May 16, 2012

Championship parade down West Market anyone?

April 16, 2012 By 14 Comments

The other day I had one of those moments when your thought process kind of spirals out of control. I think everyone has them from time to time. (At least I hope so.)

I was watching the Cavs play the Washington Wizards, and began thinking about that ‘rivalry’. The best of the recent playoff series against Washington was no doubt in 2006, when the Cavaliers got into the playoffs for the first time in the LeBron era. Cleveland won that series four games to two, but the final two wins went to overtime.

The starting line-ups for Saturday night’s game were Gee, Parker, Thompson, Harangody and Sloan for the Cavs, and Singleton, Vesely, Seraphin, Crawford and Wall for the Wiazards.

Not exactly the names that roll of the tongue when you think of the Cavs/Wizards clashes. For either side. So that got me thinking about the LBJ era teams, and then eventually to James himself.

I won’t pretend to know who is going to win the NBA Finals this year, but it seems the Heat will have as good a chance as anyone heading into the tournament. While thinking about that further, I could see LeBron dribbling out a Heat victory and winning the title that eludes us in Cleveland to this day. [Read more...]

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When There’s a Wing, There’s a Way

April 16, 2012 By 15 Comments

With six seconds on the clock and his team down two points, Cleveland head coach Bryon Scott called on Lester Hudson. Summoning him to the dry erase board with four of his Cavaliers teammates, Scott drew up the play which would ultimately result in a floating jumper by Hudson that would splash through the net with just over a second remaining, sending the game into overtime.

Hudson was forced to improvise a bit as he bobbled the in-bound transition, but the play was there. In Kyrivian fashion, the recent D-League signee was to take what the defense provided; if the lay-in wasn’t there, Anthony Parker was waiting in the far corner, Antawn Jamison remained at the top of the key. Needing two points yet having enough time on the clock, the secondary options were two relatively low-percentage shot attempts rather than locating any free post players who may have lost their opponent in help-side defense.

In Byron Scott’s playbook, the center is actually anything but. Decimated by injuries for the majority of the last two seasons,  the “five” has been a revolving door of seven-foot-tall bodies, some better than others. Seemingly ineffective when on the floor, the entire position has seen a depth chart turned inside out; Scott had, to this point, thrown any player of size against a wall merely to see who would stick. [Read more...]

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Luke Harangody goes legend against Wizards, then back to D-League

April 15, 2012 By 8 Comments

I’m fairly certain that no player has ever led his team in both points and rebounds during an NBA game one night, and then been sent immediately down to the NBA’s Developmental League that following morning.

That is until Luke Harangody did as much for the Cleveland Cavaliers this weekend.

Harangody played for the Canton Charge on Friday. He was called up Saturday to start in place of Antawn Jamison, who was ruled out of last night’s game so he could take a break or something, and now Luke is on a plane back to Springfield to help push the  Charge further towards D-League playoff glory.

No matter what happens from here though, there’s no undoing the chapter he wrote last night in the legendary tale of Gody.

I set the over/under for total points scored by Luke Harangody at 13.5 last night just prior to tip-off. I had a feeling that Gody was about to get 14, and after I put that out on Twitter I received ten over picks and nine unders. Needless to say, Luke proved at least nine people wrong last night.

He scored an efficient 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting in 37 minutes of work, going way over that line of 13.5. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, had 2 steals, and his big league team go the 98-89 road win. Pretty solid work for the first start of your NBA career. [Read more...]

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On the Cavs, Tanking and Lester Hudson

April 14, 2012 By 30 Comments

"Remember Lester, only make game TYING buzzer beaters"

With their the overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, the Cavs are officially out of the playoff race. This was expected. The Cavs are in the middle of their rebuild and are in full tank mode. [Read more...]

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Where’s Lester Hudson’s “Linsanity?”

April 11, 2012 By 50 Comments

On February 6, the shorthanded New York Knicks topped the Utah Jazz at home. The team’s two best players were inactive, dealing with various issues ranging from personal to health. The hero of the day — and subsequent weeks — was a hardwood vagabond, a scrappy guard who had been bounced from multiple NBA franchises, left to trudge through the murk and muck of the NBDL.

Jeremy Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, was the protagonist of the ultimate professional sports narrative. Player left for dead on the end of a 15-man roster, cast aside for reasons beyond comprehension, endearing squatters rights on the couches and guest bedrooms of friends, only to shock the world by displaying a skill set that only he had known of or at least been confident in. Injury leads to opportunity and the box score fills up like a hole-laden boat. Headlines soon follow as the spectacle of a D-League player providing such excitement, transcending across fans of all franchises, was a once-in-a-lifetime story.

Or a once in a two-month-span story.

[Read more...]

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The Legend of Lester Hudson Lives On

April 9, 2012 By 4 Comments

Sunday evening provided excellence of all shapes and sizes. Beautiful outdoor venues and empty arena seats. Pine needle-based approaches and game-saving three-pointers. Leader boards and lottery balls. Consonants and vowels.

Bubba Watson battled Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden-death playoff at Augusta National; both golfers held off a charging Phil Mickelson who — if not for a complete debacle on the fourth hole — would have been right there with them if not a stroke ahead. Jose Bautista, baseball’s best hitter over the last two seasons, had a chance to provide additional heroics, down one run with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning. And there was Lester Hudson, locked into a duel with the world-beating Sundiata Gaines, late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

It may not have been in the same historical context as Oosthuizen’s 4-iron stroke from 253 yards out on the second hole — a well-hit Titlest ball that split bunkers and fell at the front edge of the green, only to gradually and gracefully decend toward the hole until it fell into the bottom of the cup for double eagle (or “albatross” as the kids call it) — but Hudson’s 18-point fourth quarter drew equal jubilation. Instead of the misguided high-fives from the collars, straw hats and seersucker in attendance at Augusta, Hudson’s supporters from the dark corners of the world where niche Cavalier fans reside. Those still cheering on as their team limps, literally, toward the finish line.  [Read more...]

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Cavs end skid, finally figure out Raptors 84-80

April 7, 2012 By 2 Comments

No one would’ve blamed the Cavs for losing to the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Coming off nine straight losses, missing their starting point guard, shooting guard and center and playing without their coach (who got himself thrown out before halftime), it would’ve been easy for this team to sleepwalk through another late season loss.

But Antawn Jamison and newly signed PG Lester Hudson wouldn’t let the Cavs quit. Trailing 63-52 after three periods, Jamison opened the fourth by scoring 15 of the Cavs first 17 points and the Cavs somehow found themselves in a tied 68-68 with six minutes to play.

Thus begins the Legend of Lester Hudson.

The recently signed D-Leaguer, who doesn’t seem to care about the Cavs draft position at all, scored 8 points over the final four minutes to lead the Cavs to their first win against the Raptors in four tries. Jamison’s hot shooting woke up the Cavs and got them back in game and Hudson provided the energy the they needed to close it out. Hudson finished with 23 points, seven assists, three steals, two boards and just one turnover in 32 minutes and he hit all six of his free throws down the stretch.

Some random thoughts after the jump.

[Read more...]

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Short Handed Cavaliers Must Make Most of Opportunities Against Toronto

April 6, 2012 By 8 Comments

Can Tristan raise his game and his team in Toronto?

It doesn’t seem like that long ago. It was the day after Christmas, a time  of hope, inspiration, and holiday cheer. And on that Monday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers walked from the swirl of the unknown into reality. We didn’t know what to expect of this team. Kyrie Irving wasn’t the Irving we know today. He was just an idea, and a hope.

Opening night for the Cavaliers didn’t go as most followers of the wine and gold had hoped. Irving had a rough debut and the Cavaliers played pretty poorly in losing to the Raptors. In the weeks that followed, though, we saw glimpses of what this team could be. We saw Irving grow into the almost certain rookie of the year. We saw a team show a phenomenal spirit, a level of fight that kept them in games against far superior opponents and even lead to some big wins against playoff caliber team.

One other thing became clear, too. The Toronto Raptors are like kryptonite to the Cavaliers. No matter how well the Cavaliers could look at their peak, the Raptors were always there to bring out the worst in the Cavaliers. [Read more...]

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Spurs Will Provide Formidable Challenge For Cavaliers

April 3, 2012 By 3 Comments

I’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news is that Kyrie Irving will be back in the starting lineup for the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-33, 12th in the East) tonight. The bad news is the Cavaliers are playing the San Antonio Spurs (36-14, 2nd in the East).

It’s funny that the Spurs can continue to fly under everyone’s radar. Hardly anyone seems to be talking about them or taking them seriously. Maybe it’s because they lost the opening round as a #1 seed last year. Maybe it’s because people think that because Tim Duncan is old the Spurs are finished. Maybe it’s because the Spurs are just there every year and everyone just kind of got used to seeing them at the top.

Whatever the case may be, the Spurs are sitting just 2.5 games back of Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West. It’s no fluke or happenstance. The Spurs are one of, if not the, best coached teams in the NBA, they have a smart, savvy, veteran core who know how to win Championships, and they sprinkle in the right kind of young players who can learn how to play their role. [Read more...]

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Popovich: Alonzo Gee Has Earned His Keep

April 3, 2012 By 7 Comments

Having played in all of five games for the San Antonio Spurs, Alonzo Gee netted himself a total of 18 minutes of play. All in all, he made one field goal – a five-footer that came with about six minutes left of an absolute man-handling of the Philadelphia 76ers. Garbage time at its finest.

Fast forward one season and Gee has taken his game from waining minute substitution to starting small forward, boasting an all-around game that has him among the most improved players in the entire NBA. Naturally, Gee’s current role is one of default; initial starter Omri Casspi has struggled all season and the Cavaliers have one of the worst depth charts among all NBA wing positions. But just as Gee wouldn’t let others’ perception deter him from improving, he won’t let reasoning take away from his opportunity. And San Antonio head coach Greg Popovich has taken notice. [Read more...]

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Sunday Cavalier Thoughts: Barren Bench A Sore Thumb

April 1, 2012 By 23 Comments

Injuries. Trade. Inconsistency. Three words that sum up what’s happened to the Cavaliers bench in the past month. Once a strength of the team in the early season, these three factors have relegated the bench to a shell of its former shelf. It’s no coincidence that the Cavaliers are spiraling downward as a result. Let’s take a trip down memory lane at what the bench was at the outset and other relevant Cavalier news items.

  • Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson, Alonzo Gee, Tristan Thompson, and the revolving door of Ryan Hollins, Samardo Samuels, and Semih Erden formed one of the highest scoring benches in the league. Before you knew it, the Varejao injury eventually pulled Thompson out of the second unit, Gibson is likely lost for the season, Sessions was traded to the Lakers, and Gee was promoted due to the ineffectiveness of Omri Casspi. A few weeks later and with Kyrie Irving out of last night’s game against the Knicks, the Cavaliers brought ten-day contractor Lester Hudson, Casspi, trade acquisition Luke Walton, midseason signee Manny Harris, Samuels, and Erden off the bench with recently signed Donald Sloan starting for the injured Irving.
  • Couple the bench’s dropoff with the recent struggles of Antawn Jamison (12.9 points per game in the last ten) and the repeated poor performances from Anthony Parker (under 40% shooting on the season, just three double digit scoring games since returning from injury at the end of February), and you essentially have three players producing and keeping the team afloat. Irving, Gee, and Thompson are the three who have increased their production and stepped into the key roles on this team. One point, one wing, and one big man, hopefully all in the wine and gold for the foreseeable future.

[Read more...]

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Insult to Injury: Bucks Blast Cavs, Irving Injures Shoulder

March 31, 2012 By 3 Comments

Last night will go down as one of the more difficult evenings to swallow in this condensed 66-game campaign. The Cavaliers chipped paint off the rim at their end while they were helpless to stop the onslaught that was the Milwaukee Bucks offense. Milwaukee overwhelmed the Cavaliers right out of the gate, and other than Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers were unable to get anything going before it was far too late as the Bucks pushed to a 29-point lead at one point in the first half. The Bucks took this one 121-84, led by Brandon Jennings’s 28 points and Ersan Ilyasova’s 20, but this dismantling was entirely a team effort.

The best way I could describe the Cavaliers’ defense was “indifferent”. They did little to stop Milwaukee’s incredibly hot shooting (61% in the first half), especially from three-point range,where the Bucks hit 10-of-16. The Cavs were down just 29-22, but the Bucks pulled away with a 37-15 run that spanned the late first and nearly the entire second quarter. During that time, Mike Dunleavy Jr. came off the bench to hit four three pointers. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis carved up the defense with dribble penetration. Ersan Ilyasova scored on every person that tried to guard him. The Bucks are talented, especially with the addition of Ellis, make no mistake about it. However, they should not have been able to storm the Cavaliers like this on their home floor. Both Dan Gilbert and Byron Scott expressed frustration post-game with how the team has been playing at home. The wine and gold are now just 9-17 at home losing their last five with most of their signature wins coming on the road (Oklahoma City, Denver, Boston, etc.) [Read more...]

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Cavaliers Try to Snap Losing Streak at Five

March 30, 2012 By 6 Comments

The Cleveland Cavaliers (17-31, 11th in the East), losers of 5 straight and 8 of their last 9 since their impressive mini win streak against Denver, Oklahoma City, and Houston have now officially fallen behind Detroit in the standings and have Sacramento square in their sights.

The Cavaliers’ next opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks (23-27, 9th in the East) and in the middle of a chase of their own, trying to track down the New York Knicks for the 8th spot in the East. The last time these teams played each other was right after the Monta Ellis trade. Ellis didn’t play in that game, but the Bucks have gone 4-3 with Ellis in the starting lineup. However, they have lost 3 of their last 5 overall coming off a season high 6 game win streak. So it’s been an up and down fight for the Bucks as well.

Ellis was supposed to be the extra piece to push the Bucks into the playoffs, but Ellis has struggled adjusting to a new team and a very different system. With the Warriors, he was averaging 21.9 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds, but so far in Milwaukee he’s averaging just 15.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds. His 3pt% has dropped from .321 to .143 and his overall FG% is down from .433 to .410. [Read more...]

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Injuries to Varejao and Gibson Lead to Several Off-season Questions

March 30, 2012 By 25 Comments

Anderson Varejao wants to come back. Daniel Gibson may not have a choice.

The only two members of the Cleveland Cavaliers who wore Wine and Gold during the 2007 NBA Finals could realistically spend the last month of the 2011-12 NBA season in street clothes. The veterans, both who would be labeled as “cagey,” are nursing two completely different injuries — Varejao, a wrist fracture; Gibson, a torn tendon — but both have the chance to cause additional pain to the team’s season-end win total. In lockstep, both players also provide the Cavaliers with some questions that only themselves will be able to answer.

Having blown through the four-to-six-week timetable for return from a wrist fracture sustained on February 10, Anderson Varejao is hoping that the next month will provide considerably improved health. The Brazilian big man won’t even see the practice court until the first or second week of April with an updated timetable being provided subsequent to his progress. Many Cavalier fans have been clamoring for the fan favorite to stick to the designer suits for the remainder of the season, helping not only guarantee full recover for the 2012-13 slate, but also the potential for a better draft pick come this June.  [Read more...]

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Cavaliers vs Pistons: Let the Tanking Begin!

March 28, 2012 By 19 Comments

TANKING!!!

Welcome to Tank Fest 2012!

Ok, so no, I don’t think the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-30, 10th in the East) are actually tanking. Or, shall I say, losing on purpose. I believe Byron Scott is trying to get his team to play well, and I believe the players are (mostly) trying their hardest to win.

But with the news of Daniel Gibson’s torn tendon threatening his season, and with Anderson Varejao still some time away from returning, the fact is the Cavaliers right now aren’t deep enough and, quite frankly, not good enough, to win very many games.

Tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons (17-32, 11th in the East), then, is a battle for draft position. If the Cavaliers lose tonight, which would be their 5th in a row, they would be tied with Detroit and looking to move up another slot in the lottery. [Read more...]

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