Cliff's Edge 8.12.16: First Time for Everything #Cavs

By Cliff Gulley, @CLG2282

For the first time in his career, LeBron James is the highest paid player in the NBA. I know,  it's hard to believe.

Yes, this is true. In his pervious 13 seasons, James has never been the highest paid player in the league based on money earned from NBA contracts. That all changed Thursday evening. LeBron made the announcement that he was re-signing with the Cavs via UNINTERRUPTED, a social media for athletes that James himself owns. Sports writer Brain Windhorst would announce the details of the deal soon after via twitter.  The Cavs agreed with the all-world small forward to a 3 year deal worth a staggering $100 million.

I mean, of course we have seen $100 million contracts but never for only three years. The largest $100 million contracts were 5 years or more under the previous CBA.

In the first year of the new deal, James is set to make $31 millon for the 2016-17 season. Next year James' salary could top $33 million and make it the most lucrative contact year in NBA history.

This is a change of pace from the recent trend of essentially one year deals. LeBron is locked in for at least 2 season with a player option for the 3rd (2018-19) season. It comes to a surprise to a lot of people. James could have signed another two-year deal with the second year as an option and made over $40 million in the 2017-18 season after renegotiating.

However, signing the three year deal gives the Cavs them wiggle room to sign other key role players.  From the looks of it, the retooling process is coming along well. It will also give LeBron a little more long term security. Not that he needed it. The deal is not officially signed yet but it seems that all parties have everything agreed to in principle.

LeBron is also pushing the Cavs to get a deal done with wingman and sharp shooter JR Smith. James looks to have the "Cavs band" back together again.

Cliff's Edge 12.11.15: Quarter-Tank of Gas #Cavs

By @CLG2282

We're at a pivotal point the in this NBA season. Many people will frown at that statement alone. However, if we are being honest, a fourth of the way through the season can give valuable insight.

Just look at the attention and hysteria the Golden State Warriors are pulling in. As I've said in the past, you can not win a championship at this stage but you can definitely lose it. Take the Warriors inverse for instance, the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly is on yet another historically terrible pace.

Like anything else, you have your two extremes and then everything else in the middle. So where do the Cleveland Cavaliers line up thus far? I would still say somewhere in the top tier of competitors. I'll even take it a step further and rank them at #3 in my own personal power rankings. Because you know, my system holds major weight in these sports streets.

Lol.

The Cavs are in line behind obvious powerhouses Golden State and San Antonio (who are a lot closer to the Warriors than most will give them credit for). That being said, there is a lot of belly aching going on over a team with a .666 winning percentage. To be honest, it's probably only because the Warriors have not lost.

We all know what Cleveland is capable of and the talent they have. So when another team is on a historical pace and still undefeated, fans tend to complain about not being on that same pace.  Let's not all forget, however, that this team was under .500 through the holiday season last year and LeBron had a knee issue.

What is it exactly that is upsetting and frustrating some Cavs fans? A team that has twice the amount of wins as they have losses. A team that is missing, arguably, their second best player in Kyrie Irving.  Really?

The Cavs are down two (very important by the way) starters with Irving and Shumpert recently returning to full practice mode. Now how many teams do you think would still be playing relatively well minus their 2nd leading scorer and best perimeter defender?

Take Thompson and Barnes from the Warriors or Leonard and Parker from the Spurs and I'm quite sure there would be some noticeable changes in the team's play. It may sound a little repetitive but Cavs fans have to relax. They still lead the division and the conference for that matter. The Cavs seem to be weathering the injury storm fairly well.

The current available players have been banged up but they are managing to hold down the fort. JR Smith missed a few games, as well as Mo Williams. Having guys out of games has resulted in some lackluster performances from the squad.

With the return of Shumpert and Irving, comes depth. In fact, having those two back in the lineup likely means the Cavs become the deepest team in the league. There is murmuring that Kyrie and Iman may in fact return to the Cavs lineup during the up coming two-game road swing. Which would be refreshing news. No matter when they return, the boost in scoring and defense will definitely be much needed and noticable.  Fresh legs for the second half of the season is also something that you can't be mad at.

We saw this before last year. Dealing with the chemistry and conditioning for the first half of the season, then making a tear through the competition in the second half of the season. By the time the all-star break rolls around, the team should be poised to make a run.

So let's not get out of shape about the here-and-now and remember the bigger picture.  We aren't in it for a good first half or necessarily the best record. We're in it for the long haul. To win a championship. If things don't improve by February, then be upset.

But until then, trust the process.

As always, #GoCavs

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!

Cliff's Edge 5.27.15: An Ode to the King #Cavs

By @CLG2282

How about them Cavs???

All we heard was how difficult it was to defend Atlanta. They only thing people talked about was how short handed we are. And what did the Cavs do? Go out and sweep the #1 seed Atlanta Hawks.

Not only did they sweep, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it look easy. This may be the most efficiently I've seen a LeBron James lead Cavaliers squad play.

All lot of what I have talked about recently was the totality of the team. I've talked about how the Cavs have found rhythm and played together as a unit. One thing that was blatantly different about this Conference Finals series was about one man, LeBron James.

With the Cavs win tonight LeBron James, along with James Jones, has done something that Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have never done. Make it to the NBA Finals for a 5th consecutive season. Doing so in quite an impressive fashion, might I add.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James averaged a triple-double. Most memorable is probably the Game 3 overtime victory in Cleveland in which James notched 37 pts, 18 rebs and 13 asts. Not to mention the 3 steals he had during that contest or the late corner-three he hit to put the Cavs ahead for good.

James put his team on his back. Plain and Simple. No Kevin Love, a hobbled Kyrie Irving and against a hungry and lethal Atlanta Hawks team, LeBron James carried the Cavs to the Eastern Conference championship and the 2nd Finals appearance in franchise history.

Now I'm not saying he did not have help because that would purely be a lie. Shooters like JR Smith were key in the Cavs success. The scoring and defense of Shumpert and Delly were vital in stifling the Hawks. Thompson's rebounding, hustling and just courageous play helped lift the Cavs to another level. However, the most vital ingredient was the talent, leadership and example given by James.

LeBron was singlehandedly able to impose his will on the Hawks. In moments throughout the series, James was able to get into a zone where it seemed like he knew that he could change the game with every possession.  He attacked and picked apart the Atlanta defense. James also impaired the Hawks offense playing the passing lanes and being everywhere it seemed.

This thing is far from over but I just want to stop and give credit where it is do. LeBron, I tip my hat you you fella. When it started looking rough, you strapped the old work boots up and put the young guys on your back. You lead this young team in the way that champions do. Only four more games left to win. It's far from over but it's oh so close. Let's get this done Cleveland.

GO CAVS!!!

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

Cliff's Edge: 13 Keeps It Traditional #Cavs

By @CLG2282

Well, it was fun while it last right? That "lucky" 13 reared it's head, and I'm not talking about Tristan Thompson's fierce rebounding attitude.

After a subpar performance against the Indiana Pacers,  the winning-streak that carried the Cleveland Cavaliers into 2015 has come to an end. For the 4th time in franchise history, a winning streak has been stopped at or one game short of 13. (13 straight games being the best in franchise history).

Something about these superstitions I guess.

In an attempt to win their thirteenth consecutive contest, the Cavs displayed a late game effort that rivals some off-day walk thrus. The Cavs started in typical fashion, coming out strong in the 1st quarter. They seemed to be clicking, hitting eight of their first ten shots, with several assists to boot. But somewhere towards the end of the 2nd quarter, our Cleveland squad went D-League.

LeBron and company squandered a double-digit lead and had to hit a desperation 3pt FG at the halftime buzzer by Kyrie Irving to have a somewhat respectable lead of eight points going into the half.

In typical Cavalier fashion, the 3rd quarter was more forgettable than a spam account following you on twitter. After scoring 31 in the first quarter and 24 in the 2nd, the Wine and Gold some how were only able to pull together 15 points in the 3rd quarter. It seemed as if the Cavs played so well in the first half that they thought they won the game, packed their bags and headed to the airport. And oh yea, they allowed 16 4th quarter points to C.J. Miles, and 36 to the Pacers as a whole.

Former Cavalier C.J. flippin MILES. SMH.

Forgetting to move the ball on offense and to rotate on defense lead to a pathetic ending to Friday night's game against the Pacers. And sadly the same end to a very encouraging and uplifting winning streak.
Standing around watch team mates go one-on-one for a full half is not how to win games. It was just a 2nd half that just  shouldn't happen. Oh well I guess.

You may notice my lack of detail and depth on the loss. Well that is because I don't want to overshadow the fact that they just won 12 straight. I mean come on. That's like getting on the case of a straight A student for getting a bad grade on one quiz.

So yes, David Blatt needs to have a chat with his students about there C-minus effort last night. That however does not mean start changing things.

Next time, and for the rest of the season, they need to remember to show up for ALL four quarters.

Catch you next time folks.

#GoCavs #ClevelandOverEverything

Cliff's Edge 12.3.14: Two Faces #Cavs

By @CLG2282

The Cavs, oh the Cavs.  They know how to make other wise simple things complicated, do they not?

It seems that LeBron and the gang like to play to the level of their competition.  Especially James himself.

If it's not playing down to the competition, then it's not being able to put together a complete game in which they play well for an entire four quarters.

Last night was a typical Jekyll and Hyde performance from the home team. 

The Cavs were rebounding well offensively but not so well defensive end.  Great defensive plays were made but weren't capitalized on at the offensive end.  Or vice versa. Kevin Love got off to a very hot start. He recorded 17pts 5 rebs in the first quarter.  And when he went to the bench, Irving sparked the Cavs offense late in the first and early into the second quarter.

But again, they started to slip and give up another lead. The Bucks went on a 17-6 run during the first five and a half minutes  of the 2nd quarter. *face plams*.

You would think the Cavs players would be terrible drivers the way the so often take their foot off of the proverbial gas pedal. What also seems to be a theme with Cleveland is overplaying.  The team tries to do too much or overplays when the simple logical play will work just fine. This is often my biggest peeve with James.  He frequently gets "too fancy" with simple plays like behind the back and one handed passes that aren't necessary and have usually ended up as turnovers.

Kevin Love gets his fair share of overly complicated plays with long, over-the-head passes that get intercepted.  I'm starting to believe that this is just an aspect of this teams character that we'll have to get use to.

On the bright side, the mid games hiccups of Cleveland afforded true basketball fans a treat.  Jabari Parker took full advantage of the Cavs sloppy play. Picking his spots, Parker looked explosive and very comfortable with his game.  He got to his spots and played within his game well. Lazy play lead to playing catch up going into halftime.  But the Cavs were able to muster small runs and cut the Bucks lead to just two going into the half.

One thing that was pleasantly unusual is that Cavs play coming OUT of the half. Yes, a third quarter in which the Cavs played well. Who would have thought? There was a clear momentum swing when the Cavs went on 9-0 run. Started with a Mike Miller 3, Kyrie got a steal and completed a three-point play on the ensuing possesion.  LeBron added one of two free throws followed by another Kyrie layup. Unfortunately, James staggered and stopped the Cavs momentum being selfish.  He tried to hard to get himself involved in the run instead of finding the best available shot or open man. He forced a shot and pass resulting in twi turnovers for him respectively. Come on LeBron, at least act like you want to play here AND win. Though the score was still tied at the end of the 3rd, the Cavs were awake and attacking the entire quarter. They were able to jump out to small leads.  And for the most part the Cavse seemed to control that quarter.

The Bucks made their own runs keeping the game close but Cleveland looked more polished.

Early game blundders by the Cavs made it a very close game but the Wine and Gold were able to survive. Scrapping and clawing to the end,  the Cavs were able to stay ahead late and secure a three point victory.

There are still some obvious issues with the Cavs as a team. As the first quarter of the season is wrapping up, one would hope that these things won't plague us to and, heaven forbid, through the All-Star break or the rest of the season.

Cliff's Edge: Under Construction #Cavs

By @CLG2282

So, as I said in New Work Environment everyone needs to relax. What I'm gathering from Cleveland ' collective sigh of relief is that most people took my advice. Or at least LeBron's advice when he tweeted the same thing.

A few more games played and some great study points later, the Cavs are still that same work in progress. I'm not backing off of my circa the All-Star break timetable for them to really start coming around.

It still isn't pretty, as the LeBron and company have had to battle back in pretty much every game.  However, their play has been very encouraging. 

After losing three of the first four games, the Cavs have now won three straight. I won't say that they were against championship contenders,  but they were against teams that are playing well, have good talent and continuity.

Their offense is definitely coming around. Over the three wins the Cavs are averaging just under 117 points a contest.  To boot they put up a fairly decent assist-turnover ratio (73-28) I'm that same span.

Shooting as a team also seems to be a strong point. The team is posting a team field goal percentage in the %48 range, even going over %50 (.506) as a team in the win against Boston. 

Defense, as I said previously has something left to be desired. I mean really, who gives up 120 points to the Celtics? Not the "Big 3" or the 1980s Celtics, but the second year head coach, motley crew Celtics.

The defensive end seems to be a direct mirror of coach Blatt.  As Blatt is trying to figure out who his player units and rotations are, the on the court defense is trying to figure out the same thing. Who rotates where, who covers which lanes, what picks to switch on and when?

All questions that won't be answered until the chemistry continues to build.  Struggling to get key stops and defend the 3-pt line have been the Achilles heal of the Cavs.  In summmation, we are scoring a lot of points but we are also giving up a lot of points.

With all of that said, the overall feel for the Cavs is encouragement and improvement. I'm beginning to see large steps towards improvement as a unit. Not to be confused by you hypochondriacs out there for the final steps to a championship run.

In the game against Boston I saw, other than horrible defense,  resiliency.  I saw a cohesive unit come back from a19-pt deficit. A deficit that was a result of the aforementioned poor defensive effort.

But the weak defense seemed to be bolstered early in the 4th quarter and sustained throughout.  With explosive scoring from Kyrie, our rebounding improved and the defense was stout. Mainly with the switch of LeBron to covering Rondo.

The part that showed the most maturity, to me, was Kyrie's explosive offense and LeBron taking over. Kyrie was instant offense, scoring in a variety of ways.  LeBron? Well he did everything.

James made precise decisions on offense.  Not only precise but dominate and aggressive moves to the basket. He was taking efficient shots, most of which were right at the rim after a strong drive.

The move that showed the biggest promise was coach Blatt switching James onto Rondo defensively. Rondo had the Celtic offense thriving against the lackluster Cavs defense.  His passing and decision making kept Cleveland lost on defense.

However, the length and athleticism of James stifled Rondo.  The stout defense slowed down Rondo's passing ability and basically stop his scoring. James showed great leadership and  pose to close out the game.

We shouldn't get too high on this game and it's positive signs. It is still early in the season. But these are encouraging signs of things to come. Thus far there aren't locker altercations,  players seem to be listening to the coach's and the team appears to just be moving in the right general direction.

As the Cavs continue to take steps toward improvement, let's continue to appreciate and understand "the process". We won't lose the season in one game nor will we win a championship in one game. The process has to continue and the will grow accordingly. 


As Always, #GoCavs and #ClevelandAgainstTheWorld