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Windhorst: Cleveland Cavaliers "Aren't Playing Like a Team That Intends to Advance"

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While it's never prudent to count one's chickens before they hatch--just ask Tracy McGrady!--the Orlando Magic are almost assuredly on their way to their second straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance, as they hold a 3-0 series lead on the Atlanta Hawks, whom they've defeated by an average of 29 points per game. Orlando, assuming it doesn't become the first team in history to blow a 3-0 lead, will draw the winner of the playoff series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Cleveland finished the regular season with the NBA's best record, employs the league's two-time reigning MVP, and made a Conference Finals appearance last season, which made it the favorite against Boston going in. But Boston evened the series at two games apiece yesterday thanks to an extraordinary performance from point guard Rajon Rondo.

Brian Windhorst covers the Cavs for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and knows the team better than anyone else in the media. Thus, these comments he made after yesterday's game really caught my eye:

It is still unclear whether the Cavs have within them the desire to win 10 more games. Sometimes it looks like a "yes" but quite often it looks like a "no."

[...]

[...][T]he Cavs aren't playing like a team that intends to advance. Maybe not even a team that wants to advance.

Going in, I expected Cleveland to prevail in 6 games, as did Windhorst, so as he explains, the fact that Cleveland's lost twice already is "understandable."

But it is telling, perhaps, that the Cavs have looked so lackluster in these playoffs. It's in stark contrast to the Magic, who are playing their best ball of the season, and maybe even in franchise history, at the moment.

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The Cavs have a problem in that there is no team identity when LeBron is on the bench or not hitting his shots. They don’t have a 3rd quality offensive player they can rely on to run the system when James is on the bench, either. Mo Williams should be that guy, but he’s often stuck in passive mode or aggressive scorer mode, not usually in between as scorer/facilitator.

The Magic remain themselves when Gortat and the other bench players get on the floor and remind me of the Suns bench.

James is going to play hard no matter what the scenario is, but this feels a whole lot like Jamison becoming the #1 guy on another team that will struggle to make the 8th seed.

…once LBJ signs elsewhere.

!Nerd Up

by nerditry on May 10, 2010 2:13 PM EDT reply actions  

This is a real good point

At times it looks like Delonte West does his best to provide leadership when LBJ is not on the floor. I’ve never believed Mo had any real talent to carry a team and for that matter still don’t. So it’s safe to say he won’t step up.

As for LBJ leaving…
I believe that no matter what happens this season he will re-sign with Cleveland in a contract that keeps him there for no long than 3 years. No matter what happens in the 3 years after LBJ signs he will leave. That is my opinion. Can I get a witness??? (No queen james pun intended)

"One thing about knowing that you're dying is that it keeps reminding you you're alive so it's no time to pass up a party."
- Warren Zevon

by Wally Balls 407 on May 10, 2010 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

^ longer*

"One thing about knowing that you're dying is that it keeps reminding you you're alive so it's no time to pass up a party."
- Warren Zevon

by Wally Balls 407 on May 10, 2010 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions  

mo can go off… he is not the best defender though…

delonte can bang shots in the post.

cavs are a very scary team. anyone who doesn’t think they can match up with us is fooling themselves. whether they play to their talent and ability… i hope not haha

by thomaswhigham on May 10, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions  

I didn't say they couldn't match up

I was really trying to hit home the point that Mo is a bum IMHO.

"One thing about knowing that you're dying is that it keeps reminding you you're alive so it's no time to pass up a party."
- Warren Zevon

by Wally Balls 407 on May 10, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

It is tough when you are the annointed one!

All these peasants trying to steal your thunder. The Celtics should realize the the King must win and roll over immediately. For shame!

"There are two ways to argue with a woman, and neither of them work."; Carlos Boozer

I'll tell ya about the Magic It'll free your soul but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock n roll

The only way to stop LeBron is Smith and Wesson, but even that's a double team.

by NC Magic Fan on May 10, 2010 2:38 PM EDT reply actions  

I think Cleveland doesn’t have as great basketball chemistry and experience together, they changed some of their guards, pulled a major mid season deal and have had much less games as a full unit than you think, Jamison came mid year, Shaq was injured until playoff start. They have tactical weapons for sure, post Shaq or Jamison, iso LBJ or Jamison, LBJ again creates open shots for their guards, or gets FTs, with his drives, Mo can get very hot too. The Magic already have strategies and experience on beating Cleveland, SVG will not double LBJ so there’s so many other open options like last year. The reg. season games this year have been topsy turvy with them, but like the LA game earlier in the year, the Magic were still really adjusting around and far from their peak, a place they’re at right now, at the right time. Playing suffocating D and keeping Dwight out of as much foul trouble as possible is paramount thru the next two rounds. Jameer will have to be aggressive, employing drives drive and kicks probing and keeping the dribble alive, VC using PnRs and being aggressive with drives and FTs, running plays for Dwight the most obviously but also Rashard who is playing amazing, and keeping the ball movement high for all the shooters who are open like MP, JJ, Barnes. I feel the Magic are supremely confident they will beat Cleveland, even if they get down big in a game or don’t have a series lead, they know how to play together through it.

by derekk on May 10, 2010 3:17 PM EDT via mobile reply actions  

To go along with this, Cleveland has had 14 starting lineups. 3 were the three games when they were resting starters, but the other 11 were legitimate in-season lineups. None were used more than 33 times, and that lineup was Williams-Parker-James-Hickson-O’Neal. The Williams-Parker-James-Jamison-O’Neal lineup they’re using lately? 2 regular season starts.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on May 10, 2010 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

#CrazyNuts

After watching Rondo just own Mo Williams, I completely switched courses and now am hoping we play Cleveland just to watch Jameer completely destroy Mo. Then to see Mo Williams throw up a classic 4-15 shooting performance…

Read www.magicbasketballonline.com ! Follow @magicbasketball !

by magicbasketballonline on May 10, 2010 3:18 PM EDT reply actions  

I think Mo is capable of putting up big points but Jameer will have to be playing bad D or having to battle thru too much screens. Mo cannot guard Jameer well to begin with tho. Meercat and Vinsanity will need to step up because I don’t think either one can be stopped well if they are as aggressive as possible.

by derekk on May 10, 2010 3:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

delonte can post up vince i bet

by thomaswhigham on May 10, 2010 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions  

Carter has a pretty sizable.. size advantage.

3 inches and 40 lbs. I’d bet against West trying to post him up.

"It's difficult to win when you're outscored in every quarter." -Bill Walton

by betterthanburke on May 10, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yea , I don’t think so either, but VC will have to stay closer to him than normal bc he can shoot and we’re trying to make them a 1, 2 man team only.

by derekk on May 10, 2010 10:20 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

Here's the difference between these three teams.

The Cavs’ big offseason move was to get Shaq. They got Shaq specifically because they thought his size would bother the Magic.

The Celtics’ big offseason move was to get Rasheed Wallace. They got Rasheed Wallace specifically because Wallace’s Pistons teams used to bother the Magic.

The Magic’s big free agent move was to get Vince Carter. They got Vince Carter because he made the team better.

Jameer Nelson is Jimmy Olsen.

by 3.3seconds on May 10, 2010 3:38 PM EDT reply actions   2 recs

I've never seen it so eloquently presented.

You can add the Cavs’ big in-season move to the same thing. They got him specifically to address Rashard Lewis.

I hate Varejao.

by slickw143 on May 10, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions  

Ah, I'm not sure I see it that way.

While I’m not sure Jamison was specifically the best choice, and I certainly think they could’ve brought someone in before February, a viable second scoring option should have been what the Cavs were looking for the whole time. Instead, they got a 38-year-old center who struggled to play 24 minutes a game. (And then they had to scrounge for the scoring option at the last minute.)

(And yes, I meant to say “offseason” in the last line — I know Vince wasn’t a free agent.)

Jameer Nelson is Jimmy Olsen.

by 3.3seconds on May 10, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions  

And he has an expiring contract too.

Jamison’s good… but imagining the Cavs with Lebron and Amar’e on the floor is a little scary.

Go Titans! Go Magic!

"I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, and wear Reebok." - Shaq

by madhjsp on May 10, 2010 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah...

…Stoudamire would definitely have been the better choice, though who knows what the Suns wanted in return. Hanging onto him worked out okay for the Suns, I guess…

Jameer Nelson is Jimmy Olsen.

by 3.3seconds on May 10, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions  

If I remember correctly...

the Suns wanted a package that included J.J. Hickson but Danny Ferry told Steve Kerr to take a hike!

I'm a dude!

Orlando Pinstriped Post: Where game threads turn into online chat rooms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPlLyVuMf7U

by GameManager on May 10, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

Oh, right, I remember.

They have this weird confidence in Hickson. Oh, well, maybe he’ll develop into a player for them someday.

Jameer Nelson is Jimmy Olsen.

by 3.3seconds on May 10, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

Hickson has a lot of potential, especially this early in his career, but...

I don’t ever see him being as good as Stat. He has shown flashes but if Cleveland expects him to be the next Karl Malone, they’re going to be very disappointed.

I'm a dude!

Orlando Pinstriped Post: Where game threads turn into online chat rooms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPlLyVuMf7U

by GameManager on May 10, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions  

and besides, why would Amar'e want to go to an awful place like Cleveland ?

I remember that someone broke the news about that trade during a game thread and everyone was pretty uncomfortable with the idea.

Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.

by 44792212 on May 10, 2010 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions  

Just statistically, I don't see it.

He’s a solid if limited scorer… I’ll give him that.

His rebounding is in that whole Tony Battie one-per-four-minutes range. (Probably a little better than that, given that the Cavs play a pretty slow game, but still.) Not awful, but there’s no reason to believe he has any particular instinct for rebounding.

And I know the stats are skewed, because for most of the season, the PF minutes he didn’t play were taken up by a great defender in Varejao. But still, the stats don’t have very much nice to say about his defense.

He could improve — but all in all, I don’t see any really pressing reason to believe he’s much more than a decent backup. Certainly not a guy you hold up a big trade over, in my opinion.

Jameer Nelson is Jimmy Olsen.

by 3.3seconds on May 10, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions  

Not to mention the Lebron factor

Having Lebron on your team makes it ten times easier to score on slashes to the basket as so much focus goes to limiting Lebron. Kinda like how it works for the Magic’s outside shooters with Dwight inside.

by Eric9321 on May 10, 2010 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions  

Amare + LeBron on the PnR would've been devestating.

The Cavs being unwilling to part with Hickson for Amare was reminiscent of the Bulls not wanting to part with Deng for Kobe a few years ago.

I hate Varejao.

by slickw143 on May 10, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

Not according to "experts"

JA Adande answered my question on a chat and said you cant put a fantasy basketball team together. Sure looked like the Magic did. Either way I will always believe, Amar’e is underrated. He has a very smooth looking 20 foot jump shoot. And he hit free throws at 80% clip. Anyone who thought Jamison was better should be shoot.

by Mateo9399 on May 11, 2010 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions  

SVG On Hickson

“We are not going to worry about JJ Hickson”

by Mateo9399 on May 11, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions  

A HUGE +1

That really is well put. Reaction vs. Action. Trying to catch-up vs. Trying to get better. Respondent vs. Aggressor

by CaptWes213 on May 10, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions  

I agree

but, why not use him down the stretch yesterday?

I think Cleveland would be much more successful playing Shaq and Lebron opposite of each other. When Lebron goes out, you feed Shaq-Inside-out from there. I think it would maximize Mo Williams and Delonte’s ability to shoot from the perimeter.

One has to question Mike Brown’s ability. Why did you get Jamison, if you going to run spread and watch offense?

FEED THE BEAST!!!
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by Wmillion on May 10, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions  

I agree

and said as much on the Cavs blog. The Cavs are better off with a faster more athletic team running with James and Shaq in to buy Lebron rest time with a slow deliberate half court attack.

by Eric9321 on May 10, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions  

It's a little early to get over confident

Obviously I love our team and think we’re in the driver’s seat at this junction. But these playoffs are eerily similar to 2009, only we’ve swapped places with Cleveland. Granted, I think we’re light years better than we were last year, which is saying something considering the results. But this is not going to be an easy Eastern Conference finals, no matter which one emerges victorious between Cleveland and Boston.

by CaneGrad05 on May 10, 2010 3:53 PM EDT reply actions  

I don't think anyone's suggesting that the ECF will be easy

It’s pretty much a certainty that if we win that series, it won’t be in a sweep.

But I think what people are saying is that despite the similarities between our current postseason run and the Cavs’ run last year, the circumstances are different, and that cannot be overlooked. We have improved over last year’s team, we’re at full health, we’re playing very good basketball right now, and our opponents so far have been troublesome for all of the top teams in the East. These are all good reasons to believe that our current run hasn’t been due to our opponents laying down, but to us playing like a Championship-caliber team.

Go Titans! Go Magic!

"I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, and wear Reebok." - Shaq

by madhjsp on May 10, 2010 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

I personally don't buy into all the, "Magic have played no one," talk.

The Cavs last year were not challenged by a Pistons team that had no right to be in the playoffs or a Hawks team hit by a couple injuries from the previous series. The Bobcats gave us everything we could handle and were regarded as a lower seed who had a lot of potential to pull an upset. We’re playing a Hawks team at full-strength but we match up way too well with them. Plus, they also seem very demoralized after not being able to close out game 2. However, as I said on another thread, the reason we beat the Cavs was because we matched up very well with them; not because they played easy competition the first 2 rounds. Almost any knowledgeable, unbiased basketball fan could have told you that we’d win that series due to the match up nightmares we caused. Although we may not have all those clear advantages against the Cavs this year, I still think we match up quite well with them. Or if Boston makes it, I think we’re better equipped to handle them with KG. Either way, the ECF will be a dogfight. As for being over-confident, Stan WILL NOT allow that with these guys! So, I don’t think you have too much to worry about there.

I'm a dude!

Orlando Pinstriped Post: Where game threads turn into online chat rooms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPlLyVuMf7U

by GameManager on May 10, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions  

Oh So True

Matchups matchups matchups. That’s all basketball is about.

Things like momentum matter more in other sports such as football and baseball.

Think momentum matters? Ask the Rockets in 2007 after their 22 game winning streak and subsequent first round playoff loss, or the Cavs post season pre-ECF.

This 7-0 start for the Magic means nothing compared to the match up potentials that lie ahead. I really hope Cleveland pulls it out against Boston, and not vise versa.

by gatorboi352 on May 10, 2010 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions  

momentum counts big during the course of a game though

Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.

by 44792212 on May 10, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions  

Looking at it statistically

The Magic this year swept the Bobcats (#24 offense, #1 defense, #15 SRS) and are on the verge of sweeping the Hawks (#2 offense, #13 defense, #7 SRS)

The Cavs last year swept the Pistons (#21 offense, #16 defense, #17 SRS) and the Hawks (#10 offense, #12 defense, #10 SRS)

Basically, each of the teams the Magic swept was better than the equivalent round that the Cavs swept last year. The Hawks were just barely a top-10 team last season offensively, and the Pistons would have lost a 7-game series to anybody but us last year.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on May 10, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions  

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