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**Brandname** · 04-12-2007, 09:22 PM

Good game tonight. It was nice to see us blow a game open and keep it that way.

I'm really encouraged by Lebron's play in the post and Snow's lack of minutes. I think the latter particularly opened up the offense for us tonight.

Hughes getting hot I think was important for his confidence. If he can give us a solid string of 5-10 minutes a game where his shot is on, that will help tremendously.

From the way it sounds, most people seem to think we're the fourth or fifth best team in the conference, depending on where you put Toronto. So hopefully we can fly below the radar at first at least.

**Brandname** · 04-12-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arhie

Nets are playing u guys possoms, come playoff time , its over ladies and gentleman. If wizards force u for a grueling series, nets are so much better than them. Its gonna be pain time.

lol, all right, I'll admit that was kinda funny.

Anyhow, good luck with Chicago in the first round if you play them (which is the most likely situation, I think).

arhie · 04-12-2007, 10:27 PM

You guys haven't improved much from last year, where you were also the fourth or 5th best team in the east. Roster is pretty much identical to last years. Hopefully experience helps out LBJ, but facing the heat is gonna be a challenge. Wish you guys the best, honestly. Who really doesn't want to see LBJ do good, its good for the game. I was just sad the raptors didn't get the first pick that year. Vince kind of ruined our chances of #1 pick. He won a few games near the end of 2002-03, damn u Vince, damn uuuuu. Now imagine that combination, a motivated Vince+ LBJ, wow wow wow. Imagine a starting lineup like this:
C- Antonio Davis
PF- Junkyard Dog -Respect.
SF- LBJ
SG- Air Canada
PG- Alvin Williams (If healthY)
6th- man Mo pete.

Actually after writing this roster out. IF we add a few pieces around them, a few shooters, then anything is possible.

**Benedict_Boozer** · 04-13-2007, 12:06 AM

^I actually liked that Raptors team with the junkyard dog. A couple hard nosed guys on that club (Wasn't Oakley on the team?) That team was pretty good before the injuries started hitting.

Solid 3rd qtr effort by the Cavs, keeps the heat on Chicago. Still a chance they slip up, they have a couple danger games like Charlotte left, who have nothing to lose and always play hard.

UrFavTeamSux · 04-13-2007, 12:34 PM

I'm really happy with how the third quarter completely blew the game up, especially with good driving to the basket. God I wish we saw that all the time.

But yes, both teams can easily slip up on the remaining schedule. There is no lock atm for 2nd place, its up in the air.

**Pioneer10** · 04-13-2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Some video breakdown will be required to confirm this, but I think LeBron James scored three baskets out of deep post plays in the Cavs' win over the Nets tonight. That isn't many in the grand scheme, but it made such a major difference in the Cavs' offense in the second half. Not only did it make James unstoppable for a period there, it opened up the rest of the scheme.
It doesn't have to work 10 times a night, three times is enough. The ability to go to that play, especially in the middle of the lane -- which I honestly have not seen run so effectively since the preseason -- gives the Cavs another option and the opposition another worry. As a I mentioned in the linked story, just having James post on the block and not 20 feet from the basket creates problems for the defense. It totally messed up the Nets, who had been doing a great job of defending the lane in the first half and all the Cavs did in the third quarter was attack the rim for and-one plays. Plus, of course, LeBron is unstoppable around the rim. Give him post position too and it's game over.
Who knows if this strategy will last or even continue to work (once bitten, twice shy after I praised the new offensive system in October), but willingness to go to these plays could totally change how the Cavs operate in halfcourt sets in the postseason. Or not, we'll see.
Other stuff:
--What you saw tonight was partly due to what amounted to a mini-camp this week. The Cavs got a day off, then two days of practice and a shootaround. That is honestly the most time they've had to work on stuff since January. There's no doubt this contributed to the cleaner game tonight.
--Though I still think the offense is the story of the night, it was the fifth straight game I thought the Cavs gave a solid defensive effort. Even in the losses to the Heat and Pistons, the defense was pretty good. Tossing out the overtime scoring to the Heat, the Cavs have held opponents to 85.6 points per game over the last five. Look, the offense is going to come and go, that has been painfully clear. The Cavs are at their best when the defense shows up every night and slowly that is coming around after a really bad spell.
--In my opinion the best play LeBron made all night happened without the ball. Right at the end of the first quarter the Cavs pulled off a home run play -- possibly something cooked up in practice recently since I've ever seen this before from them -- after the Nets made a free throw with 1.2 seconds left. First off, Eric Snow threw a great long pass. But instead of catching and then having to rush a jumper, LeBron let the ball bounce so the clock wouldn't start. He judged the angle and skip perfectly and picked the ball up and dunked it ahead of the buzzer. It was an innate/instinct play that was easy to overlook but I thought was superior.
--In the first half Boki Nachbar totally flopped and got a charge call against Anderson Varejao. Now, from what I've seen over three years Varejao never thinks he commits a foul. He's like Bill Laimbeer in that regard, he'll protest or give a shocked look at about every whistle. But didn't say a word after that call. Protesting would, after all, be bad for business.

http://blogs.ohio.com/cavaliers_blog/

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