Live Thread: Cavs @ Wolves
2018-01-08
The Cavs are hanging out in Minnesota to take on the Wolves in the third game of their five game road trip. A win tonight tonight would mark the first time the Cavs have won two games in a row since December 17th. The Wolves are a decent challenge for the Cavs, and currently sit in 4th place in the West at 25-16.
Tom Thibodeau was supposed to get the Wolves defense in line when he was hired a season ago, but their defensive rating is currently 20th in the league, while their offensive rating is fifth in the league. The Wolves are young and talented in the perfect ways to give the Cavs trouble. Jimmy Butler is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. He’s averaging 21.5 points a night to go with five assists, 5.3 boards, and some very above average defense. He has an effective field goal percentage of 50.3%. Karl-Anthony Towns is having a solid offensive season too averaging 20.2 points and 11.2 boards a game.
The Wolves are without their starting point guard, Jeff Teague. Isaiash Thomas should be in the starting lineup for the Cavs continuing to round into form. IT should have a decent evening going against the Wolves’ backup guards.
Iman Shumpert is still out for Cleveland.
3 Thing to Watch
- Thibs plays his starters an absurd amount of time. All five of them play over 32 minutes a night, while the Cavs have only one player playing over that much time, LeBron James. Lue should run this the Wolves into the ground and look to give Channing Frye, and Cedi Osman some playing time. The Cavs can probably out-hustle this team if they play their cards right.
- KAT and Jimmy Butler are going to give the Cavs trouble on the offensive end of the floor. JR Smith needs to stay focused and keep track of where Butler is whenever he is off the ball, so he isn’t getting easy baskets off of cuts. KAT will get over on Kevin Love even if Love plays him perfectly. KAT is a phenomal scorer. Lue should use some help schemes to make sure Love has a chance to slow Towns.
- Andrew Wiggins is clearly the 3rd man for the Wolves now and is averaging just 17.6 this year after averaging 23.6 last year. LeBron can cover him and needs to shut him down, so the Cavs aren’t getting beat by a quasi-sixth man type scorer.
I’m picking the Cavs to win tonight. They want to make a statement after having to play the Magic to the final minute of action. Cavs, 126-108.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/950548815119085568
69 points in a half. This is beyond crazy. Cavs can’t buy a bucket.
Wow, absolutely zero effort tonight.
Wolves pouring it on haha….Murphy law going in full effect for Cavs
WTF is Wade doing?
JR and Kevin don’t even want to shoot. Cavs offense has absolutely no purpose when isaiah isn’t in.
Tristan is useless….sorry dude is not helping anyway shape or form
agreed!! all reporters by every postgame conference should harass lue bout tt getting play time , this guy really kills what were trying to do here
This has nothing to do with TT. Crowder, Love, JR never got off the bus. Wade wastes so many offensive possessions that end in opponent runouts, and James doesn’t play D in the first quarter.
Cavs starters are horrendous this game.
Why doesn’t Lebron tip the ball to a teammate or bring it down himself with blocks on weak shots like these?
Why does he stand around and not guard anyone in first quarters? The world may never know.
Things gettin chippy. I might just stick around and watch this game….
The thing about letting young teams get into big leads like this one is that they see their hoop like a freaking ocean now.
Lol. Jones went up so weak.
Jeff Green, TT, Wade, Korver, Thomas finally finding a rhythm.
Down 21 now… I’m done.
Cavs just can’t do anything right. In the first quarter, they gave up 8 fastbreak points, that were essentially no coverage. Then they just give up a beliica 3 and Crawford is hitting now. This is stupid. The first unit literally had less than four possessions with more than one pass.
We suck. I hope it gets so bad Lue gets fired. I am not going to stick around for the rest of this one.
Time to watch just one game. Going to Bama vs Georgia. Cavs effort too pathetic
Cavs defense is hilariously bad…in about 10 min TT has two rebounds and zero points
Green is the only Cav playing well. Down 20.
Wolves hitting everything and Cavs just ice cold
Wade gets beat off the dribble by a backup C.
Cavs should drive every time
Not a great game by Cavs so far, but the Bucks are being TORCHED by Pacers right now.
Again if the Cavs played at least a decent defensive quarter and limit them to at least 23-24 points then they could survived that bad shooting quarter but….
If you had to put together a 5 that consistently plays 3x above their ceiling when they face the Cavs who would you have? Definitely Wiggins. I know Nate wants Tony Snell but I honestly think that was like 2 games
Cavs lucky they’re not down more tbh.
Our D is so bad that when we struggle on O, we get blown out quickly. By anyone. Minny. Orlando. Sacramento. Indiana. NY. Boston.
Exactly.
I just don’t understand why James didn’t go to the hole sooner after so many early bricks
Because of his legendary BBIQ?
Cavs missed one shot when they drove to basket….why they were jacking shots to begin with is beyond me
Letting them punch themselves out.
I think every field goal before that Jeff Green three was a left side layup.
LeBron suddenly cares
1 shooter lineups. I hate these.
Bron let them go on a run with a purpose. Now the Wolves are gassed and Thibs will ride them out the rest of the game. Who’s gonna drop some threes?
Wade and Green!
Wow. Another terrible call. Go figure.
Keep in mind the Wolves thing is killing themselves for 3 quarters and then dying in the 4th because Thibs
Finally, we attack the rim.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/950539039156899841
Jeff Green turn around spin move for so much needed points….
Does LeBron like throw the month of January to pressure the front office into making moves?
I am starting to buy it. It is not just LeBron tonight.
4 points in 7 minutes. That is next level offense. Crowder the only Cav to score.
A.C.is dead on as far as these putrid starts —-against good teams ( like the wolves )—too big of hole to climb back—-don’t understand our slow starts——will probably make the early switch to the championship game and save myself some grief —–this could very easily be an 0-3 road trip next 3 games —oh well it is still early January —NO PANIC BUTTON
He’s also right that they will have lift D as a result though (silver lining?).
20-4. Terrible.
Do we think Lue could be in trouble if we get beat down on the rest of this trip?
Get the feeling that AC doesn’t realize that the Wolves are a top four team in the west.
And that the Cavs don’t either.
LeBron is calculated
Why has LeBron not taken one shot?
I don’t consider myself a fairweather fan, but I honestly have more important things to do with my time than sit here watching an effort like this.
Same. I have to get some sleep, not watching too much of this…
Cavs defensive intensity is truly inspiring…
All jumpers. So soft. This is a Charmin game.
Beyond ugly….no one is driving whatsoever
Lue needs to put the entire second unit in. Just horrible
Cavs are on All Star Game level defense right now.
Could care less about Bama v Georgia. Dogs I guess.
What the what, J.R.? Where have you gone?
Minnesota broadcasting calling out Min fans for Love boos. Say it makes no sense
IT only one driving so far
We are borderline not worth watching right now. If they don’t try, why should I watch?
Wow, Cavs playing horrible basketball.
Cavs look lethargic and haven’t practiced at all
Lea Ron just has to be more asserted when Cavs start this bad
Ugly early. Settling on O. Be more physical.
James guarding no one.
Expecting the Cavs to lose this one badly from what I’m seeing so far.
Pretty ugly.
Cavs off early. Bron needs a shot.
Love off early.
Cavs just firing away some dopey shots.
Trying to remember a recent game in which KLove started shooting badly & then turned it around…
Reflecting on how the Wiggins-Love trade has worked out pretty well for us.
Can’t decide if Wiggins will get 50 or 70 points tonight…all because of hurt feelings…
MIKE going “old school “
WILL WIGGINS HAVE HIS USUAL “REVENGE ” GAME—30+ PTS
GO CAVS —ROLL TIDE !!
so how many are going to be ‘surfing ” back / forth from cavs game to national championship game—–count me in to ‘surfing “
Two televisions side by side is my solution. One with rabbit ears