Multiple marquee Cleveland players spoke without attribution to cleveland.com, ESPN and The Athletic after the loss to the Warriors, and league sources separately spoke to cleveland.com to describe a sullen and dour atmosphere on a team that a few short weeks ago was toasting in Napa, Calif.
"Rotations are awful. IT (Isaiah Thomas) is so much worse than Kyrie (Irving) defensively it's insane," said a league source. "There is not a great feeling anywhere. They need to limp into the All-Star break and get away from each other."
In some ways im concerned for them. On the other hand this feels familiar
The difference is that when Kyrie tries, he can be effective on D. Whereas when IT tries, he's still 5'7 and completely useless. No, the occasional steal or pass deflection don't help his case. And oh yeah, Kyrie is still scoring. IT had a great year last season but I'm pretty sure that's all it was, a great year. Before that he's only ever been a 20ppg guy who can't defend or rebound because he's an inch shorter than me ffs.
Even if he gets his game back and starts scoring at last year's pace, scoring 30 a game (something he will likely never come close to again in his career... Over under IT being done in the NBA when this contract is up?) is meaningless when the opponent just attacks you on their possessions and score 40. I don't watch the Cavs but the Raptors we're pretty ruthless targeting IT a few nights ago while he was on the floor.
as long as he can score efficiently, i dont think he'll be out of the league. i mean, isnt jamal crawford terribad at d too? but he's still a wanted man cause he can score
Problem is all the Cavs offense are all high-usage scorers - DWade, DRose, IT, and their daddy LBJ, with 3/4 of them sliding more on the high-usage side than the scorer side. There is no way in a team as ball dominant as LBJ that those can get their 20-30 ppg, they won't even get the rhythm to make 20 ppg possible. Unless they become wait-for-Lebron players like Korver and Love, this team will not even ,ake it past round 2. What's disgusting is KLove is actually playing well, but gets neither recognition nor attention from Lue nor his teammates. And Korver is a legit scorer, if only he can get his touches other than the old and stale LBJ drive and kick out.
did fighting ability and physical brutality ever change the tone/outcome of games or playoff series in the past in the NBA? like in the 70s or 80s? it used to in the NHL in the 70s. and i think Al Davis's Oakland Raiders used fear and physical brutality to win in the 1980s in the NFL.
On January 17 2018 12:38 Jerubaal wrote: I don't think it was petty of him, but, as usual, you should keep those sort of comments private.
Bjelica: "You try something like that in former Soviet Bloc, I nots be goings so easy on you."
Ah yeah, and to think he said he was ok with it first time around.
And lol with Bjelica. He sonned Afflalo with that head lock. Intentional punch like that should get more than flagrant 2, what was the punishment for it?
I think it is hard to say IT is overrated when who knows where he is rated. Some love him and think he's this generations Iverson and others think he will be out of league in no time.
Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely with his quad issue. Spurs will make the playoffs without him I think, but need him to be a factor in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if he makes it back. In the minutes he has played this yeah he has been deadly.
Rose is probably back Thursday I don't think he solves any of the cavs issues. But they are probably marginally better with him then without.
the irony of not wanting a tribute video to distract from your big night and you end up making the withdrawal of the tribute video an even bigger distraction to your big night
On January 18 2018 16:06 BlackJack wrote: the irony of not wanting a tribute video to distract from your big night and you end up making the withdrawal of the tribute video an even bigger distraction to your big night
This.
That being said it is odd of the 40 games they had to pick to retire PP they pick the one with a conflict. Poor planning on the celts part.