Live Thread: Cavs @ Nets
2019-03-06
The Cavs are in Brooklyn tonight to take on the .500 Nets. The Nets are actually the seventh seed, so they can’t be taken lightly. The Cavs do actually have a serious shot to win tonight though.
Since Kevin Love has returned the Cavs are 5-5. He has missed three of those games. The Cavs are actually 4-3 with him in the lineup. The team just looks completely different these days. Sure, all of their wins have come against teams with losing records, but the way to become an okay team is to beat the awful teams. Then you start to beat the alright teams eventually.
Love has a positive on/off rating. When he sits the team has a 27 point swing in their net rating. He has made the recent starters a legitimate group. Ante Zizic, Brandon Knight, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, and Love have a positive plus-minus of 3.5.
Sure, this team isn’t winning the Finals anytime soon, or even making the playoffs this season, but they’re at least competitive. I mean, I came across a blog title, not sure what blog it was on but it definitely wasn’t a Cavs only blog- it was a link I saw out of the corner of my eye- that said, “Watch out for the surging Cavaliers.” Progress is fun.
And, a win against the Nets could actually mean something. Brooklyn is just four wins up on the number eight Hornets, so every win matters for them at this point.
The Cavs are without Ante Zizic, Tristan Thompson, and John Henson tonight. Brooklyn is missing Treveon Graham.
Things to Watch
1. Jarret Allen is a decent rim protector. Kevin Love will need to drag him out of the paint tonight. If the Nets place Allen on Larry Nance Jr. instead, Nance will need to take more 3s than usual. Either way, Larry Drew needs to make sure there are open lanes for Cedi and Collin.
2. D’Angelo Russell is averaging 20.4 points and 6.8 assists this season. He makes the Nets go. Collin Sexton must hang tough on him and force him to pass the ball out of necessity, not because he’s diming guys up. Russell can get a lot of Nets involved who may otherwise try to win the game by themselves at times.
3. The Cavs must protect the 3-line. The Nets take the fifth most 3s per game with 35.7 a night. They hit the sixth most with 12.5 per game. There’s going to be a lot of close outs and recovering happening tonight. The team needs to stay focused and force mid-range shots or at least contested 3s.
The Cavs are surging. You don’t even have to take my word for it. The internet said it, and who would I be to doubt the internet? I’m picking the Cavs, 123-118.
Congrats to Lebron for passing MJ. Woulda been more special doing it wearing the Wine and Gold, but I’m still happy for him.
Would have been a big deal in Cleveland, got a golf clap in LA. But hey, he gets to work on Space Jam 2.
Oh how I don’t miss the LeBron YOLO threes and fadeaway 2s
Inspired play by Zach Lavine and the Bulls (plus spectacularly bad defense by the Sixers on the last play), and Chicago beats Philly.
Bulls defeat 76ers. 3 wins up on us.
Given our schedule, could be a while before we win 3.
I guess LeBron is going to pass MJ in career points tonight
Fitting. He is in the MJ in Washington phase.
What’s the deal with Levert? They just easing him back?
Derrick White (sp?) had 18/6/9 with SIX BLOCKS for SA tonight. 6 rejections from your PG is unbelieveable.
He, Murray, Kawhi, Green. What could have bren for SA. Wow..
Knicks and Suns doing battle. Someone has to win.
Ugh. I now am done with Chriss. I would’ve played better, and im overweight and have smoked for 15 years.
Cedi had a bad game, but i excuse a bit of it from what looked like Sexton playing keep-away from Cedi in the first half.
And speaking of Sexton, did he have a head injury before the game? He just seemed to regress for most of tonight and looked like he was trying to get his shots up without caring if they go in or if it hurts the team.
Love was a beast though. Nwaba was amazing.
Yeah after that horrible stretch for Chriss at the end of the 3rd, why not try Frye?
Tank strong?
Leaving Chriss in after m8stake after mistake was the tankiest thing ive seen all season. He single handedly gave this game away. Maybe it’s best for our draft position, but it was embarrassing to watch.
Entertaining game. A game closer to Zion. Perfect.
If Zizic/TT or even Henson play tonight instead of Chriss, we win.
Even if Blossomgame or Adel played instead of Chriss, we win.
KLove 24 points, 16 rebounds in just 31 minutes. What a beast.
That 14-0 run from 94-96 to 94-110 killed us. Mostly good stuff.
Poor shooting from YB/Delly/Knight. A little too egalitarian on offense, Love needed more touches, especially early. Too many 1st quarter TOs. And a mistly bad 4th quarter.
Sexton Knight Delly: 6/25 Absolutely powned by Russell Dinwiddie
Would be nice to get some guard depth by moving Henson/TT/Clarkson/Knight’s contracts next year. Wonder if Koby will or just ride those contracts out. Usually don’t get teams to take expirings unless we take junk back.
TT and Clarkson can play. Henson to a lesser degree. So could Knight pre-injury.
You try to find a team looking to upgrade and willing to either trade expiring for expiring (with a sweetener) or cap space. Tough to do.
Meanwhile, hope Knight can play himself back into a player.
Knight is done. He wasn’t that good when healthy.
Man. I nevwr thought Harris. Would be. This good.
Neither did Lebron…
Exactly lol. I don’t care about evidence, I will always believe Harris was traded because he wasn’t LeBron’s guy.
A competitive loss isn’t the worst thing…
Sexton has to be more controlled, 2nd game in a row he’s gotten called for an offensive foul with his off arm
Gotta fly, g’night all.
Smokin’ Joe…
Should be Cavs ball
Good call
Larry Nance does sooooo many things well
Solid effort to cut. It. To 8
That was one hot minute!
Love keeping them in it…
Oh boy. Not mad about the loss but would have been fun to see us try to execute in crunch time. Why isnt love getting looks all of a sudden?
Getting some shots now – b2b 3s
Felt like Nets were on their heels midway through the 3rd. Ah well.
Omg ridiculous travel by Russell on that pump fake.