DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cavs Continued

The Cavs defense was really poor yesterday. The idea is to make Bruce Brown beat you. The idea is not to let him beat you.

They seem really lost on D. It's also really frustrating to watch Lauri and Love have guys that are a foot smaller on them due to a switch and they don't really want the ball in the post.

Those two things really hurt the Cavs yesterday. It's disappointing that the game was never in doubt for the Nets.

I'll also say that while not possible I think it's best to extend Sexton and get rid of Lavert. Lavert is a high volume, low percentage shooter. Everyone else on the Cavs plays a much more efficient game (Love excluded). I don't think he's a good fit.

But that D, wow. It was really bad.

Man, didn't realize this was the situation.

I'll take the loss and keep the draft pick. This team is young and hungry anyway, I'm sure they realize the non-stop MASH unit would be the only reason they didn't qualify.

I haven't watched the NBA the past couple of years. The social justice crap was a turnoff. The load management crap was lame. Then, you got guys like Ben Simmons and Kyrie not fulfilling their contractual obligations and still demanding they be paid. The NBA players have taken selfishness to an entire new level and it turns off a significant percentage of the population.

I was talking to my brother who was a long-time BB HC after we traded for Watson and I wanted his thoughts on the trade. We eventually got to basketball an he told me I'd like the Cavs this year. He said they were scrappy, played hard, and that Bickerstaff was doing a great job. Last night was the first time I got to see them.

I agree w/Rish that the D was pretty bad. Garland was impressive. I liked the Mobley kid. I thought Love played very well. Markenson or whatever his name is showed some flashes, but he has to get stronger.

I'll watch the Cavs on Friday, but won't watch the rest of the playoffs once they are eliminated. I can only say two things for certain. I pray the Nets don't win it. They are the epitome of what is wrong w/the NBA. I would like to CP3 finally get a chip. He is true professional.

I am 100% certain ATL will win on Friday. Atlanta plays with way more heart.

Which is fine with me. Because I'll go to some ATL playoff games and have an awesome time. A better time than watching the Cavs play poorly and wash out of the playoffs.

Been the theme all year unfortunately. The team is very soft on defense and we struggle mightily to defend wing players. Mobley has to get stronger as does garland. Those two are our building blocks. The team overachieved and injuries pretty much ended our season after the break. As far as Friday, I dont' see the benefit of winning it for a token playoff game, we need to pick more at this juncture. Come back next year healthy and adding a legit wing player and getting everyone back healthy. Next year will be a great year I think.

I agree with CP3. Would love to see him get a ring. He's an abrasive guy, but I think that comes from a place of being an intelligent alpha and super competitive. Every team he goes to ends up being successful. The recent debates around Ja Morant not making those around him better and pointing to Chris Paul as a player who has a track record of making those around him better is interesting.

I don't mind the Nets and hope they beat the Celtics. Can't stand the Celtics. And I don't mind Irving standing his ground on what he believes in. I'm pro vaccine but also pro choice. The whole New York thing was idiotic. And as time fades and I learn to loathe Lebron more and more, I convince myself that Irving was more responsible for the championship than Lebron. THE SHOT is the greatest play in Cavs history.

The Cavs are a very likeable team right now and very easy to root for. Garland is going to be a super star. Mobley looks like a bonafide star. They have a lot of pieces and a good young coach. I agree with lead, next year should successful and fun.

j/c...

Great news.

That's good news.

I didn't watch games during the season but I started paying attention to the scores/standings later in the year after my brother told me I would like this Cavs team. I seem to recall that they struggled w/ATL late in the season. Is that correct?

Cavs have dropped their last three against ATL. Injuries have taken a toll the second half of the season.

Should be a fun one tonight in CLE. Guardians have their home opener tonight, too.

Downtown will be abuzz.

Sounds like a win.

Thanks Milk. I'll be watching tonight.

j/c....

Garland's buddy is going to the game!

LET'S GO

keep it up Cavs !

They want this one bad!

This game is intense.

Markkanen on defense makes running into traffic seems pleasurable. Get him off the court.

Not a good night for the home team, at all.

Do we now keep our 1st round pick?

Kevin love is stealing money, he can’t be here next year. Okoro is a joke

What a bummer.

Glass half-full: Cavs have a lottery pick <shrugs emoji>

I think so ... It was Lottery protected.

Really disappointing. Atlanta is Trae Young and four scrubs.

Garland really shrank in the moment. Wanted to see him match Young.

Identify the Cavs defensive coaches and replace them.

If Mobley doesn't get better in the off season or Garland doesn't develop onto a closer the Cavs will be in the play in again next year. I'm not seeing this team just all of a sudden take off next year.

A few thoughts and maybe a few questions:

--Loved the intensity of the crowd. That was really cool. Almost like a college game.

--Most of you probably are not old enough to remember him, But Garland reminds me of Walt "Clyde" Frazier."

--I did not like how we switched everything. Basketball aficionados have debated this for a long time, but I prefer fighting over the pick if your big is the switch man and switching if you can put an athletic defender on top. Of course, never switch from a big to a small down low.

--You gotta stop dribble penetration.

--Trey Young is special.

--We need to get some of our guys stronger. Too lean.

--Not complaining, but some of the flagrant interpretations were odd.

Bickerstaff was bad tonight. Too little K-Love, too much Markkanen.

Get healthy and bring back Sexton. The future is bright.

LeVert is an asset that could be dealt if Sexton is brought back.

Okoro needs to get better. He probably will not.

It was a fun season completely derailed by injuries, unfortunately.

we suck again... no reason we should have lost... really disappointing...

S
I don't know about that, but Mike Fratello is still a big cavs fan and i think still lives in the Cleveland area. I hear him on the radio often enough.

That guy was one of the great defensive minds ever. I would contract that guy to coach our coaches on how to coach defense, then have him run defensive practices heading up and in to the regular season if possible.

The problem with defense is that takes effort more than skill, and todays player see's being on D the time to rest up a bit. Until a head coach demands a top D and regulates play time based on defensive effort, we won't see much D.

Defense is all on the coaching staff. If you allow a defensive slacker to play, you get slack defense.

It isn't hard to figure out.

I have a few questions.

--I like Sexton. Can you see him and Garland on the court at the same time?

--I did not know anything about Okoro. He looks strong and athletic. Why don't you think he will develop? Skill set?

--LeVert is a guy who was lighting it up for awhile w/the Nets, but then looked bad in the playoffs. How was he late in games this year? He has the body type to be very good defensively. How was he on the defensive side of the ball this year?

One last comment..........I mentioned it earlier, but man, the Cleveland fans really showed up for that game. The place was electric.

Still really bummed about yesterday.

I don't know how not making the playoffs helps this team grow. That was a pretty big collapse at the end of the season culminating in the loss yesterday. I know I mentioned this before but the following three things need to happen for the Cavs to even get back to just the play in next year -

1. Need to develop an identity on defense and improve dramatically as a defensive team.
2. Garland needs to become a closer.
3. Mobley needs to take a huge jump in his sophomore season. Get stronger, work on his craft.

Bonus - need to add some players with some toughness. It was tough watching the amount of offensive rebounds yesterday when the Cavs are trotting out three 7 footers. I would look to move Lauri. Not sure he's a long-term fit for this team if championships are the goal. He's soft and taking shots away from other guys. He would be a good piece on a contending team, not on a team that is trying to ascend.

One thing that stood out to me last night was that the team kinda looked lost in crunch time. They are an inexperienced team and haven't been together for long enough to be confident enough to make the right plays down the stretch. Didn't Atlanta go to the Eastern Conference Finals last year? They gained a lot of experience last year in big games. That difference between the two teams was extremely evident last night as the game went on. I was hoping the Cavs could find a way to win because just playing against the Heat in the playoffs would have been invaluable in regards to understanding how to play under the bright lights.

I think that's wishful thinking and a fallacy of "fanatics".

Five years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights went to the NHL Finals in their inaugural season. I didn't have a hockey team nor did I follow hockey, but I was excited to change both of those things. The Knights have become my second favorite sports team after the Browns. That first year was a wild ride, and they almost won it all. Many fans were not deflated by the lost in the championship series because they assumed the Knights would be back the following year. The Knights have not sniffed the championship again.

Eh, I'm being a downer. Just disappointed by what I saw yesterday. Players and coaches both looked lost.

I think the team looked they had tired legs. We are young and they are not used to playing so many games in a season. A playoff series would have been great for development. Maybe these 2 games would function in the same way. They were essentially playoff games even if not a full 7 game series. As a consolation, we get to keep our 1st round pick this year. I hear it is supposed to be a pretty talented draft. Though I personally have no idea about that.

They also had 2 tons of injuries.

Yes, they got 60-70% or so of Allen back for the final game, and that was helpful, but they also only got Mobley back the game before. Their lineup changed game after game after game. When their lineup was stable, they played well. Defensively, when they were stable, they also played well, However, when the lineups were fubarred, along with the rotations, we ran into problems. It seemed like everytime things looked settled ...... disaster struck.

While it sucked missing the playoffs, getting LeVert, and keeping our 1st rounder this year, is, potentially, huge. We will have a ton of potential trade assets ..... and should be able to make moves to improve the team.

Sexton is a great 6th man.

Okoro is solid defensively, but gives next to nothing offensively.

I'd try and get a 1st for LeVert if Sexton is brought back. Sexton offers more than LeVert.

Cavs game atmosphere is the absolute best! Had a load of fun at games this season.

Really looking forward to seeing this team healthy next season. Won't be surprised if Rubio is brought back.

Thanks.

I hope he comes back. It kind of fell apart once he was injured.

For anyone who is following the playoffs and likes The Office....this is perfect.