Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs Pacers
2018-04-15
We’ve been waiting for 10 months. The NBA’s second season officially starts today for the Cavs, and we’ll shortly know whether Cleveland’s regular season issues were just due to malaise or if this roster is fatally flawed. For Indiana, it’s their chance to put the ghost of Paul George behind them, and for Victor Oladipo to make playoff hay.
The Cavs official starting lineup is George Hill, Rodney Hood, LeBron James, Jeff Green, and Kevin Love. For Indy, we’re gonna see Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, and Myles Turner. The Cavs are finally healthy (knock on wood) with a full lineup for the first time in forever, and Indy is by all accounts healthy as well.
When they last met, Cleveland won 115-108, despite Vic’s 25-6-7 line. Part of that was due to the Cavs’ trapping Oladipo and forcing him into four turnovers.Of course that was against a different Cavs team that even got 14 unexpected points from Derrick Rose. Now, the Cavs are longer and faster, and should be able to disrupt passing lanes and recover from traps and doubles more quickly. Expect the Cavs to make Thad Young beat them, as he he’s only shooting 32% from three.
Expect the Pacers to try to force the ball inside to Myles Turner, who they have to feel has an advantage over Kevin Love and Jeff Green. The Pacers other big “advantage” is that they’re one of the best mid-range shooting teams in the league. Turner is a great example of this, as there are no spots inside the arc where he shoots less than 41% (basketball reference). Guarding these Pacers everywhere is a good plan that is tough to execute. To that effect, consistent communication on switches would also be really nice.
The other key is controlling the defensive boards. The Pacers are 17th in the NBA on the o-boards, as is Cleveland. But as we’ve seen, the Cavs can lose track of athletic bigs and wings from the weak side and it has cost them games. Hopefully they’ve been doing box-out drills to control the boards. For my Money, Kevin Love is most important this game on those D-Boards.
For Cleveland, a consistent George Hill, a structured offense for Nance, Clarkson, and Hood, as well as an absence of Tristan Thompson are keys. Oh, and that LeBrob James guy. Prediction: 120-108 Cavs.
LBJ not even focused…. late on weakside help to the flash cut by Turner.
Pacers have way more energy
I actually expect a different starting lineup next game
Still the Pacers are getting great looks and all Cavs shots are contested.
James throwing up give up shots
Reminds me of game 5 Boston 2010
Cavs look unsure what to do…very weird
JR sloppy post entry pass to LNJ.
KLOVE open three can’t drain it.
Cavs need to just settle down and keep playing. Plenty of time left.
JR lazy defense on Oladipo… then passes an open 3… at least he didn’t pass up the 2nd open 3!
Problem is this team has no ability to say “back to basics” as we are still playing lineups that have barely played
don’t see a comeback looming. Cavs look dead
Pacers game plan for Cavs non-offense. Not sure why everybody doesn’t wall off James like this. We are to James chucking threes stage, which pretty much means it is over.
Calderon/LBJ high pick and roll every possession.
The Cavs body language is really bad.
JR is defenseless
Wonder what the game plan is. Players, “what are we doing coach?” Lue, “well you know go out, play hard, and you know… lebron.” Players, “uh ok, got any sets you want us to run when he is out, or anything for us to get ourselves open shots?” Lue, “Sets? What is a set? No just you know pass it around and get it to James. Then stand in the corners and just wait.” Players, “what if the other team runs a matchup zone that takes away any easy drvies for him or makes shots off skip passes difficult?” Lue,… Read more »
Should’ve benched Green and HIll after that rage TO. Great more JR instead of Korver.
Kev! That is a hope pass!
Man, this team sucks
No help on the ball. Easy basket for Young.
Hood has not been a plus player for our team
Get Jeff Green out of there.
Lue was 4 plays too late.
Jeff Green blowing an open bunny.
KLOVE two man game.
And Lue didn’t bench anybody.
LeBron body language terrible
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/985624625693511683?s=19
What did they say about TLue?
He sucks basically
Yeah. I mean you come from teams with actual sets and a system to one whose offense is LBJ improv and you have no idea what to do and nada to fall back on. Not to mention rotations and defense
Jeff Greennis trash…there I feel better.
Last few games against teams that matter have all started out awful. Basically every game we’ve played since Lue came back
Green iso against Turner is not an offense. We run two basic screens and then that is it usually for an entire set. No secondary actions after the initial which is usually just to get a mismatch
Jesus motherfuc#$@& sh!t…
“And they’re booing the Cavs…”
Jeff Green is pretty worthless. I hope he’s not on this team next season.
WTF…. if Lue were a real coach… guys would be getting benched for poor play.
Wtf George Hill.
That was awful.
Green with terrible offense and defense to start off the 2nd half.
Will be interesting to see if James runs out of gas at some point playing these kinds of minutes. Not much choice I guess without anything.to fall back on when he goes out.
Jesus christ.
Cavs used to start their games by getting KLOVE going early. He needs more than 5 shots in a half.
He missed 2 3s to start game
I’d love to see a starting 5 of Jose, Kyle, Cedi, Bron, and Kev.
Agreed…. 4 shooters and LBJ.
Lue played JR Smith more minutes than Korver and Calderon combined. Looks like he would rather be right than do right.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/985622494257135616?s=19
If the Washington and sixers comebacks hadn’t happened I’d be on the ledge right now. As it is I’m just standing at the window.
At least Lue hasn’t put TT in. Although, at this point, maybe he should?
Maybe we were expecting too much from reserve players with no playoff experience from a non-playoff team and starters from bad teams to play well in the playoffs. Or maybe Lue is just dumb.
But it was LeBron and Kev that were awful early.
JR needs to join TT on the bench. Cavs new players except Nance not ready for playoff expectations. As noted some terrible rotations by Lue, but not giving up hope yet as Cavs can’t play much worse
This series will go 6 or 7. I don’t like the feel of it.
Should start Cedi to start the second half.
Has a coach ever been fired at halftime of game 1 of the playoffs?
It takes something special to make me laugh right now. Ha
That would be great if he does.
Maybe Lue can have an insomnia relapse.
Need to make shots, specifically corner 3’s.
Turner dominating Cavs’ bigs. Oladipo dominating perimeter. Lance dominating off the bench.
Muting halftime
Cavs getting outrebounded again… never used to happen with peak TT, KLOVE, and LBJ.
so far, bron + roleplayers isnt getting it done. no one is stepping up to help score
That was my fear in the playoffs without KY. Really only have one guy to create. Not that it would matter since he would be out anyway. Really wish this team would have tried to institute a system for this type of scenario the past few years. Reminds me of the offense in 2015, though obviously we have more shooters. Doesn’t matter if the other team closes hard and at least semi contests threes or forces a pass.
Or if said shooters don’t play.
man, what are we doing??
I don’t know. Not sure they know.
Indy shutting down skip pass Trey’s. Still able to get shots off but every one is contested
If we’re not hitting wide-open threes is going to be a long series
Cedi almost gets some run — spends the final 2 minutes of the half waiting to check in.
Man the Cavs are just ice cold behind the line.
WHERE’S KORVER, CALDERON, CEDI??? REAL SHOOTERS??
Indy playing box and one basically against James isos ala Spurs warriors.
6-11 on FTs…. totally unfocused.
Ty with some total panic coaching here. These lineups have been a mess
Right from the jump… seen lineups I haven’t seen together the whole season.
It might be his secret plan.
Though this be madness, yet there be method in it
Is he going to take the “Master of Panic” title from SVG?
The game is way too fast for Hood right now. He doesn’t know what to do
Our offense is not effective at generating any open shots this game save for the occasional cut
And that love three that was closed out on.
Hood looks like he’s trying to hide out there. Wants nothing to do with this game
Hood didn’t’ take the open 3… tentative.
KLOVE FOR THREEE!!!! on another ugly offensive possession.
And Love finally connects
Hood has to kick that