Live Thread: Lakers @ Cavs
2017-12-14
The Cavs face off against the young and upcoming still developing Lakers at the Q for a TNT marquee game. Cleveland is coming off a solid win against the Atlanta Hawks where they registered 35 assists and a season high 20 3-pointers.
I’m going to be honest. I haven’t watched much of the Lakers this year. That doesn’t mean I won’t fire a hot take that would have Charles Barkley blushing, or at least just nodding semi-approvingly because the take is hot and fact based. You gotta drop the facts and basis in reality to earn total approval.
The Cavs should be able to handle the Lakers tonight because they’re a team of uncomparables so far. They don’t have a single player who you would compare any other player in the league or coming into the league to. And, that’s sort of why their rebuild is going pretty, pretty, alright. And for anyone that mentions Brook Lopez as someone you’d want to compare an up and coming guy to, please, please, please, please, show me your time machine and take me back to the time where lumbering, weak rebounding, finesse centers were relevant.
Ultimately, the Lakers are young, full of possibilities, and have Luke Walton. I’m not in the Luke Walton fan club, but I do give him credit for keeping the Lakers from being the worst team defensively and offensively in the league. Check out their roster to really appreciate Luke.
The Cavs should make easy work of Los Angeles’ finest, but watch for the Cleveland bigs having a little trouble with rookie big Kyle Kuzma, is he good or not Julius Randle, and the plodding Brook Lopez. Those bigs are legit in a lot of ways. Each brings something a little different to the court, and the Cavs’ big man rotation is a bit thin. Tristan Thompson returned last game, but played just six minutes.
The Lakers also have Lonzo Ball. He’s gotten two triple-doubles so far this season, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s shooting less than 35% from the field to date.
Cavs, 121-108, with 15 plus minutes of Cedi Osman.
It’s fun watching the Lakers miss out on the playoffs every single year. Brook Lopez —- the GOAT!
My guess is that LeBron was giving Lonzo some career advice. And it is easy to guess what that would be: Get away from you know who.
I kind of feel sorry for Lonzo, being stuck with a loud mouth clown for a father who is doing everything to cash in on Lonzo’s fame. It will be harder on his brothers, who do not have any talent and will be mocked from the get go by everyone.
Supposedly, from a Reddit NBA post:
•
A mic on the court caught most of LeBron and Lonzo’s conversation last night: “Find your zone and just stay f*****g locked in. The media is going to ask you what I told you right now (but so what). Just be aggressive every single day. (Inaudible)..it’s white noise. That’s all it is. Alright?”
In other words, pretty much what you’d expect.
I think find your zone is code for tell Magic to clear cap space so I can sign with the Lakers. At least according to that doofus Kevin O’Connor from Bill Simmons jock strap aka the Ringer.
Ben Simmons is a real nice player. Saying he’s the best rookie since LeBron is a stretch.
Chris Paul and Anthony Davis had arguably better rookie seasons than LeBron anyway. And LeBron and AD were 19 during their rookie seasons, not 21. CP3 was 20.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.fcgi?request=1&sum=1&player_id1_hint=Ben+Simmons&player_id1_select=Ben+Simmons&player_id1=simmobe01&y1=2018&player_id2_hint=Anthony+Davis&player_id2_select=Anthony+Davis&y2=2013&player_id2=davisan02&idx=players&player_id3_hint=LeBron+James&player_id3_select=LeBron+James&y3=2004&player_id3=jamesle01&idx=players&player_id4_hint=Chris+Paul&player_id4_select=Chris+Paul&y4=2006&player_id4=paulch01&idx=players&player_id5_hint=Tyreke+Evans&player_id5_select=Tyreke+Evans&y5=2010&player_id5=evansty01&idx=players&player_id6_hint=Kevin+Durant&player_id6_select=Kevin+Durant&y6=2008&player_id6=duranke01&idx=players
That’s all they can do is stoke rumors to drive clicks. Can’t talk hoops. I heard Albert say Green took Barne’s spot in GSW’s rotation. What a colossal dumb@$$.
The media already talking about Lebron covering his mouth to talk to Lonzo at the end of the game and guessing what he said, speculating it’s about a move to the Lakers. He was probably more like, “You think your Dad knows how to troll the media?? Watch this. I’ll hold my jersey over my mouth like this, and they’ll be talking about this on talk shows and twitter for a solid month!”
You should hear the local radio here in LA. The entire postgame show was why Lebron should come to the Lakers. Unbearable.
Laker fan is marginally more entitled and insufferable than Celtic fan. Marginally. I’d be fine if both franchises were contracted.
dude I don’t know. Laker fans are outliers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7vm2LLffNM
you know that’s a satire right?
Oh, I live in the LA area. I know how insufferable it is!
Well, obviously the perfect time to make plans about the future of your career is immediately after a game while you’re still on the court surrounding by hundreds of cameras, people, and microphones…
Mavs even at HT. Perhaps we get a vintage Dirk tonight?
Too bad Kuzma’s dad isn’t a worthless blowhard, or he’d be getting all the press in LA…
I wish I was a lil bit taller,
I wish I was baller,
I wish my dad wasn’t Lavar Baller
I wish I was a straight shot caller,
I wish I had a pres than’t Gump
Maybe then he isn’t a chump.
You should change the last line to “Maybe then he’s not a Shump!”
Fun game to see in person. Calderon with another nice performance.
Dubs starting Casspi, Bell and Livingston along with KD and Klay… they’ll prob still beat Mavs by 20+
Vegas was giving people 2 points on GSW because of the injuries… and I think you’re right, I expect GSW to cover.
hope to see this line-up in June when we meet for a 4 game series ;)
https://twitter.com/CavsFredMcLeod/status/941515866818179072
Ingram didn’t score in the fourth after 26 through three…
The Lakers do not suck & they play hard & can score. If you go to sleep on them, they can beat you. We sleepwalked the first half & lep up every time we got up 8-10.
They don’t suck… but they don’t have a go to guy either… and, the guys who they’re hoping will do that all have significant flaws in their games…
Ingram is a pretty darn good go to guy.
Jose 5/8 from deep. Who would have thunk it
He’s over 40% from 3 in his career… so I thought he was a great pickup for that reason.
His passing was excellent tonight too… he really understands the game offensively. Too bad he’s a black hole on defense at this point in his career.
Black hole on defense would be a good thing
All is well. Except I can’t fathom giving 112 points to LAL and Lebron having to play all of 39 minutes and score a trip-dub to make it happen. SMH
Lakers average 106, but yeah we played defense for about a quarter
Yep. Good win. Lakers are improving. Love & Calderon were excellent. As was Bron, despite the jumper being off.
Nice score prediction by David: 121-108
Allie Clifton is so pretty
I agree. Ledlow too!
LMAO…. and she can ball too!
Mmmhmh. Yeah, mmmhmh, said completely aware of what that looks like and in response to that comment.
Bron with the runner at second base conversation with Lonzo…
Maybe so Lavar can’t read his lips?
https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/941510521500651520
I was slightly off prediction still much closer than it should have been
Cavs always scores 119 or more on the Lakers…
Great game. Lotso fun.
Very Cols-esque comment.
Would not have fouled there if I were la
The Anderson’s are at the game again, Nate…
EG has Kuzma looked this good all year?
Yes… he’s a scoring machine
Lebron coming through here lately
Lebron having the best statistical season of his career
This game will set him back, but his PER, which is his claim towards being anywhere near Jordan’s regular season wing player dominance, was prior to this game only .1 away from the highest single season of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_cl3WIO6A