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Cleveland Cavaliers NBA News – Cavaliers Basketball Blog

LeBron James now has the big man Shaq on his Cavs squad, and you can follow them all season long here at Cavalierslocker.com. To see if LeBron and Shaq can lead the Cavs to their first NBA title, the stick with us, as we will bring you all things Cavs.

Scores, news, injuries, trades... if it has to do with the Cavs then we will have it Will you be a witness?

The “Trendy” Cavaliers…

Blogged under Front Page by Lake Erie Hope on Saturday 30 December 2006 at 3:33 pm

Once again the Cavs won a game at home, and once again the Cavs won a game with at least one nights rest in between games. Now they face two demons that have plagued them in this early part of the season:

A road game…and the second of back-to-back games.

I read in last night’s recap that the Cavs are an NBA best 24-5 at home since March. That’s very encouraging to say the least. In any sport it’s important to control your home floor, and we should keep that stat in mind come playoff time – all the more reason why it will be important for the Cavs to earn a high seed in the playoffs.

The Cavs are only 1-6 in second games of a back-to-back set, and going to Chicago to face off with the Bulls tonight will be another chance for Cleveland to start making progress to improving that aspect of their game.
Chicago has not struggled as much as the Cavs have in second games of back-to-back sets, currently holding a 5-2 record in those games. Add that to the Bulls current home record of 13-2, and things do not look promising for the Cavs to win their first back-to-back set of the season.
What a perfect night it would be to win one though…LeBron’s birthday, a division rival, and the last game of 2006, where a win can set the tone for this team heading into a fresh 2007.
One thing that will be key for the Cavs if they do stand a chance tonight will be the availability of Anderson Varejao, who missed last night’s game with a sore neck. If Varejao can’t go, then the Cavs will desperately need Donyell Marshall to repeat his performance from last night…more importantly his 10 rebounds.
Marshall credited his breakthrough game to his hot shooting during pre-game warmups. I credit his breakthrough game with just getting more minutes of playing time.
Marshall has played more than 30 minutes only twice this season. Last night when he scored 29 points and had 10 boards, and December 9th in the 107-75 blow out against the Indiana Pacers where he played 34 minutes, scored 11 points, and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Marshall is the kind of player that needs to get into a rhythm to be productive, especially his best weapon – the three-point ball. When the minutes have been given to him, he has always produced. The problem is, spreading those minutes out among the Cavs roster the best way possible – something Coach Mike Brown is still struggling with and perfecting.
Hopefully Coach Brown has taken notice of Marshall’s production in relation to minutes played and he will find away to use Marshall more effectively.
Another troubling trend continues for the Cavs – free throw shooting. Last night
Cleveland shot only 52% from the line, connecting on only 14 of 27 shots. That has to change. There is simply no way around that. So far, there has not been a game come down directly to free throw shots, but that time is coming and the Cavs will need to close out close games in the future from the line. Missed free throws will especially kill teams in the playoffs, and even though the playoffs are months away, it still must be an immediate concern.
As of today, the Cavs sit second to last in the league in free throw shooting with a horrible 69.5%, leading only the Hornets who have made 69.2%. Cleveland is not far off from being the worst free throw shooting team in the league, and if we have dreams of a championship season, that percentage cannot stand. It should be no surprise that the two best teams in the NBA right now, Phoenix and Dallas, currently rank 1st and 2nd in free throw shooting at 82.2% and 80.6% respectively. So you can see how much work the Cavs need to do in that area.
On a side note, LeBron has played an NBA game on his birthday one other time in his career – his first year in 2003. LeBron scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in a loss to Indiana.

Cavs oust the Hawks 89-76

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Thursday 28 December 2006 at 9:25 pm

The Cavaliers played great defense as they held the Hawks to 39.2% shooting from the floor. LeBron James led the way for the Cavs with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Larry Hughes had an off-night shooting the ball (5 of 14) but he still wound up with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had one of his best nights of the season as he scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, stole the ball twice and blocked 2 shots. Drew Gooden also had a solid game in the paint with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and 2 steals.

Every win on the road is a big one for the Cavs who improved to 16-11 on the season with this win.

Cavs hold off pesky Magic 86-83

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Tuesday 26 December 2006 at 2:09 pm

This game was in doubt until late in this game, but LeBron James came up big in the victory over the Magic. James wound up with 32 points and 7 rebounds. Most of his scoring damage was done in the 4th quarter when he scored 19 points! Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a great game with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Gooden also had a solid game in the paint with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. The Cavs wound up out-rebounding the Magic 51-39 in this game.

The Cavs improved to 15-11 on the season with this win.

Cavs get stomped in the 4th quarter and lose 87-71 to Pistons

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Saturday 23 December 2006 at 1:48 am

The Cavs were outscored 30-16 in the 4th quarter as the Pistons clearly wanted to win this game more than the Cavs did. The Cavs only shot 34.2% from the floor and were outrebounded 50-43 by the Pistons.

LeBron James came to play as he scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 5 assists. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was the only other Cavalier that had a decent game as he had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Larry Hughes had a horrible shooting night (5 of 17) and wound up with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Cavs fell to 14-11 on the season with this loss.

Cavs fall 113-111 to Nets

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Saturday 23 December 2006 at 12:37 am

The Cavs really played bad on defense Wednesday Night and it did them in. The Nets shot an amazing 57.4% from the floor and it’s hard to win when you play that awful on defense.

LeBron James came to play as he led the Cavs with 37 points and 8 assists. Larry Hughes backed him up with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was very busy with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Damon Jones added 14 points off the bench. Drew Gooden was solid around the hoop with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

The Cavs fell to 14-10 on the season with this loss.

Cavs? or Cadavers?

Blogged under Front Page by Lake Erie Hope on Friday 22 December 2006 at 2:51 pm

For most of the early part of the NBA season I have been defending the Cavs and giving them the benefit of the doubt. I have blamed the back-to-back game scheduling for their inconsistencies….I have used the “It’s only December…” line numerous times, and I have also used the increasingly popular “LeBron is tired…” excuse as well.

Well I’m done making excuses.
The Cavs need a wake up call people – and they need one now. Losing is one thing, but when there becomes a consistent pattern of losing, then changes must be made. This team just played three straight Eastern Conference playoff caliber teams – Orlando, New Jersey and Detroit – and they lost all three. Not only did they lose, but it was terrible basketball, and very frustrating to watch.
The Cavs only scored 74 points against Orlando, and 71 against Detroit. Hardly efforts you would expect from a “championship contender“. Even in New Jersey on Wednesday, where the Cavs lost 113-111 it was deceiving. Sure, it ended up as a two point game, but the Cavs trailed by 16 or more twice in the second half. If they don’t start getting this thing straightened out – and quickly – they will be nothing more than another over hyped Cleveland team that horribly disappointed us all.
What I find most disturbing from the Cavs recent play is that the team as a whole looks disinterested. They don’t seem to have focus at all – let alone cohesiveness on either the offensive end or defensive end of the court. It’s like a broken record with this team. In crucial situations we see them standing around waiting for LeBron to pull out his magic and save them in the end – and other team’s are catching on to this, and aren’t allowing that to happen anymore.
When the Indians lacked focus this past summer, many of us jumped up to question Eric Wedge’s leadership ability. The entire fall we have heard fans and media rip Romeo Crennel for the Browns lack of organization and focus. Why is it, that I hardly hear any rumblings from anywhere about the job Mike Brown is doing? Focus is a coaches job. Organization is a coaches job. When those aspects of the game are not being applied correctly, the coach needs to be held accountable.
Now don’t misunderstand me here. I am not calling for a Mike Brown firing. I am simply trying to understand and figure out what this basketball team needs to do to light a fire under it.

One solution was presented by The Morning After hosts Jim Kushlan and Paul Teeple on Sports Talk Cleveland. Kushlan and Teeple have always stressed that the Cavs need a point guard…a play maker that can control the ball, set up scoring opportunities, and allow LeBron to roam the court without the ball. Their solution was Andre Miller. Yes, that Andre Miller, the former first round draft pick by the Cavs back in 1997, and the same Andre Miller that was just sent to Philadelphia in the blockbuster Allen Iverson deal.

At first I disagreed with Kushlan’s and Teeple’s assessment. I always felt that LeBron is at his best when he controls the ball, runs the pick and roll, and either scores or dishes for an easy jumper. However, watching the recent performances from this team, I have changed my tune, and now agree – a skilled point guard is clearly needed.
If you aren’t convinced that someone like Miller is the cure for this struggling team, let me ask you about our transition offense. Are you happy with it? Better yet…have you even seen one from the Cavs this season? They have the most gifted player in the game today, perhaps ever, and we do not have a transition offense…pathetic. Andre Miller, or an Andre Miller type would be exactly what the team would need to spark the fast break.
Imagine a solid defensive stand resulting in a missed shot, rebounded by Gooden, kicked out on the wing to Miller who breaks into a sprint down the middle of the court on a three on two break with Hughes and LeBron on both wings? I like that thought…a whole lot.

Cavs look lethargic in 81-74 loss to Magic

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Sunday 17 December 2006 at 1:16 am

The Cavs only shot 36% from the floor and were outscored 26-8 in the second quarter last night. The Cavs also got outrebounded 48-38, which almost never happens.

LeBron led the way for the Cavs with 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Drew Gooden had a solid game around the basket with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Larry Hughes had a rough night shooting the ball (5 of 17) and wound up with 14 points. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 9 points and 8 rebounds.

The Cavs fell to 14-9 on the season with this loss.

Cavs bench is really helping the team’s cause

Blogged under Front Page,Steppin Up by Nothing but Net on Saturday 16 December 2006 at 6:19 pm

The Cavs bench has been playing big minutes and have kept the starters fresh late in the game this season. Damon Jones has played really well backing up Eric Snow and Larry Hughes. Jones has averaged 9.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists so far this season. He also is a great long-range shooter that is hitting 42.2% of his 3-point shots. Anderson “Wild Thing” Varejao has been fantastic off the bench. He’s got a infectious attitude on the court and it affects his teammates too. He’s not shy about taking a charge or fouling someone hard when need be. Wild Thing is averaging 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds so far this season. Donyell Marshall has done a pretty good job playing behind Drew Gooden and LeBron. He has averaged 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and he’s a pretty good long-range shooter also. Rookie Daniel Gibson has played well off the bench and has averaged 6.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game so far this season. He also has hit 45.5% of his 3-point shots so far this season.

The Cavs might be the deepest team in the NBA, and that will pay off during the playoffs because the starters will be fresh.

Cavs thrash the Sonics

Blogged under Front Page by Nothing but Net on Saturday 16 December 2006 at 12:03 pm

The Cavs shot a scorching 54.2% from the floor last night and held the Sonics to 36.5% shooting from the floor. Larry Hughes played a great game and led the Cavs with 25 points. LeBron James cruised to a 22 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists game in basically 3 quarters. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was tough with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Anderson Varejao was outstanding near the rim with 9 points and 13 rebounds.

The Cavs improved to 14-8 with this win.

Cavs: I’m not concerned

Blogged under Front Page by Lake Erie Hope on Friday 15 December 2006 at 10:21 am
Okay, okay, I know you are all frustrated with the Cavs inconsistency to put a winning streak together, and get on a solid roll here in the early stages of the season. However, if you look closer at their record based on scheduling tendencies, I think we all will feel much better about the status of the team right now.
The Cavs currently sit at 13-8, and tied for first place in the Central. Every season, an NBA team usually plays about 21 games that are the second game of back-to-back games. That’s 21 games over the course of a season without the previous night off. Most NBA teams win about 35% of the second games of a back-to-back. Last year the Cavs did relatively well in those games, going 10-11. This year they have struggled badly, already at 1-4. With some simple math however, we can easily see that the Cavs are 12-4 when they get at least one night off before their games.
Why is this so encouraging? Because come playoff time, usually all of the playoff games are scheduled with at least one day off in between. It’s very rare, although possible, for teams to play back-to-back games in the playoffs. With the Cavs currently winning 75% of their games with at least one night off, I personally like those odds come May.