Preseason Game Recap: Pistons 90, Cavs 89
2011-12-20
The Cavs held the lead for much of the second half, but gave the game away in the 4th quarter. Luke Harangody missed a wide-open 10-footer at the buzzer that would have given the Cavaliers the victory. (Let’s hope I never have to write a sentence like that ever again.) Anyway, it was a preseason game, so it’s not like the result much mattered. On to the bullet points:
— The game was, as is to be expected from a preseason game following an extended lockout, woefully disjointed at times. A lot of ill-advised passes and bad shots. Let’s hope the Cavs—and the league as a whole, really—shake the rust off by the middle of January.
— As a friend of the Jewish people, I’m elated to have an Israeli on the team, especially one who plays as hard as Omri Casspi. Incidentally, Casspi had a terrific game, leading the Cavs with 18 points. He hit open jumpers, ran the floor well, and… attempted to play defense. His activity level was outstanding. I think Casspi, in concert with Andy Varejao (so good to have him back), will be the engine of this team, something we’re going to need while trudging through a brutally compact schedule.
— Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson were unspectacular. Irving didn’t turn the ball over, put up 11 points on 5-12 shooting, and missed a couple easy jumpers. Thompson didn’t make much of an impact on the offensive end, but he rotated well in the post and collected 5 rebounds in 21 minutes.
— A DNP-CD for Skyenga tonight. According to the Plain Dealer’s Twitter account, Byron Scott “has not been happy with [Eyenga]’s training camp.” I suspect that means Eyenga’s still struggling mightily at the defensive end. Not a good sign for the Congolese guard.
— Are we sure Ryan Hollins is an NBA player? The 7-footer’s stat line looked like this at the end of the night: 22 mins, 4 points on 0-3 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 3 TOs. And he fouled out late in the fourth quarter when he, for no real reason, pulled Greg Monroe to the floor as Monroe was jogging toward the block. Hollins is entitled to have a lousy preseason outing, but he was pretty miserable last season, and if he hasn’t improved at all in the offseason, I don’t see how he can help the Cavs win this year other than providing 6 fouls when Dwight Howard visits the Q.
— Brandon Knight looks like a player who hasn’t quite found his sea legs. You might remember that early in the season at Kentucky last year, he was forcing shots and looked a bit out of his league against elite D-1 college competition. I think he’s going to experience the same thing in the NBA. He looked great for a five-minute spell early in the 4th quarter, but for the most part, he was taking questionable jumpers and turning the ball over with a disconcerting frequency. Regardless, I thought he was the steal of the draft at eight; I’m sure he’ll figure it out eventually.
Anyway, the Cavs open the actual season the day after Christmas against the Raptors, which is an eminently winnable game.
Love the Casspi trade! I was a big fan of Casspi’s in Sacramento, and never understood why Westphal didn’t play him. Westphal’s rotations were a mess, to say the least. I was getting so sick of JJ’s inability to understand even the most basic of basketball concepts, that it was time for him to go.
But like Joey said, can’t have them be too good. Have to stay at or below the 20 win mark.
Im extremely happy with the JJ trade – Caspi seems like an overall better player. He has great determination and seems to be aware of his on-court position and the players around him. I like that a lot. Irving did ok but he seemed to have tried too hard on a couple of drives. From what coach Scott says, he is very smart and catches quickly, so I’m hoping he will learn to not force the offense if not needed. Hollins seemed to have bulked up, but that didn’t help him any when wrestling opponents aroubd the basket. I hope… Read more »
I was impressed by Casspi. He moved well when he didn’t have the ball. Also, played well around the rim, on and O and D. Kyrie seems like he can make something out of nothing. Twice, it looked like he was out of control and about to turn it over, yet put up an acrobatic shot and scored. Tristan needs to work on his mid range jumper. He’s athletic and can drive. But I think he tried to get to the rim a few times when there was no room. A short jump shot would have been better. 17-31 on… Read more »
@HoopsDoog, regarding your #1 question… why indeed? Its moments like these make a fan thankful they aren’t fans of teams with spectacularly bad management. We might have a couple of bad seasons coming up, but at least the guys in charge of the Cavs seem to realize that young players with potential like Casspi, draft picks and cap space are more important than trying to hold on to a core of guys that even when first assembled couldn’t contend. Tonight I thought Kyrie really flashed some Rose-like play. Sure, D-rose was inefficient as hell and often hurt his team in… Read more »
Was happy with the game. Felt like we played well. #1 question: why did Detroit Re-Sign Prince? Austin Day is a much better long term option. Regardless, was impressed with Casspi, especially his unexpected defensive intensity and ball handling. #2 question: can we buy out Ryan Hollins? He is awful: possibly the worst rebounder for his size I’ve ever seen, and how does he still not even have a whiff of a left hand finishing option? He blew at least two Kyrie assists. Feel like the team can be competitive a lot, and I’m really excited about Kyrie. He had… Read more »
Some of my own opinions on your points: I for one am very happy about the Hickson trade right now, Grant made a nice deal getting JJ off our hands for a guy like this. 100 % all the time and a decent jump shot which caught me by surprise. And a potential first round pick (But I won’t hold my breath) I agree Kyrie and Tristan didn’t stand out, but are we expecting them to? I saw some nice flashes from both of them in their first two preseason games which was enough for me. Dissapointed in Eyenga, I… Read more »