Podcast Recap: Cleveland 114, Brooklyn 85 (or the pre-postseason)
2014-04-17https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laQG_TAA3Rk
Podcast time! After this blowout, Tom and I hopped in the podcast booth to see what this game means (if anything), and what stories it told about the season and the future of this team and its players. Listen at Mixcloud, http://www.mixcloud.com/oldseaminer/ctbpodcastepisode46/.
Cleveland won handily against a Brooklyn team that was, frankly, trying to lose. Brooklyn was angling to play Toronto in the first round of the playoffs instead of Chicago, and the loss ensured the Nets a sixth seed instead of a seventh. The final appearance for the 2013-2014 incarnation of the Cavs looked good against the collection of backups that the Nets trotted out. Tyler Zeller was sharp with 22 points and 11 rebounds on 9-11 shooting, and Dion Waiters added 19. Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points and five assists. Tristan chipped in a double double with 11 and 10, and no one played more than 27 minutes for Cleveland. For the men in black, Marcus Thornton and Andre Blatche threw up a combined 37 shots, including 16 threes, to notch 40 points between them. Coming off the bench, Anthony Bennett and Carrick Felix made their first appearances in months for Cleveland, and both had thunderous dunks and decent showings: Felix had 10 points and three dimes in 12 minutes, and Bennett got seven points and seven boards in 15.
This was the last time we’ll see some of these players in a Cavs uniform, and to that, I say: thanks for the memories, and via con Dios.
I do understand some of the criticism of Delly. He was a liability during January and February. He’ll be 24 at the start of next season. If he can be a tenacious third guard, that’s a success story. His career is probably what Buckeye blinded fans think Aaron Craft will be in the NBA. They are blind. Delly will have a better pro career Craft and it won’t be close.
It’ll be interesting to see if Bennett could play the three a little bit if he dropped some weight. I know Bennett has the physical tools and skills to be a factor, but I wonder if the emotional and mental beating he took this year will affect him for the rest of his career. Does anyone else remember that summer league game where he dropped like 16 in a row? That gives me hope.
Great pod with solid analysis.
-It was nice to see Bennett active after such a long time off. If he can drop 20 pounds he will be one of the more explosive Cavs of all-time. It’s going to be an interesting summer. The Cavs need a rim protector. I like the Hawes and TT pairing, but Bennett along with a rim protecting five will probably have a higher ceiling. Where you get that is a mystery.
Thanks @Cory Hughey. Yeah, I keep coming up empty wondering where they are going to get their rim protector.
GUMMY BEAR THREW IT DOWN IN THE “Q”
@Jedi You could say that. LoL We were pretty mad to say the least. It never ceases to amaze me the things teenage boys to 20 years old will do at times.
Good post Vesus.
I like “I wish all “bad” seasons could be so fun.” Not that this season was all fun . . . but it was ok for a “bad” one. I’ve never seen anything like it (and I hope I never see one again).
It was a fun season. Probably peaked with the Dion game-winner against Detroit, the low point is probably a tossup between the Knicks loss on TNT and the absurd Laker game. With some Bynum-related lows, Hawesian highs and all sorts of other crap in between. They quit on the coach and then changed their minds about it. They lost by 44 to Sacramento and upgraded two starting spots for table scraps in midseason trades. They fired Grant.
Oh, and Anthony Bennett And Delly.
I wish all “bad” seasons could be so fun.
Wait, Wait, Wait Just a damn minute. There was slip and slide in the house with baseball bats. I’m assuming you went out of town and an unauthorized party was underway? Was alcohol involved here maybe slightly? LoL
I just thought the podcast kinda implied that Dion got benched more than Kyrie. My bad if I misinterpreted.
I wasn’t talking about an isolated incident and I NEVER said it didn’t happen. Did I come across that way? Geez You didn’t need to trouble yourself to get a link; I did believe you. I should have clarified (in the court of law LoL) that Brown had a PATTERN of benching Kyrie with the rest of the starters A LOT to cover it up. It was very clear when Dion got benched; it was just him all by his lonesome. Boy He got BENCHED ALOT.
Very insightful stuff! Kyrie: Was Kyrie really benched when Mike Brown would often hide the fact he was benching him by benching ALL the starters? LoL It would be like me punishing all the kids when it was my oldest (Always) that broke the window with a baseball bat while doing slip-slide in the house. Ugh The stories I could tell… Dion: Don’t you think he just needs to work on his technique more when trying to finish at the rim? And lately when they are doing the rapid passing and the clock reaches 4 seconds ; he’s getting passed… Read more »
TV63 – http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2014/02/05/intended-or-not-mike-brown-delivers-message-to-his-team/
Yes, Brown benched Kyrie and never brought him back in, even as the game was winnable.
Good riddance, glad this Cavs season is finally over