Live Thread: Cavs vs Mavericks
2019-11-03Tonight is likely the Cavaliers biggest challenge yet to remain undefeated at home. This Mavericks team has come out playing better than even expected and have a lot of length in all the places the Cavs do not. Fortunately the Mavs have also had a bit of trouble in the rebound department so far and that is where Love and TT have a chance to really make their mark. Dallas’s leading rebounder so far has been Luka Doncic and if Cleveland’s bigs can keep him away from the boards the Cavs could generate enough of a rebounding advantage to cover up for the inevitable rookie mistakes.
The Cavs will have their hands full trying to guard Dallas’s longer perimeter players and this game will likely especially come down to how they can contain and or minimize Doncic’s plethora of skills on the wing. This will definitely be a huge ask from Cedi Osman and a test to see if he can really turn around his defensive reputation and establish himself as at least a competent defender when not being played out of position at the “4”.
In the end I’m predicting the Cavs have a chance tonight if they can make it about rebounding. Cleveland has had 11.0 offensive boards in victories and just 7.7 in defeats (per Dan Gilinsky of King James Gospel, referencing NBA.com stats). Expect a Boban Marjanovic sighting if the Mavs get desperate to slow down the rebounding of Love, TT, and Nance. Right to the buzzer expect a hard fought battle, but home cooking and rebound games (in both senses of the word) for several Cavs could help them squeak this one out and stay undefeated at home, Cavs 114 – Mavs -111.
Here’s hoping I get my first Live Thread prediction right, and as always, Go Cavs!
Doncic torching everyone guarding him whether isolated, screen, or trap. Gets deep enough for an open floater, a pass to Boban, open kickouts or cross court. No longer toying.
He’s gonna be doing it a loooong time…wish the Cavs had had ANY assets to try to snag him, but they had nothing.
Yep. No chance to beat Dallas offer anyway even if they did.
Kings and Suns prove why they’re the kings and Suns.
here’s my strategy.. better hit some 3s..
Flop
Gotta stop helping on Doncic so much.
Yep. They scored on about the last five possessions, easily. Doncic caught Cedi in a vet move that was a questionable foul call. Cedi goes out. Now they are over helping and getting stuck on screens.
So many wide open corner threes for the Mavs…
Should’ve been a 4 pointer for the captiain!
Boban looks like a coach playing with first graders.
The Suns and Kings are morons.
Cavs are getting some bad officiating here.
That call was absolute garbage. An Expectation call.
Cedi stopped some doncic drives, even though doncic found a cutter. And Cedi hit a floater and a three. Decent last 5 minutes.
The force is strong with this one!
this would certainly be an impressive win for the cavs, if they can manage to hang on..
Love and TT steadied the ship, Cavs need to hold the momentum shift.
Cedi’s got a crisper arm extension on his 3 ball than last year….noticeably different mechanics.
Nice game from Cedi, both ends of the court…
TT. Got himself a pegacorn!
Cedi 3!!! Huge!!!
Don’t love Knight pulling up from three with 21 seconds left on the shot clock, even if he made one earlier
TT!!!!
Nice TT! Over Zingis!
TT!
Ooh gotta finish that reverse off the great pass. Only mistake I have seen from love.
Dang. Good look. Love just missed it.
Lol…gift call for Love thete…
It was close. Home court call.
Cedi is not the fleetest of foot on d.
Knight! Seeing Eye Triple!
x2
Knight back in….
Boom! More of that please
As requested!!
Garland and Sexton are struggling and you can see their confidence diminishing each time they miss shot. The kids do are going to have a tough night. Dallas has quality rum protection. Taking them out of their games
Couldn’t have said it better
https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1191170949984530434?s=20
Sexland Brick factory.
Yezus. Close out on Doncic’s left already. Yikes, Cedi.
TT cleaning the boards
Mavs got a lot of 50/50 balls first half, nice to see Cleveland get a couple back that possession.
Sexton with horrific D there first on the play, then on the foul. Gotta stay on the floor and slap it low.
He is way out of position on d a lot. Has a lot to learn about angles and positioning on traps, screens, doubles, even one on one perimeter d.
yeah.
Cedi with the board and the dime to Love for a pretty J.
Cedi confirms CLF’s analysis on o, but at least blocks on d
The Cavs also have to up the pace when Marjanovic is in.
Cavs need to assert the rebounding advantage they should have. Especially can’t allow +50% 3pt shooting AND get outrebounded.
klove certainly upping his value.. if he stays healthy, someone may be willing to give up some young talent
Likely won’t be worth it at this point. We aren’t getting a high pick. A late first doesn’t do it. Not even sure a late first and a guy like Nassir little would do it for me.
Looks like some of y’all are just trolling…. Sexton and Garland are 6/13, 5 assists, only 3 turnovers… and Garland’s +1 plus/minus… clearly the best lineup is the starters. If anything I’d try Porter instead of Cedi on Doncic.
KPJ has the physicality to be a good defender. He seems to have good instincts too, deflections, well timed blocks…
Agreed. He has a lot of potential. Seems coachable too.
It’s the eye test to me. I’ve watched them blow breaks, fire up bad shots from three, and get beat on D. Seems more like they’re the beneficiary of sharing the floor with Love than contributing to that +1. Also, those are pretty mediocre box numbers for a half for a starting NBA back-court.
The best lineups are the ones with love and the ones where they focus on getting him the ball whomever the guards are. When they get away from that, things go south. Love being the key. JC helped some of the bench lineups. I don’t like raw plus minus.
Sexton and Garland also made some poor decisions that don’t translate to boxscores. The three on 2 failures. Stalling the offense, etc. Clarkson has been a boost, so far. Porter JR has been fine.
Cavs best lineup definitely feels like Clarkson, Cedi, KPJ, Kev, TT. Nice size to close the game. It’s what I’d ride.
Agreed
Cedi, Kev, and TT being the key. Regardless Love has to be involved every possession no matter the guards out there.
Cedi seems to be putting up a pretty strong game. The Cavs need some luck and adjustments, but they can still be in this.
Just need to cut out the bad shots. Look for love. Everytime they get away from him as the focal point they start losing or the deficit increases. Don’t expect JC to continue to hit outside shots, so go back to love. Offense flows better and he at least has a decent chance of drawing a foul or scoring.
I agree there. Love has played the most minutes and is a +13. Need to keep going to Love and hold the fort down better when he sits.
“O-for” with the layup (congrats on not missing) and 1 outside shot in 16m..i am finally understanding why he was drafted #5..
Dude give it a rest. Most of the rookies in the 4-10 have sucked. We weren’t drafting Hayes. Or anyone that went 11-15.
he, far more than others, was a gamble based on injury and number of games played.. i will be pleased when he finds what it appears he has lost..
So we know your thoughts on Garland. Anything else you’d like to say? How bout some analysis of the game?
you have 1 player who is keeping the cavs in the game (klove).. with some help from chucky, who everyone hates.. not much to say about strategy except hope klove can go for 35+ .. and perhaps some of the other “Pros” on the team (LNJ, etc) can hit a few outside shots..
Sexton’s had a pretty lousy half. That turnover was kind of inexcusably bad in that situation. fortunate to be down just a five.
I think Dallas is pretty good, so a decent half…one wonders if the Cavs have the firepower to hang with them in 3rd qtr…
I doubt it – 76ers with some ill-disciplined play in that quarter, should be 12-14 pts up.
Cedi has played so well this half.
No he hasn’t lol
Just because he hasn’t shot great doesn’t discount the other things
I’m not just referring to his offense.
Meh, he moves the ball. Doncic has toyed with the smalls on the few times they have been on him.
Guess I’ll disagree. His D seemed decent to me aside from a couple mistakes.
Nce play, cedi.
Hopefully that will get Garland’s confidence up
a 1 ft layup?
Yes.
that is actually amusing..
have you played basketball? Often an easy basket will get your confidence going.
Doncic plays the game at 80% speed and sees the game at 25% speed. Feels like he is toying.
Sexton’s no pass possessions are terrible. Get Cedi another look!
Pretty much any no pass above the break three possessions suck unless it’s Durant or Curry or Lillard…hate that stuff…
Feels like Nance has regressed. Just takes bad angles to the basket. And why is he shooting floaters?
Cedi thank god
Cedi! Big 3
J BRUNSON / LIKED HIM COMING OUT OF COLLEGE —NOTHING FLASHY —JUST A VERY SMART / EFFICIENT PT GD —-WILL HAVE A LONG NBA CAREER
Yeah.. He was a no brainer.
cavs went for trae young v2.. got snookered badly.. they needed a competent piece.. they wiffed
We’re not gonna know for two years. So can it.
Who did you want at five that was realistically being discussed? They weren’t taking a reach. Almost no teams do that high.
Tyler Herro, obviously…
Buck seems like captain hindsight.
Culver. At worst he can defend. Playmake some.
He’s good around the bucket, creates space for himself…
Dallas’s size has really effected the Cavs, Sexton reverting to long twos, Garland looks scared in the paint, even LNJ and TT struggling to score.
I shudder to think of the Cavs playing the Sixers…
Sexton really has not figured out counters to rim protectors.
Yeah. He and Garland. I just don’t understand the way they (don’t) see the floor. Just get tunnel vision.
I mean Garland has occasional vision. But yeah they both aren’t pgs yet. Sexton has no vision for 90% of possessions.
Cavs getting zinged. Thank god for the captain.
I like the timeout by Beilein.
brunson being a competent 2nd rounder.. 7 pts in 10m.. “O-for” 2 pts in 10m.. draw your own conclusions
Awful shot Sexton… you can’t shoot over Porzingis.
You ain’t getting that weak stuff off over Zingis, Colin….lol…
At least the 2nd time he’s done that lol
Nice hustle TT.
C’mon TT, you gotta be ready for that pass.
Ugliest offensive set I’ve seen in a while there.
Nice defense TT on Porzingis!
chucky keeping cavs in the game..
JC supernova quarter…
GARLAND TO CLARKSON FOR THREE!!!
GREAT TRANSITION DEFENSE PORTER!