Category: Cleveland Cavaliers (Page 54 of 88)

Shaq? Wade? Pat Riley? If the Cavs win tonight, it will be a defining win for the team this year. Might get the season back in high gear.

Roger Brown is a moron.

Yet, the Cavs still can’t grasp Brown’s defensive system enough to play it competently? Hmmm. Logic says this means either: 1. The Cavs have some of the dumbest players in the NBA – in which case, it’s worth questioning how Brown and Ferry put together this team; or 2. Brown’s defensive system is so over-schemed, convoluted and complex that it can make a NASA scientist dizzy, and should be streamlined and simplified. We like Brown. But we suspect the answer is “2.”

Who is this “we”? Isn’t Roger Brown one person? Whatever “logic” Brown is using to come to his 2 big conclusions, he’s a dope. It’s not about how smart the Cavs are or aren’t, or how much experience they have in the NBA, or how much time they’ve spent studying Mike Brown’s defense. The Cavs defense stinks because the Cavs don’t play defense. That is imminently observable to the naked eye. When the Cavs don’t play defense, they aren’t standing around looking confused, they are just standing around.

As for the Cavs defense needing to be simplified…Mike Brown has been associated with some of the finest defenses in the NBA in the last 5 years. I don’t care how complicated his scheme is, I’ll take it.

Yes, no Marcus Camby, no Boykins, but this was still a good win last night, in a game with a lot of scoring spurts by both sides. Cavs could easily have folded at any point in last night’s game vs. Denver, but they didn’t. And this team is so different with Z on the floor. What a difference he makes.

And another thing….did they actually play defense last night?

I am so not impressed with Carmelo Anthony. Nothing would please me more than for the Cavs to get outta their slump with a smack down on Denver. You know Melo’s gonna come out and try to score a bunch of points, make a big splash, strut up and down the court…this is where you kinda wish Ron Artest was around to smack the kid a couple times.

How much of a difference will these guys make when they return to the lineup? When the Cavs were 9-2, I couldn’t figure out a place to get them some minutes, but now…I’m counting the days. I’m gonna guess that Damon Jones’ minutes are gonna take the biggest hit, even though neither of them are shooters. This team needs defense right now, not shooters.