Cavs 08-09 Season - Central Div Champs (official thread)

[billmac91]

watching the Celtics game....I'll take Cavs bench all day over the C's.

Their second rotation compared to ours.

Leon Powe
Brian Scallabrine
Glenn Davis
Eddie House/Tony Allen

vs.

Anderson
Hickson
Wally/Sasha
Boobie

The best thing about our bench, is the rotation of Anderson, Z, and Big Ben.

I'll give Mike Brown credit for going with the guys having an "on" night in that rotation. Tonight is a good example...Z is riding pine while Anderson gashes the Pacers.

It's also great Delonte can take spells while Boobie gets minutes, and then come in and spell Mo. It has really made a huge difference.

[OHSportsFan9]

Watched them tonight since this game is on here.

This team just pours it on at home. LeBron hardly had to work and they handled the Pacers.

[OState29]

11 point for LeBron and the cavs win easily. This would have never happened in years past. This neww supporting cast is just that much better.

[stowfan]

Dang, gotta give the Cleveland Plain Dealer credit, they got the box score up
already:
cleveland.com

[exhawg]

Right now the NBA is 3 teams deep although the Lakers have had some games against the East that are a lot closer than they should have been. I love watching the Cavs right now. They have gone from having one of the worst backcourts in the league to one that really gets the job done and finally takes presure off of Lebron.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Cavaliers 97, Pacers 73
Cavaliers stay hot, thanks to tough defense

Saturday, December 6, 2008 2:56 AM
By Tom Withers


Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- After the referees separated Indiana and Cleveland's heated players, Cavaliers guard Mo Williams stood and stared at the Pacers. With his teammates surrounding him, Williams smiled and slowly shook his head from side to side.
His unspoken message was simple.
"We're not backing down from anybody," Williams said. "We are going to protect our home."
Like pit bulls.
With thousands of fans wearing curly, red-headed wigs in his honor, Anderson Varejao didn't miss a shot and scored 17 points in the first half as the defensive-minded Cavaliers, despite getting a season-low 11 points from LeBron James, won their seventh straight, 97-73 over Indiana last night.

Continued.................

[Napoleonbuck]

Originally Posted by billmac91

watching the Celtics game....I'll take Cavs bench all day over the C's.

Their second rotation compared to ours.

Leon Powe
Brian Scallabrine
Glenn Davis
Eddie House/Tony Allen

vs.

Anderson
Hickson
Wally/Sasha
Boobie

The best thing about our bench, is the rotation of Anderson, Z, and Big Ben.

I'll give Mike Brown credit for going with the guys having an "on" night in that rotation. Tonight is a good example...Z is riding pine while Anderson gashes the Pacers.

It's also great Delonte can take spells while Boobie gets minutes, and then come in and spell Mo. It has really made a huge difference.

Mike Brown's rotations have been one of the best non-personnel things of this early season. Mike Brown appears to be maturing as a coach, and isn't really a liability any more. He's not hamstringing our offense(though I think this can also be attributed to player additions and the maturing of Lebron), but he's still getting our guys to play great defense. His rotations and substitutions have a clear purpose(i.e. his use of Sasha against the Bucks which was genius).

Mike Brown should seriously be the leader for coach of the year right now. He's been great IMO.

[buckeyemania11]

Cavs win easily again 94-74 @ the Bobcats

LeBron put up 25, Gibson 22, 11 boards 5 blocks for Big Z

[exhawg]

Next 4 will be interesting. 4 in 5 nights all against playoff teams. At least the 4th game at Atlanta with be their 4th in 5 as well. I doubt Lebron will get the 4th quarter off in any of these games.
Interesting stat I heard today. In the Cavs first winning streak the average score they won by was 8. This winning streak the average margin is 22.

[billmac91]

I say it half-jokingly, but I hope the lack of 4th quarter competiveness doesn't hurt them in some upcoming close games.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Cavaliers 94Bobcats 74
Red-hot Cavs tie NBA mark

Sunday, December 7, 2008 3:31 AM
By Brian Windhorst


The Plain Dealer
Chuck BurtonAssociated Press
The Cavaliers' LeBron James is fouled by the Bobcats' Emeka Okafor, right, during the first half.




CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- If you're getting the feeling that there's never been a run of domination like the Cavs are on right now, you'd be correct.
Another game, another massacre victory at the hands of the Cavs, the latest being a 94-74 drubbing of the Charlotte Bobcats last night.
The winning streak is now eight, and in each, the Cavs have won by at least 12 points. That ties an NBA record for consecutive victories by a dozen points or more. One of the teams they share the mark with is the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, a team that went 72-10.
"If you can get a record by accident, then great," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It's not anything I knew was a record, it's just a tribute to the guys."

Continued......................

[exhawg]

Originally Posted by billmac91

I say it half-jokingly, but I hope the lack of 4th quarter competiveness doesn't hurt them in some upcoming close games.

It's funny how Lebron went from being the leading 4th quarter scorer to hardly playing in the 4th. I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure they're still in good enough shape to play 4 quarters. If all 4 of the upcoming games go down to the wire they might get a little worn down by end, but the Hawks will hopefully be just as tired in the last game. On the bright side everyone on the team has bought in to the defensive philosophy so even when the starters go out the defense is still good. I'm sure Lebron will be back up to 40 minutes a game once the playoffs start. It doesn't seem like Brown is doing anything to get Lebron less minutes now, they just blow out enough teams they they don't need him in the 4th quarter.
For as good as the Cavs have been they still don't seem to be getting the love from the media like the Celtics and Lakers. If they can win the next 4 everyone better watch out.

[osugrad21]

ABJ

THOMAS: What a difference a year makes for Varejao By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 06:28 p.m. EST, Dec 07, 2008
This season, Anderson Varejao has the moves to match his leonine mane. The Cavaliers forward is lean and moves with a catlike quickness that fans haven't seen from him in previous seasons.
''I'm pretty comfortable, playing with confidence,'' he said. ''I feel pretty good out there. I've lost some weight. I like the way I'm playing.''
Last season, Varejao delayed signing because he was a restricted free agent searching for the best deal. This season, he arrived in camp on time with the right attitude and physique. Varejao, 26, is having his best offensive season, averaging 8.3 points per game, more than two points over his career average.
Offense has never been Varejao's game. He spent much of the offseason working on a medium-range jump shot that revealed itself in a 7-of-7 first-half performance against the Indiana Pacers. He brings intangibles to the court ? defense, rebounding and an ability to take a charge. He also can play multiple positions, giving the Cavaliers flexibility on the floor.
''He does look like he's in great shape,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''And not only does he look like it, but watching him move, you can tell by the results when he moves side to side or forward and backward. It's really fun to watch him on the floor out there now.''
Varejao has evolved into an integral part of the Cavaliers. What a difference a year can make in an athlete's life.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

By denying 'blow-bys,' Cavaliers' defense creating plenty of blowouts

by Brian Windhorst/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday December 07, 2008, 7:57 PM


Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerKnicks guard Chris Duhon found no room on this drive as the Cavaliers' Daniel Gibson prevents Duhon from finding the lane in last week's game at The Q.
The blow-by. It is not an official NBA statistic, but if it was, the Cavaliers might have been one of the league leaders in giving them up last season. It's when a ball-handler easily gets past -- or blows by -- his defender on the way to the basket.
This event plagued the Cavs in the past, largely because coach Mike Brown's scheme is constructed around a plan to keep the ball out of the middle. When an opponent does so, especially by dribbling, things start breaking down fast because players have to leave their assigned men to cover for the mistake.
As the Cavs have sprinted out to 17 wins in their first 20 games, it has been very easy to chart their improvement by looking at established numbers like field goal percentage and points allowed per game.
But the reduction in those uncounted blow-bys has been a major factor as well.
Much of the credit can be given to Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson, two players who didn't come into the season with sparkling defensive reputations. In fact, Williams was downright labeled a poor defender after several seasons when his Milwaukee Bucks ranked near the bottom of the league.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

Cavs pass chemistry test, so far

James explains red-hot 17-3 start: ?We love each other?




By Chris Beaven
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:03 AM
CLEVELAND ?
If the Cavaliers look like they?re having all kinds of fun together on the court, the reason is simple.

They are.

Talent and coaching alone aren?t allowing the Cavs to blow out team after team on their way to a 17-3 start. They also have the most elusive of all intangibles in sports ? chemistry.

Superstar LeBron James said last week ?it?s at an all-time high? after the rout of the Knicks. He talked more about it after the rout of the Pacers.

?We love each other,? James said. ?It?s more than just being out on the court. We get along with each other off the court, playing on the bus. That goes a long way (to being successful) onto the court.?

James looks around the locker room and sees no one putting themselves first ?and the team second.?

?That?s why it?s easy to go out and play,? James said. ?It?s a big difference.?

Chemistry can come and go in a hurry. The Cavs found it two seasons ago in their run to the NBA Finals. They never found it a season ago when contract disputes and injuries marred the start of the season before a blockbuster trade reshaped the roster in February.

This season, it has been there from the outset.
Cont...