-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
- Thread starter OSUBasketballJunkie
- Start date
crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
billmac91;1141751; said:
Usually was the key word...
But you now how much LBJ fed off all the talk about us not being able to take out Detroit last year...
Lots of talking heads giving love to the Wizards right now...
Z really seems to dominate the Wizards...Haywood can't match up with him, and neither can anyone off the bench...
I am assuming we are going to see a starting lineup of Arenas, Butler, Stevenson, Jamison, and Haywood...
West vs Arenas, I give the edge to Arenas, but West will hold his own...
Butler vs Brown, obviously goes to Butler, but lets hope that Brown can slow him down...
LBJ vs Stevenson, obviously goes to LBJ...
Jamison vs Big Ben, this goes to Jamison on the offensive end, but big Ben on the defensive end...
Z vs Haywood, as I mentioned above this goes to Z...
The Wizards have some talent off the bench, but so do we...
I think that we will be able to score against the Wizards as we are usually able to do...LBJ will dominate the series along with Z...I think Boobie, Wally and Joe Smith will be huge off the bench to give us the offense we need to win this series...I see it going 6...This is Lebron time and we are all going to be witnesses...
LBJ only played in 75 games this year, started 74 and left the one game early due to the finger injury...Thus we really had LBJ for a full 70 games as there were a couple were he struggled with his back as well...Thus the reason why we struggled like we did at times, we had guys in and out of the lineup all year...Finally we have a time when this team will come together and play hard at all times...LBJ thrives in these situations and last year Boobie did as well...I look for him to really up his game...
Upvote
0
ABJ
LeBron sits as Cavs fall to Pistons Ilgauskas also takes meaningless game off to rest up for playoffs
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Apr 17, 2008
CLEVELAND: This regular season was no joyride for the Cavaliers, from holdouts, the most injuries in years, and all sorts of unexpected twists from numerous travel problems to the largest trade in franchise history.
After losing a meaningless game 84-74 to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, the Cavs finished the season at 45-37. That represents a five-game dip in victories from the past two seasons, which was not expected after going to the NBA Finals last season.
Then again, after everything the Cavs have been through, perhaps it was remarkable that they only won five fewer. The Cavs rested LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Wednesday, which meant that they finished 0-7 in games when James did not play.
Cont...
LeBron sits as Cavs fall to Pistons Ilgauskas also takes meaningless game off to rest up for playoffs
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Apr 17, 2008
CLEVELAND: This regular season was no joyride for the Cavaliers, from holdouts, the most injuries in years, and all sorts of unexpected twists from numerous travel problems to the largest trade in franchise history.
After losing a meaningless game 84-74 to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, the Cavs finished the season at 45-37. That represents a five-game dip in victories from the past two seasons, which was not expected after going to the NBA Finals last season.
Then again, after everything the Cavs have been through, perhaps it was remarkable that they only won five fewer. The Cavs rested LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Wednesday, which meant that they finished 0-7 in games when James did not play.
Cont...
Upvote
0
CPD
With LeBron James, it's too early to dis this Cleveland Cavaliers season -- Bill Livingston
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Disappointing, dis jointed, disrespected.
The Cavaliers were called such things all season.
Their appearance in the 2007 NBA Finals, said TNT TV analyst Charles Barkley, was a fluke. Actually, a fluke is Jimmy Valvano's boys over Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma in the 1983 NCAA Tournament. Flukes don't occur in best-of-seven series.
The run to The Finals led to unrealistic expectations this year. The East, the NBA's unwanted step-conference, got far better with the revitalization of the Celtics. Detroit did not farm Rasheed Wallace out to a rubber room either and remains the conference's second-best team. Orlando's Dwight Howard became the best center in basketball.
But consider what the Cavs went through:
They had a starting rotation that was in place about as long as it takes to fire up the incendiary swords in pregame introductions.
Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao, rebels without a cause when they held out, went down with serious injuries after they returned. Pavlovic is out again for the first round of the playoffs.
Cont...
With LeBron James, it's too early to dis this Cleveland Cavaliers season -- Bill Livingston
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Disappointing, dis jointed, disrespected.
The Cavaliers were called such things all season.
Their appearance in the 2007 NBA Finals, said TNT TV analyst Charles Barkley, was a fluke. Actually, a fluke is Jimmy Valvano's boys over Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma in the 1983 NCAA Tournament. Flukes don't occur in best-of-seven series.
But consider what the Cavs went through:
They had a starting rotation that was in place about as long as it takes to fire up the incendiary swords in pregame introductions.
Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao, rebels without a cause when they held out, went down with serious injuries after they returned. Pavlovic is out again for the first round of the playoffs.
Cont...
Upvote
0
CPD
Cleveland Cavaliers hear some strange talk from Charles Barkley, Gilbert Arenas, says The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist
arkley up the wrong tree.
Charles Barkley calls the Wash ington Wizards the dumbest team he's ever seen for riling up the Cavs and LeBron James. Barkley's criticism is hysterical and should worry any Cavs fan who trusts his opinion.
Washington's main culprits are guards Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson. Stevenson earlier this season said James was overrated and not the outside shooter Arenas is, which makes Stevenson half right. Arenas waited until he was back in the lineup to chime in.
Arenas, a.k.a. Agent Zero, said other playoff teams are itching to play the Cavs. He also used the curious logic that it's difficult to beat another team in the playoffs three straight times as a way of saying he likes the Wizards' chances.
How is it the series could favor Washington because it hasn't found a way to beat the Cavaliers?
Back to Barkley. I mean, it's not as if Charles ever spoke up and foolishly angered an opponent . . . except, well, for that time when he called his Phoenix Suns a team of "destiny" against the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals. Said another No. 23 at the time: "He's been saying that business since he got here.
Cont...
Cleveland Cavaliers hear some strange talk from Charles Barkley, Gilbert Arenas, says The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist
arkley up the wrong tree.
Charles Barkley calls the Wash ington Wizards the dumbest team he's ever seen for riling up the Cavs and LeBron James. Barkley's criticism is hysterical and should worry any Cavs fan who trusts his opinion.
Washington's main culprits are guards Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson. Stevenson earlier this season said James was overrated and not the outside shooter Arenas is, which makes Stevenson half right. Arenas waited until he was back in the lineup to chime in.
How is it the series could favor Washington because it hasn't found a way to beat the Cavaliers?
Back to Barkley. I mean, it's not as if Charles ever spoke up and foolishly angered an opponent . . . except, well, for that time when he called his Phoenix Suns a team of "destiny" against the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals. Said another No. 23 at the time: "He's been saying that business since he got here.
Cont...
Upvote
0
CPD
Cleveland Cavaliers close regular season with a bit of a whimper
Thursday, April 17, 2008Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Detroit coach Flip Saunders came away happy.
It wasn't that his Pistons pulled out an 84-74 victory over the Cavaliers Wednesday in a meaningless game to close out the regular season on Fan Appreciation Night in Quicken Loans Arena.
It was that his players all walked out upright under their own power.
"This is a game where both teams accomplished what they set out to do," said Saunders, the former Cuyahoga Heights star. "They both came out pretty healthy."
But not pretty.
"Early with both teams, I think Dr. Naismith was rolling over," Saunders said.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown gave LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas the night off to rest their sore backs. In spite of missing the game, James finished the season averaging 30 points per game and became the first Cavalier to lead the league in scoring.
Cont...
Cleveland Cavaliers close regular season with a bit of a whimper
Thursday, April 17, 2008Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Detroit coach Flip Saunders came away happy.
It wasn't that his Pistons pulled out an 84-74 victory over the Cavaliers Wednesday in a meaningless game to close out the regular season on Fan Appreciation Night in Quicken Loans Arena.
It was that his players all walked out upright under their own power.
But not pretty.
"Early with both teams, I think Dr. Naismith was rolling over," Saunders said.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown gave LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas the night off to rest their sore backs. In spite of missing the game, James finished the season averaging 30 points per game and became the first Cavalier to lead the league in scoring.
Cont...
Upvote
0
Canton
Pistons stop Cavs as teams empty benches
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
CLEVELAND Odd things happen at the end of a long NBA regular season.
Backup Cavaliers big man Dwayne Jones nearly leads a fast break. Another Cavs backup big man, Lance Allred, banks in a free throw for his first NBA point. Walter Herrmann gets an extended run for the Pistons, and turns into a difference-maker.
And those were some of the second-half highlights of the regular-season finale Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Pistons beat the Cavaliers, 84-74. The Cavs sat out All-Star LeBron James and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, while the Pistons played their starters in the first quarter.
"Early with both teams, I think Dr. (James) Naismith was rolling over," Pistons Head Coach Flip Saunders said. "He didn't mean the game to be played the way we were playing it in the first quarter."
Cont...
Pistons stop Cavs as teams empty benches
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
CLEVELAND Odd things happen at the end of a long NBA regular season.
Backup Cavaliers big man Dwayne Jones nearly leads a fast break. Another Cavs backup big man, Lance Allred, banks in a free throw for his first NBA point. Walter Herrmann gets an extended run for the Pistons, and turns into a difference-maker.
And those were some of the second-half highlights of the regular-season finale Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Pistons beat the Cavaliers, 84-74. The Cavs sat out All-Star LeBron James and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, while the Pistons played their starters in the first quarter.
"Early with both teams, I think Dr. (James) Naismith was rolling over," Pistons Head Coach Flip Saunders said. "He didn't mean the game to be played the way we were playing it in the first quarter."
Cont...
Upvote
0
Canton
Cavaliers notebook: Thomas is back again
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]D-Leaguer returns to replace Pavlovic[/FONT]
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
CLEVELAND One night Billy Thomas is in the D-League. The next day he's in the NBA.
Sounds like some sort of dream, except Thomas knows it can happen. It happened to him again Wednesday when the Cavs surprised him with his second call-up of the season.
"I'd almost written it off figuring it's the last day of the Developmental League, last day of the regular season for the NBA, there was no way anything was going to happen," Thomas said.
But the Cavs had lost Sasha Pavlovic on Monday for two to three weeks with a sprained left ankle. That left them in a need of a shooting guard.
Enter the 6-foot-5 Thomas, whose own season ended Tuesday with a playoff loss in the D-League. He got to Cleveland as quickly as he could once he got the call. "I packed all night ... and got here about 3 o'clock (Wednesday afternoon)."
Cont...
Cavaliers notebook: Thomas is back again
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]D-Leaguer returns to replace Pavlovic[/FONT]
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
CLEVELAND One night Billy Thomas is in the D-League. The next day he's in the NBA.
Sounds like some sort of dream, except Thomas knows it can happen. It happened to him again Wednesday when the Cavs surprised him with his second call-up of the season.
"I'd almost written it off figuring it's the last day of the Developmental League, last day of the regular season for the NBA, there was no way anything was going to happen," Thomas said.
But the Cavs had lost Sasha Pavlovic on Monday for two to three weeks with a sprained left ankle. That left them in a need of a shooting guard.
Enter the 6-foot-5 Thomas, whose own season ended Tuesday with a playoff loss in the D-League. He got to Cleveland as quickly as he could once he got the call. "I packed all night ... and got here about 3 o'clock (Wednesday afternoon)."
Cont...
Upvote
0
crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
First game starts right at kickoff of the spring game...1230 on ESPN saturday...
Here is teh schedule...
1. Sat, Apr 19 – at Cle, 12:30 pm EDT (ESPN)
2. Mon, Apr 21 – at Cle, 7:00 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Thu, Apr 24 – at Was, 8:00 pm EDT (TNT)
4. Sun, Apr 27 – at Was, 1:00 pm EDT (ABC)
*5. Wed, Apr 30 – at Cle
*6. Fri, May 2 – at Was
*7. Sun, May 4 – at Cle
Here is teh schedule...
1. Sat, Apr 19 – at Cle, 12:30 pm EDT (ESPN)
2. Mon, Apr 21 – at Cle, 7:00 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Thu, Apr 24 – at Was, 8:00 pm EDT (TNT)
4. Sun, Apr 27 – at Was, 1:00 pm EDT (ABC)
*5. Wed, Apr 30 – at Cle
*6. Fri, May 2 – at Was
*7. Sun, May 4 – at Cle
Upvote
0
BuckeyeMafia
A Leaf on the Wind
Pretty big deal that it's on at the same time as the spring game.
I have Tivo though, so no problems!
I have Tivo though, so no problems!
Upvote
0
exhawg;1142243; said:
My wife's work is raffling off a couple of their loge tickets for Saturday... time to hit the lotto!!!
Upvote
0
ABJ
Trash talk about Cavs draws fire Published on Friday, Apr 18, 2008
Although NBA broadcasters don't agree on who will win the Cleveland Cavaliers-Washington Wizards playoff series, they do know the Cavs are a beast you don't want to be poking with a stick right now.
Even Sir Charles Barkley, who takes pride in ridiculing the team regularly, took umbrage at the Wizards for their recent trash talking. DeShawn Stevenson called LeBron James overrated in March and Gilbert Arenas wrote in a blog that the Wizards would love to see the Cavs in the opening round of the playoffs, according to reports.
''I think the Washington Wizards have got to be the dumbest team in the history of civilization. I think for them to rile up LeBron (James), who is the second best player in the NBA, I think that's just stupid,'' the former round mound of rebound said in a teleconference.
ESPN-ABC play-by-play man Mike Breen said the Cavaliers shouldn't be underestimated.
Cont...
Trash talk about Cavs draws fire Published on Friday, Apr 18, 2008
Although NBA broadcasters don't agree on who will win the Cleveland Cavaliers-Washington Wizards playoff series, they do know the Cavs are a beast you don't want to be poking with a stick right now.
Even Sir Charles Barkley, who takes pride in ridiculing the team regularly, took umbrage at the Wizards for their recent trash talking. DeShawn Stevenson called LeBron James overrated in March and Gilbert Arenas wrote in a blog that the Wizards would love to see the Cavs in the opening round of the playoffs, according to reports.
''I think the Washington Wizards have got to be the dumbest team in the history of civilization. I think for them to rile up LeBron (James), who is the second best player in the NBA, I think that's just stupid,'' the former round mound of rebound said in a teleconference.
ESPN-ABC play-by-play man Mike Breen said the Cavaliers shouldn't be underestimated.
Cont...
Upvote
0
ABJ
Same teams, but not scenario Cavs, Wizards meet again in first round, some storylines new
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Apr 18, 2008
CLEVELAND: The annual rite of spring in the Eastern Conference is here, the Cavaliers against the Washington Wizards.
Old and familiar enemies, right? Well, not as much as one might think.
The Cavs and Wizards indeed are facing off for the third consecutive season in the first round of the playoffs. Many of the faces this Saturday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena will be the same as two years ago when the two teams kicked off the NBA playoffs with the same 12:30 p.m. start.
But this edition of the series might well be defined by the differences from years past, not the similarities. In fact, these teams aren't as well acquainted as it first might seem.
The new Cavs
Cont...
Same teams, but not scenario Cavs, Wizards meet again in first round, some storylines new
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Apr 18, 2008
CLEVELAND: The annual rite of spring in the Eastern Conference is here, the Cavaliers against the Washington Wizards.
Old and familiar enemies, right? Well, not as much as one might think.
The Cavs and Wizards indeed are facing off for the third consecutive season in the first round of the playoffs. Many of the faces this Saturday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena will be the same as two years ago when the two teams kicked off the NBA playoffs with the same 12:30 p.m. start.
But this edition of the series might well be defined by the differences from years past, not the similarities. In fact, these teams aren't as well acquainted as it first might seem.
The new Cavs
Cont...
Upvote
0
CPD
CAVS-WIZARDS SEASON RECAP
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Cavaliers and Wizards split four games this season, each team winning their games at home. LeBron James missed the first game with a sprained left index finger. Gilbert Arenas missed all four games after knee surgery.
Dec. 5, Wizards 105, Cavaliers 83-RD%> 86, at Washington: Wizards front line of Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood combines for 61 points, 29 rebounds and eight blocked shots. The Wizards outscore the Cavs in the second quarter, 31-13, and then use an 11-2 run at the start of the third quarter to build a 28-point lead.
Jan. 23, Cavaliers 121, Wizards 85, at The Q: Zydrunas Ilgauskas goes 10-for-10 from the field and has 24 points and six rebounds to lead the Cavs to their biggest margin of victory of the season. It is the Cavs' most-lopsided win since Nov. 30, 1994. They have a season-high 39 assists and shoot a season-high 56.6 percent from the field, setting an arena record with 43 points in the third quarter.
Cont...
CAVS-WIZARDS SEASON RECAP
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Cavaliers and Wizards split four games this season, each team winning their games at home. LeBron James missed the first game with a sprained left index finger. Gilbert Arenas missed all four games after knee surgery.
Dec. 5, Wizards 105, Cavaliers 83-RD%> 86, at Washington: Wizards front line of Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood combines for 61 points, 29 rebounds and eight blocked shots. The Wizards outscore the Cavs in the second quarter, 31-13, and then use an 11-2 run at the start of the third quarter to build a 28-point lead.
Jan. 23, Cavaliers 121, Wizards 85, at The Q: Zydrunas Ilgauskas goes 10-for-10 from the field and has 24 points and six rebounds to lead the Cavs to their biggest margin of victory of the season. It is the Cavs' most-lopsided win since Nov. 30, 1994. They have a season-high 39 assists and shoot a season-high 56.6 percent from the field, setting an arena record with 43 points in the third quarter.
Cont...
Upvote
0