Game Thread | 2022-23 Season | Game #1 | Cavs @ Raptors | Oct. 19, 2022

[gaitano]

The Raptors were definitely trying to establish their identity as a physical, grabby, high-contact defense last night. I found myself wishing JBB would put in Lopez and he would flatten somebody.

The fouling was so egregious, that JBB didn't send in Lopez or maybe Stevens to knock a Raptor on their ass was a coaching failure. That would have forced the refs to call the game a lot more closely than they did. It might have made the difference between winning and losing for the Cavs.

The old eye-poke move can be accidental but it also can be done and is done sometimes on purpose, any pro so inclined can easily pull it off.
Cavs can't let other teams push them around so easily, teams will keep doing it until the Cavs respond in kind.

I can't remember being so pissed off watching basketball since that scumbag oily nick separated Love's shoulder.

 

[cliffdawg]

Can’t wait to see what the overreacting brings on the next 31 loses we’re going to have…..Say what you want to say about the Raptors that team is not a easy win, and we only lost by 3 with basically our second best players not showing up……

 

[Rich]

Thing is I think the Raptors are gonna be like the 7th or 8th seed.

The East is really tough man. I think people are just kinda overlooking how difficult this conference is right now when projecting the Cavs as a top 4 seed.

Setting them to fail with expectations so high.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Cornea was untouched! It was actually the inside of the eye lid!

I’m hearing “slight abrasion of the cornea”.

 

[Prof123]

They need Tristan Thompson back, or a Draymond Green, or a Pat Beverly.

I don't see a player on this squad who is gonna take on that role, and you need someone to take on that role.

That honestly might be the reason to trade for Jae Crowder, tbh. And I hate Jae Crowder.

My son and I were talking about this. We have great chemistry, with a lot of likeable players who like each other. Do we have any players that irritate opposing players and who opponent fans dislike? We used to have Delly, at least. While it is fun to have a bunch of great teammates, sometimes it is good to to have someone who is such a badass that even his own teammates don't like him. Someone like Draymond Green, who would punch another player in practice!

I'm not saying Diakite is that kind of player -- I don't know. But, we could have used his defensive intensity and energy on the boards, and if we keep getting outrebounded, he is going to get called up sooner rather than later.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

Yeah we have no junkyard dogs tbh. That’s why it’s always funny seeing the guys get together in the huddle barking and stuff. It’s like they’re trying to convince themselves that they have that kind of mentality. Mobley, Garland, and Allen especially are just nice guys.

We have talent, but you need enforcers too. Honestly Rubio is the closest thing we have to that out of the rotation guys. In 2015, after Love and Kyrie went down, we didn’t have any talent around LeBron. But we had some mean motherfuckers out there who were willing to put Steph on his ass, grab the shit out of their shooters off ball, set tough screens, throw elbows down low, and what not. Tristan, Delly, Shump, JR, Mozgov, Perk…all just dawgs. And that’s how we were able to push a much more talented team to 6 games. You need guys like that.

Ideally we get someone on the wing who can bring that to the table to fill two holes at once.

 

[David.]

Remember last season when fans were in favor of contact 'let them play' style
of basketball?

We can say the refs swallowed their whistles but I thought it was obvious
Toronto bullied the Cavs all night and Cleveland just took it.

Interesting to consider.. we picked up a bunch of nice guys who like each other. That's the story. Is there enough mean streak in there?

 

[Ohioplayer00]

“If you don’t establish your identity early, then you’re not gonna get the calls,” Young said.

Referees, Young reasoned, are slaves to expectations.

“If they’re not used to you (playing aggressively),” in other words, good luck picking up those habits mid-season.


“But if it’s an expected thing already, then you put yourself in position to be even better,” Young said.

So true! I had a ref in college tell me the same thing. The team that comes out and sets the tempo of the game is usually the team that gets the benefit of most calls!