Recap: Bucks 92, Cavs 85 (Or, The Time The Cavs Played Without LeBron)
2010-03-07
Overview: Without LeBron James in the lineup, the Cavs lost 92-85 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Antawn Jamison and Delonte West combined for 57 points, but were the only Cavaliers in double figures.
Cavs-Related Bullets:
Man, it just didn’t seem right without LeBron. This red-hot Bucks team was going to be a threat for the Cavs with LeBron. Without LeBron, I’m just happy the Cavs put up a good fight. Let’s go through the good and the bad for the bizarro Cavs:
The Good:
Antawn Jamison. The man can score the basketball. Antawn had the green light to shoot all game, and shoot he did. He ended up having a really nice game, scoring 30 points on only 18 shots from the field. The free throws continue to be a problem for him, though. What makes it worse is that this makes no sense. Make free throws, Antawn.
Delonte West. I predicted early on that the only way the Cavs were going to win is if Delonte went into beast mode, and it nearly came true. Delonte was one of the only guys able to get to the basket off the dribble with LeBron out, and he was able to get into the teeth of the Bucks’ defense and score 27 points. Never count Delonte out of a game, or a possession.
Bogut did get held to only 15 points, and Jennings only had one field goal inside the arc. Small-ball didn’t kill the Cavs’ defense in this one.
The Bad:
The legitimate worry for this game involves Mo Williams. Way too willing to pull up for jump shots, wasn’t really penetrating, and he finished 3-17 from the field. I don’t know what to say at this point. The Cavs clearly need Mo to get his game back, but he’s just as clearly hurting them right now. His shot looks flat, and his shot selection is terrible. I don’t know what is going to happen here.
The Cavs average 44.3 points per game in the paint. They got 30 in this one. LeBron being out does help to explain that.
Hickson and Varejao: five combined points in 45 minutes. Yes, they need LeBron to be successful. Since the Cavs are built around LeBron, I don’t think this is the worst thing in the world.
Awesome that you picked tonight to find your outside shot, Brandon Jennings.
The Cavs are built around a player who’s been easily the best player in basketball this year. It’s no surprise they struggled without him, especially against a team playing as well as the Bucks are. Let’s try to erase this one from our memories, and hope LeBron returns soon. Last time Cavs won without LeBron was March 13th, 2007. Fun times. Have a good weekend, campers.
Interesting side note, even with this loss, the Nets (7-55) are a half season (41 games) behind the Cavs (49-15). How often does that happen?
Rich, fair enough. Carry on.
Brad, the dead-spot comment is referring strictly to the offensive side of the ball. In my mind, Afflalo and Parker are about the exact same player only Afflalo is younger and probably better defensively, but neither brings anything other than spot up shooting on offense.
Everyone just needs to chill on the FT thing. He’s 16 of 34. You know and I know that is a horrible percentage, but it’s a horribly small sample size. What I like to see is that he’s getting to the line. He’s getting there 3.8 times a night. The only players on the Cavaliers roster that get there more often? Shaq and Bron. No, he’s not making them right now. Yes, his head is not quite right after the trade (you try losing all your career and all of a sudden be thrust into the limelight, and the team… Read more »
Rich, on the last post, I just want to say that Afflalo is not a dead-spot. He’s a knock down shooter and has been one the best perimeter defenders I’ve seen this season. Kenyon is their dead spot. He takes jumpers like he’s Ray Allen, except Kenyon can’t shoot.
I think it just says LeBron is a better player than Kobe? Or that more of the players on the Cavs need LeBron to be effective? I don’t know…. I just know it doesn’t matter because the Lakers without Kobe and the Cavs without LeBron aren’t winning anything. Now, as for Jamison. Throwing out that first game against Charlotte, here are his averages: 18.9 PPG 8 RPG 1.75 SPG 1.75 APG 46% FG 39% 3PT (yes, he is starting to find his range) and now the number that makes no sense whatsoever… 43.8% FT The guy has never been a… Read more »
I’ll start by saying I’m a Cavs fan. Now then… Much is said about about the ‘two best teams in the NBA’ being the Lakera and the Cavs. Each team has arguably the best player in the NBA (bronbron is a no-brainer…but that’s neither here nor there) and a talented cast around them. Now the Cavs have started LeBron in 63 of 64 games this season. And while they didn’t necessarily look their worst in this 64th game, the Cavs looked pretty darn bad (Twan and Delonte aside). The Lakers on the other hand have played Kobe in 58 of… Read more »
Scalia doesn’t do a good job, even in metaphors.
Analogy fail. Just did a paper on him, so he was on the brain.
Whatever you think of Scalia, it’s a joke to say he relies on the Constitution. Like every other justice, he figures out how he wants the case decided and then chooses the legal arguments that lead to that decision. Textualism, stare decisis, legislative intent…. the justices will use them to argue in 1 case and then bash the same argument in another case. JKro, I love you but that analogy didn’t work.
Scalia’s contradicts his constitutional interpretation on a regular basis. He claims to be an originalist (or originalist lite, as Thomas is the real originalist), but then votes against such a strict position in other cases. That being said, Justice Scalia is a highly intelligent individual. Krolik, watch the metaphors or these comments will devolve into arguments concerning one justices constitutional ideology! Onto the Cavs: for weeks Mo has been killing this team. Take away the 4th quarter against Boston and he has been truly awful. I’d have to assume his shoulder is still hurting. When Mo can’t score he is… Read more »
Scalia is one of the worst judges in Supreme Court history. That comes from people who know…
Scalia might be shaky, but he certainly isn’t the worst justice on the court (I’m looking at you, Ruth Bader Ginsberg). Anyway, that has nothing to do with anything.
I’m trying to figure out why we saw no Powe, but yet saw Darnell Jackson. Can someone out there plz explain this to me?
Scalia doesn’t use the constitution, nor is he a good justice, nor does he follow his own precedents.
Whether or not you like Scalia, the analogy makes perfect sense.
John. . . Scalia, good justice? Really? That was the best analogy you could come up with . . . .
Other than that nonsense, thanks for feeding my Cavs jones. . .
In this game, the Cavs played 5 power forwards (Jamison, Andy, Hickson, Jawad, D-Block) and 5 other players (Mo, Parker, West, Moon, Green)
Jamison was poor from the line, but the sad thing is that if the Cavs would’ve made every FT – they still would’ve lost, an indication that they weren’t aggressive enough. This was probably a bad time to sit Lebron. If anything, they should’ve sat him against the Nets. Tonight may have been a good night to try him in the 4 position, or let rest & then come off the bench. To the Cavs credit, not only was LBJ out, but we’re still waiting on Shaq, Gibson, & Z to come back.
John, just have to disagree about one thing…Even with the Constitution, Scalia is not a good justice.
Well, at least this game solidified how LeBron is MVP to his team and to the league. They teach us to show, not tell, right Krolik? The Cavs done shown last night.
Overall, I think Mike Brown a solid coach. I’m not upset the Cavs lost this one. But I feel like some of MB’s playing time decisions hamstring the Cavs. I’m frustrated that Andy, on average, is playing only about 25 minutes per game, that Leon Powe isn’t getting more minutes, and that Hickson gets the minutes he does. Hickson’s a bad defender and rebounder. He’s an excellent athlete, he has a higher ceiling, blah, blah, blah. But at the moment Andy is a much, much better basketball player, and he’s not playing 30-35 minutes per game. Leon Powe, if fully… Read more »
Hickson is walking, living proof that Lebron makes his teammates better. Without lebron, Hickson is D-league fodder. With him, its as if Lebron makes him an extension of himself. Another tall, athletic pair of (albeit shaky) hands. Lebron is the brain, hickson the body. W/o the brain… nothing happened.
Does anyone else see the problem with NBA players being ineffective because on guy is missing? Shouldn’t a guy getting paid millions of dollars to play a game be able to do things on their own once in a while? I mean Hickson has to start because look at him..he’s downright terrible if LeBron isn’t on the court. This is a major problem.