Live Thread: Cavs @ Trail Blazers
2023-11-15Good evening CtB!
The Cavs have traversed to the banks of the Willamette River to take on the tanking Portland Trail Blazers to wrap up their first west coast swing of the season. It’s silly to say that a November matchup against a tanking team is a must win game, but that’s exactly what this is because of how the Cavs have stumbled out of the gates to start the season. Georges Niang has been a complete disaster, yet J.B. Bickerstaff continues to give him minutes in hopes that he’ll actually start making some jumpers. Tower City looks extremely mediocre at best. The Cavs as a team are bottom 10 in net rating so far, with poor ball movement, poor shooting, and poor rebounding. They look like a team full of selfish prima donnas, unwilling to do the dirty work to grind wins out when they’re playing poorly. The only player upholding his end of the bargain so far this year is Donovan Mitchell (and perhaps honorable mention to Max Strus), so it’d be hard to blame him if he’s looking to jump off this currently sinking ship.
As the great John Madden said, “Winning’s the great deoderant.” This game is perfectly teed up for the Cavs to get back on the right track. Hopefully they seize the opportunity… if not, Mitchell’s name may be joining Zach LaVine as trade deadline darlings for teams looking to make a move.
Tip off is scheduled for 10:00PM Eastern time and will be broadcasted live on Bally Sports Ohio, Go Cavs!
From the Twitter gallery:
Lt up
RIGHT ON RAOUL …..” PUT ME ( US ) COACH…….LET US “BOMB “ SOME 3 S MY JOHN FOGERTY TAKE 👍🤪🍺
Garland, no Mitchell
I’m guessing one, if not both DM and DG will play tonight.
OUCH—- BOTH DG // SPIDA LISTED AS QUESTIONABLE FOR TONIGHT—- A GAME WE SHOULD// MUST WIN 🤬
No Duren, no Bogi, weirdness with Ivey, we should roll just on strength of Mobes/Allen/Strus/Vert
assuming they can get by with NOMAD and me for PG’s!
From DeadSpin:
“and suggesting the Oubre Jr. faked the crash, presumably to get out of playing for the 76ers? Which would have been a believable scenario in many other seasons, but Philly is currently 7-3 and Oubre only joined the team at the end of September. And anyway, James Harden is the Clippers’ problem now.“
Being at this game in person, it felt to me like very little in Cleveland’s offense was instinctive, except maybe when Mitchell and/or LeVert were creating shots for themselves. So much momentary hesitation giving Portland’s defense that split-second opportunity to adjust. On the other end, it was beautiful to see Allen and Mobley disallow so much of what Portland was trying to do in the paint. Portland only occasionally then found the weak-side shooter who was often wide open. I thought the biggest reason the Cavs ultimately pulled away was that the Trailblazers seemed blissfully unaware that NBA rules allow… Read more »
That feels right, although Mobley and Allen have been flashing some nice big to big stuff which was so fun last year. The Strus/Mobley/Allen playmaking is showing signs and once we get that down it’ll help so much in breaking traps on DG and DM.
I have followed this blog now for years without posting. From Cleveland, live in Portland, and saw you post that you were at the game in Portland. Good to know there are Cavs fans out in the PDX!
More posts please, BobbyLite! We could use ya!
yeah, maybe you can get in touch with TK, and form the Portland CtB branch!
Hmmmmmmm play more Dean Wade, defense improves…. interesting!!!
And another bagel on offense.
JA Block Party!
The blazers roster is littered with pieces that are tasty playoff additions. Brogdon, Grant, williams iii, Thybulle, and obviously Reath being the main one.
The extreme irony here is that Ayton absolutely sucks and the Herro would have been a much better asset.
Miami’s 4-0 since Herro’s been out, I think he’s just as bad tbh
Agree they are both kind of empty calories (low key Strus, without the volume and a little shorter, has been what ppl think Herro actually is)
They have a player who can fill his role nearly as well in Duncan Robinson. They lose some back end depth/production on the 2nd unit. But Robinson is a better shooter, who takes better shots. He cannot create/handle. Both are substandard individual defenders.
I view Miami like prime Belichek era NE, I am wary of signing FA’s from there because I believe the coaching/culture is so excellent, they maximize everybody. They player will rarely (if ever) perform as well as he did there.
Strus has exceeded my expectations. But Kendrick Nunn is the example that sticks with me. Look at Love: 7/9/4 off the bench. They are 8-4. He isn’t unplayable there.