Game Thread | 2021-2022 Season | Game #81 | Cavs @ Nets | April 8, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.

[buzzdog]

Great game plans in this thread from the Cavs fans who root for their team no matter what. As mentioned in earlier posts, relentless defense and getting hot from the 3-point line may be our only chance. My hope is that Garland (and LeVert) pays attention and knows where our 3-point shooters are before he starts attacking and while he attacks the rim. We can’t afford him to force it and miss a difficult shot or cause a turnover too many times with our shooters in a better shooting position. He needs to have a plan B ready - turn and pass it to an open 3-point shooter or someone else - in case his attack gets stopped. DG is young and talented. He’ll learn this as he matures. But I’d like to see him do it tonight.

On our good nights I think we can play with any team as long as we play defense and limit empty possessions.

On his bad nights DG can still get his stats but where it hurts is when we go on long runs with empty possession after empty possession. Bad passes, ill advised shots getting blocked, dribbling and passing around the perimeter until the shot clock expires after passing on a good look, we've all seen it. We get in a funk where we don't score for 7 minutes and the opponent scores on 3/4 of the turnarounds. JB definitely bears responsibility when this happens because calling a timely time out to regroup and refocus should be line 2 in his job description. He routinely lets these runs go on too long.

So the players have to have it in their heads to always initiate offense early, probe the defense but also move the ball. Hockey assists are great as long as you're not passing up an efficient look to make that pass.

If we play tough defense, stay efficient on offense and limit turnovers, and play offense with the right mindset, we can stick in games against anybody. But we also have to be hitting our three point shots as well.

It's a lot of things that have to go right and be executed properly.

 

[buzzdog]

Everyone needs to face it, it’s going to be 8-on-5 basketball tonight.
The refs will obviously favor the Nets because the NBA wants it that way because Durant, World B. Flat and the Invisible Man (Simmons) are media darlings.

I say lean into it. Be physical as hell, and no cheap fouls. make them count, get inside their heads. The refs are going to call the foul either way, might as well get our money's worth. And to that end we need to run a deep rotation including Windler... just to use up the available fouls, and if they don't play physical (and by that I mean foul them hard, no ticky-tac stuff).

 

[RchfldCavRaised]

Partly coaching, partly Okoro not taking initiative (that might be coaching to some extent)

This is where we differ I guess.

If Isaac okoro plays 25+ minutes tonight and ISNT playing aggressive and assertive in the first 5-10 mins then this is where I blame coaching for not adjusting rotations and ensuring that timid approach is only 15 or 20 mins of impact instead of 25-30

No ifs ands or butts.

Coaching has the power to adjust rotationally to a player not being aggressive early.

Full stop. Not some extent.

 

[jjvors]

Once again, thanks to Wham for his objective analysis of the game.

If anything, I'm less hopeful than most. Objectively, we have only about a 20% chance of winning.

Mobley and Garland and two other players have to have great shooting games. And we have to play great defense and cause a lot of turnovers.

Stay in front of Kyrie and Durant. Make them shoot jumpers. That's better than layups.

Guard people one on one and stay in front of them, keeping them out of the paint.

On offense, drive to the hoop every time possible. I want Mobley to take about 15 shots in the paint.

Drive and kick to the open man or lob to the mismatch on the front line. Don't hold the ball longer than about 2-5 seconds.

 

[PIP]

This has been the best Cavs season in 4 years and the fact that some of you simply haven't been able to enjoy it is just unfortunate.....This young squad should be applauded for the season and thanked for entertaining us....

Tonight's the night....

 

[letgocavs]

Wrong thread

 

[Jscc]

If we give up or surrender 3s, then this is a loss guaranteed.

Since the all-star break, Cavs are #27 at opponent 3P%. I am fucking sick of it.

 

[jjvors]

This has been the best Cavs season in 4 years and the fact that some of you simply haven't been able to enjoy it is just unfortunate.....This young squad should be applauded for the season and thanked for entertaining us....

Tonight's the night....

I'd forgotten that 80s Cavs song. I'm still stuck in the 70s.

 

[Lee]

This has been the best Cavs season in 4 years and the fact that some of you simply haven't been able to enjoy it is just unfortunate.....This young squad should be applauded for the season and thanked for entertaining us....

Tonight's the night....

I was enjoying it until you played that awful song.

 

[Kuiper]

Sounds like Mobley starting in place of Moses, rather than alongside him.

 

[cliffdawg]

Tonight is really the start of the playoffs for the Cavs, the next 4 games or so….So people that want us to have meaningful games for this young bunch, it don’t get no meaningful then these nest 3/4 games or so…..Even if we make the official playoffs games, the atmosphere will be the same as these games….l

 

[cliffdawg]

Watching Allen pre games warmups right now, not sure some people realize how much of a MAJOR lost he’s to this team right now….…People are enjoying what Moses is doing right now, he 5x the player Moses is, and I like Moses..

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

I'm wondering how Bickerstaff is going to play it now that he has Mobley. Is he going to put Moses Brown on back on the bench and go with Mobley at center? IOW, the lineup will be Garland, Okoro, LeVert, Mobley, and Markkanen?

Or will be keep Brown at center and go with the normal starting lineup except with Brown in Allen's spot, which would be Mobley, Brown, and Markkanen across the front line with DG and Okoro at guard? The Three Big lineup he was using the entire season until Allen and Mobley went down.

I'm guessing he does not want Mobley having to bang with Drummond in the paint and would rather have him playing defense away from the basket, maybe shadowing KD. Moses Brown can check Andre.

Does JBB start out big or small? Does he try both lineups in the first half and decide at halftime which to finish with?

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Tonight is really the start of the playoffs for the Cavs, the next 4 games or so….So people that want us to have meaningful games for this young bunch, it don’t get no meaningful then these nest 3/4 games or so…..Even if we make the official playoffs games, the atmosphere will be the same as these games….l

Yeah, when you think about it these last two games against Brooklyn and Milwaukee are like playoff games because of the quality of the opponent and the impact on the play-in seeding. I agree - the playoffs start tonight.

 

[Kuiper]