Live Thread: Cavs @ Jazz
2017-01-10
The Cavs are in Utah tonight for game three of their six game road trip. They’ve started their past two games out hot. On Sunday, against Phoenix, they put up 41 in the first quarter and led by as many as 20. They won by just four. It was the same in Brooklyn on Friday. They were up by 20 during different points of the game and managed to win by just eight.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving both had to reach into their bag of tricks during the fourth quarter to beat those teams who have just 20 combined wins. The Cavs didn’t seem focused.
Utah will take advantage of any carelessness Cleveland exhibits. They are 23-16. They’re 5-5 in their last ten, but they’ve been plagued by injury all season and are just a few games into having their full rotation available.
Defensively, the Jazz are anchored by Rudy Gobert (2.6 blocks a night). On the offensive end, George Hill has been putting up a career high 18.5 points and running the team giving 4.2 dimes a night. He’s an amazing defender too; his length will challenge Kyrie or at least funnel him into the paint. Gordan Hayward is above average at all facets of the game and leads them in scoring with 22 a night.
Things to watch
-The Cavs have to attack the Jazz down low, despite them having multiple bigs who can actually protect the rim. If they sit back and launch shots, they will be saving Utah the effort of working on defense. This is huge, because Utah has to use a lot of passes and cuts to get their guys open on the other end of the floor. Tired guys aren’t cutting and they aren’t passing as much, which will help the Cavs on defense.
-Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson have to fight for boards. They need to box out every possession because Derrick Favors and Gobert are beasts on the offensive glass if they aren’t accounted for.
-Love also needs to make the Jazz play him honestly. He can’t forget about the paint. Love has a great chance to get Favors and Gobert into foul trouble, both of them leave their feet quite often.
-And, finally, the Cavs have to focus. Utah is ranked in the top ten in defense and is ranked 12th in offensive efficiency. This team isn’t giving a game away, and if you give them the ball off turnovers that they aren’t forcing, they’ll have a huge advantage.
I’m picking the Cavs tonight, 94-90. This one is going to be a slug fest. Cleveland’s defense will be tested and forced to rotate multiple times as Utah looks for a sliver of space to shoot or drive through. Hopefully, this game is a wake up call and shows the league that Cleveland is just waiting for a challenge, not becoming unfocused during the regular season.
Kyle Korver is available tonight and may make his debut.
LeBron on Korver: " The first thing I told him … was, ‘If you want to fit in, shoot the ball every time you get it.’"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 10, 2017
Just because I’m drunk and tooting my own horn. Anthony Bennett got cut by the worst team in the league and Rudy Gobert rules.
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Dudes, I may be in the same boat currently, but were any of us really happy with Bennett number 1 at the time? I was in Belize doing research and remember just about throwing up when I saw they drafted Bennett. That was post watching Miami’s second championship in a country that was entirely favoring Miami over the Spurs at the time. Brutal and amazing at the same time.
There were literally like 29 better options.
Again, no doubt, but was anyone on here championing Bennett? I didn’t even know who the guy was, which was why I was so distraught. I was hoping Olidipo, who I thing most were thinking at that time.
Thing meaning think, but I won’t apologize. Bond films drinks and friends night.
Cavs got handsomely rewarded with the number 1 pick the next year which set a change of events to help Lebron decision to come back and to trade for Love so all is well in Cleveland no one knows the butterfly effect of picking Gobert although if we had Giannis that would be better than Love
Sigh. We are allowed to lose some games. We don’t need to panic every time it happens.
Who’s panicking?
Seriously. Panic at the cols.
Screw the regular season. Cols take your own advice from last year.
Cols is. He is in panic mode anytime the Cavs lose. He panics when anyone anywhere might say something critical of the Cavs. He spends every minute of his life on the verge of panic.
Still a lock for the Finals.
Well at least the Spurs lost too lol. Again playing against good young teams like the Jazz, Bucks and Celtics on their home gyms the Cavs got to be ready to bring it for the full 48.
Just saw that. And the Greek Freak only played 9 mins and didn’t score
If this food poisoning/flu or whatever Kevin had derails his season, or the season he was having before the illness, I’m going to be very cranky.
It’s like the Cavs just don’t have the confidence to shoot the ball on this court.
Ingles is giant Delly.
Dann. Slc. Tough place to play.
Utah is a bad city.
Joe ingles. Aussie badass.
So the Cavs decided to play defense now. Kyrie should try to drive more, he gets fouled most of the time.
Shump thump!
Ugh, I feel like we’re going to get close but lose it. High minutes on the first end of the b2b too
Don’t worry, Cols thinks you’re a moron….
Tough game, man.
Particularly for the bench. Only Felder really has been any good, and he just got 4-5 mins
The Jazz are like the Bucks and Celtics if you don’t match their energy on their home building it could get ugly.
Lately it is getting hard to watch Shump and RJ. Tough to have them both go south at the same time
I really don’t see much improvement from Shump anymore. I don’t mean he ain’t going to be better but I really feel he’s on 90% of his ceiling
* of his ceiling already
Guess we’re going for one more push
If the Cavs cant get this lead down to 6 at least at the 5 minute mark just sit LeBron and the rest of the starters .
Can we please run korver in the pick n pop instead of kevin love? So much quicker release
Cols, time to revisit your earlier comments, let’s have it. Are you scared?
Guess you are……unsurprising….
When was the last time we won against the jazz on the road
Ok time to sit the starters.
Kyrie has a hand in everything right now
Hayward really plays well against the Cavs since Lebron came back. I guess it has something to do with summer of 2014? Lol..
Kyrie started Mr-4Q a couple mins early tonight. He’s responsible for our last 8
Mfa at the line
Tough chick here. Do we go all in and try to win this one or back off and save energy for tomorrow night?
If we get within 5 or already have the lead within the 6 minute mark I’d say all in.
Seems about right. Losing to Portland has become a forte of ours
I’d say all in tomorrow against Portland too. Then rest Lebron and Kyrie’s against Sacto
Kyrie’s very non-factor tonight
So many offensive boards with not too much to see from them. They are guarding korver like we have any idea how to use him
We are working too hard understandably to get him involved
Toughest game for KLove in a long time
I’d sit him and Kyle the rest of the game now if I’m Coach Lue
James is awesome. Anyone want your revisits their comments earlier.
I’m waiting for you to revisit some of your moronic comments. I imagine I’ll be waiting quite a while.
+1
I like this timeout, T.Lue needs to fire up the rest of the guys too. Also saved the counter momentum from the jazz
Bron’s awake!
Omfg. That dunk a foot inside the free throw line.
A no regard for human life dunk
Clamp down on defense now.
Hey, and we’re back. Better movement here than before
Three assists in 4 mins after none in the second
SOME EXCELLENT POINTS DAVID —–KSHRIMP WITH + 5 LEADS THE TEAM –HIM AND LIGS ONLY ONE’S LOOKING HALF WAY DECENT
LeBron sank the offense in the 2nd quarter. He’s just stalling it out with turnovers and over dribbling. Can’t stand it.
The Cavs aren’t playing down hill at all. It’s the defense that’s the real issue though right now. This team should never be trapping. And LeBron can’t be out on the floor shouting and point for coverage because he isn’t wanting to walk out to the 3-line. Any scheme that puts Love on Hill without screens being involved is clearly flawed.
Yep, 8 assists in the first and 0 in the second.
Can hardlly wait for Cols’ informed refutation….
AGREE WITH EARLIER COMMENT ( JASON ) WE NEED A SERVICEIABLE BACK UP BIG —–GETTING POUNDED ON THE BOARDS ——NOT SURE WE CAN MAKE UP THIS DEFICIT AGAINST THIS TEAM—-TOO GOOD OF “D” —PLUS DISCLIPLINED —GOOD 2ND HALF CHALLENGE FOR US
Bad shot choices, how ironic in Kyle’s first game
12 pt quarter.
GETTING “BAD ” SHUMP TONIGHT —IF THIS CONTINUES —REST / CASH THIS ONE IN ( ” GO BOWLING ” ) AND GO AFTER A “W ” TOMORROW NIGHT ——12 PTS / QTR OUCH—AND NO COLS WE ARE NOT PANICKING –BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WAS SOME UGLY BASKETBALL
They are getting good shots. We are not. Despite the lucky shots, Jazz deservedly ahead.
Exactly, they are wide open shots.
8-0 run last 1:20, down 13. We struggle vs. teams with length: Memphis, Utah, Milwaukee.
Another lucky shot, that one for 3.