Live Thread: Bulls at Cavs
2016-01-23
Game 1 of the LueBron era starts tonight. Â Also, Game 1 of the Saturday night NBA on ABC era.
Well, the Bulls have dropped six of eight and Joakim “Pebbles” Noah is out for the season. Â Mike Dunleavy is still recovering from surgery and Kirk Hinrich is out. Â Derrick Rose is a shell of his former self. Â The Bulls are hurting, basically.
Jimmy Butler has asserted himself as one of the best young players in the NBA and Pau Gasol remains surprisingly effective at age 35.  The Bulls have some pieces in Tony Snell, Taj Gibson, and Nikola Mirotic but they seem to be stuck in “6th-man” or “x-factor” type production/consistency.
Ty Lue has already stated that he will play a 10-man rotation. Â Good. Â I’d rather he just do it than signal that he’s going to do it but, whatever. Â I’m getting prepared for some awkward press conferences – Lue turned off a lot of Cavs fans today when he said he wasn’t going to be make the Cavs different from Blatt, just “better”. Â Sounds like he didn’t mean any slight by it, but…that’s a rough transcript to spin. Â He also said that he’s going to get the ball to Kevin Love at the elbow. Â If it’s not painfully obvious that this is happening in the near future, and the Cavs struggle, prepare for all the heat of this collective hot seat to cook Kevin Love alive.
I’m actually optimistic about tonight’s game. Â Let’s talk about it here. Â As a fun aside, let’s have a Lue pun contest. Â If you see a good one, just reply to the comment and award points or Schrute bucks. Â Here’s the conversion:
JR is the best. Hope he has a good game and they still lose.
JR Smith exploiting his mismatch for an easy layup.
Time to trade everyone and force Gilbert to sell the team.’
Unbelievable night at the line.
5-18! That’s my favorite.
5-17 from free the line. We coulda been up or tied.
JR seems like he actually cares. But still can’t make a FT!
Folks…what’s with the Cavs hate? Did you like the Cavs before they had David Blatt?
We’re mad an entitled babies causing a good coach to be fired. A coach that’s probably a better coach than Lue, at least for a chance to win the finals this year. It was a mistake, and we’re mad because player crying, especially LBJ, has reduced our chances to win a title.
I don’t think it’s that most of us LOVED Blatt. It’s a combination of: 1. It was a horrible decision to replace the head coach of a team in 1st place 2. The timing couldn’t have been much worse 3. The reasons for firing Blatt couldn’t have been much worse 4. Tyronn Lue is very inexperienced as a coach The whole thing left a very bad taste in my mouth toward the Cavs as a team and as an organization. And I LOVE the Cavs. I really hope they turn it around, but I was not happy with this decision… Read more »
It’s more along the lines of not loving a bunch of spoiled 7th graders throwing spitballs at the substitute teacher
TT with terrible defense on Paul Gasol.
Kyrie has been quiet today. Pau Gasol, 11-15, who’s playing Gasol ? TT our defensive anchor ?
mozgov can defend gasol
Not on the outside…
He should be in no question.
It’s a no brainer
I wished the Cavs stopped playing on national television.
I don’t think Ty Lue read the scouting report on Gasol…
Blatt probably did.
hahah tooo funny
KLOVE not in the game given that he’s our only offensive threat is questionable at best.
Here he comes…
We are the Clippers of the East.
Its quite possible that Lue will be a great coach someday. But normally, you don’t give a guy with no experience as a head coach a title contender. You let him learn with a crummy team. Kerr was kind of the exception but that situation was a little different. But he’s going to be drowning for a while.
pat riley was in real similar situation i think
Cavs Spurs next Saturday… can’t wait /s
It will be a miriacle if we win that game.
Will Lue still be the coach for that one?
I just joined the dark side and I’m rooting against the Cavs. So much more satisfying. I recommend it.
Man, I hope that the Cavs don’t Lues tonight (I’m still playin’!)
That’s more than the Cavs can say.
After that Gasol shot…
I’m glad this game is on national TV. Hope ABC bleeds ad revenue all season. Can’t stand this station. TNT close behind them.
What do you expect? Lue isn’t going to change a thing. He’s not here to coach, he’s just here because he’s connected.
Both of these teams just stink right now. Bottom line. Have to hope for improvement by the playoffs…
Win or lose it is clear the effort is there tonight. They want this game.
basically know can hit a shot, like I’m expecting a miss. Shump has no jumpshot
Cavs have gotten stops the last four times down the court… just not making good decisions on the other end…
Offense looks completely aimless… defense been keeping them in this game because CHI is not that good of an offensive team.
Nice pass JR to LBJ… LBJ with a nice seal and layup.
lues rotations have been sooooo bad
Agreed. They have been awful. What a totally pathetic performance.
LOL what was that pass by Lebron? what was that exactly?
10 down with 5:50 left. Feel like Im watching the 80s Cavs vs Bulls
Oy… Shump with a fadeaway 2 for a brick.
Man… I don’t understand that Shump shot… ugh
My God Shump. He actually jumped into that shot while facing away from the basket.
LBJ trying to get the tripleD
What the hell is Shump doing?
Why the hell is kevin love sitting?! He’s our best player tonight!!!
What is wrong with that guys eyes? they are bulging. He should get his thyroid checked
That is hilarious I know exactly who you are talking about
Interesting comment by jvg on their rotation and the lack of mo williams and james jones, so much for playing the vets
The vets played like they already retired…so…good decision.
They’re only working on getting Lue fired now.
Its hard to play them when they suck. Lue isn’t going to be so loved anymore.
Very few understand how much easier it is to be an assistant coach.
Mosgov could have helped. Love struggling on boards tonight
LBJ with the tasmanian devil move in the paint and throws a pass to no one.
This game is a crime against basketball.
I also honestly believe that the Cavs might pull this one out.
You are incorrect. But thanks for playing.
LeBron with a stupid decision there.
LBJ with the dump off to TT… unfortunately TT has no offensive moves.
You know. The Cavs can still win this.
Somebody’s gotta say it… game’s not over yet…
Nice help by TT
JVG: Gasol and Mirotic playing connected basketball!
Lue has been there for the past year and a half. Why didn’t he hold LeBron accountable during that time?
This game is lost so I would send a message to LBJ and sit him if he keeps hijacking the offense.
I might send him a message but subbing everyone out but him.
I’m really kind of bummed that I was right about this team tonight. I was hoping I was just being emotional. But they are soft. They don’t have heart. A couple of them, but mostly not. And LBJ, I think, might be the main culprit. He was only able to succeed when he was with an organization that refused to let him be bigger than the team. I wonder how it would go if we didn’t resign him next year. Just let him walk and not offer another contract. Move forward with KI and Love.
lebron woild sign somewhere else and most definitely go to the finals
TIME TO ” KISS THE DOG AND PET THE WIFE “—GOODNIGHT
The Cavs’ FT percentage is the most hilarious part of this game.
The bench scoring and general shooting % are pretty funny as well. I think we need to throw this game away. Obviously the locker room hatred of Blatt was vastly overstated
Okay, that made me snort. Well played EG.
so basically we lost 2 points, cause how this night have been going, I will be shocked if Lebron makes these 2 free throws.
He going to get one of these FTS?
Baby steps! Baby steps!
I’d force the starters to play the rest of the game. Punishment for a garbage outing.
LBJ with the drive… FINALLY!
4-20 from 3… Mirotic has more than our whole team
Bulls fans have been killing Mirotic all year, and he looks like an all star tonight…
He only plays well against the Cavs…
Wide open 3 for Shump…. BRICK!!!
Love should have taken the corner three…
Agreed… although he made the right play. Got a guy a wide open 3 by ball faking.
He’s been like that all year.
And really… Shump should’ve taken that to the basket… he had no one in front of him at all.
James a contested 3 with no one else touching the ball! Brilliant!
Why is Lebron shooting jumpshots ?
LBJ 3 attempt. Good call.
LBJ ISO for a 3…. BRICK!!!
Cavs fighting so hard to even be in this game.
Yep effort certainly doesn’t seem to be a problem tonight, so yay…?
Man, I really hope the press hammers them.
Just an all around embarrassing game. Free throws, threes, everything offensively has been atrocious.
Ty is cLUEless!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did Lue say part of the problem on offense tonight is more ball movement than they’re used to?
Why is that just a clearout play when Kyrie has ball? Nobody moving…
WOW… Tweaker Kyrie for a missed layup…. KLOVE camped out at the 3pt line.
Cavs should probably try to make some shots.