Live Thread: Cavs @ Timberwolves
2021-01-31
Cavs look to get right after a stinker in NY. Cavs mostly at full strength, with just Love, Stevens, and Delly out. Meanwhile the Wolves are nursing a LOT of injuries.
Tonight's @Timberwolves Starters vs. Cleveland:
Russell
Beasley
Okogie
Edwards
DavisOUT
Culver – Left Ankle Sprain
Hagans- G League Two-Way
Hernangómez – Health & Safety Protocols
McLaughlin- Two way
Reid- Left Wrist Sprain
Towns – Health & Safety Protocols— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) February 1, 2021
Hopefully the Cavs improve on their three point frequency tonight and are better about running a precise offense. Also hope they don’t play down to their competition and that Larry isn’t so rusty.
Meanwhile, in the good news Dept., Kevin Love announced he’s engaged to long-time girlfriend d Kate Bock. Congrats Kev, and hope to see you on the court soon!
LNJ IS OUT TONIGHT —————– ———DEANGELO QUESTIONABLE
If JB could figure out offense, as in how to actually run one that helps our personnel, we would be fine. Look he has gotten this team to play better d. But he has to be in more control on o, and clearly needs to have some more creativity to help the guards. Needs to instill more discipline when the cavs start doing dumb things.
Going to the post worked in the first half last night. Scored an efficient 61 and drew a bunch of fouls. Was tovs that were the problem. But when teams adjust to forcing it inside and/or Dre starts getting ambitious JB should have yanked him or called a TO to make it clear they were going a different route. Tovs, Minny as a team finally hitting treys, and no adjustments or yanking dre in the fourth lost that game. That last part was fully on JB. The former was mostly sloppy mistakes from the guards throughout the night and Dre in the fourth and then mostly perimeter defenders losing shooters on the perimeter all night. Beasley all night and then Edwards.
EPM data including last night:
Top 100:
Allen #33
Drummond #74
Top 150:
Nance #113 <<<<<< really bad post injury so far
Sexton #124 <<<< really bad, JB using him as backup PG has tanked his performance?
Prince #144
Top 300:
McGee #180
Osman #217
Windler #265 <<<< regression to the mean
Garland #274 <<<< offense getting better, defense getting worse???
Dotson #280
Outside 300:
Okoro #338 <<<< improving the past couple of games.
Wade #339
FELL ASLEEP AT THE START OF THE 3RD QTR —( PARTIALLY DUE TO MY GRANDKIDS WEARING MY A-S OFF OUTSIDE BUT MORE TO THE CAVS PLAY —SHOULD SAY LACK OF PLAY )——-DOES CEDI NEED TO START AND GARLAND COME OFF THE BENCH—–PRINCE IN A LITTLE FUNK RIGHT NOW ALSO / ALLEN SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE MINUTES LAST NIGHT —WINDL3R NOT SHOOTING AT ALL IS A TOTAL CRIME —PRIMARY REASON WE DRAFTED HIM —WILL SEE HOW CAVS RESPOND –( OR DON’T RESPOND ) TONIGHT– WILL GIVE A GOOD INDICATION WHICH WAY THIS TEAM IS HEADED —-POSSIBLE PLAYOFF BOUND OR POSSIBLE LOTTERY PICK —FEW WEEKS AGO I PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE POSTED THIS –BUT MAN WE MISS / NEED KLOVE
Also think Cavs are soft depsite their effort and energy. Got that vibe both Knicks and Twolves games. Both oppoenents kicked up a notch and Cavs just wilted. Team should be better, but again the untapped potential is a tricky and risky play. Think the Cavs need to just play more free and start shooting more 3s (Garland and Windler should attempt at least 5-6/game) Also Nance needs to start getting at least 18/game – he should easily average 18/8 with how wide open the play is league wide these days.
Windler is a catch and shoot guy. Obviously we don’t create many of those outside of transition. Sort of doubt he is comfortable pulling up. But if he can that would help because our offense sucks.
Something happened after that Brooklyn sweep. The Cavs havent been the same, outside of the Lakers (loss) and Pistons (win). They seem out of sorts and lost back to back to some rather crap teams IMO.
Just quick judgement, but looks like the palyers are not confident in their shooting and are advised not to shoot and pass ball inside. I don’t udnerstand how Windler isn’t firing away from 3….Sexland are both not firing away (although Sexton does have a nice 15ft jumper by foul line). Cedi is bombs away and that is usually a disaster.
Nance had like 2 points or something dumb. There is a mix of under and overchievers on this squad. But something occurred after that Brooklyn sweep, not sure if Cavs were advised to stop winning or looking ‘too good’. Yes this is a young team but to fall off radar like that in two weeks is startling. Especially when its been the same core that period of time.
I think teams are guarding up on Sexton more after BKN. Maybe not giving him as much of a cushion. He needs a bit of time to get his trey off and hasn’t shown a ton of range. Garland should probably start pulling from trey more just because he maybe can.
JB basically saying that Sexland didn’t find open shooters on the outside… shooters were open and Sexland were just not making the right decisions.
The Drummond effect. At least when you run your entire offense through him.
https://twitter.com/chrisfedor/status/1356108039531716610?s=21
That hasn’t changed much. But the offense does need to change. Needed to for basically the entire year, especially now that guys are mostly back. No excuse anymore. Half court o is, has been, and will remain pathetic unless JB actually does something to change things up.
Whether that be having a quick pull on drummond, actually running something other than playground high p and r 95% of the time on non-dre possessions with guards that have limited playmaking, or limting dre touches when he is in, something has to be done. Maybe all three. We’re basic AF in dre’s minutes and outside dre’s minutes with personnel that can’t really succeed in a basic AF offense.
And when he is in clearly there is too much focus on posting him or at least for instance after the 61 points in the first half when he was the focus, Jb needed to hook him or make it clear he was not going to be the focus after the offense slowed down. That didn’t happen. JB has to be better.
Darius Garland has a HIGHER FG% from 0-3 feet (.525) and 7 footer Andre Drummond (.522)…. DARIUS GARLAND finishes around the rim better than ANDRE DRUMMOND.
Every shot Drummond takes that’s not a dunk is a waste of a possession.
I’ll give him credit – he improved his FT% by I’m sure a lot of hard work. But he’s never improved his touch around the rim. Almost everything is just slop that he sometimes gets in via tips.
exactly…. his only good offense is offensive rebound put backs and the occasional high post pass.
This might be the worst tweet of Fedor’s career.
https://twitter.com/ChrisFedor/status/1356072108707766278?s=20
Fedor’s basketball analysis is terrible… but i guess that’s the cost of sucking up the org for access.
Yikes that’s a horrible take. The modern NBA offense = pick n roll, drive and kick. The Cavs = dump it down low (never pass out of the post) and pick n roll to drive into the teeth of the D and shoot (and never kick).
LMFAOOO yup!!! nailed it Dan!
https://twitter.com/jlkocher2/status/1356080831081697282?s=20
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/1356083074828804097?s=20
Prince took the right shots tonight, just didn’t make them.
I’ll say it again until I see it happen, biggest thing JB can do to improve the offense is use Nance more and Drummond less. It’s insane that we don’t use one of our best passers to facilitate more offense.
DG and Nance are the only guys whose passing is worth a shit. Sexton gets a pass because he gets buckets.
Cedi doesn’t count in this discussion because he’s a bench guy and he’s already taking the right shots and making enough passes for his usage.
Nance can’t do anything. He shouldn’t be playing.
He barely touched it tonight. But they definitely have to have actions oriented around his passing when he does. You’re right in that he isn’t enough of a threat to bend the defense on his own, which means they need motion off of him. Emblematic of the half court as a whole.
But also, u might as well let him heal and play Allen at the four if this is what you’re gonna do.
Oof. Even less space in the paint then. Would rather play Prince minutes at the four or try to get away with Cedi.
Though I guess that is what we do with Prince. I don’t think the twin towers thing is a good idea. I almost would rather play cedi at the backup 4.
How is there less space in the paint. Teams no Nance can’t do anything. It’s the same amount of space.
Nance at least has shown he can hit threes on occasion. This much is true. Don’t go off two games in that regard. Let’s go off the season as a whole shall we. Overreacting is almost always the wrong take.
16 rebounds and 4 assists is something.
but I take it if you mean if he’s not going to shoot it, well then yeah LMFAOOO
We took 16 threes total. Guess just start jacking.
Hot take:
Allen did not take the floor in the last 8 minutes or so because the Cavs are tanking.
Low key think this is where the “feed Dre” thing is coming from.
They did score 61 points in the first half of which he scored a fair amount efficiently and was dominating the bigs inside. But there has to be a really short leash on that. Once he starts doing dumb things or forcing JB has to act immediately. Either pull him or make it clear they are going totally away from the post. The fourth quarter was baffling in that they kept doing the same damn thing which might be evidence of tanking.
makes sense.
but then i guess we’re wasting this year’s development of DG especially.
Passing not there Campy because our O consists of dumping down to the black hole!
Well after the last few performances combined with the upcoming schedule competing for a playoff spot is one heck of a long shot. Team Defense has faded a bit. Half court o is still generally nowhere to be found. Cavs dominated paint in first half. Minny finally started hitting treys we kept toving in third and fourth.
35->26->25->18
Points by Q… so frustrating
Just like Campy said, got lulled into feeding Drummond.
DG has a habit of hitting them when it’s too late
Like the knicks game.
Speaks to a mentality issue
Guards played like crap, empty Andre stats. Role players hit nothing going, Sexton extremely inefficient, has to take waaaaaay more 3s
I put a lot of it on JB…
LMFAOOOOOOO wish we would’ve seen that effort before the last minute of the game!
Garland with a three too little too late.
Way worse loss than the knicks. Knicks are actually a good defensive team. 500 team basically. We’ve lost any momentum we had after the Brooklyn series.
I see….shooting practice in your future, gentlemen…
DG too little too late pull up and barely grazed the rim.
Extremely frustrating… Cavs gonna regret this L later in the season
Takes look at schedule. Going to regret it real soon.
Hopefully not as soon as tomorrow night…
At this point, based off this fourth….
my apologies Nate, you were dead on DG let that Drummond shit happen over and over and did nothing to stop it.
Sooooooo many unforced TOs.
Cue the classic Jim Mora playoffs vid right now this team stinks
WHERE’S ALLEN??
great another floater from DG down 10.
Sexton first 3pt shot at 2:12 to go in the 4th quarter.
Oh dre. This type of qtr is why you might not get a big contract from a team this summer.
Only takes 1 desperate GM…
He has to be a clear number four or five option on a team. Would work great on the nets, but they can’t sign him.
Drummond’s offense will always be fool’s gold.
Jesus. This game.
Getting sonned right here
Get Drummond out.
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO THAT WAS SOME CLOWNERY DRE!!!
The only logical explanation I have for this is they’re trying to pad Drummonds stats to boost trade value.
Having a negative effect if that is their goal.
Counting stats I guess… 23 points, 21 boards (4 offensive), 3 assists, 1 stl, 1 block
WTF is this offense.
He got hacked, but still.
LOL Larry
Down by 11with 5 minutes left, Drummond going 1 on 5.
Russell en fuego right now
This is worse than the Knicks loss
Cool, so we’re just gonna keep feeding Drummond and let the lead increase slowly but surely. LMFAOOOO
3>2 ??? But you do you Cavs, dominate the paint
Was gonna say the same thing… ugh.
He sat you on your bum & drained a 3. How’d that feel, Darius?
JB has got to hold Drummond accountable. He’s doing the same BS game after game
DG trips and Drummond walks away from an open 3pt shooter LMFAOOO
Jesus christ. STOP BRINGING THE BALL UP, DRUMMOND.
point Drummond ends predictably.
Goddamnit dre. You cannot bring it up the floor.