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2014-2015 Cleveland Cavaliers Season Thread

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Pro Sports ▸ 2014-2015 Cleveland Cavaliers Season Thread
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Commander of Awesome

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May 7, 2015 6:59 PM
like_that;1726587 wrote:Fuck Olynk, I hope he gets a pipe to the face.
HighRoller74;1727419 wrote:Thats part of the reason I don't want Noah suspended, less Mirotic.
Noah >>>Mirotic
May 7, 2015 6:59pm
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Mulva

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13,650 posts
May 7, 2015 7:09 PM
What would Noah be suspended for? I hope you aren't talking about that mini shove as he walked to the locker room.
May 7, 2015 7:09pm
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Lovejoy1984

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May 7, 2015 7:15 PM
Mulva;1727425 wrote:What would Noah be suspended for? I hope you aren't talking about that mini shove as he walked to the locker room.
Not saying he will be or even should, but that was the scuttlebutt on Twitter today.
May 7, 2015 7:15pm
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Lovejoy1984

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May 7, 2015 7:18 PM
Commander of Awesome;1727422 wrote:Noah >>>Mirotic
Yes and no.

Noah is a better overall player, however, Mirotic would provide a more challenging matchup with his ability to stretch the floor.
May 7, 2015 7:18pm
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like_that

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May 7, 2015 9:54 PM
HighRoller74;1727428 wrote:Yes and no.

Noah is a better overall player, however, Mirotic would provide a more challenging matchup with his ability to stretch the floor.
He would also be a defensive liability.
May 7, 2015 9:54pm
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like_that

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May 7, 2015 9:55 PM
Commander of Awesome;1727422 wrote:Noah >>>Mirotic
I agree, but I figured he would come in as a sub. He played really well and was a big piece in keeping the Bulls a 3 seed while rose and butler were out. I guess thibs really likes running his guys into the ground.
May 7, 2015 9:55pm
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Dr. KnOiTaLL

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May 8, 2015 10:48 AM
Iman Shumpert (groin) said that he'll do whatever it takes to be able to play in Game 3 against the Bulls on Friday.

Shumpert's status won't be determined until after Friday morning's shootaround, but things are trending in a positive direction. Head coach David Blatt said that Shumpert has improved and that he's "hopeful" to have him available, so it sounds like there's a decent chance Shumpert plays tonight. He will, however, head back to the bench with J.R. Smith returning from his two-game suspension, so his fantasy value is due to take a sizable hit.
May 8, 2015 10:48am
F

Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 1:26 PM
Shumpert has been outstanding and hopefully he can go full strength tonight. Game plan should continue to be let Rose shoot from outside and stop his penetration.

Cavs odd's of winning the series have dropped from -240 to -168 after the 2 game split.
May 8, 2015 1:26pm
T

thavoice

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14,376 posts
May 8, 2015 1:55 PM
With the sweatband back....can James actually lose?

My God...not sure how that was even a story!
May 8, 2015 1:55pm
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Dr. KnOiTaLL

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May 8, 2015 2:37 PM
Fun read on Grantland:

[h=2]Cavs-Bulls[/h]• With J.R. Smith back, the Cavs face an interesting lineup decision — one that could turn on Iman Shumpert’s health. The Cavs started Game 1 with a small-ball group, quickly discovered Mike Miller was unplayable, and went into Super Smash mode for Game 2 by starting Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov together.
That lineup just looks like it should fail. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have no path to the rim on the pick-and-roll, since the Bulls can clutter the lane with giant humans. The Cavs know that, so they ditched the pick-and-roll, cleared the left side of the floor for LeBron, and let him attack one-on-one. Sometimes he settled for jumpers, and he can’t make one to save his life right now — something that will flip eventually if the Bulls keep going under picks against him.
But when he turned those isolations into post-ups, he was an unstoppable bully. Jimmy Butler is a freaking beast, but LeBron can back him down, and if he gets close enough to the rim, a help defender has to bum-rush him. The spacing is tight, but LeBron needs only a teensy crack to find Shumpert in the corner, Irving spotting up above the arc, or one of the behemoths cutting into the paint. It reminded me of the Pacers-Heat series in 2012 when Chris Bosh was injured and the Heat fell back on simplicity: Give the ball to LeBron and get everyone else out of the way. The Cavs’ normal spread pick-and-roll system, with Kevin Love spotting up around the arc, is a vehicle for basketball artistry. Game 2 was a battering ram slamming into a door until it busted.
And when LeBron or some jump-shooter missed, Mozgov and Thompson cleaned the glass. The Cavs have rebounded a preposterous 44 percent of their own misses in this series with Mozgov and Thompson on the floor, per NBA.com, and the Bulls don’t seem to have a ready answer. Thompson is just humiliating Pau Gasol under the rim, shoving him away, darting around him, and exposing the emptiness of Gasol’s gaudy rebounding stats.[SUP]3[/SUP] Joakim Noah is hobbled, a borderline liability. Taj Gibson has never been a great defensive rebounder, and Nikola Mirotic, who reportedly still plays for the Bulls, can’t bang with Thompson and Mozgov.
The Cavs overall are plus-19 with that combo, killing it on both ends, and I’d lean toward rolling it out there until the Bulls figure it out — something Chicago couldn’t do in the regular season, either.
• That said, Smith’s return reunites Cleveland’s one small-ball group composed of five actual NBA-level players: Irving, Smith, Shumpert, James, and one of Thompson/Mozgov. That group would unlock a less taxing path to points for LeBron[SUP]4[/SUP] and give the Cavs the potential for a super-switchy lineup when they want to lock down on defense — something we saw glimpses of toward the end of Game 2. Slot Shumpert on Derrick Rose, LeBron on Butler, and Thompson on Gasol, and the Cavs can switch any threatening action.
Switching like that carries risk, especially early in the shot clock; Gasol would have time to back down against Shumpert or LeBron, and Rose could size up Thompson off the bounce. But Thompson is among the league’s best bigs at sliding with little guys, LeBron guarded Gasol a few times on Wednesday, and the Cavs can use their speed to double the post.
• Smith in this alignment would have to guard Chicago’s second big man, and Irving would run around with Mike Dunleavy Jr. Those are not ideal matchups for Cleveland, but they’re also not so problematic that the Cavs should freak out about going small — especially if that second big is Noah. The poor guy just can’t do anything on offense right now, including make his free throws, and the Cavs should be comfortable with damn near anyone defending him if the matchup helps their offense.
Gibson presents a more fearsome post-up threat, but he hasn’t been able to exploit James Jones, and double-teams fluster him. Dunleavy could shoot over Irving, but Irving might do less damage to Cleveland’s defense away from the ball — and from Rose pick-and-rolls. And if Chicago does poke at one mismatch, the Cavs can rejigger the pieces.
• Another risk for Cleveland in going small: It makes transition defense harder, since all the matchups are scrambled. The Bulls on defense hide Noah on Shumpert, and as the teams change ends, all the Cavs have to find their assignments. Chaos breeds confusion, and Chicago in Game 1 nabbed easy points by rushing the ball up and scoring before the Cavs could right themselves.
• Remember when Aaron Brooks was good?
• I’m still waiting on the Cavs, and LeBron specifically, to shift into that extra gear on defense. The possibility grows with every passing game that the Cavs just don’t have it in them for 48 minutes. I mean, this team is a Finals threat, even without Love:


Look at all that frenzy! But that’s one possession amid seeping uninterest. LeBron’s switching and closeouts have been as flat-footed as they were in the first round against Boston:




The Cavs need LeBron fully engaged on defense, especially if they are going to play heavy minutes with just one traditional big man on the floor.
• It will be fascinating to watch how Thibodeau divvies up Chicago’s frontcourt minutes. The Noah-Gasol duo has fared better, at least by the numbers, than most people seem to think, but that may not hold up against Cleveland’s “A” team — especially since the Cavs should feel free to guard Noah with a smaller player.
The Bulls at some point will need Mirotic’s shooting to generate offense, but Thibodeau is reluctant to use him, and any two-man combination with Mirotic at power forward could hemorrhage offensive boards against the Thompson-Mozgov bruise brothers. Thibodeau could spot Mirotic minutes away from that pairing, but that kind of juggling can only get you a few minutes here and there. Still: That can be enough to swing a quarter, and then a game, and then a series.
A Mirotic-Gibson pairing looks most promising on paper, at least against smaller Cleveland lineups. Mirotic can stretch the floor on offense, and Gibson can switch onto LeBron (and even Irving) defending pick-and-rolls on the other end. Thibs will have to give that a look and reduce Noah’s minutes if he remains a total zero on offense.
• God, I hated writing that sentence. I love Noah, and watching him play right now sucks. Royally.
• It is past time for Tony Snell to get all of Kirk Hinrich’s minutes. The Cavs in Game 2 overreacted to the threat of Gasol’s midrange jumper, but they can afford to flood Gasol if Hinrich and his rec specs are chilling on the weak side of a Rose-Gasol pick-and-pop:

Sad Kirk is sad.
Snell can also give Butler a brief reprieve from guarding LeBron, though Thibodeau was smarter in Game 2 about yanking Butler whenever LeBron rested — even if it meant deviating from his rigid rotations.
Pray for Jimmy.
May 8, 2015 2:37pm
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SportsAndLady

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May 8, 2015 7:59 PM
Let's

Go

Cavs


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May 8, 2015 7:59pm
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SportsAndLady

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May 8, 2015 8:15 PM
God, Joakim Noah is such a douche
May 8, 2015 8:15pm
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SportsAndLady

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May 8, 2015 8:17 PM
Horrible start to this game

Everyone's looking for a foul called and they aren't calling them
May 8, 2015 8:17pm
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se-alum

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May 8, 2015 8:40 PM
The Bulls have yet to set a legal pick...
May 8, 2015 8:40pm
F

Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 8:46 PM
Delly continues to play lights out and LeBron playing like shit so far


.
May 8, 2015 8:46pm
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friendfromlowry

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May 8, 2015 8:49 PM
Footwedge;1727610 wrote:Delly continues to play lights out and LeBron playing like shit so far


.
2-2 with four points is lights out huh?
May 8, 2015 8:49pm
F

Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 8:53 PM
Kyrie w8ith an ankle problem.
May 8, 2015 8:53pm
F

Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 8:56 PM
friendfromlowry;1727611 wrote:2-2 with four points is lights out huh?
You don't understand the game of basketball dick. and for the recod..5 points. pay attention.
May 8, 2015 8:56pm
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Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 8:59 PM
Delly with yet another beautiful assist.
May 8, 2015 8:59pm
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Laley23

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May 8, 2015 9:01 PM
Not gonna win much if LBJ is gonna go 3-13.
May 8, 2015 9:01pm
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Ytowngirlinfla

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May 8, 2015 9:02 PM
Can't let Mirotic wide open 3's. This guy should be playing more but he is definitely hampered by injuries.
May 8, 2015 9:02pm
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SportsAndLady

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May 8, 2015 9:03 PM
Kyrie getting beat on defense. If he's hurt he needs to get out of the game.


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May 8, 2015 9:03pm
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Footwedge

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May 8, 2015 9:03 PM
Shumpert and LeBron cant hit the ocean with a beach ball so far
May 8, 2015 9:03pm
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SportsAndLady

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May 8, 2015 9:04 PM
Bulls fans butthurt


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May 8, 2015 9:04pm
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wildcats20

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May 8, 2015 9:04 PM
Horrendous call.
May 8, 2015 9:04pm