Cliff's Edge 10.27.15: Cleveland Cavaliers Season Preview #Cavs

By @CLG2282

It is that time of year again folks.  Time to play some basketball.  And if you're a Cavaliers fan, you most likely have some fairly lofty goals.

The end of the 2014-2015 NBA season left most of the Cleveland supporters with a bittersweet taste in their mouths.  Bitter, of course, because the Cavaliers did not win the finals and bring a trophy to Cleveland for the first time in decades.  Sweet, because LeBron is back and Cleveland is a legitimate title contender.  The Cavs at the end of last season were even preseason favorites to win the championship.

Now that we have seen how that ended up, let's take a look at what has changed between now and June.

As the playoffs wrapped up, the Cavs were looking at a roster that, from top to bottom, was absolutely riddled with injuries.  Not just a sprained ankle or a sore wrist, the Cavs faced injuries that could be season-ending, no matter what point they occurred in the season.  So it was clear that from the moment the Finals were over, that the Cavs needed to add depth and rehabilitate.

We did not seem to do much in (regarding the immediate future) the direction of adding to our depth in the draft.  A rather underwhelming draft saw the Cavs select Duke guard Tyus Jones late in the 1st round and Sir'Dominic Pointer from St. John's at the end of the 2nd round.  They would end up trading Jones to the Timberwolves for their 2nd round pick, Rakeem Christmas.

What was the sum of these movements in the draft? It resulted in none of the three players being on the Cavs roster heading into the season opener.  In fact, the Cavs only have 4 new players on the roster this year.  That is almost a complete one-eighty from last season that had more than half of the Cavs roster coming in from different teams.

Two of the new additions were once part of the Cavaliers organization. Mo Williams, who played for the Cavs from 2008-2011 and Sasha Kaun, whose draft rights were traded to the Cavs, but never actually played a game.

Though head coach David Blatt was reluctant to play his older veterans when we needed extra bodies the most, the Cavs picked up long time veteran Richard Jefferson. Most recently a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Jefferson averages just under 6 points per game and will hopefully add needed depth to the small forward position.

With the exception of Mo Williams, the organization's offseason moves have been interesting to say the least. It seems like there was much more talent out there that would have been a lot more helpful.

There were also a few contract discussions that you may have heard about.  After laboring back and forth all summer long, the Cavs and Tristan Thompson finally came to an agreement on a 5-year, $82 million contract.

They definitely used as much time as they could getting that deal done. Thompson missed the entire preseason, as well as the camps and workouts before hand. The result being what most think of as Thompson being over paid. From the looks of things however, if the Cavs did not feel like they needed him, they would not have signed him.

Tristan was key in the Finals for the Cavs filling in for an injured Kevin Love. He was able to rebound and defend well enough to help keep a short handed Cleveland team in the series. Now with Love back to live action basketball activities, the quest for a trophy is well under way.

Despite the returns of Thompson and Love, there was a slight set back to getting the team back to full strength. Kyrie Irving's kneecap injury is going to take a while longer than originally thought.  The new timetable is looking like a mid-January return for the Cavaliers all-star point guard.

Cleveland will also be missing it's best perimeter defender in Iman Shumpert to start the season. Shumpert had surgery on his right wrist which is also his shooting hand. Tagged with an 8-12 week time table, Shumpert will likely be out past Thanksgiving as well.

LeBron James, as of a week and a half ago, also joined the injury squad. He has reportedly been dealing with some back issues and received anti-inflammatory shots. However, there is no long-term time table for LeBron to sit out as he will be ready for the opener. I suspect it's just a routine precaution and body maintenance thing, similar to his two week hiatus around Christmas last season.

So with all the injuries and weird moves and contract disputes, we're here.  It's opening day of the 2015-16 NBA season.  The expectations are now higher than ever.

After losing to Golden State in the Finals with a very shorthanded team, many are eager to get this journey rolling. Those are most likely the people that feel like the Cavs would have won the series if they were at full strength.

What we have to look forward to:

The Cavs have added needed depth to the point guard position behind Kyrie. Mathew Dellavedova did a decent job replacing Kyrie, but simply wasn't enough to help get the team over the hump. With the addition of Mo Williams and the young Jared Cunningham filling the final roster spot in the preseason, there is a lot of offensive and defensive depth at the guard position.

This biggest improvement going into this season will be the fact that our big time players will not be new to the big stage. Last year only James, J.R. Smith, James Jones and Timofey Mozgov had previous playoff experience.  James and Jones were the only two to play in the finals, or see significant playoff minutes for that matter.

Kyrie, Tristan and Love now have played serious, meaningful late season basketball games. We have seen players get caught up in the atmosphere of the playoffs and under perform. So it is promising to know that those first time jitters should now be behind the Cavs.

The roster for Cleveland is now two deep at every position. The only position that does not have a solid back up is the small forward. But luckily for Cleveland, that is the position occupied by LeBron James, who does not miss many games.  Having a viable replacement at each position gives depth and allocated minutes that will allow players to rest and be fresh.

For what it's worth, there should not be too much competition to win the Eastern conference. There are a couple good teams and that is absolutely where the conversation stops. No team in the East has the talent that Cleveland has with maybe the exception of the Chicago Bulls. The Atlanta Hawks, whom the Cavs destroyed in last season's playoffs, will be competitive but won't go very far in the playoffs.

The Celtics are a good, young team, but are still building and likely are another season away from being real title contenders. A healthy Miami team could make some noise. With veterans Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way and Hassan Whiteside's rising stock, they could make a run deep into the playoffs.

Overall, the Cavs should be able to get thru the East and make another finals appearance. That would be where the road gets really tough. Possibly facing a rematch with the Golden State Warriors is not out of the picture. They are still a good team and cleared some cap space to make moves down the road, all while keeping their core guys together. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still very young and improving.

Another challenge, and my personal pick to win the West, is the San Antonio Spurs. The system under coach Greg Popovich that has stood the test of time is always dangerous. Couple that with one of the league's rising stars in Kawhi Leonard and the offseason acquisition of star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs jump to the very top of the title contenders list. Not to mention the normal gladiator gauntlet that is the Western conference.

Overall, the Cavs looked primed and ready for another title run. They have their same nucleus of talent, shooters, defenders and are one more year matured into coach David Blatt's scheme. Getting all of the "first time jitters" out of the way should allow the team to settle into the season and get down to business. They now know what it is like as a team to be at the big stage. Though Irving and Love didn't play in the Finals, they now know what it's like to be in that atmosphere. For the most part, they should also know what is expected of them.

I'm sure there are a lot of Cavs fans circling the Christmas day game with the Warriors on their calendars. However, it's just another regular season game. What we want to watch for is the further advancement of chemistry and comfort with each other as teammates. We want to see how the players take their first year and build off of the experience and learn from mistakes. Those are the kinds of things you want to see from a team being constructed to win a title.

If last year's work is anything to go off of, it appears that this team is ahead of schedule. We all expected a playoff run but not necessarily a trip to the finals. So heading into the 2015-16 season, the Cavs have all of their major pieces back. If everything goes well medically,  you can expect the Cavaliers to be back in the finals. With a lot more experience and maturity.

We can expect the Cavs to play well at home as usual. I would expect a record of 31-10 at home, a place where they obviously feel very comfortable and feed off of the crowd. Considering the rest of the East and the strong West, I think the Cavaliers finish above .500 at 24-17 on the road. Giving them a 55 win season. Of course, the possibility that they finish better is likely but I want to account for games that may be lost due to guys getting rest or injury. 55-27 sounds like a plausible record for Cleveland in the quest to a championship.


Let the games begin!

Leadoff with Lee 8.27.15 #Browns #Manziel #NoahBrown #Cowboys

By @cleeverizon

- Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was in pads yesterday but did not throw. The Browns decided to rest his sore elbow for a third straight day. Coach Mike Pettine stated, "He's still experiencing a little soreness. It hasn't bounced back. Err on side of caution."

Manziel underwent a MRI and it showed no structural damage. He is not expected to play Saturday night when the Browns travel down to Tampa to face the Buccaneers. The Browns may look into signing another quarterback for the final preseason game.

- Yesterday's Berea bike brigade at Cleveland Browns practice included OL Michael Bowie (shoulder), OL Karim Barton, DB Justin Gilbert (hip), DB K'Waun Williams (abdomen), DB Robert Nelson (hamstring) and DL Ish Kitchen (groin).

- It seems as if the Browns are doing their due diligence on a prospect who could be their quarterback of the future.

No, finally… For real this time.

Browns scouts have been seeking background information on Michigan State's Connor Cook. The Cleveland native attended Walsh Jesuit High School and his former coach Gerry Rardin spoke to the Browns about Cook. I'm not going to put a lot of stock into these preliminary talks as there are other prospects I'm sure Cleveland will look at. Cardale Jones with Ohio State, Christian Hackenberg at Penn State, Trevone Boykin of TCU, Dak Prescott of Mississippi State, and Cody Kessler at USC. Cook may be the most NFL-ready quarterback in 2016 as Michigan State runs a pro-style offense.

- Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee on Tuesday in practice and was placed on injured reserve. He is expected to be out for the season. Scandrick had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack for the Cowboys last season. He recently signed a 5-year, $19M contract extension last spring.

- Michael Vick signed a 1-year, $1M contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski had surgery on his dislocated finger and was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List (PUP).

- Rex Grossman signed a 1-year, $1M contract to backup Matt Ryan for the Atlanta Falcons. It was speculated that if the Browns placed Connor Shaw on the practice squad, former Browns and current Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan would attempt to sign him. The Browns have recently placed Shaw on injured reserve after injuring his thumb that required surgery.

- Osi Umenyiora signed a one day contract to retire with the New York Giants, after spending his final two season playing with the Atlanta Falcons.

He finishes 49th on the All-Time sack list with 85. His 75 sacks with the Giants places him fourth on the franchise sack list behind Michael Strahan (141 ½), Lawrence Taylor (132 1/2) and Leonard Marshall (79 1/2). In 2007 he set the team single game sack record with six against the Eagles.The New York Jets reached out to Omenyiora about possibly playing for them but he only wanted to be with the Giants.

- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been charged by the California Grand Jury with misdemeanor sexual battery. Brooks faces a maximum of six months in jail. He was sent back to California and will not play in the Saturday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

- Mercedes Benz will be the official sponsor and have earned the naming rights of the Atlanta Falcons’ new football stadium. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to open in 2017 and Falcons owner Arthur Blank plans to bid for the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl. The venue will also host the 2017 Peach Bowl and be the home to the Major League Soccer team, Atlanta United FC.

- Buckeyes wide receiver Noah Brown suffered a serious leg injury that sounds like it will be season ending for him. According to Urban Meyer, Brown suffered a broken leg that will require surgery. He was attempting a catch when he awkwardly fell on his leg and a pop sound was heard. Ohio State abruptly cancelled interviews and people in the building looked like they got the wind knocked out of them, according to reports. This was the first sign that something wasn't good within Buckeye Nation. Later the tweets started pouring out from players and coaches praying for Brown. He has had a breakout spring and was expected to be an opening day starter for the Buckeyes when they visit Virginia Tech on September 7.

- TMZ is reporting that Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is being sued by an ex-girlfriend, accusing him of gang rape and drugging her. The victim listed as “Jane Doe” says they dated from 2011-2013. Rose allegedly invited “Doe” to his home where he slipped a drug into her drink with the intention of raping her. She escaped the home but Rose and his friends broke into her home and gang raped her while she was unconscious. “Jane Doe” states that she waited two years to file the charges because she was embarrassed. As of now, Derrick Rose has declined commenting about the alleged incident.

- Former Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez retired yesterday at the age of 29. Perez was most recently signed by the Baltimore Orioles and is serving a 50 game suspension for recreational drug use. He ends his career with 379 innings pitched, a 3.51 ERA and 133 saves.

Leadoff with Lee 6.1.15 #Manziel #Hoiberg #Bulls #Pelicans #Magic

By @cleeverizon

- Johnny be good! Irving police say a fan harassed Johnny Manziel at hotel pool. Refused to stop the harassment. Manziel then threw a water bottle at the man, an 18-year-old. Things escalated. Hotel security intervened, then police also intervened. Police did not detect that Manziel had been drinking. Fan decided not to press charges. No charges were filed.

Johnny Manziel's Agent Erik Burkhardt released a statement Sunday on the photo of Manziel talking to police at the Byron Nelson:"Fan was harassing him, he handled it appropriately by talking to some security guards." Burkhardt said Manziel is with him right now(Sunday)at church in Dallas. 

- The Chicago Bulls are negotiating a five-year $25M contract with Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg to become their next head coach. The deal is expected to be done by Wednesday according to league sources. Hoiberg has a close relationship with Bulls general manager Gar Forman which made him the obvious front runner. Hoiberg went 115-56 as the head coach of the Cyclones, leading them to the Sweet 16 in 2014. Hoiberg also spent four seasons with the Bulls during his playing career from 1999 to 2003. Fired head coach Tom Thibodeau The 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year had a .647 win percentage in the regular season (255-139) for Chicago, and that was with star point guard Derrick Rose playing only 181 of 394 games because of injuries. Thibodeau's teams excelled defensively, ranking first in the league in points per game (92.6) and field goal percentage (43.2) since he took over prior to the 2010-11 season.

- The Pelicans have reached a agreement with Alvin Gentry to become their next head coach. After interviewing for the job twice Gentry beat out other candidates such as Jeff Van Gundy,Tom Thibodeau and Vinny Del Negro. Gentry currently serves as lead assistant for Steve Kerr and the Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors. Gentry has a 335-370 career record as a head coach. He experienced success in his most recent job as the Suns' lead man, taking them to the Western Conference Finals in 2009-10. After being fired in 2012-13, Gentry spent a year as a lead assistant for the Clippers before serving in the same role for the Warriors. Gentry's New Orleans contract is four-years $13.75M deal, including a $4M team option in final season.

- Ex-Nuggets coach Brian Shaw would be interested in replacing new Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry as an associate head coach with Warriors.

- NBA Jam famed Scott Skiles has been named head coach of the team he played for the Orlando Magic. Skiles has coached in the NBA on and off since 1999-2000, and this will be the fourth team he has coached after stints with Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee. He has a regular-season career record of 443-433 and is 18-24 in the playoffs. His last job was with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he parted ways with the team after 32 games of the 2012-13 season.

- The Blackhawks advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago tops Anaheim, 5-3, in Game 7. Jonathan Toews scores twice to lead Blackhawks over Ducks. Be sure to check out our Stanley Cup Finals preview on Wednesday morning, June 3.

- We here at Triple Threat CLE are proud to announce our debut radio show will be on Friday June 5th on NoStaticRadio.com from 9pm - 11pm.

It can also be heard on your mobile device by downloading the MixLr app,which is available free of charge on your Apple or Android device.

This radio show is about a year and a half in the making and was founded by Chris (Raven) Williams (@nevaRWilliams) and myself @cleeverizon aka Lee.

We will talk about sports not only on the local level, but national level. We will also talk entertainment which will include but not limited to wrestling, music, video games, movies, cellphones and/or anything you want to talk about. We have some funny true to life stories that's I know are LOL funny too.

The studio number is 216-939-5087, give us a call or send us a tweet @triple3xthreat, and use the hashtag #StayWoke. We want to hear your threat (take) ! We have a lot of things planned that I'm eager to tell you but you have to listen to find out. You can also tweet @NoStatic_Radio and tell them how much you love the show. We will change the way you listen to radio. #StayWoke

Follow @triple3xthreat On Twitter
Like Us On Facebook

Chris Williams: @nevaRWilliams
Chris Lee: @cleeverizon
Mark West: @MarkW2112
Brandon Albright: @B_Rock1978
Kate Arhar: @ClvlndK8
Chris Lulovics: @CLulovics
Jaison Roberts: @Kratoslives
Cliff Gulley Jr.: @CLG2282
Patrick Kocon: @CTown_WUJU
Jason Disantis: @jddiantis

Cliff's Edge 5.11.15: ...The Bad, The Ugly #Cavs #CLEvsCHI

By @CLG2282

Yeah so, nothing about this series is pretty. They way this is going, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to need to open up a medical facility to ease the stress issues of the fans. They are not putting the supporters' minds at ease whatsoever.

I know, I know. The hot button topic is Big Shot Bron (not quite). There's no doubt that he hit what will likely be dubbed the greatest shot of his career to this point. While that's all fair and well, we cannot ignore the storm hovering above the Cavs.

Game 4 may have been the worst game that the Cavs have played in this series. And the sad part is that that's not a run away race. Being objective, the Cavs are not playing well this post season. And that includes when Love played in the Boston series.

I have yet to witness Cleveland put together two consecutive well played games. They have played well for long stretches, even put together some good halves but they are not consistently playing well game in and game out.

I understand that we are missing a key player but that's not an excuse. It's not just the guys that we are not use to seeing, who are playing bad.  The usual suspects for Cleveland are struggling to execute.

I cannot remember the last time I've seen a team with so much talent struggle with simple things so terribly. Things like not being able to control the dribble, off target passes and missing open shots have plagued Cleveland for the entire post season.

The first few minutes of Game 4 tell you all you need to know about how the Cavs have been playing. Four turnovers by LeBron. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was throwing bad passes and missing assignments on defense, yet somehow Cleveland was able to remain in the game. There was aggression by Mozgov and hustle by Thompson. For the most part, the energy from Cleveland was good. The unfortunate part was that they could not execute at all.

I'm not sure what the problem is but there seems to be no sense of urgency. A lot of 'deer in the headlights' type of things are happening on both ends of the court. Man to man the Cavs are being outmatched. That grinds my gears more that most anything in basketball.  Letting the other team 'out man' you is unacceptable.

You know what else is unacceptable? A coach not recognizing that a player is hurting his team but leaving him on the floor. Kyrie has caused more harm than good to the squad but continues to get heavy, heavy minutes.

I mean, we get it, right? Kyrie Irving, young star on a meteoric rise, Robin to LeBron's Batman. Your complementary star who is almost unguardable and leave defenders in as much as as he does fan. We get it, you want him to be there when it counts. You want the young leader and future of the franchise to be on the floor in crunch time. But at what cost?

I'm sure as fans we all appreciate and applaud Irving's effort to gut it out and show heart. I believe that most find comfort in David Blatt trusting and believing in his guys but we have to be sensible. When you not being as effective as you need to be, you have to come to grips.

Seriously, 2-10 from the field?! Kyrie had 12 points and play 40 minutes. I'll say it again, 40 MINUTES. Eight of those 12 points were from the free throw line. Four points from the field in 40 minutes of game time is unbelievably unacceptable. Especially when you take into account that he did not have much impact anywhere else in the game.

It's not just a Game 4 fluke either. Game 3 was very inefficient for Irving and he cost the team critical points late in the game. He was not able to finish and forced shots late in the 4th quarter that resulted in empty possessions. Kyrie clearly has not been the same since rolling his ankle I'm the 1st quarter of Game 2.

What makes things more frustrating is that Dellevadova has been playing really well. The last two games have been pretty solid for Delly. Which makes me wonder, if your start is hurt and hurting the team, why not roll with the back up who is holding his own, coach Blatt?

Delly is not an all-star but at the moment he is getting the job done. I know i have given him a lot of flack in the past but he's knocking down the open shots and for the most part protecting the ball. He's finding guys in rotation on offense and pestering the Chicago guards on defense. I would make the switch.

Now of course I am appreciative of the Cavs' win. A win is a win of course no matter what it took to get there (not applicable to the Pats though). I'm glad we won and don't want you to believe otherwise. Winning, however, does not take away the fact that the Cavs are struggling.

Strictly based on the numbers, LeBron is having really good games but his inefficiency is horrid. 10-30 in Game 4 is absolutely ridiculous.  James' 3-point percentage is even worse. He's lackadaisical with the ball at times and settles for terrible shots.

This is where David Blatt begins to take his lashes. He did a great job adjusting the line up after Love went down and the Game 1 loss. Blatt has to do two things immediately to close out this series.

If Kyrie is going to be bothered by this foot/ankle issue any longer, Blatt has to bring him off of the bench. Irving just cannot play that many minutes and be that ineffective. It will not allow his injury to heal and it will continue to make the team suffer.

The second thing that needs to be done by Blatt is play the brand of basketball that they have worked on and played all year. That means play Cavs basketball. Play the lineups that work for us not the ones that we think will match or counteract what Chicago will do. Cleveland can't continue to spend the game trying to matchup with the Bulls. Blatt has to make Chicago play with us and what we do well.

Coach Blatt did that for a short stretch in Game 4 and it worked. With Gasol being out due to his hamstring,  Blatt played both Thompson and Mozgov when Taj Gibson went to the bench with foul trouble. That made Noah have to deal with both Cavs big men alone and it was effective.  Cleveland went on a 12-0 run.  The strategy didn't stay in place long and Chicago crept back into the game.

Right now there is a lot of blame that needs to be shared. The injuries are going to happen but there is nothing that can be done about that. Cleveland has to step up and rise to the occasion.  Blatt needs to lead the team properly and put his players in a good position to win.

I believe that if Blatt makes these adjustments and the teams plays Cavs' basketball then the rhythm will be found. We can not play to the Bulls or any other team and expect to be successful. Hopefully some momentum and energy was found with LeBron's big shot to end Game 4 and will be carried over into the rest of the postseason. Who knows, maybe being in that position and hitting that shot is what the Cavs needed to get going.

I'm looking forward to see what David Blatt does with his troops. I think LeBron will be a lot better being back at home Tuesday for Game 5 and will step it up. Jr Smith is starting to look like the Jr that we need again. That will be vital if Gasol is to return from his injury.


#GoCavs #CLEOverEverything

Cliff's Edge 5.8.15: Tightening Up #Cavs #CLEvsCHI #CavsBulls

By @CLG2282

As I predicted following Game 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers woke up from their playoff slumber. Not looking crisp and a tad rusty, the Cavs' lackluster effort in Game 1 gave the players a reality check. Simply tighten up or go home.
From the looks of their efforts in Game 2, our guys seem to follow through on all of the media rhetoric. The "we HAVE to play better" and "I have to do more" lines were not left hollow.

I said that the Cavs in essence needed to completely reverse the role from the the first game to the second. And they must read Triple Threat here because that's exactly what happened. Early on in Game 2 we looked like the Bulls did in Game 1 and vice versa.

There are the far-out fans that will attribute the stellar play of the James Gang to the return of the headband. While that would be great for some fictional piece by someone else, us sports fans over this way delve in reality and what actually happens.

Coach Blatt inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup plays a huge role in the success of the Cavs for this game.  Thompson brought exactly what the Cavs were missing, energy.

Hustle and grit were two things that the Chicago had plenty of and Cleveland had little to none. Plus, Thompson’s ability to play the pick-and-roll out on the perimeter limited to Bulls offense. Kudos Tris, you the real MVP.
From there, it was all will and rhythm.

The Cavs started very aggressively. They were everywhere.  Attacking the rim on offense and covering/shutting off the floor on defense, it was like Cleveland was playing with 6 guys out there.

Mozgov, who was ghost in the first game, had two shots on three of the Cavs first three possessions. And not just open baskets, we're talking strong assertive attacks and moves to get around the Bulls height and length in the post.

Cleveland was hitting shots that they missed in Game 1. The Bulls? They were doing just the opposite. They started off making only six of their first 21 field goal attempts.  And while they were down, Iman Shumpert was busy going WAY up, hitting his first three shots from behind the arc. Chicago, in fact was out scored by Lebron himself until the 2-minute mark of the first quarter. A quarter in which Pau Gasol did not score a single point.

The refs were letting both teams play from what I could tell. Didn't get as many whistles as I thought we should have but the Cavs were still very efficient in getting to the line. Also, there was not much noise from Kyrie Irving in the first frame. The Bulls, much like the Cavs would make small runs from time to time. But also like the Cavs, they were not sustained runs and could not get them over the hump. Cleveland was just too hot and efficient. The Cavs went 7/10 from 3 in first 16 minutes of game time.

The 50/50 balls and hustle plays were dominated by the Cavs. The Cleveland bench also stepped up tremendously.

Dellavedova was hitting shots and working the offense well when Kyrie was resting. He almost seemed go-to for a while. Lol I know, I know.
A HUGE dunk by LeBron stifled a Bulls run and momentum. With the Chicago turning the ball over consistently, the Cavs rode the wave into halftime leading 64-45. Cleveland was 9/15 3FG, 12 assists, 22 points in the paint and 20 pts off of turnovers.

The remainder of the game would continue this way for the most part. The most intriguing part of the second half was the leg groin injury for Iman Shumpert mid 3rd quarter. Not exactly what Cleveland needed or could afford.
After a short trip to the locker room and a brief stint on the exercise bike, Shumpert would return to game action later in the 4th.

Chicago did give the Cavs a scare. Making a 13-0 run mid-3rd quarter, the Bulls got the deficit under double digits. But they would never get within more than a couple possessions of the lead.

Cleveland would go on to win 106-91 never having really been pressured throughout the game.  Though Kyrie was relatively quite, or overshadowed, he still needed with 21 points. LeBron had the night he said he needed to have to win totaling 33pts, 8 rebs and 5 asts.

Looking forward to Game three in Chicago: the Cavs will have to open exactly how they did in Game 2 if not better. The United Center is a hostile environment and especially difficult in the playoffs.

With Smith coming back, I would assume that he would have more rust than the rest of the team in Game 1 because of the suspension.  If Shumpert is healthy, I would keep him in the starting lineup. He's the better defender and Smith, who is having a subpar playoffs thus far, will need to be eased back into the lineup. Let him get his second round feet wet by coming off the bench and get his game wind gathered.

Shumpert being able to defend the starters is more important than JR scoring. In addition, Thompson being a starter gives the Cavs a better look for Game 3 and the rest of the series. You need defense more than anything in the playoffs. And I feel that the Game 2 starters are the best defensively against the Chicago starters. They cause the most discomfort to the Bulls offense while still being able to manufacture their own points.

And for those worried about Tristan's minutes, he was a starter last year and a few season leading up to this year. It's not like he is out of shape. He just gives the Cavs an advantage off the bench. A starter who is playing against 2nd units, why not? Hell, he lead the team in minutes in Game 2 with 35. So relax Sir Charles. Thompson is a big boy and plays like it. He'll be able to run up and down for big time minutes. And to C-Webb, our bench seemed just fine in Game 2, so please find something else to talk about.

We'll see who the battle of the wills favors in Game 3. Remember, Game 2 was Wednesday and that means only one day of rest between games for Derrick Rose. Well know that his numbers and production are far lower coming off one day rest. Now that Smith is back, the Cavs should have a bolstered scoring and shooting attack that will ease some of the worries. Being able to space the floor and score with LeBron and/or Kyrie on the bench will be pivotal for Cleveland.

I look for the momentum of Cleveland to continue. We should win at least on in Chicago and be back home with the series at 2-2 or better. Recent history favors LeBron against the Bulls too. The last two times LBJ has face the Bulls in the playoffs, Chicago has won Game 1 but lost the next four games straight. Let's make that a three peat and a trend to follow in later years.

Let's get it done Cleveland!!!

#GoCavs #CLE

Cliff's Edge 5.6.15: We Have a Series #Cavs #CLEvsCHI

By @CLG2282

There's always next time, right? The first game of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals didn't quite go how the Cleveland Cavaliers planned it. I'm pretty sure that even with the lost of Kevin Love and suspension of JR Smith, the Cavs did not see themselves trailing in this series. Especially so soon.

The Chicago Bulls opened up the 2nd round of this years playoffs the exact same way they ended the first, with a bang. Coming off of a 54-point Game 6 and series clinching annihilation of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls continued to play almost unbelievably.

Our Midwest rivals began the by taking immediate advantage of mismatches created by the absence of two Cleveland starters. Mike Miller was placed in the starting lineup in hopes to keep the spacing of the Cavs offense and to replace the shooting threats that Love and Smith held. Coach Tib for the Bulls attacked Miller, who is not known for his defense, with versatile big man Pau Gasol. Gasol's high and offensive skill made Miller all but nonexistent on defense.

Chicago's advantage in the post opened up the floor for their perimeter players like the Red Sea. The Bulls made their first six attempts from the 3-point line in the FIRST QUARTER. Most noticeably was Mike Dunleavy who score 13 quick first quarter points. You know you're in for a long night when Dunleavy is having a night like that.

The Cavs seem to be in a daze during the entire first half. They could not get and stops or knock down shot in the first quarter. When they did it a few shots in the second quarter, they could hold the Bulls to keep things close. It was if they had been frozen over that week long break between series.

David Blatt quickly went to his bench and brought on Tristan Thompson. Thompson's energy and hustle seemed to help but it could not get the Cavs over the hump. It was as if the Bulls could do no wrong. Jimmy Butler was playing excellent defense and scoring well on offense. Derrick Rose also had the type of performance that we were use to seeing before all of the injuries. When you add all of those things up, it equaled a long night for Cleveland.

While the Bulls were playing barely less than perfect, the Cavs were struggling just to look like a playoff team. Kyrie Irving went 1-7 from the field with only 3 points in the first quarter. LeBron was the only one that seems to be able to gain any traction early. However, the Cavs were able to pick things up later in the half.

After a few minutes were gone in the second quarter, Kyrie went on a tear. The Bulls had just expanded the lead to 13 went Kyrie went off. Irving went full showcase, displaying his ridiculous handle, excellent shooting ability and unmatched talent at finishing at the rim, especially over the bigs. Going on a personal 10-0 run, Irving cut the Chicago lead to 39-33 and gave Cleveland some much needed momentum. Kyrie had 17 total points in the first half.

The extra mojo was not enjoyed by the Cavs for long. Chicago responded back with seven straight points and extending the lead back out to double digits. That was the theme for the majority of the game. The Cavs would close the lead but could not get over the hump. Then the Bulls would make a run and kill the momentum of Cleveland.

This was most evident coming out of halftime. Only being down five at the half, Cleveland was able to take their first lead early in the third quarter. But the lead only lasted two possessions. Chicago answer back with an immediate 15-0 run putting the Cavs back down by double digits.

The two teams just seemed to be complete opposites. The Cavs could not make a shot but the Bulls could not miss. The Bulls were getting to most of the loose balls and rebounds, besides James and Thompson, the Cavs got very few. Cleveland's offense looked broken and stagnant, Chicago's looked like as smooth, strong and power as a performance car engine.

In a situation where Cleveland was down one rebounder and scorer, no one stepped up to take his place. Mozgov spent most of the game on the bench because he was ineffective at both guarding the pick-and-roll and checking Gasol away from the rim. Coach Blatt went with a small lineup, which was actually more affective, but it was not enough to get the job done. The Wine and Gold were not able to sustain energy or efficiency long enough to get the upper hand and our one-on-one defense was something I hope to never see again, by ANYONE.

My take on game one is this: They played as well as the could and we played as bad as we could. I mean seriously, things could not go much better for them or worse for us. We looked like a team that had a lot of time off and that was missing two starters. Chicago looked like a team that had just beat their last opponents by 50+.

With that being stated here's what I think about game two. LeBron, though he was inefficient late, still had, what for others would be, a great game 19pts 15rebs 9asts. James said a number of times after the game that he needs to do more, do better, step up. If he can do more or better then Chicago needs to be afraid. The Cavs like they always do, will find their rhythm and bounce back but a game two win is critical until we can get Smith back from suspension. The Bulls may remain hot and play well but they will not be able to sustain the level of play they were at in game one.

I would put my money on the fact that Dunleavy will not be able to have that type if first quarter performance again. Just look at how little he did for the remaining three quarters of game one. Rose does not play nearly as well on short rest. So that will play a large part in what he will be able to do next game. Jimmy Butler will probably play well but the energy he will have to extend against LeBron and/or Kyrie may neutralize him. The Cavs will struggle with the big men of Chicago but that is something they will just have to battle against in game two.

Once Blatt does some reshuffling and gets the new rotations together, things will fall into place for Cleveland. Smith coming back in game three will be another threat that Butler will not be able to guard. Guys are just going to have to man up and step up to fill in for Kevin Love. I still think the Cavs will win in six. They should be able to steal one in Chicago when Smith gets back. Mzgov will be much better and Blatt will reconfigure his scheme to matchup better. Look for LeBron's veteran leadership and play to take over. The key to winning this series you ask? Make Chicago play with and match up against us. Do not try to match up against what they are doing. Do not try to answer them. Cleveland has to make Chicago match up to Cavs basketball.


#GoCavs #CLEOverEverything