Live Thread: Cavs @ Thunder (#LikeIts2011)
2017-02-09In case you maybe missed it… the Cavaliers added a player this morning to fill the 15th spot on their active roster. The identity of this new player should bring back fond memories of the days leading up to the 2011 NBA Draft… and the heated debate (at least in some corners) over who former GM Chris Grant and the team should choose with the number one overall pick that year. It was an important decision to get right, since this player would very likely be the new face of the franchise to replace the departed LeBron James. In the end, the Cavs went for the Duke freshman point guard with the sick handles, Kyrie Irving, over the Arizona sophomore forward with the slash to the rim game, Derrick Williams. In hindsight, it was possibly the best decision Chris Grant ever made on a draft pick, as Kyrie has gone on to become an All-Star and helped lead the Cavs to their first championship… while Williams has suited up for four teams in the last five years, and has been unable to fully realize his potential.
Though they passed on Williams in 2011, he might just fit the bill for what the Cavs need in 2017… especially on the second night of a back-to-back where the team might have limited bodies in action against the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Granted, it’s just a 10-day deal, but given Lue’s rededication to trimming LBJ’s minutes as the season wears on, Williams should have a prime opportunity to eat up some time backing up the King while also reducing Richard Jefferson’s workload. He played just 25 games this season with the Miami Heat, averaging 5.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg in just 15 mpg, and had fallen out of their rotation in recent weeks before being waived last week. The Cavs probably hope he can recapture a bit of the success he had coming off the bench for the Knicks last season when he averaged 9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg in 17 mpg, shooting a career high 45%.
Despite Coach Lue indicating last night that he was thinking about resting his big three of LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin… it sounds like everyone will play in tonight’s nationally televised tilt with the Thunder on TNT…
Per Coach Lue, everyone's playing tonight in OKC. Guys are on a good roll and want to keep it going.
— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) February 9, 2017
It also sounds like Williams will be with the team and will be ready to go…
Derrick Williams is here and playing for the Cavs tonight. He'll wear 32 tonight, and then switch to 3, I'm told
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) February 9, 2017
I don’t care what number he rocks… mainly because I can’t wait to start using his nickname (one of the best I’ve seen)… The Whole Enchilada from La Mirada.
With Williams in the fold (at least for the next 10 days), the Cavs now have three of the top four picks from the 2011 draft on their roster (Tristan Thompson was #4 that year in case you forgot). Even the third overall pick (Enes Kanter) should be in the building, although not on the floor as he’s still recovering from a broken arm suffered in a fight with a folding chair. Three other members of that draft class will also be represented with Iman Shumpert, DeAndre Liggins and Kyle Singler. It remains to be seen if Shump will suit up with his ankle sprain. If he doesn’t, then Lig will likely take his place again in the starting lineup at SG.
While it might be a surprise that the Cavs aren’t going to rest the big three, it’s not a surprise that they want to keep their win streak rolling (they haven’t swept a road trip of four or more games since December of 1994 according to Elias Sports Bureau). In an odd twist on the Thunder side of things, they actually have to resist the urge to look past the visiting NBA Champions, since they will host their former teammate, Kevin Durant, and the runner up Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
It should be another fun one, as both teams can light up the scoreboard and stuff the stat sheet, and the Thunder (if they can keep their minds off of KD’s return) should be looking for a bit of revenge after getting blown out in Cleveland a week ago.
Prediction: In honor of the draft class of 2011… Cavs sweep the roadie 120-111.
Catch all the action on TNT (twice in one week!) at 8pm EST (5pm PST).
If the Cavs are still a man short when the playoffs start, I am for signing Charles (Oakley, not Barkley).
You can be sure Braymond will not be kicking anyone with Oakley on the bench. In 2017, Braymud is probably twice as fast as Oakley, and if you put CO in the game, Braynard would start running. He would probably run up the tunnel and hide, and that is the last anyone would see of him.
Is that the peanuts or the PBR talking?
Just joking, actually.
Only three Cavs with a +: Mamba +4, Williams and Frye +2. What are the odds that Mamba would EVER lead the team in +/-? Maybe he did in the last game last year when he went supernova. In the last three years there have been three big debates within the CtB gang: 1. Is LeBron coming back? 2. Is Lue better than Blatt? 3. Should the Cavs have taken Mr. Whisper rather than Williams? Debate #3 is officially over in less than 12 hours. I am celebrating going 3 out of 3 with a small dish of peanuts drenched… Read more »
What!? Williams had zero rebounds – rebounds they desperately needed. If they’d had Lance, they’d have had another guard and wouldn’t have had to play Bron 40 minutes.
Williams looked good.
He can definitely score… and that was pretty impressive for a guy who had no practice and just showed up with a new team today…
Indiaageee. That was way more fun than watching without LeBron. He gets a week off soon.
LeBron didn’t score in the fourth… and actually only had two points after halftime… that’s not fun to watch…
Really fun game. Too bad we lost. But we played well
Tyronn Lue to do list:
Really no excuse for riding LBJ to exhaustion tonight…
Just baffling
First of all, I totally agree that LeBron should be playing a lot less. But it is possible or likely that LeBron actually makes that call, and he NO DOUBT has a macho player mentality. Also, the Cavs would likely have won if Liggins played, and he was a last minute scratch after they decided to play everyone.
I would have sat LBJ, KL, and KI to give the other guys a chance to see if they could pull off an upset.
This is what Winhourst has been screaming. If James gets hurt, our chance to repeat is over. I think Lue still has some of the macho player mentality in him, which makes him think he can ride James hard. If Griffin doesn’t call Lue in for a little talk I would be disappointed in Grif.
Nate, if you stole that from Cols’ refrigerator door, he will notice some beers are gone!
From Lue to CWebb to Reggie to Shaq that was a dumb game
I guess we will have to continue to accept this back to back losses since the Cavs have one of the oldest rosters in the league. I still believe the Cavs need another big and a decent playmaker. Another good rebounder and rim protector big to go get those rebounds that LeBron will not go after in these back to back games and a playmaker to give LeBron and Kyrie some rest in the playmaking department.
If I ever have to watch Mamba play 27 minutes again I might break out in hives
Lue just doesn’t seem to get that James sucks when he plays more than 36 minutes
You mean in back to back situations?
I general, really
Hate the Celtics. Let’s go Blazers.
Portland up 10 mid second quarter! Keep it up.
I also hate the Celtics like the Yankees.
Cavs need more bodies.
Freakin. What is his shooting % this year I wonder?
57.5% from three… 52.7% overall
Thanks EG
Scheduling loss. I get why the played the starters. I wish they hadn’t.
Lue should trust his first instinct next time.
There would’ve been nothing wrong with playing them for 30 minutes. What’s stupid is when he does it for 40
Pretty close on the score… just had it backwards…
LeBron scoreless in the fourth quarter… wonder why?
James Freaking Jones!
Thunder flexing on scrubs. Ok.
That was classy. Like Steph flexing on that layup
I kinda hope KD curbstomps them now…
Imma start calling McRae “Wedgie”
Wedgie McRae.
McCrap
Positive side: D-Will looked pretty good. We are 0-7 on road b2bs.
Fortunately the playoffs don’t have back to backs
They are missing Kanter. And still treating us like 6th graders underneath.
They are #2 in the NBA in rebounding rate…
Well that was unfortunate…
Cavs look old on b2bs
We are old.
OKC not on a b2b
So we are just old, period?
No b2bs in the playoffs… so who cares?
Ok cols.
Well, seriously… it’s true. Gotta be realistic…
50-34 advantage on the boards for the thunder. Adams totally owned TT tonight.
More DR issues. We have to get a C.
Name someone they could realistically get…
Keith Benson
Who’s not a D-Leaguer…
Well, that seemed like the opposite of giving LBJ the night off… 40+
Cavs need bodies
There are some games I wish you could sub for Ty Lue
Game over. Well, it was close late (99 all). We just ran out of gas. +15 on the glass. If Lue & Griff don’t think we need a legit C on this team, they are flat out stupid. Teams with real size just punish us on our D-glass. They just keep tipping the ball up & we can’t get it.
And another guard. McRae and Felder were garbage.
Meh – I guess it matters in the regular season, but when lebron tries in the playoffs he snares a lot of those rebounds and blocks
Should have been backcourt violation… dribbled off his own foot and went over the line…
Agreed
Id call this a schedule loss, and a missing your top 3 shooting guards loss
50-35 on the glass loss.
Game over! Got to give credit to the Thunder, they really played a great game defensively.
Nice triple double hunting russ
I don’t think 360 layup is a thing… it’s either a 360 dunk or it’s just dumb…
That James turnaround is not a high perentage shot.
Lack of urgency probably from exhaustion… sit em Lue…
48-33 on the glass. That’s the game right there.
Yet they were tied just a couple minutes ago… guys are just too tired…
Cavs look like they have no plan offensively right now…
Everyone being caught flat-footed when they receive the ball.
Dumb shot… low percentage…
We gotta get Kyrie off Russ. Though the middle one was good D. From tied to down 6. Put James on him & let Kyrie have the O.
Where’s Jefferson.
Love back in…
15 O boards for OKC. That is The Diff. We are shooting almost 4% higher
Westbrook knows Kyrie can’t contest his shot. That shot will be there for Russ the rest of this game unless the Cavs decide to double team him on those high pick n roll’s they are running
Bad game for TT…
Where the hell is love? Jefferson?
Ty giving DWill run…
TT showed the ball way too soon.
Couldn’t defend that better… Russ just throwing up prayers and getting them answered…
12 pts for D-Will. Zero boards.
He’s not exactly here for that tho…
It’s the Russ/Kyrie show…
Lucky play from OKC there. Russ off glass.
Lucky for us. I’ll take that 3 FTs. Good call. D-Will has looked good.
Get LeBron a rest please.
Doesn’t feel like it’s coming…
Playing 40 minutes tonight is abusive
MFQ on the loose!
Good D there. Lucky OKC there.
UNCLE DREW! Dance on em!
Williams, a career 29% 3-point shooter, draws the foul shooting a 3.
36% from the corner.
We have to get more size. TT & Love are good on the glass. Teams with real size kill us. D-Glass is awful.
Ain’t no size to get…
Kidnap Steven Adams on the way out? :)
Enchilada in the tailpipe…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HktV2yGtLv8
Hahaha ha. Jeremy Grant with a DUMB foul
Not sure how much better DWill could have defended that…
TT with just 3 boards
Some dubious calls this quarter so far…
http://www.wholeenchilada.com/wp-content/uploads/whole-gift-card.png
So. Many bailouts for the thunder.
DWILL
Jesus then they call that!?
So many travels… nobody rebounding for Cavs…