Cavs 107, Suns 90: Z Leads Cavs In Romp Over Suns
December 2, 2009Is the Apathy Finally Here for Browns Fans?
December 3, 2009While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Congrats, big man: “For all that Z has gone through, it couldn’t have happened to any one better. Z is one of the NBA’s all-time good guys. He’s been a blessing to this franchise and a fan-favorite from the start of his career here. Had someone told me he’d play as long as he has after all the foot problems, I would have told them that they were crazy. What Z has endured, the losing seasons, the foot problems, the coaches, the crazy players, etc., and the way he’s handled it all has been true testament of his character. He’s been 100% class all the way through and has been someone who people can really look up to as a professional athlete. He is the epitome of what a professional athlete should be on and off the court.” [Cavalier Attitude]
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With Jamal Lewis (and Brodney Pool) hitting the IR yesterday, what will the Browns look like this week? [Dawgs By Nature]
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On “Shop:” “Kelly’s offense fell off dramatically in 2009, though he still managed a 98 OPS+, still very good for a catcher. Shoppach’s offensive game is always going to be an amended Three True Outcomes (home runs, strikeouts, and, in hit by pitches), but last season the strikeouts were up and the power was down.” [Lets Go Tribe]
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The year 2000 in Cleveland Sports: “It’s the end of an era for The Reign Man, ManRam, and Doug Pederson, but an Ohio basketball legend is born …” [The Kardiac Kid]
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And finally, Some images from last night’s pregame intros featuring a little 80s lovin’ [Stepien Rules]
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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
27 Comments
On another site…..a Cavs insider was discussing how Z is still mad at Mike Brown for Brown’s initial reaction on Saturday of “I’m the coach and I decide who plays and who doesn’t.” Z may also believe that Mike Brown started the rumor that Z asked to not be played in the 2nd half on Saturday.
Mike Brown’s behavior this week has been very Mangini-like.
Do you think that maybe he thought the Cavs were getting too comfortable and complacent and decided to jerk them around a bit? I don’t really believe that, but his treatment of Z the other night defies rational explanation.
I would not be surprised Mr. Cleveland if this wasn’t a move to attempt to bring the team closer together and out of a funk at the sad expense of Z having to wait one game for the record. By giving them a small focus against Mike Brown a bit and more team unity in support of Z, it could be looked at as a small motivation tool by Mike Brown even though I’m not sure it was the best way to go about it considering the possible backlash this really could have caused.
Couldn’t watch the Cavs but did follow the Gamecast. Did the Suns really look like their offense was as bad as I think it was? Almost every possession ended after 15 seconds with either a made Nash shot or a miss, especially with Richardson.
I don’t see any reason to assume there was some deep sinister plot afoot… Why can’t it just have slipped Mike’s mind, or seemed less important, and that’s that? Insulting arbitrary players for reasons unrelated to the way they’re playing seems like a bizarre plan.
While bringing the team closer may have been the result, it wasn’t MB’s intention. I believe (as it’s been stated elsewhere) that MB sat Z because he was trying to prove to the team that he was the one running the show. It blew up in his face and now he’s trying to do some damage control. The thing is the damage has been done and he’s lost Z’s respect and perhaps even more damaging, LeBron’s confidence. I think MB can be quite clueless sometimes but to “forget” to put Z in? I don’t buy it for a second and I don’t think anyone in the locker room does either.
I do find it funny though that Z was on the Cavs when these jerseys were being worn night in and night out, so it probably wasn’t anything special for him to be in these throwbacks.
Alex,
I would say that the Suns looked pretty bad. Obviously, the Cavs’ defense gets some of the credit, but they shot abysmally in the first quarter/half. I don’t think Richardson made a shot until midway through the third quarter, and the Suns probably missed a total of eight to ten shots from within five feet in the first half.
The Cavs didn’t look “great” to me in the first half, and especially in the third quarter when they were up by 30 and then let the Suns cut that lead in half at least… but Phoenix looked flat-out awful. The only guy making his shots consistently was Frye.
It’s funny how the whole demeanor of the team changed when Delonte was out there being Delonte. It’s fun to watch them when they are clicking like that. I don’t believe there is a team in the league that can beat them when the bench drops 40+ points. Mo was definitely off and it didn’t slow the Cavs down at all.
@ CB – Are you in his head? Why does it have to be a power trip and not, say, an outrageously poor matchup for Z? Who was he going to guard on that Dallas team? The bottom line is that Dan Gilbert pays the man to win games, and he is working on doing just that.
I realize he could have started him, then called a timeout 1 minute into the game to sub him, but he didn’t, and that’s that. Let’s not make out Brown to be a villain with a sinister plot to submarine The Big Fella, he most certainly is not.
@ nullster – I don’t think Z ever wore those uni’s. The Cavs switched to the awful power blue, orange, black scheme when they moved into Gund Arena in 1994. Z was drafting in 1996.
Just checking my pic…
and it’s awesome….go browns
You know what AMC you’re probably right … I forgot about when they changed in to those jerseys and wikipedia wasn’t very specific on jersey changes (go figure… I mean they have detailed layouts of every season of Legends of the Hidden Temple, but not when the Cavs changed jerseys).
Chris-
Obviously I’m not in his head, I’m just going off of what a team insider said elsewhere. You think Shaq is a better defender against a fast team than Z? There is just too much evidence that there is more here than Brown forgetting or not liking matchups.
This flies in the face of logic because we have two 50 year-old seven-footers but I loved how the Cavs pushed it early last night and I think we need to continue that. It was great to see us be the aggressors, especially against a team like the Suns.
@ AMC – It’s powDer blue, not power blue. But that made me laugh, thanks.
im with windhorst that it is time for Z to just move on. i can see if this was a cal ripken-like consecutive games streak and he didnt play. this is a total games played record and he got the record. im sure he was disappointed at the time, but its time to move on and concentrate on winning games. ultimately, brown’s job is to win games. would the cavs have still won had Z played a few minutes against Dallas? probably, but we can say that with 20/20 hindsight. what if he puts Z in and dallas exploits that goes on a 12-0 run, and the cavs lose by 1-2 points?
arent powder blue and power blue synonymous? 🙂
I certainly don’t think Shaq is any faster than Z by any means, but Shaq’s bruising inside game would be better suited against Dallas and their lack of size than Z’s perimeter game.
Just so I’m clear, I disagree with the decision to DNP-CD Z. I’m just arguing that Brown isn’t power tripping on the team.
Chris-
Again I’m just regurgitating what I read somewhere else, but the guy basically said that Brown is tired of being what to do by ownership, executives and people on the team…and this was his way of acting out. It could be complete BS but the guy posting it is extremely credible. I guess where I come down on the whole thing is that it was just one game in November and meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Let the guy get his due. If nothing else, MB should have the pulse of the team and know what needs to be done to keep harmony and egos healthy.
Regarding Delonte, he was the old all smiles Delonte from last year. When the team came out after halftime, a Wale song came on over the speakers and he was dancing in the layup line. When he drained that buzzer beater to end the third quarter, the place errupted like he just won Game 7 – and he was equally as happy. I just hope this can stick…
The pics on Stepien Rules are absolutley hilarious. Lebron looks like Rick James and Boobie looks like a back up dancer for New Edition.
The year in sports 2000 was a great trip down memory lane. Doug Friggin Pederson!
Did anyone see that Atlanta dropped 146 on Toronto last night?
I adore Big Z and although he deserved to break this record a couple day ago, I still offer him a heartfelt congratulations. The Lithuanian “Lifer” deserves it. Now, he also deserves a RING. C’mon Cavs!
I’ve seen “Z-eeveland” jerseys around but have no idea where to buy ’em. Any ideas?
Shaq is much faster than Z! I love when he unexpectedly strings out point guards off-screens and their first reaction is something like, “Oh my God!” and their eyes go wide. It takes them a full 3 seconds to devise of a way out of his one man trap.
It looks like the awkward uncle playing monster with his little nephew or something.
Video of the 80’s style introduction if anyone is interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHsHQOFmnMY&feature=player_embedded
I’m not really convinced that any of this was a calculated move by Mike Brown. In fact, if it was ‘part of the plan’ I’d say that was a HUGE risk that was possibly not worth taking.