- Joined
- Oct 3, 2019
- Messages
- 9,985
- Reaction score
- 28,678
- Points
- 135
After a day off the Cavs and Hornets go at it again tonight on the same honeycombed floor (which is pretty cool IMO). Both coaches have had a day to review the film of the last game and make adjustments. I like these back-to-back games because I think it’s a test of the head coaches; who can tweak their game plans most effectively.
Cody Martin and Mark Williams are still out for the Hornets and Kelly Oubre is listed as a game time decision. If Oubre plays it would be a big plus for the Hornets as he is their top scorer with LaMelo Ball out for the season. Oubre is averaging 25 points per game so far in March on 42% from deep. He scored 34 against the Cavs in the double-overtime game in November.
Terry Rozier is averaging 27.5 points and P.J. Washington 23.5 points in two games against the Cavs. Rozier, Oubre, and Washington make up a pretty good group of shooters.
I’ve been impressed with Nick Richards, a 7’0” third-year center who is averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in two games against the Cavs. Richards was a +16 on Sunday, meaning the Hornets were -22 in the 16 minutes he did not play. His replacement, Kai Jones, was awful - a -22 in 13 minutes with six fouls and three turnovers. Maybe that bright green hair makes him extremely visible to the referees. Six fouls in 13 minutes?
If the Hornets had their usual starting center, Mark Williams, the Cavs probably lose - Jones was that bad. When Richards was in the game the Hornets rolled. If they get Oubre back (and one source lists him as "probable") the Cavs will have to play a lot better to get another dub.
Svi Mykhailiuk was also horrible, putting up a -25 in 20 minutes. So was foul machine Bryce McGowens, who was a -13 in 15 minutes. The Cavs were outscored by the Hornets’ starters but their bench was so awful the Cavs were able to pull out a win.
The Hornets playing on the second night of a back-to-back may have also been a factor as their 3-point shots stopped falling in the 4th quarter. They averaged nearly 30 points per quarter through three, but managed just 17 points in the 4th.
With a day off and possibly getting Oubre back I expect the Hornets to be a much better team than they were on Sunday. They may not have to use McGowens and Mykhailuk as much.
Even with Jarrett Allen still out the Cavs have a chance to be a lot better than they were on Sunday. Garland and Mitchell combined to go 2-for-16 on 3-point shots. The Cavs missed nine free throws. Mobley missed an uncontested layup and the Cavs once again let an inbound pass get intercepted and turned into a three-point play. That game should not have been close.
With Allen out Bickerstaff needs a new game plan. The Cavs were a -9 in 9 minutes when Robin Lopez was in the game. They were +15 in Mobley’s 39 minutes. He had to play the entire second half as JBB didn’t dare put Lopez back in. His feet are so slow the Hornets blew by him for layup after layup, although he did grab five boards and block two shots.
My suggestion is to use Dean Wade instead of Lopez. I know he’s not a center, but he can guard Richards, who only took six shots and they were all dunks or put-backs. He’s much quicker on defense than Lopez and brings more offense as well.
So both coaches have the same problem with a starting center out. From Sunday’s game:
Nick Richards: +16 in 32 minutes
Kai Jones: -22 in 13 minutes
Evan Mobley: +15 in 39 minutes
Robin Lopez: -9 in 9 minutes
Neither coach has a viable backup center. The Cavs had the edge Sunday because Lopez wasn’t quite as bad as Jones and he played fewer minutes. It will be interesting to see if both coaches stay the course and continue to use Lopez and Jones, or if they try something different.
On Sunday the Cavs forced 19 turnovers while only making 10 themselves. As a result they took 87 shots to 80 for the Hornets. The Cavs also had 34 free throws to 22 for Charlotte. The Cavs should continue to attack the rim, draw fouls, and get in the bonus early in case their 3-point shooting deserts them again. They only made seven 3’s on Sunday, shooting just 26%.
To win tonight they need to continue to win the turnover battle, hit more 3’s, prevent Oubre, Rozier, and Washington from destroying them from deep, and figure out how to play even with the Hornets when Mobley is on the bench. Can Mobley play 48 minutes? Or how about matching up Wade with Kai Jones?
Last year the Garland/Rubio pairing was deadly for opponents. On Sunday Garland was a +22 while Rubio was a +17 in just 20 minutes. If I were JBB I would try to get Darius and Ricky more minutes together as we head down the stretch and see if they can get a good thing going again.
Cody Martin and Mark Williams are still out for the Hornets and Kelly Oubre is listed as a game time decision. If Oubre plays it would be a big plus for the Hornets as he is their top scorer with LaMelo Ball out for the season. Oubre is averaging 25 points per game so far in March on 42% from deep. He scored 34 against the Cavs in the double-overtime game in November.
Terry Rozier is averaging 27.5 points and P.J. Washington 23.5 points in two games against the Cavs. Rozier, Oubre, and Washington make up a pretty good group of shooters.
I’ve been impressed with Nick Richards, a 7’0” third-year center who is averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in two games against the Cavs. Richards was a +16 on Sunday, meaning the Hornets were -22 in the 16 minutes he did not play. His replacement, Kai Jones, was awful - a -22 in 13 minutes with six fouls and three turnovers. Maybe that bright green hair makes him extremely visible to the referees. Six fouls in 13 minutes?
If the Hornets had their usual starting center, Mark Williams, the Cavs probably lose - Jones was that bad. When Richards was in the game the Hornets rolled. If they get Oubre back (and one source lists him as "probable") the Cavs will have to play a lot better to get another dub.
Svi Mykhailiuk was also horrible, putting up a -25 in 20 minutes. So was foul machine Bryce McGowens, who was a -13 in 15 minutes. The Cavs were outscored by the Hornets’ starters but their bench was so awful the Cavs were able to pull out a win.
The Hornets playing on the second night of a back-to-back may have also been a factor as their 3-point shots stopped falling in the 4th quarter. They averaged nearly 30 points per quarter through three, but managed just 17 points in the 4th.
With a day off and possibly getting Oubre back I expect the Hornets to be a much better team than they were on Sunday. They may not have to use McGowens and Mykhailuk as much.
Even with Jarrett Allen still out the Cavs have a chance to be a lot better than they were on Sunday. Garland and Mitchell combined to go 2-for-16 on 3-point shots. The Cavs missed nine free throws. Mobley missed an uncontested layup and the Cavs once again let an inbound pass get intercepted and turned into a three-point play. That game should not have been close.
With Allen out Bickerstaff needs a new game plan. The Cavs were a -9 in 9 minutes when Robin Lopez was in the game. They were +15 in Mobley’s 39 minutes. He had to play the entire second half as JBB didn’t dare put Lopez back in. His feet are so slow the Hornets blew by him for layup after layup, although he did grab five boards and block two shots.
My suggestion is to use Dean Wade instead of Lopez. I know he’s not a center, but he can guard Richards, who only took six shots and they were all dunks or put-backs. He’s much quicker on defense than Lopez and brings more offense as well.
So both coaches have the same problem with a starting center out. From Sunday’s game:
Nick Richards: +16 in 32 minutes
Kai Jones: -22 in 13 minutes
Evan Mobley: +15 in 39 minutes
Robin Lopez: -9 in 9 minutes
Neither coach has a viable backup center. The Cavs had the edge Sunday because Lopez wasn’t quite as bad as Jones and he played fewer minutes. It will be interesting to see if both coaches stay the course and continue to use Lopez and Jones, or if they try something different.
On Sunday the Cavs forced 19 turnovers while only making 10 themselves. As a result they took 87 shots to 80 for the Hornets. The Cavs also had 34 free throws to 22 for Charlotte. The Cavs should continue to attack the rim, draw fouls, and get in the bonus early in case their 3-point shooting deserts them again. They only made seven 3’s on Sunday, shooting just 26%.
To win tonight they need to continue to win the turnover battle, hit more 3’s, prevent Oubre, Rozier, and Washington from destroying them from deep, and figure out how to play even with the Hornets when Mobley is on the bench. Can Mobley play 48 minutes? Or how about matching up Wade with Kai Jones?
Last year the Garland/Rubio pairing was deadly for opponents. On Sunday Garland was a +22 while Rubio was a +17 in just 20 minutes. If I were JBB I would try to get Darius and Ricky more minutes together as we head down the stretch and see if they can get a good thing going again.
Last edited:
