 3 point line was brutal to watch. IT was a wide open shot for someone else basically every time.

Have his defender go under that screen and if Young wants to pull up from 30+ feet 5 straight possessions then let him. If you lose that way, then you lose that way.

All good points….if Tre was going to initiate the offense that far out….let him! There was no sense in sending Love that far out to defend a pick and roll. And for the life of me why do we have our 7 footers involved in the offense beyond the three point line!!!! That makes no sense. Neither of are shooting from that distance in a pick and pop play AND it’s too far out to roll to the basket so why bring that far out?

 

[CavsFanJapan]

All good points….if Tre was going to initiate the offense that far out….let him! There was no sense in sending Love that far out to defend a pick and roll. And for the life of me why do we have our 7 footers involved in the offense beyond the three point line!!!! That makes no sense. Neither of are shooting from that distance in a pick and pop play AND it’s too far out to roll to the basket so why bring that far out?

They get Evan and Jared out on the perimeter because of their passing but last night, they held the ball until a guard (DG) got open. The offense got a little one dimensional and the Hawks were defending the dimension. I think it’s a perfect time for the break and let’s hope JBB can get done things implemented other than trying to get Caris involved more. That will come, let him figure it out with the players but JBB needs to get more ball movement going one way or another. Starting to see too much dribbling. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Dr No]

Pick and roll coverage was bad.

They were trying to hedge on those really, really high pick and rolls and that didn't make sense. It just left other guys open and thats what the Hawks want.


Honestly, when you look at Young's percentages, you're bettero ff just going under screens on him and letting him shoot 12 3's a game. You may lose that way, but more often than not I'd say it's better than letting him get into the paint and start finding other guys.


Having Kevin Love try and hedge 10 feet beyond the 3 point line was brutal to watch. IT was a wide open shot for someone else basically every time.

Have his defender go under that screen and if Young wants to pull up from 30+ feet 5 straight possessions then let him. If you lose that way, then you lose that way.

What they did is a preview of what we are going to see a lot of in the playoffs. Love and Cedi, and to a lesser degree Markk, are going to get pick and rolled to death whenever they are in. We will need Mobley and Allen to erase a lot of shots. Not saying we can't overcome it, or that all is lost, but its a significant defensive weakness that every opponent is going to try and exploit.