I’m beside myself about tonight's Cavaliers loss in Toronto. In a town where Jhonny Peralta has been the starting shortstop for the better part of a decade and Brian Robiskie is a second round pick, it's too much to bear yet another coach who's too dumb to see what's apparent to even the most casual of fans. Not with the Cavs. All we have is the Cavs. It was one thing for Mike Brown to “experiment” with Shaq and Z on the floor together last night against Boston. The experiment, of course, was a disaster, and it destroyed any chance the Cavs had to win the game. Lesson learned, right?
So we hoped. Despite the fact that Lebron played out his guts, again, to bring the team back from an 18-point deficit, our fearless leader decided to use 'Bron’s 4th quarter rest period to wipe out any chance of victory with The Shaq and Z show. A wreck in slow motion. Excruciating undersells it. And after the Cavs were predictably blitzed, took a timeout, and came back from the huddle with both stiffs still on the floor, it became a personal insult to me, the fan. Worse, even after Z lumbered back to the bench, Murder Mike decided to let The Big Albatross hang around Lebron’s neck for a few more minutes before finally allowing Varejao to re-enter the game.
If you think I'm exaggerating, note: In 24 minutes tonight, Shaq’s plus-minus rating was minus 23. Minus 23 in 24 minutes of a 48-minute game that the Cavs lost by ten points. I’m not dwelling on the fact that Shaq is washed-up. I'd accepted from the start that his corpse was only slightly more valuable than Ben Wallace’s (and that's only really true against power centers). What I didn’t count on was that he'd be on the floor during the stretch runs of 4th quarters rendering LeBron's typical heroics completely futile.
Coach Brown, please, again: Stop giving Shaq or Z meaningful minutes in the 4th Quarter or we will all lose it. We count on this franchise as the lone beacon of competence in this town and you’re killing it. 66. Does that number ring a bell? It should because it's the number of games you won spacing the floor with shooters and letting Lebron and Andy run the high screen in the 4th quarter last year.
A few more thoughts on the second maddening performance in two nights:
*The Cavs went with an 8-man rotation tonight and Lebron played 40 minutes. Are you trying to sabotage us coach, or did you just get confused and think we were in the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals? Generally, you don’t shorten your bench on the second night of the season. If you can’t play Hickson, Jackson or Green now, when exactly do you think it will be a good time to give them a shot?I get it. I’m overreacting. I’m being an alarmist, and the typical “glass is half empty” Cleveland fan. But having an incompetent coach isn’t something you can shake come playoff time. I know that the rotations will become more logical, and that this team will get better. Still, these first two games give me good reason to believe that Mike Brown can’t be trusted, and that's disheartening in the extreme.
*We’re two games into this thing and I’m already having cold sweats at the thought of John Kuester not running the offense. Remember how relieved we were when Mike Brown finally admitted he had a problem and got offensive help? Well that help left town and hasn’t been replaced. Is anyone else becoming concerned here?
*I don’t care how well Daniel Gibson is playing: If we need him to play 32 minutes, we’re not going anywhere. It’s just a fact. He’s undersized, a crappy ball handler, a defensive liability, and a streaky shooter at best. Guys like that don’t play 30+ minutes for great teams.
*A friend of mine conjured up an interesting trade with New Orleans on the trade machine for David West and James Posey. We’d give up Delonte and Z in return. Is it still October? Yes. Could Delonte be untradeable by February? Sure. But after this opening stinkfest, the trade machine is fair game.
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43 comments:
Lebron did play hard with his triple-double, but how many turnovers did he have, how many bad shots did he force in the paint?
Agreed that shaq is slow but is still a big man. The cavs are getting the ball into him to late when he posts up. When cutting across the lane over to the block he needs to receive the ball in the paint during the cut, not outside on the block. He does not possess the footwork anymore to make his moves from outside the paint until they learn this they will not be productive with Shaq in the game.
Bottomline is the defensive effort was not there the whole first half.
"A wreck in slow motion."
Amen.
gawd, get this poser off your cavs coverage. Go pahk ya writing over at cry me a river and stop with the anti mike brown comments.
This writer, Biff, was also quoted in his browns coverage that he wished that they would blow up cleveland browns stadium. loser.
what a bold pick cleveland frowns, predicting the yankees to win it all this season is about as bold as me predicting that sun will come up tomorrow. Boring.
Boring prediction, yes. But if it's right, who cares...pay the man. That being said, I am really pulling for Philly...hate the Yanks!
As for the Cavs, they will get things figured out...I am not too concerned...our real coach, LeBron, will get them on track. Thinking ahead, it would be nice to get the #1 seed to avoid having to play Boston and Orlando in route to the Finals.
Bill,
If you could get 3:1 today that the sun will come up tonmorrow, would you take it or is it too boring to bet?
I'll be happy with a 12-8 start and 58 wins and the 2 seed.. Which is what I think we will do. It's gonna take time, Brown is experimenting with lineups and they aren't always going to work, the team knows/understands and aren't showing frustration yet. Even lebron said he won't be worried until 35 games in..
thats fine you can bet it, but dont brag about your bold prediction about how you claim to know how the universe works. My 6 year old daughter could have predicted the yankees with who they picked up this season. like i said Boring.
Stop with the anti Mike Brown comments? I like Mike Brown, but I'm sorry if I'm a little upset that he's doing something that any fan can see is the equivalent of throwing the game. When he came out of the timeout last night with Both Shaq and Z still on the floor, he was puting a giant target on his back. That was inexcusable. Probably one of the reasons he got an earful from Ferry after the game.
As for the Browns stadium stuff, it's called sarcasm buddy. We obviously can't all be unwaveringly pious fans like you.
Easy to armchair QB Biff, there are going to be times when Z and Shaq will be effective at some point. Unfortunately it didn't work last night.
I wouldn't hold my breath on that one Biki. The NBA is a lot more agile than it used to be. I challenge you to find an opponent that will have two guys on the floor at the same time that can be effectively defended by Shaq and Z respectively.
It's not really going out on a limb to say we just might be better off with an all-defensive team calliber center (Varejao) getting the stretch run minutes.
Stretch minutes isn't only about defense, he must've felt that they could cause more disruption offensively, enough to try the experiment.
I'm sure we'll see a lot of various lineups throughout this first quarter of the season, maybe even half a season.
Gortat and Howard
Bynum and Gasol
Ming and Scola
Nene and Birdman
What was said in this 'earfull from Ferry' since you seem to have the inside scoop on the team? Give me a break. Sam: good points, ill take shaq and z over those pairs any day.
maybe I, Biff, or anyone would prefer to insert Andy V. in place of either for those matchups...still an experiment. I do see his point that having those 2 in the game gives us the slowest feet in frontcourt history.
There are definitely shortfalls with Z/Shaq combo, but he's giving them a chance to prove that it can work, then it us to the players to execute.
Defensively while they are slower, they are 2 of the best rebounders in the NBA (on both ends) and obviously have some wingspan between the 2 of them..
Coulda woulda shoulda, as lebron said, it's another wild card that brown can pull out of his pocket.
Seems to me that it's a bit early to be 2nd guessing lineups, as for me, as long as lebron ain't complaining yet, it's fine with me. They will work things out and be ready to go come playoff time, which by the way is SIX FREAKIN MONTHS from now! They will get better.
Ya agreed, we have to allow him some time to figure out his different lineups he can go to. this team is new to each other and to Brown, they need time to gel and get comfortable with each other. Be patient Biff is my only advice.
I will say this about Mike Brown. If Cleveland's defense continues to be as atrocious as it is, there is absolutely no reason to keep Mike Brown. Granted, the man didn't just trade for what could be the world's biggest defensive liability at this point.
Sam, you can't possibly compare Dwight Howard's or Pau Gasol's agility to Shaq's or Z's. I'm not objecting to the use of "tall" players. I'm objecting to the use of two of the slowest players in the league at the same time. I would be making the same argument if Brown tried to play two Wally Szczerbiaks in the backcourt at the same time. It's just doomed to fail.
I get that it was an "experiement" but it was wrong to play Lebron 80+ minutes over two games only to have his efforts negated by the 10 or so minutes when Shaq and Z were out there without him and the Cavs were getting destroyed. Again, I go back to the fact that the big lineup was getting blown away, there was a stoppage in play, and then Brown came back with the big lineup. The word "experiment" is not a defense for that. Your experiments should not fly in the face of all reason and logic!
you answer my question yet? What was exactly said in this exchange between Ferry and Brown after the game?? If not dont put this nonsense in your posts.
All I know is that I would rather much rather have
Gortat and Howard
Bynum and Gasol
Ming (if healthy) and Scola
or
Nene and Birdman
than Shaq and Z.
How is that even a question?
Also, hey, do you guys realize there's a new post up? Braylon went to the Gentlemen's Ball.
I certainly don't compare the agility...just was saying that the combo of bulk and length that those matchups pose, may be best countered by Z and Shaq...maybe.
WV: kingid
Frowns,
We are not comparing who we would rather have, just who would/could our 2 matchup with and maybe give us a better chance to win. Did you honestly think I would rather have Shaq and Z over Bynum and Gasol?
Biff what exactly was said in this 'earful from ferry' exchange?
"After the game, Mike Brown had a long meeting in the locker room with GM Danny Ferry and assistant GM Lance Blanks, I assume talking about the game. I'm not sure what was said but there was a lot to go over. For the first time in his five years as the coach the locker room opened to the media before Brown spoke, indicating how drawn out the discussion was. It will probably continue for the next few days."
Well Bill, I'm not exactly an expert, but generally, when the General Manager has a closed door meeting with the coaching staff 96 minutes into the season, it means he's taking issue with the way his groceries are being used to cook the dinner, as Bill Parcells might say. You're honestly going to tell me that you don't think Ferry might have raised the issue of playing Shaq and Z at the same time, considering its one of the primary reasons we're 0-2?
haha. laughable. like i said you do not know what was said, so keep it out of your analysis.
I don't know what was said so I shouldn't make an inference based on fairly obvious circumstantial evidence?
Perhaps you'd prefer it if I would just cut and paste the box score?
Mike Brown has to go and go soon. What coaches are out there, we need to start the interview process now!!!
The playing of shaq and z at the same time was already mentioned and the overuse of Boobie Gibson and the Under use of jackson, jj and green but add this to the bunch...
Chris Bosh (with a bum knee) was guarding anthony parker and we did not run him off one single screen!!!
and i don't think anyone has told mo williams what his role is on the team now, he's out there confused. Mike Brown has to go!!!
if you copied and pasted the box scored at least we wouldnt have to hear you bitch and moan anymore, so ya stop making s*it up about what was 'said' in some meeting you were no where close to.
Ok Bill, maybe you're right and its better to just sit back and let Mike Brown host amateur hour in the middle of the most important season in Cavs history. I understand calling it to people's attention won't make it any better. But if that's your approach, what's the point in being a fan?
I think resorting to attack Coach Brown this early is pointless. It takes TIME to add in new players, while also losing your top offensive coach, etc. It's 2 frickin games, and at the end of the day the players need to execute. Shaq and Z could've played better and then we'd be having a whole differenct convo
No problem with your analysis, just dont throw mike brown under the bus on info that you never saw, heard, or was there for is all i ask.
Little piece of info to calm the mind of everyone- The cavs were 1-2 in their first 3 games last season as well. Get a win friday night against Minny and we'll be back on track.
I've been a Mike Brown supporter, even though the Orlando series. But he did something last night that was just completely defenseless and it cost the Cavs the game. I'm not saying he should be fired and I'm not saying the sky is falling. I'm saying he's 2 for 2 in the botching games department and that's upsetting.
I'm not using the ferry conversation to throw Brown under the bus. My criticism is based solely on what I saw with my own eyes.
even *through the Orlando series
OK observe what you see, dont tell us about some conversation between Ferry and Brown where you were not there or didn't hear.
Hey Bill,
Yahoo had a column about the same thing and suggested the same comments. Are you going to email them and let them know they should have the conversation tape recorded first and then comment on it?
PS GREG OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODEN!!
No im not, dont have an email account, so why dont you tell those idiots to quit with the speculation.
Does anyone know how long Z and Shaq played on the floor at the same time during the pre-season? 30... nope lower, 20... lower, 10... lower... THIS ISN'T THE PRESEASON ANYMORE
Wow Im sorry I got to this party so late.
Bill, you cannot be serious. Do honestly think its not fair to assume the closed door meeting between Mike Brown and Ferry (his boss) was because Ferry wasnt happy with Brown? What do you think the purpose of the meeting was, for Ferry to tell Brown how great of a job he had done thus far?
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