Cavs/Celtics NBA.com Blog Contest #3
May 11, 2010While We’re Waiting… Secondary Help, Tribe Schedule, and Buckeyes Running Backs
May 12, 2010This is not a Game Five preview. At least, not in the traditional sense. Instead, this is a more broad look into what exactly Game Five means in the more big picture sense of this series. This has been a tough week for Cavs fans. For many, this was not your shining moment in sports fandom. There’s been a lot of distress, panic, anger, frustration, and general malaise within this fanbase. I’m not here to tell you it’s not warranted. Some of it is. Maybe a lot of it is. Perhaps most of it is warranted. Whatever the case may be, I’m not here to play moral authority. What I am here to do, though, is to try to explain to you why it isn’t needed.
Most importantly, and this is the point that is overlooked most often, the Cleveland Cavaliers are ok. They have yet to trail in this series. The Cavs are dealing with injuries (LeBron, Shaq, Varejao, Jamison?) while the Celtics are pretty much as healthy as can be. The Cavaliers have played apathetic basketball for 2 months now, and yet they’ve really only been out of one game in this series. As easily as the Celtics feel they’re a Mo Williams hot streak away from being up 3-1 in the series, so too can the Cavaliers argue that they are one off 4th quarter away from being up 3-1.
So lets put away any and all excuses. The series is what it is. The series is tied up at 2-2, with the Cavaliers getting to play 2 of the last 3 at home. These two teams are heated rivals who have played one another more times over the last 3 seasons than any other 2 teams in the NBA. They know each other well, and they know how to attack and adjust to one another. It was foolish for anyone to think the Cavaliers would breeze through the Celtics, and we tried to warn everyone that the Cavaliers could be in for a dogfight. We tried to warn everyone that Rajon Rondo was going to be an absolute nightmare in this series.
You’ll have to excuse me if this is taking a scolding tone, or a holier than thou feel. I’m not here to say I told you so, but rather just to point out that it’s ok for everyone to relax and Just Breathe:
Stay with me. Let’s just breathe. I’ve been thinking a lot about this series contextually. On the one hand, I’ve been thinking about the words. Practiced are my sins, never gonna let me win. Under everything, just another human being. Yeah, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world to make me bleed.
Taking it one sentence at a time, first up is Practiced are my sins, never gonna let me win. As the Cavaliers continue to repeat the same mistakes, they continue to struggle with their game. There’s a blueprint for this Cavaliers team on how to be an almost unbeatable team, and it begins with LeBron James, and it ends with players like Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Anderson Varejao. All 4 of these guys need to step it up tonight to avoid an unthinkable fate.
The 2nd sentence says Under everything, just another human being. We like to think of our sports stars as heroes and superhuman. However, they are really just like us and susceptible to the same pitfalls as anyone else. Pressure, stress, etc affect different people in different ways, but somewhere along the way, Mo Williams must take it upon himself to drown out the distraction and the pressure. Just let it all go. Dig deep inside, and find the player that we all know is inside there somewhere. Similarly, LeBron James needs to find that killer instinct that Champions have. Enough waiting around for teammates. If they don’t want to run to greatness with LeBron, then LeBron is going to have to drag them there himself. We’ve seen LeBron single handedly win playoff series against superior opponents in the past, and now it’s time for him to do the same against possibly inferior opponents.
Finally, we have Yeah, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world to make me bleed. This one is more personal, but I suspect most can relate. Life is tough. I’m talking about real world issues. Every day stresses and pressures that we all have to deal with. Earning money, providing for family, making ends meet, buying a house, making car payments, staying healthy, and on and on. There’s plenty of real issues that can scar us and make us bleed. There’s real pain, misery, and sorrow out there. We don’t need our sports teams to provide us with any more. None of us want the Cavaliers to make us hurt.
Going back to the context of this series, I can also still relate to something I wrote before Game 4 of the Celtics series 2 years ago, and in many ways, it can still apply:
So what’s it going to be, Cleveland? Will the dream stay alive, or will the nightmare come true? Will this be a team that we look back on with pride, or a team we look back on with frustration? Will I get to keep writing hyperbole into the late Spring days, or will it come crashing to halt in mid-May? If you’re not excited for this game, then either you’re not a fan of either of these teams or you just don’t get playoff basketball in the NBA. This is what it’s all about. That one game, that one moment when everything can change on a dime. A season seemingly headed for ruin can be redeemed for instant joy and instant satisfaction. Thoughts of championships are both created and destroyed in games like these.
So here we are again, looking at yet another pivotal moment for a team that once seemed destined to win a Championship in Cleveland with LeBron James at the helm. For once in my life, though, I’m not all that distressed by this series. I still think the Cavaliers are going to win tonight and I think they will eventually win this series. In my heart I believe the Cavaliers are the better team overall. It’s just up to the Cavaliers.
We’ve been discussing Mike Brown a lot on this site lately, and that’s only natural, but when you look at the team’s performance and you see LeBron leading the NBA in postseason efficiency once again, but the next Cavalier being Jamario Moon in 40th place, that’s not coaching. That’s a bunch of key players coming up small in big moments, and that’s a collective, team effort. Only LeBron, Moon, and Jamison are even in the Top 50 on this list. Mo Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, and Delonte West are quite noticeably absent.
If I felt coaching was a problem, I would be concerned. You’re stuck with the coach you have at this point. I’m glad the issue has just been players not stepping up, because that can all change. In baseball, we saw Alex Rodriguez struggle all his career in the playoffs until the switch finally flipped on for him last year. In football, Peyton Manning struggled in the playoffs for years until he led the Colts on an improbable comeback against the Patriots before winning the Super Bowl. So things change. Mo can still come back from this. So can Delonte. And Shaq. And Andy.
Just remember, teams are tested in the 2nd round for a reason. But teams who survive, historically go on to do great things. Remember the words once more of John Hollinger, who wrote:
Relax, Cleveland. You’re in great company.
I mentioned this a year ago when the Lakers were getting embarrassed by the Rockets in Games 4 and 6 of their West semifinal series, and I’ll mention it again: For some reason, eventual champions seem to hit major adversity in the second round of the playoffs (aka the East and West semifinals).
I’ll call it the Law of Second-Round Strife. Each of the past eight champions has hit a major bump in Round 2. The last one to skip through this minefield cleanly was the Lakers’ juggernaut in 2001. Of course, that team hardly hit a bump in any road at any time that spring, rolling through the postseason with a 15-1 mark.
It’s easy to forget now, but a year ago the Lakers lost Game 2 at home to Houston and went on to submit a pair of truly pathetic performances against an undermanned Rockets team in Games 4 and 6. Following those games, folks couldn’t get off the L.A. bandwagon fast enough.
I’ll leave with those words and this final thought: no matter what happens tonight, this series is not over. A win does ensure a Conference Finals berth, and a loss does not ensure a long vacation. But that doesn’t mean this one isn’t important. It’s going to be a step in either the right or the wrong direction.
356 Comments
I don’t think we did Harv. What sticks out to me is that both of Allen’s 3s to start the second half came off long offensive rebounds that we didn’t get. Seemed like the few times we did make a block or a decent defensive play, the ball bounced to them too. That’s what happens when the team isn’t hustling, though.
It’s a dangerous coping mechanism.
Memo to lebron: a performance like this one in N.Y, and….. I don’t know.
Not as dangerous as the alternatives.
@ Matt – Optimism isn’t something most Cleveland fans do well. I include myself in that group. What experiences do we have to look to and think, “despite the long odds, I believe we’re going to get this done!”? None. Just the opposite. All of our experiences as sports fans point the other way. Even if the odds are in our favor, my first instinct is to prepare for heartbreak.
Cavs in 7?
delonte plays just 9 mins…..why?
Wonder how many times in one series, each team handed the other their worst playoff loss in franchise history. Can’t have happened many times.
I say we bring back the offense where we take LeBron off the ball and get the ball to him around the free throw line like we did for that short stretch against Orlando last year. And then when they adjust to that… make a counter-adjustment, damn it Mike Brown! I just don’t want to see LeBron holding the ball at the three point line for 15 seconds, losing it, and having the ball on the ground with 2 seconds on the shot clock.
Here’s a question for you:
IF LeBron leaves, does Windy stay at the PD? Or, b/c of his relationship to James, does he get recruited by another paper? Or, does he depart for ESPN? If LeBron leaves and he stays at the PD, his stock will fall dramatically. Covering a .500 team doesn’t have much cache. I wouldn’t blame him if he tried to cash in. But, that would totally suck.
@285: classic.
for denny. i grew up in columbus (grandview), both parents OSU grads. i remember being in tears after a michigan loss, i mustve been 14, and it dawned on me that some perspective was in order. i’ve been better and less invested since then. so i know what you’re talking about.
but on the other hand — when is it our turn? geez.
ok. on the brighter side. want a silver lining? we’re now officially the underdog. we do better like that.
Dear Cavs,
I have loved you for the longest time. I just feel like we are drifting a part. Over te past few years we have had great times and also hard times. It is better for the both of us that I move on and allow each other to see other people. It really is not you, it is me. I hope that we can still be friends.
I love you always,
Christopher.
Once upon a time we thought LeBron would play on the low post this time around…
…oops.
SUIT UP TELFAIR TO RUN THE POINT IN GAME 6!
yeah, what in the name of Kool & the Gang happened to LBJ in the low post?
Maybe he can’t work it against that much meat. He’d be backing down Perkins and Big Baby, No?
Michael Regai (spelling?) is burning Lebron and Mo at the stake on WKNR now… calm down
We have Red Right 88, the drive, the fumble, jordan, the game 7 loss vs the Marlins and just what do we call this? The Choke Job??
This is what happens when you play desperate ball. If Lebron would have just signed a new contract this would not be the same series. When you play desperate ball, you lose. End of story.
Waiting for next year … I think so.
crazycav: I think we call it LeChoke.
There was essentially NO ONE on the team tonight who “brought it”. LeBron played bad, but he wasn’t the only one. NO ONE played defense; NO ONE hustled.
NO ONE on this team has any heart.
Well, it’s been real, gang.
See, I don’t think the Cavs played desperate enough in the last two games, whereas the Celtics did. The C’s knew they could win in game 6 at home, and don’t want to take their chances on game 7 in Cleveland, so they came out tonight with the mindset that they HAD to win tonight.
At least, that’s what I saw.
Scary moment on Chuck’s Last Call on STO.
Guy calls in and says “I’m just tired of all these disappointments. Year after year.”
Chuck says, “Well, it’s not over yet.”
Guy says, “You know what? Forget this Chuck; I’m just gonna go hang myself. See ya later.”
He sounded dead serious. No pun intended. Scary sounding though.
@DP – I think you’ve got 20/20 vision.
I thought last year was LeChoke ?
KG continues to impress me with that interview he gave after the game. When asked what they need to do to win the series, ‘we can’t come back here.’ Ya see Cavs… that’s a guy who GETS IT. Why don’t you ?
Lebron doesn’t seem to care at all during this press conference.
Sorry this game falls squarely on Lebron’s shoulders. He didn’t see any sort of defensive scheme he hasn’t seen before. Yet he still refused to attack. 4 shots in one half is unacceptable. As is just turning into a glorified jump shooter. He’s either really hurt (which I don’t believe) or he wants a clean break from the Cleve and played like this the past two games.
Regardless, the best player in the game doesn’t let his team lose at home in a pivotal game 5 by 32 points. Lebron doesn’t have the heart Jordan or even Kobe does. That’s why he will ultimately be remembered like Wilt Chamberlin. A statistical freak who didn’t win much of anything.
LeBron is quietly slaying his teammates…
so glad I decided to come up to this game from cbus, only gotta be up for work in 5 hrs, thanks again cleveland
oh yeah, a cop in downtown cle told me “its not over yet” thought that was hilarious.
LeBron just doesn’t get it. That press conference was miserable.
The look on Lebron’s face, and his lack of effort, seemed to say that he has given up on Cleveland.
I love the Cavs, watched practically every game this year, and something seemed wrong with Lebron.
Perhaps in Lebron’s mind, he had already decided to leave the team because the coaching and front office just couldn’t get it together to win him a championship.
It also seemed that Lebron was sad, almost like he was sad at his decision to leave the team.
I hope that I am wrong.
I am also clear that Mike Brown has to go. He just is not a championship quality coach.
I hope that I am wrong, and the Cavs win games 6 and 7.
I hope that Lebron hasn’t given up already: both in the series, as well as on the team.
Whats the point of getting rid of Brown if there’s no Lebron here ?
I’m sure the Cavs will jump the gun and fire Brown anyways. It’s not like they make knee jerk reactions that bit them (Boozer).
Celts fan here. Looked good tonight, but this series is far from over. Who the heck knows which team shows up next? Strange series and ultimately impossible to predict!
Yes, fire Mike Brown because LBJ was terrible tonight. I don’t think it would’ve mattered if Phil Jackson was sitting here this series so far. This is the same Mike Brown coached team who won game 1 and beat the Celtics by 30 in Boston, no one wanted him fired then?
Also, I ate 2 cookies after the game to ease the pain. Then I got a stomach ache. Double whammy.
I disagree with the sentiment that “Perhaps in Lebron’s mind, he had already decided to leave the team because the coaching and front office just couldn’t get it together to win him a championship.”
If LeBron can’t even get out of the second round of the playoffs with this roster, it’s on HIM, not on the FO. Look at the roster that he took to the Finals in 2007, and look at how much work Ferry has done to improve it.
2007:
Larry Hughes
Sasha Pavlovic
Drew Gooden
Damon Jones
Donyell Marshall
2010:
Mo Williams
Anthony Parker/Delonte West
Antawn Jamison
Shaq/Hickson
Moon
Those are the depth/roster differences. You’re telling me LeBron got this team to 127 wins the last two seasons, but because they gagged in the playoffs its on the FO?
I don’t buy that.
If LeBron’s leaving, it’s because he wants to leave. There’s no way he can pin this on the FO. For anyone–especially LeBron–to say that Danny Ferry hasn’t put a good enough team together to win a title is simply not fair. To get Jamison this year for NOTHING is GM-of-the-year kind of material.
Now, is Mike Brown a championship coach? Probably not. But, if LeBron comes out and says he’s leaving because they just couldn’t get enough good players here, well that’s complete bull and he’s lying.
330 comments, 20 intelligent ones. @329 Explain how getting dooped by Boozer can be described as any sort of knee jerk reaction by the Cavs. Have you even been informed on how Boozer left?
I just hope this is what lebron wanted…His DRAMATIC stage. Its all set LeBron. Either you crumble and leave cleveland like we know will happen. Or you make something magical happen. Are you Jordan, or a faker? This is your moment. Do with it what you will. We’ll all be here waiting for your answer.
@DP: SPOT ON! IF we lose this round it’s on LBJ. He’s got a borderline all-star PG, or at least the best PG he’s ever played with. He’s got an bonafide All-Star PF, who can create his own shot. A HOF C who still can dominate for stretches of games. A long athletic wing defender. A deep bench, an all defensive 1st team PF coming off that bench, a 7’3 quality C on that bench, a PG who’d start on most teams in West and an all around hustle/athlete in Jamario.
This is all on LBJ not getting it done. The team is built around him, and for him to succeed. He hasn’t done that just yet.
The Rockets took the Lakers to 7 games last year in the 2nd, Cavs took the Celtics to within 1 minute 2 years ago. The Celtics took the Magic to 7 last year w/o KG….All of that was in the 2nd round. IT AINT OVER
@323 150% agree with take on KG’s impressive postgame interview. i’ve seen some punk in KG, but his interview was nuts on. (will take exception with your 329 post tho. gund tried to do the right thing. dont want to go there, because we’d have two rings now if he’d stayed.)
moving on to game 6… hell i think we have to get lucky. because NOW allen has his mojo back and man that guy is just unstoppable once he’s on. swear to god, i’d start moon just to rattle him. panic move? well it’s panic time.
likewise garnett is way too comfortable shooting jumpers over antawn. i’d put Z on him. that’s right. and there better be help behind him, i know. but garnett has swished his fallaways all series. like.. NO rim. let him shoot em over Z and then tip your hat.
our offense cant be fixed now. seeing allen run that same damn by a screen under the hoop play for an easy spot up… the dichotomy from our stand-around-till-shotclock-is-at-5 offense is stark. and yet, we DO have some good threats for a kickout 3. if we can bury our chances at the rim, maybe D will sag and our shooter will get better looks.
as for lebron (and antawn), i’ve never seen him not finish at the hole like tonite. totally unprecedented. he’s allowed to have a bad game. happens.
but i _do_ think we should get back to the offense we ran when shaq was out. shaq had a good game tonite, but its flawed to have a 35 year old, 350 pound center as the focal point for your offense. it slows us down against the EXACT team we need to run against. i want shaq to neutralize dwight howard. period.
that’ll do. wow, what a buzzkill tonite was. tell ya what. if mike brown gets this team up and wins game 6.. heroic.
I’m not saying it’s all on LBJ. I’m saying that if LeBron uses the roster as an excuse to leave this summer, than he’s being disingenuous about his reasons for leaving.
Because, honestly, coaches can be replaced. If that’s the only thing holding him back, who here honestly thinks Ferry will be loyal to Mike Brown over LeBron?
All I’m saying is that if LeBron leaves this summer, he can’t say it’s because they couldn’t put enough talent around him. Everyone that covers the NBA has been talking all season about how deep this team is, and yet we’re supposed to believe LeBron would leave because there’s no talent around him?
If LeBron leaves, it’s purely because he wants to go somewhere else just to go somewhere else.
no idea what to even say at this point….I was at this game…and it was just so hard to watch.
I think this is a knee jerk reaction but i’ll say that right now I am somewhat indifferent to Lebron leaving at this point. I think he’s got one foot out the door and he knows it and it’s affecting his game. I think mentally he doesn’t have the drive of a Kobe or Jordan or any of the other great players we always lump him with that have rings. Even his post game comments have me scratching my head..he just really looked like he didn’t care much. “having 3 bad games in a seven year career it’s easy to point out”….sounds like a cop out to me. This is the playoffs.
It is over. I am sure that I am like the rest of you – stunned. Stunned that the Cavs can play like this after being so dominant and spectacular in many big games during the regular season. As I said in an earlier “ledge” post, where is the team that crushed the Lakers twice this year and won in Orlando? This team, including Lebron, looked like they simply wilted under the pressure. They just looked lost out there tonight. And this crap about LBJ not shooting for quaters at a time is ridiculous. He will leave, there is no doubt.
Why is it that Cleveland can never have any player rise to the moment in big games like this when the pressure is on. I have to say that I am more disappointed in this Cavs team than any other in Cleveland history.
Never has a team been expected to do so much and accomplished so little. Getting blown out at home in Game 5 of round 2 with the 2-time MVP? Unbelievable. I could not wait for this season to start, now I hope next year’s never does.
But like many people have already said, it is only sports. Hug the wife and kids, be glad for your life, health and job if you are lucky enough to have one. The sun will come up tomorrow (although with our usual mostly cloudy in front of it!). Peace
Yes, I agree that Danny Ferry has done his very best to bring the best supporting talent to the Cavs for Lebron.
I was referring to what Lebron might be feeling, because there was something resigned about both his play and demeanor in this game.
I agree that in this game, Lebron’s responsibility in the loss is that he seemed to give up. (i.e., no buckets in the first quarter).
But, a championship is not won by one player. Lebron cannot do it all.
He has played hard for most of the play-off games this year, but in most of the games, the rest of the team has not given a championship performance.
I think most importantly, Mike Brown has not utilized the pieces that Mike Ferry has given him.
It is also a coach’s job to inspire and motivate players, to be the leader in the locker room before games, at half-times, after games, and during practices.
I like MB as a person, he seems like a nice guy, but a championship coach needs to know how to manage and motivate players, and how to coach in real time during games.
I believe that Lebron realized that the team (perhaps for some of the reasons above), doesn’t have what it takes.
I love the Cavs, I hope to God that I am wrong and the Cavs pull something from their gut to win this series…
During many games this year (and especially during these playoffs), I was wondering why TNT has not cut to Mike Brown’s bench between plays to hear what he is saying to his players. We have heard Doc Rivers motivating his team, but never have heard the powerful coaching words that Mike Brown has delivered to his team.
Yes, I give Ferry the highest of praise in bringing in good role players to build a team with Lebron.
But one of the biggest mistakes, a crucial mistake of the Front Office, was to keep Mike Brown past his miscoaching of the Magic play-off series last Spring.
free JJ
“But like many people have already said, it is only sports. Hug the wife and kids, be glad for your life, health and job if you are lucky enough to have one. The sun will come up tomorrow”
I completely agree… That is good perspective.
Speaking of perspective… I’m in Cleveland this week (I normally live in LA now), I was trying to convince my cousin to go with me to the game tonight.
I was going to shell out $300 – $400 for some good seats.
It seems that my cousin had a good instinct about this game.
If the Cavs win on Thursday, I will be there on Sunday at the Q.
I hope that Lebron realizes, as he drives home to his large quiet house… that a lot of Clev fans are counting on him to play his heart out, and pull the very best out of himself.
I was hoping that he would do that tonight.
I think that he has some soul-searching to do… and I hope that he thinks of all of the fans in Clev who believed in him.
@DP… i forgot the 2007 lineup, thanks for posting.
but i have to challenge your premise. the supporting cast were all role players in 07 and they’re still role players now. there’s still no one who the other team has to worry about. eg, ‘i’m going to make somebody other than kobe beat me.. holy crap pasol/odom beat me.’
who on the current cavs lineup would scare you if you’re coaching against us and decide not to let lebron beat you?
without a crisp offense to bank on, these guys better be ready to D up big time in game 6.
By the way, does anyone know where I can watch the full after-game press conference of Lebron and Mike Brown?
NBA.com only has excerpts.
By the way, I was watching the excerpts of Lebron’s post-game conference on NBA.com, and Lebron keep his eyes down the entire time.
He couldn’t look in peoples’ eyes.
I’m just disgusted thinking about how happy Spike Lee is right now.
The Boozer example was a bad one, sorry to open that old wound. Just… disappointed all over again.
When does browns training camp start? … and by the way you should probably put “jumper” by Third Eye Blind in your next cavs column
See ya, LeBron. Thanks for all the titles.