Live Thread: Cavs @ Nets
2019-03-06The Cavs are in Brooklyn tonight to take on the .500 Nets. The Nets are actually the seventh seed, so they can’t be taken lightly. The Cavs do actually have a serious shot to win tonight though.
Since Kevin Love has returned the Cavs are 5-5. He has missed three of those games. The Cavs are actually 4-3 with him in the lineup. The team just looks completely different these days. Sure, all of their wins have come against teams with losing records, but the way to become an okay team is to beat the awful teams. Then you start to beat the alright teams eventually.
Love has a positive on/off rating. When he sits the team has a 27 point swing in their net rating. He has made the recent starters a legitimate group. Ante Zizic, Brandon Knight, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, and Love have a positive plus-minus of 3.5.
Sure, this team isn’t winning the Finals anytime soon, or even making the playoffs this season, but they’re at least competitive. I mean, I came across a blog title, not sure what blog it was on but it definitely wasn’t a Cavs only blog- it was a link I saw out of the corner of my eye- that said, “Watch out for the surging Cavaliers.” Progress is fun.
And, a win against the Nets could actually mean something. Brooklyn is just four wins up on the number eight Hornets, so every win matters for them at this point.
The Cavs are without Ante Zizic, Tristan Thompson, and John Henson tonight. Brooklyn is missing Treveon Graham.
Things to Watch
1. Jarret Allen is a decent rim protector. Kevin Love will need to drag him out of the paint tonight. If the Nets place Allen on Larry Nance Jr. instead, Nance will need to take more 3s than usual. Either way, Larry Drew needs to make sure there are open lanes for Cedi and Collin.
2. D’Angelo Russell is averaging 20.4 points and 6.8 assists this season. He makes the Nets go. Collin Sexton must hang tough on him and force him to pass the ball out of necessity, not because he’s diming guys up. Russell can get a lot of Nets involved who may otherwise try to win the game by themselves at times.
3. The Cavs must protect the 3-line. The Nets take the fifth most 3s per game with 35.7 a night. They hit the sixth most with 12.5 per game. There’s going to be a lot of close outs and recovering happening tonight. The team needs to stay focused and force mid-range shots or at least contested 3s.
The Cavs are surging. You don’t even have to take my word for it. The internet said it, and who would I be to doubt the internet? I’m picking the Cavs, 123-118.
Dinwiddie must have 50 points…
Just can’t stop the bleeding on D either. Surprised Nwaba not in with how well he’s played tonight.
Good effort cavs…gotta hit a shot at some point
Dagger from smokin’ Joe…
Kurucs is so fast
The hell? We have Larry and Love in…use THEM from the elbow
Love on a minutes restriction?
Think he must be
Nvm, not paying attention
He’s out there but was kept out for too long late 3rd / early 4th IMHO
That floating r was awful by Sexton.
Allen on 5
Dinwiddie just abusing the Cavs guards…nobody can stay with him…
Tough with zero shot blocking coming because they just pass under to Allen every time. Theyre an annoyingly solid team that makes a lot of dumb mistakes
Good point
Wow, Nets blew that break in biblical fashion…
Sauces
Nance should have shot that 3
Argh. Clarkson screws up a three on two
Stauskas hits a three!
Delly with a game effort but just a bit out of his league trying to block Jaret Allen.
LOL…that was funny…
Sauce no hesitation 3 with a hand in his face!
Are we still ok with contested losses? Think I will be disappointed if we lose this one.
Only reason Chriss is still in because of the frontcourt injuries. He has been abjectly horrible
He may cost the Cavs the game
Chriss will be a great alley-oop guy for IT next year in China…
Thoroughly agree
Awesome
I think I’m over the Marquees Chris era. Missing Zizic tonight
He is what he is. A guy with an NBA body who can’t play.
Nwaba again!
Yeawaba
LOL
21 for Nwaba! Also lots of winning plays…
Err, 22, that is…
Dinwiddie having his way…
Nwaba muscle!!
Nwaba is such a good basketball player…gets the most out of his skill…
Clarkson 3!
What a cheap call on Knight…
Kurucs is too skinny to guard Love down low. We should be going to that every time. Only took 2.5 quarters. Yikes.
Especially in the bonus.
Yeah the guards stunk at executing game plan early.
Wow,Cavs up 3 on a Sexton triple….Nets TO…
Thought cedi got fouled.
Cavs using their aggression against them.
Love doing everything right now: passing, shooting, rebounding, taking charges
I hate that call on Allen…yeah, Love benefited, but it’s a horsecrap play…
Me too
Eh. I’ve seen lots worse. He violated love’s space. Should’ve been on the floor, but definitely a foul.
Cavs being patient and looking for their shot, BKN can keep fouling all they like, watch what happens. Stick with it.
K Love with a nifty putback. Elite rebounder.
Nice move, Cedi!
3 on Russell
Great d, Larry!
Banana in the tailpipe, Kev.
Russell starting the 3rd hot
I had been starting to think that it was strange that with all of the Cavs recent success, Nwaba really wasn’t putting up huge numbers or a lot of minutes since his return from injury. Glad to a mini-breakout from him tonight.
Fate is smiling on me today and I get to watch the 2nd half of this game. Sounds like the Cavs are being pressed but have some fight. Go Cavs!
Weird comeback. Nwaba just took advantage of what was happening. I like how he doesn’t force things. Sloppy pass, he grabs it. Aren’t focused he rips it from you. Open for a three, why wouldn’t he drill it.
Good clawback. Ballgame now.
Good comeback for Cavs,at least it’s a game…down 5 at half…
Nwaba with that four man lineup referenced below would be deadly.
Nwaba bringing us back.
Nwaba is the kind of guy any team should want…
Nwaba. Awesme
I have a feeling this one is going to get ugly unless Cavs get hot from 3…
LOL…Nwaba travel, no call…
Yep. Sloppy. Love 0/2 for 0 pts and did not get enough touches with Kurucs (sp?) on him. If it is Allen, run pick & pop. Not complicated.
Nets are a good defensive team, but that was a really poor first qtr for the Cavs…
Bad Clarkson tonight.
Quiche sucks
Not much doubt about that…
Nice play, Delly…
HOW LONG IS ANTE OUT FOR ——-SOUNDS AS IF T.T. MIGHT BE DONE FOR THE SEASON —–ANY CHANCE WE SEE HENSON AT ALL THIS YEAR
Too sloppy. More Love at the elbow or post-ups. Or time for Delly.
YB & Love cannot hit a J early & TOs are creeping in. But sone nice 3PT shooting keeping us close.
Love should be able to post that dude at will. Would like to see more of that action.
Great hands Nance!
Nice finish Collin.
Too sloppy so far…
Yikes, Cedi…Lebron wouldn’t have been able to touch that pass…
Way to turn the corner, Collin
Kurucs with a thump to start.
Excellent bbinsiders article on the Cavs & Love’s effect. http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-daily-go-to-guy-kevin-love-making-life-easier-for-cavaliers/ In short, Love makes us a ton better & we are playing like a 40 win team since his return. Favorite lineup data from the article: 1) Best 4 man Cavs lineups (65+ minutes) since Love returned: Love, Osman, Sexton, LNJ: 1st in ORtg (118), DRtg (102.5), & Net (+15.5) 2) Regarding 3 man lineups, Love + Osman + Sexton is tops in Net (+12.5) & ORtg (120.9). 3) Two man units: Love/Sexton & Love/Osman are tops in Net & ORtg. 4) For the year, Sexton/Osman two man lineup has… Read more »
Crazy….. great stuff. I think love makes it so much easier for sexton and cedi to attack and make plays.
I predict a crapload of made threes for the Nets. If they instead miss a lot of them, Cavs win.
ARE WE GOING TO SEE REPEAT OF THAT CLASSIC BEFORE ALL STAR BREAK—-THAT WOULD BE GREAT