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Cavs 06-07 season thread

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There was 10 seconds or so left as Tyrone Lue crossed half court to run the time out and instead of standing on the court he headed towards the locker room. My guess is that he wasnt off the court until the time ran out, but I am sure it was close.

Either way not something you like to see, but I am glad to see he is pissed off. Hopefully they can take care of the shit and start doing the little shit that it takes.
 
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ABJ

LeBron under microscope

Attention can be fun, or it can be petty. Now, about those missed free throws. . .

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

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Mike Cardew /Akron Beacon Journal
Cleveland Cavalier's LeBron James readies a free throw during practice Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006, at Quicken Loan Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

CLEVELAND - The upside is the millions, the witty television commercials and the magazine covers. The downside is having almost every move dissected.
LeBron James got another taste of the latter Tuesday as his actions in the final moments of the Cavaliers' overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks were called into question. After he missed a 3-point attempt with about 15 seconds to go and the Cavs down nine points, James slowly walked off the court and toward the locker room while the Hawks dribbled out the clock at the other end of the floor. He eventually turned around and stood at the end of the floor when the final horn went off.
Though his actions didn't seem egregious to those in attendance, they were mentioned by the Hawks' radio network and later picked up by various national radio stations. By Wednesday afternoon, it had been filtered into various ESPN outlets and James was being compared to former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss, who left the field before a game was over two years ago.
``The game was over. It wasn't like I walked to the locker room,'' James said in response Wednesday. ``You're down seven points with three seconds left, there's no miracle in the world that is going to make you come back. This ain't Rock-n- Jock. There's no seven-point plays in our game.''
James chalked up the response to his moves being over-analyzed.
Indeed, of much more consequence to the outcome was James' missing six free throws, which helped the Hawks overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
``We missed a few wide-open shots that we usually make,'' James said. ``We've got to be able to close out games. We can't be up like that and lose it at home.''
Offensive issues
More pressing to the Cavs than fodder for the sports talk-news cycle are issues with their foul shooting and overall offense.
Wednesday, the team installed a board at the entrance to the practice court at Quicken Loans Arena listing each Cavs player's free-throw shooting percentage. Their back-to-back losses have come by four points (when they missed 13 free throws) and in overtime (when they missed 14). Through four games,they are shooting 61 percent at the foul line.
They are shooting 41 percent as a team from the field and are averaging 92 points a game. That ranks them dead last in the NBA in free-throw shooting, 28th in overall shooting and 25th in scoring.
Now, the bad news. Due tonight are the Chicago Bulls, who are the best defensive team in the NBA, giving up 87 points a game.
``We've got to shoot free throws a little bit better,'' coach Mike Brown said. ``The offense is still a work in progress. We've got to keep grinding.''
More Shannon Brown?
Mike Brown used rookie guard Shannon Brown for the first time Tuesday, giving him four minutes.
David Wesley is struggling mightily shooting the ball -- 1-of-12 after shooting 32 percent in the preseason. Damon Jones isn't performing much better, shooting 23 percent in the first four games.
After Donyell Marshall, the Cavs aren't getting consistent scoring or shooting help off the bench. There are hints Shannon Brown might be getting more time soon, along with Sasha Pavlovic.
``Both Shannon and Sasha are right on the heels of David and Damon,'' Mike Brown said. ``Sooner or later, I'm going to have to give those guys an opportunity to see if they can help us generate some points from our bench.''
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Canton

Bulls at Cavaliers
Thursday, November 9, 2006
MIKE POPOVICH

Bulls (2-2) at Cavaliers (2-2)

TIPOFF 8 tonight, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
TV TNT
RADIO WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WAKR-AM 1590, WTAM-AM 1100, WJER-AM 1450
FAST BREAKS The Cavaliers have lost two straight, while the Bulls have dropped two of three since their 42-point season-opening win over Miami ... The Cavs missed 14 more free throws in Tuesday's 9-point overtime loss to Atlanta. Their season total stands at 54 misses. ... Drew Gooden is averaging 16.3 points and 12.5 rebounds. He has three double-doubles. ... LeBron James averaged 34.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists against Chicago last season. Cleveland swept the season series from the Bulls for just the fourth time in team history. ... The Bulls have five players averaging in double figures. Ben Gordon leads the way at 18.0 points per game. ... Ben Wallace is averaging a team-best 9.8 rebounds and leads Chicago with sveen blocks.
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CPD

Every foe puts heat on nightly

Cavaliers finding teams are ready to play every game
Thursday, November 09, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter
LeBron James has been singing the refrain for weeks. "A year ago, we were the hunters," he's been saying. "This year, we will be the hunted, the ones with the bulls-eyes on our backs."
For anyone thinking James was blowing hot air, two straight losses say otherwise.
One week into the season, the Cavaliers have already paid for the success of last season -- 50 victories and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
After opening with victories over two quality opponents, Washington and San Antonio, they were ambushed by two teams not on anyone's radar to make the playoffs -- Charlotte and Atlanta.
"Teams are bringing it every game," James said on Wednesday.
Teams are not only bringing it every game, but the Cavaliers (2-2) are discovering they are not good enough to take nights off against anyone and win.
The Bobcats and Hawks have combined for nine straight losing seasons, but free-throw shooting bordering on the comical and the inability to drop the hammer in the fourth quarter sent the Cavaliers to a 92-88 defeat at Charlotte on Saturday night and a 104-95 overtime loss to the Hawks on Tuesday night.
The free-throw shooting story: The Cavaliers combined to miss 27 in the losses to Charlotte and Atlanta. They are the NBA's worst at the line -- hitting 85-of-139, or 61.2 percent.
In case they don't know how bad they are from the line, the Cavaliers were reminded of it on Wednesday. A newly placed chart, showing each players free-throw accuracy and where he ranks on the team, was prominently displayed on a wall as they entered The Q's practice court.
The fourth-quarter story: At Charlotte, the Cavaliers held a 71-69 lead early in the fourth, but two turnovers and three missed shots allowed the Hornets and the sellout crowd at Bobcats Arena back into the game on 10 straight points.
Against the Hawks, the Cavaliers held an 80-70 lead with less than eight minutes to go in the fourth, but collapsed amid a flurry or turnovers and missed shots to be outscored, 20-10 - sending the game into overtime.
"I don't think we are a great basketball team, yet," said point guard Eric Snow, "but we did have a chance to win both of the games we lost.
"We could easily be 4-0 and have false hopes. Now, teams are using us as a measuring stick. In the end, I think it will help make us play better."
The Cavaliers, at home against the Chicago Bulls (2-2) tonight, heard a smattering of boos from a few in the sold-out Q on Tuesday night while missing 10-of-18 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and overtime.
"A lot of teams go through shooting slumps at the free-throw line," said forward Donyell Marshall, whose strong performance (12 points, 6 rebounds in 27 minutes) was marred by three of four missed free throws.
"It doesn't help when fans are booing while we're shooting the free throws. It's hard to block that out."
The Cavaliers are no longer a league secret. "We can't sneak up on anyone," coach Mike Brown said. "We now have an 'X' on our backs. Teams look at us as a big game.
"They want to steal the juice, steal the thunder."
Hoop happenings:
Brown indicated more playing time for Sasha Pavlovic and rookie Shannon Brown is in the future if Damon Jones and David Wesley do not get on track
In 23 minutes a game, Jones is averaging 3.5 points and shooting 23 percent (5-of-22). Wesley has three points in 58 minutes of four games, shooting 8.3 percent (1-of-12).
"We've got to get more production from our bench," Brown said. "Sooner or later, I have to see what [Pavlovic and Brown] can do."
The ugly numbers:
Of the 30 NBA teams, the Cavaliers rank 30th in free-throw accuracy (61.2 percent), 28th in field goal accuracy (41.4 percent), 28th in steals (4.3 a game), 27th in defending the 3-point shot (43 percent) and 25 in points scored a game (92).
No big deal:
Atlanta's television broadcast team prominently mentioned James walking off the court shortly after missing a 3-point shot with 16 seconds left in overtime and the Cavaliers trailing, 104-95, on Tuesday.
The fuss puzzled James. "The game was over," he said. "I walked off the court. We were down by seven [actually nine] points with three seconds left. There was no way we were going to win."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4655
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I think this just goes to show you that this team plays to the level of their compeition. They can beat anyone in the league if they bring their A game. It was nice to see them shoot well from the outside.

Lots of positives from tonites game, but none more important than Sasha. If he can play like that all season we just become that much better.

It was also nice to see Brown get his first career points. He struggled when he first got in the game with two TO's, but once he got into the grove he started to play much better.
 
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I don't think LeBron's "incident" is a big deal - I think the way they lost is a bigger deal.

The whole thing did give us a new eupehemism though.

"LeBron is walking off the court" is the new "Painting the endzones" :tongue2:
 
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PD

<H1 class=red>
Here's one that didn't stroll away

</H1>Strong start lifts Cavs over Bulls

Friday, November 10, 2006 Branson Wright

Plain Dealer Reporter

The Cavaliers learned such a valuable les son in their past two games that it was on full display in front of a national television audience Thursday night.

"We thought we could approach games like we were already the front-runners in the NBA, and we can't do that," Cavs forward Drew Gooden said. "We found out the hard way by losing to the Bobcats and to the Atlanta Hawks."

The Cavaliers regrouped from those consecutive losses in resounding fashion and produced a 113-94 victory over the Chicago Bulls at The Q.
It was an impressive victory over a team considered to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. It also was impressive in how the Cavs dominated the boards, 47-30, and converted 38 assists on 45 baskets.
Gooden led the charge with 20 points and nine rebounds, and LeBron James had 19 points and 12 assists.

There was also the play of the bench. After being missing in action at times during the first four games, Sasha Pavlovic, Donyell Marshall and Anderson Varejao helped ignite the effort with a total of 46 points.

"Our bench did a great job for us," coach Mike Brown said. "They rebounded, they defended and they put points on the board for us. . . . For Sasha [16 points] to come in, stay ready and produce like he did tonight was a bonus for us."

More importantly, the Cavs came in as the worst free-throw shooting team in the league, but they responded by shooting 15-of-18 (83 percent) from the line.

Brown was pleased with how his team responded after consecutive disappointing losses.

?This is one of the best teams in the NBA, and for us to come out and give the effort that we gave tonight and get a win in this fashion was pleasing,? Brown said.

The Cavaliers? domination began at the start. Late in the first, Marshall began a rally with 3-pointer, and the spurt ended with Damon Jones? 3-pointer for a 12-point first-quarter lead.

The first quarter set the stage for the Cavs? dominance. A 30-18 first-quarter lead included a 16-8 rebounding edge and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.

It was the Bulls who were built to run, but the Cavs left them gasping for air. The Bulls trailed, 35-25, with 8:13 left before the half. That was the closest the Bulls would get. The next four out of six field goals by the Cavs were layups. James ended the half with a layup for a 13-point lead.

The good times continued to roll in a third quarter dominated by Gooden. He was 6-for-8 from the field for 12 points and four rebounds.

?When he gets rolling, he really feels it,? Brown said. ?He bailed us out [often] when the shot clock was going down.?

The Cavs shot an impressive 65 percent from the field, and they coasted into the fourth quarter with 12-point lead. That lead grew to 24 points in the fourth.
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LeBron played great as usual, Z and Drew were on fire, Sasha is giving more of a reason to sit Wesley and DJ more, Brown scores his first points! Now we have to take care of the easy ones...Boston tomorrow. Will be interesting to see if we come out strong and put it away early or if they make it a game.
 
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I know I am in the minority here, but I like DJ out there. He may not be the best defender, and his shot hasnt been that great while here, but if he gets hot he can stroke and he stetches the D. He has done a good job of bringing the ball up the floor and getting us into our offense. He has also been taking the ball off the dribble for pull up J instead of just settling for his 3's.
 
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ABJ

Cavaliers dismantle top defense

LeBron hands out 12 assists against tough Bulls. Gooden gets 20 points

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

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(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, left, is fouled by Chicago Bulls' P.J. Brown in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, in Cleveland.
More photos

CLEVELAND - So this is the developing trend. Play the NBA's expected also-rans, the Cavaliers can't be bothered. Facing potential playoff opponents, they can't be stopped.
After two listless losses to regular bottom-dwellers, the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Bobcats, the Cavs' top form reappeard Thursday night. Perhaps it had been shipped ground from San Antonio.
Putting together hot shooting, excellent bench support and adequate defense, the Cavs ripped the Chicago Bulls 113-94 at Quicken Loans Arena.
``We had a total team effort, to get a win in this fashion against a good team like the Bulls was pleasing,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ``The offense was flat-out amazing.''
Indeed it was. The Bulls (2-3) arrived, allowing just 87 points per game, as the best defense in the NBA, a pedestal many expect them to remain on throughout the season.
Their speciality is to force bad shots and low percentage shooting. As such, they led the NBA last season in field-goal percentage defense. That was before they added Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace, who donned his red No. 3 for the Bulls on Thursday. Yet not only was the former Detroit Piston a nonfactor on this night, the Cavs (3-2) made the Bulls' defense look like a nonissue.
It is hard to fathom the Cavs playing a better offensive game than they displayed in breaking their two-game losing skid. Not only because until tipoff they had perhaps the worst collection of team offensive numbers in the NBA through four games, but because they were supposed to be hosting the league's defensive juggernaut.
First, digest the raw numbers. In the first four games, the Cavs shot 41 percent from the field. Thursday, they made 57 percent. They were shooting 32 percent from 3-point range, but they hit 8-of-14 in this one. Remember that thorny free-throw problem. Gone, the Cavs hit 15-of-18.
It all came harmoniously as well, the new rickety offense rolling to no less than 38 assists on 45 baskets, the most they've posted since Nov. 21, 2000. The Cavs had been averaging 18 assists.
``We came out and were very aggressive,'' said Drew Gooden, who posted another solid game with 20 points and nine rebounds. ``This was the first time our offense came together and it really dictated the game.''
Here's how well things went, the Cavs didn't really need LeBron James to score. He had 19 points but took just 13 shots. Instead he was more than willing to set up his hot-shooting teammates as he dished out a season-high 12 assists.
And it wasn't just Gooden or Larry Hughes or Zydrunas Ilgauskas who received his passes. When Brown went to his bench, which after Donyell Marshall was averaging just 10 points a game, he found some production.
Instead of going to David Wesley, who has been struggling shooting, Brown called on Sasha Pavlovic at backup shooting guard. Pavlovic responded with a strong performance. He scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, effectively running the floor in transition. Anderson Varejao contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. Damon Jones played his best game of the season by hitting 3-of-4 shots for seven points.
In all, the reserves racked up 56 points on 21-of-30 shooting.
The Bulls got 20 points and 11 assists from point guard Kirk Hinrich and 15 points off the bench from Andres Nocioni. But Ben Gordon, who scored 37 points in the Bulls' win Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks, went just 1-of-10 from the field.
Dribbles
The Cavs have won six consecutive games and eight of the past 10 against the Bulls.... Varejao's 15 points were a career-high.... The Cavs won the rebounding battle 47-30.... The Cavs' 38 assists tied a Quicken Loans Arena record and their 25 assists in the second half set an arena record.... It was James' third double-double of the season.... Gooden is averaging 20.6 points and 13 rebounds in his past three games.
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ABJ

Cavs still hold missed playoffs against Celtics

Gooden and teammates seek more revenge after sweeping series last year

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Routinely in the past several years whenever the Cavaliers get ready to take on the Boston Celtics, as they will tonight, the supposed bad blood gets rehashed in the pregame chatter.
Let's see, there's the old Ricky Davis ``Cleveland is a black hole'' incident and the Cavs' mascot later getting fined for antics to get back at him. There's Paul Pierce getting fined for spitting at the Cavs' bench and then he and LeBron James having to be separated by teammates in the locker room area after a game. There are all those intense matchups, including some overtly over-competitive preseason games in the past three years. There is the inherent rivalry because the two teams have made four trades in the past three years.
All of it misses the point, the Cavs say. All those items, listed dutifully above and by other media outlets to be sure, are just the prologue. The real reason for the still-simmering issues took place when the Cavs and the Celtics weren't even in the same country.
That would be April 20, 2005, the final day of the regular season. The Cavs dispatched the Raptors in Toronto that night to finish the season at 42-40. All that needed to happen for the Cavs to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years was for the Celtics to beat the New Jersey Nets the same evening.
``We were a half game from the playoffs and they were up like 30 points against Jersey,'' Drew Gooden recalled. ``Then they took all their guys out and lost. I feel like that was kind of a message to us they wanted to keep us out of the playoffs.''
Actually, the Celtics were up 17 points in the fourth quarter. Otherwise Gooden is correct. The Celtics pulled their front line and their reserves gave up the lead. Of course, Celtics coach Doc Rivers did the exact same thing against the Cavs earlier that week and announced he'd repeat it against the Nets to be fair. And the Cavs lost out on that playoff spot because they had dropped the season series to the Nets.
Apparently, though, they have not let those facts get in the way of revenge. Last year, for the first time in franchise history, the Cavs swept the season series from the Celtics 4-0. Overall they've taken five consecutive games and seven of eight overall.
It wasn't that long ago that the Cavs were on a 10-game losing streak to the Celtics. They also have won three consecutive games in Boston after going on an eight-year drought at the TD Banknorth Garden.
``We haven't forgotten about that night,'' Gooden said. ``So we're going to pound them as much as we can.''
Marshall, Jones out
Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones both missed practice Friday. Jones has an upper respiratory infection. He is listed as probable for the game tonight against the Celtics. Marshall's condition has a little more mystery. He began complaining of a sore left wrist Friday but was not sure how he had injured it. An MRI exam at the Cleveland Clinic showed no damage. His status for the game tonight is uncertain.
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CPD

Moving in right direction

With Cavs passing, Gooden has a shot

Saturday, November 11, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

The Cavaliers' revamped offense - predicated on ball movement and designed to keep LeBron James from being relentlessly hounded while giving others the opportunity to contribute - is a work in progress.
At times, it does not work - looking like five guys who have never before been on the court together.
At other times, it works like coach Mike Brown envisions - such as Thursday night's 113-94 carving of the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls, behind defensive stalwarts Ben Wallace and P.J. Brown on the front line, rolled into The Q holding opponents to an NBA-low 87.3 points per game and 43 percent shooting from the field.
The gaudy numbers took a beating.
Moving the ball with precision and purpose, the Cavaliers hit the wide-open jumpers they got - shooting a season-high 57 percent (45-of-79) from the field while scoring 26 more points than the Bulls had been previously been giving up per game.
No one is taking more advantage of the shots he's getting off the ball movement in the new-look offense than 6-10, 242-pound power forward Drew Gooden.
It's one thing to get the shot opportunities; it's another to cash them in.
Gooden's team-high 20 points came on 10 of 13 shots from the field. Seven of 10 field goals were jumpers ranging from 15 to 18 feet. In five games, Gooden is averaging 17 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 53 percent (33-of-62) from the field.
Gooden scored the 20 without being a go-to guy.
"We didn't run a single play for him," Brown said. "He got his opportunities off ball movement."
Gooden said he was the fourth or fifth option last season, when he averaged 10.7 points and 8.4 rebounds.
"If plays were called for him, he'd be an All-Star every year," said teammate Donyell Marshall. "In this offense, teams can't double-team LeBron all the time. He's passing the ball around, and Drew is taking advantage of the movement."
Playing 37 minutes, James had a season-high 12 assists. Four of them came on passes to Gooden. "There is a lot of continuity in this offense," Gooden said. "Teams have to pick their poison now."
It's too early to detect a trend, but moving the ball around has cut into James' point production. He's averaging 26 per game. Last season, he averaged 31.4 points.
"LeBron's point production may go down," Brown said. "Last year, we force-fed the ball a lot into him. This year, it's more of an equal-opportunity production."
While Gooden has grasped the offense that was installed during training camp and the preseason, 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has not. Ilgauskas' numbers - 8.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 39 percent shooting from the field - are far off of last season's (15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 51 percent shooting).
"Z is used to sitting on the block, taking a pass and creating his own offense," Brown said. "With more ball movement, there are more reads.
"I am happy with the way he's playing now, but there is an adjustment period here."
Hoop happenings:
Sasha Pavlovic has moved ahead of David Wesley in the team's rotation off the bench. Taking advantage of a season-high 25 minutes against the Bulls, Pavlovic had 16 points, six rebounds and two assists. He was 6-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
"To me, I thought defensively that [Pavlovic] did not have one breakdown," Brown said. "I was more impressed with that than his offense."
Wesley's shooting woes continue. In 63 minutes of five games, he's missed 11 of 12 shots from the field.
Finally:
Marshall (sore left wrist) and Damon Jones (upper respiratory infection) did not practice Friday. Marshall was examined at the Cleveland Clinic, and his condition will be updated before tonight's game. Jones is listed as probable. . . . Starting point guard Eric Snow is averaging 2.2 points and shooting 36 percent from the field. None of which bothers Brown. "Eric is my pit bull, and I love him for that," Brown said. "That's why he's been in the league as long as he has. That tenacity is good for anyone on the team."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479
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