Links To The Present: April 23, 2010
2010-04-23
“The only thing the Cavaliers need a broom for at the moment is to clean up the little mess they’ve made over the last couple of playoff games.” [Brian Windhorst]
“The Cavs’ treated Game 3 like it was a regular season game. The Bulls treated it like a playoff game. Stripping away all the details and the coaching decisions and the calls, that was the reason why the Cavs lost.” [Brian Windhorst]
Cavs fans leading the “digital revolution”?
“LeBron James
He’s a lock for this season’s MVP award, and he has been as good as ever in the playoffs. Thorpe tossed out 68 as a good number of shots for Durant to have taken, and as it happens, that’s how many James has launched. He has hit 39 of those, and has made nearly half of his 13 3-pointers. He also has 24 rebounds, 21 assists and — my favorite — nine blocks.” [Truehoop’s Nice List]
“J.J. Hickson
The young forward was found money for the Cavaliers this regular season. Apparently the Cavaliers are the kind of people who stash their cash under the mattress. ‘Cause Hickson hasn’t been seen — other than literally a few seconds here and there — since the postseason began. It’s not his fault, but it sure is a disappointment.” [Truehoops Naughty List]
“In Game 3, it took a heroically resolute effort down the stretch to preserve the last vestiges of a lead that once stood at 21 — 68-47 — midway through the third quarter.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
“It surprised me a little, but it was fun,” Rose said. “I was feeling good for the best player on their team, the best player in the NBA, to be sticking me. Why not take a shot at it? It surprised me a little but it was fun.” [Chicago Tribune]
“All in all, you had to expect the Bulls wouldn’t go down without a fight. This isn’t, and never was, going to be like last year against the Pistons. The Bulls, like we saw last season, will fight to the very end. Hopefully, Sunday will have a different finish.” [Colin Zvosec]
“But are the Cavs underachieving, the Bulls overachieving, or some of both? I’m inclined, after seeing James swoop down and then recede after one crap call, that Cleveland’s still not together the way, say, the Lakers are (I know, they lost last night, too.) There’s just still too much under construction.” [Bethlehem Shoals]
Tweets To The Present: (follow me @tompestak)
Complete LBJ quote, not huge deal: “I’m not concerned. We know we need him to pick up his play and he knows that also.” [Brian Windhorst]
LeBron said he’d like to see what JJ Hickson more in Game 4. But Mike Brown said that his main plan with bigs is to get Shaq going. [Brian Windhorst]
And then he gets a silly technical up 20 with 30 seconds to go in the quarter…unacceptable
For the next series, it will be utterly critical to get Varejao back on track some way..and I Don’t really know how a team can do that. He has to pretty much get himself on track with the way he plays.
But in 12 minutes, he has 1 rebound. Noah has about 7 offensive rebounds while Varejao has been in. That is an utter destruction.
I used to think Varejao was slightly better than Noah, but after this series there is no way you can make that arguement. Noah is straight up DOMINATING Varejao on the boards. I feel kind of bad for Andy cause rarely if ever does he get outworked, but it’s happened every game now by the same guy.
Cavs starting to look more fluid on offense and tightening up on defense
Cavs finally played like a #1 seed to end the second half…need a very strong 3rd quarter and get this win and get outta here…the Cavs are playing so annoying sometimes against this Bulls team…the latter does the same offense nearly every time and Noah is unreal on rebounds..
Seriously man. And Noah is a beast… 13 already.
Attention Please, will the real Anderson Varejao please arrive to the game in the 2nd half.
Seriously, the guy has been getting outworked the last 2 and half games, and he doesn’t have the skill level that he can get outworked and be effective.
That’s why they are referred to as The Fakers.
I’m inclined, after seeing James swoop down and then recede after one crap call, that Cleveland’s still not together the way, say, the Lakers are (I know, they lost last night, too.) There’s just still too much under construction.” Interesting quote. I can’t see how anybody would consider the Lakers “complete” at the moment. Phil Jackson has called out Kobe’s shooting performance and Lamar Odom’s production. Phil Jackson has been outspoken about the officiating more in the past 3 months than any other time in recent memory. They got destroyed tonight in OKC. In the 16 quarters played in that… Read more »
Lakers getting crushed. Like Cleveland, they can’t guard the young, athletic scoring PG. That series is going 7, but OKC won’t be able to win in L.A. It’s why you get homecourt advantage.
Man, did anyones see this from true hoops bullets?
http://deadspin.com/5345287/the-confessions-of-an-nba-scorekeeper
Check out the cav’s home/away assists and blocks. Pretty interesting.
Agree with Chris. Who do we play Hickson for? Winning this series in 5 instead of in 7 isn’t nearly as important as getting Shaq into a rhythym for Orlando. Sorry, but I’m ok with losing in Chicago a couple of a more times. I am not ok with playing Hickson at the expense of Shaq (Throw out playing him or Z..Z isn’t getting a lot of minutes either) when we need Shaq to a win a title, and really probably don’t need Hickson to win one.
i think the benefits of playing shaq lots right now outweigh the disadvantages. sure it makes our games against chicago a little tighter, but while “the next game is all that matters”, that’s not really 100% true for the cavs.