Welcome to the rookapalooza -- we should just trade away everyone over 21.
And we are about 10 total points in the last two weeks from having put the league on notice with a string of exciting wins over top teams. Instead we've dropped 6 of 7 and these close losses have to be getting old. Here's one thought about those losses: DEFENSE. We scored 109pts again, and again lost. You know how often the Cavs score 109pts and lose? Almost never. And its hard sometimes to even figure out why we struggle so much. So many guys seem to be trying so hard on that end. But still we struggle and in a few weeks our wings from our historically bad defensive team of last year return to the fray. That ain't gonna help. We need to find some answers on that side of the ball if we are going to take the next step. If we give up 100ppg instead of 105ppg we are a 20 win team right now.
Greene ( C+ ) -- going to call Donte the SF this time and Omri the SG -- they really are often interchangeable, but tonight Donte was being checked by Hill and Omri spent much of the early going getting switched over onto Nash off of Phoenix picks.
Donte was largely content to work as a distributor in the early going and not looking for his own offense. Had a few flashes of wanting to do too much -- a bad TO when he left his feet to pass, and a forced shot in the early second, but generally helped Reke, Omri and KT shine in the early going just by getting out of the way -- the value of a roleplayer. In the mid-2nd dropped a beautiul open court pass to Casspi for the layup but stepped on Jared Dudley's foot as he was coming down and went down in a heap -- the first of two injury scares we would have on the night Limped into the locker room immediately and it was looking like the looming minutes crunch might be solves the wrong way. But was back after half to mix in some good defensive moments with steals and blocks, but was not consistently staying in front of Richardson. Eventually phased out in the 3rd and never returned. First it was Noc playing well who took the minutes, then Beno finally woke up. And with Reke and Omri both posting big games, just no time available. A respectable roleplayer's game in his limited minutes posting stats across the board: 17min 2pts 5rebs 4ast 2stl 2blk.
Thompson ( C+ ) -- good muscular take on Frye to start -- not a 1 but as 2-grunter as you heard the Suns' big weenie let out not one but two squeals as Jaosn banged into and through him. Got the benefit of a whistle on an +1 flying down the lane into and over Richardson -- very aggressive and physical early. But then it was a wild whirling drive reminscient of Donte that had no chance, and a terrible pass up top intended for Udoka, but don't see how it could get there since he threw it right to Dudley standing right between them -- and that was what I think really threw him out of rhythm and began to hurt us were just some really bad/idiotic passes scattered throught this one from all points on the court. Jason was functioning as a one man trigger for the Suns fast break for stretches of this one. I think given his foul trouble in previous matchups, we avoided the JT/Amare match this time, and instead Jason spent most of his time on Frye. Did not really contain him either though as he was having problems staying close enough to him running around the perimeter. Made some good plays late before blowing the critical ones we needed with a series of mishandles and fumbles. Got a block and then ran the floor hard for the finish. Picked up Reke's poke steal on Nash and sent it back ahead to Reke for the finish on the break. Grabbed a good d-board in traffic. But then fumbled a pass from Reke to trigger another Suns break and put us down four. Grabbed an offensive board on a Reke miss at the 1:00 but did the overexcited gerbil thing and blew the 2 foot tip layup. But on a set play out of the timeout got the dunk off a Reke assist at the 40 second mark. Getting a little distressed at how low my grades are going for these double doubles Jaosn is putting up, but many of them feel less than the numbers -- this one was 14pts 10rebs, but also 6-16 shooting, 5 TOs, and some critical fumbles down the stretch.
Hawes ( C- ) -- started this one off immediately with a soft foul on Amare on a +1. Not able to protect the paint in the early going, but got a dunk off the pick and roll with Reke. Fluttered up a bricked three (which the box says must just have been a 22 foot jumepr, whihc is almost worse), but did grab an aggressive d-board. Picked up his second foul near the end of the first quarter and did not return for a very long time as we went in search of toughness and the ability to get back to defend the run n gun. Finally back in in the late 3rd and did a solid job for about 4-5 minutes on the boards and with a dunk. But Mr. 30-11 two games ago gave us all of 4-3 in 17 irrelevant minutes tonight and again saw his midget ex-college teammate take him late minutes just by having a bigger set.
Casspi ( A- ) -- started this one with a post move, but then airballed his first three and in the early going all his hits were to the hoop (including a nifty to the hoop scoop wiht his left hand), while the jumpshots were off the mark. The Suns kept on getting Reke and Caspi to switch off screens in the early going as well, and then Nash on Casspi = no chance. Got our on the break several times in the second, including the play that Donte went down on, and then taking the fullcourt pass from Reke to hit the layup beating the first half buzzer. Got fouled, but then missed both FTs in the early 3rd. Finally splashed in a three in the mid third and hit a series of big shots in the last quarter and a half, culiminating with a big three in the 4th off of a Reke kick to set a career high with 24. Airballed the desperation three at the closing buzzer, but wisely on that play was waiting to try to create a +1 situation given that we were 4 down. So hohum, another 20pt game. Keeps inching that career high up one point at a time. But if he keeps setting a new one every game it will be 72 by the end of the season.
And we are about 10 total points in the last two weeks from having put the league on notice with a string of exciting wins over top teams. Instead we've dropped 6 of 7 and these close losses have to be getting old. Here's one thought about those losses: DEFENSE. We scored 109pts again, and again lost. You know how often the Cavs score 109pts and lose? Almost never. And its hard sometimes to even figure out why we struggle so much. So many guys seem to be trying so hard on that end. But still we struggle and in a few weeks our wings from our historically bad defensive team of last year return to the fray. That ain't gonna help. We need to find some answers on that side of the ball if we are going to take the next step. If we give up 100ppg instead of 105ppg we are a 20 win team right now.
Greene ( C+ ) -- going to call Donte the SF this time and Omri the SG -- they really are often interchangeable, but tonight Donte was being checked by Hill and Omri spent much of the early going getting switched over onto Nash off of Phoenix picks.
Donte was largely content to work as a distributor in the early going and not looking for his own offense. Had a few flashes of wanting to do too much -- a bad TO when he left his feet to pass, and a forced shot in the early second, but generally helped Reke, Omri and KT shine in the early going just by getting out of the way -- the value of a roleplayer. In the mid-2nd dropped a beautiul open court pass to Casspi for the layup but stepped on Jared Dudley's foot as he was coming down and went down in a heap -- the first of two injury scares we would have on the night Limped into the locker room immediately and it was looking like the looming minutes crunch might be solves the wrong way. But was back after half to mix in some good defensive moments with steals and blocks, but was not consistently staying in front of Richardson. Eventually phased out in the 3rd and never returned. First it was Noc playing well who took the minutes, then Beno finally woke up. And with Reke and Omri both posting big games, just no time available. A respectable roleplayer's game in his limited minutes posting stats across the board: 17min 2pts 5rebs 4ast 2stl 2blk.Thompson ( C+ ) -- good muscular take on Frye to start -- not a 1 but as 2-grunter as you heard the Suns' big weenie let out not one but two squeals as Jaosn banged into and through him. Got the benefit of a whistle on an +1 flying down the lane into and over Richardson -- very aggressive and physical early. But then it was a wild whirling drive reminscient of Donte that had no chance, and a terrible pass up top intended for Udoka, but don't see how it could get there since he threw it right to Dudley standing right between them -- and that was what I think really threw him out of rhythm and began to hurt us were just some really bad/idiotic passes scattered throught this one from all points on the court. Jason was functioning as a one man trigger for the Suns fast break for stretches of this one. I think given his foul trouble in previous matchups, we avoided the JT/Amare match this time, and instead Jason spent most of his time on Frye. Did not really contain him either though as he was having problems staying close enough to him running around the perimeter. Made some good plays late before blowing the critical ones we needed with a series of mishandles and fumbles. Got a block and then ran the floor hard for the finish. Picked up Reke's poke steal on Nash and sent it back ahead to Reke for the finish on the break. Grabbed a good d-board in traffic. But then fumbled a pass from Reke to trigger another Suns break and put us down four. Grabbed an offensive board on a Reke miss at the 1:00 but did the overexcited gerbil thing and blew the 2 foot tip layup. But on a set play out of the timeout got the dunk off a Reke assist at the 40 second mark. Getting a little distressed at how low my grades are going for these double doubles Jaosn is putting up, but many of them feel less than the numbers -- this one was 14pts 10rebs, but also 6-16 shooting, 5 TOs, and some critical fumbles down the stretch.
Hawes ( C- ) -- started this one off immediately with a soft foul on Amare on a +1. Not able to protect the paint in the early going, but got a dunk off the pick and roll with Reke. Fluttered up a bricked three (which the box says must just have been a 22 foot jumepr, whihc is almost worse), but did grab an aggressive d-board. Picked up his second foul near the end of the first quarter and did not return for a very long time as we went in search of toughness and the ability to get back to defend the run n gun. Finally back in in the late 3rd and did a solid job for about 4-5 minutes on the boards and with a dunk. But Mr. 30-11 two games ago gave us all of 4-3 in 17 irrelevant minutes tonight and again saw his midget ex-college teammate take him late minutes just by having a bigger set.
Casspi ( A- ) -- started this one with a post move, but then airballed his first three and in the early going all his hits were to the hoop (including a nifty to the hoop scoop wiht his left hand), while the jumpshots were off the mark. The Suns kept on getting Reke and Caspi to switch off screens in the early going as well, and then Nash on Casspi = no chance. Got our on the break several times in the second, including the play that Donte went down on, and then taking the fullcourt pass from Reke to hit the layup beating the first half buzzer. Got fouled, but then missed both FTs in the early 3rd. Finally splashed in a three in the mid third and hit a series of big shots in the last quarter and a half, culiminating with a big three in the 4th off of a Reke kick to set a career high with 24. Airballed the desperation three at the closing buzzer, but wisely on that play was waiting to try to create a +1 situation given that we were 4 down. So hohum, another 20pt game. Keeps inching that career high up one point at a time. But if he keeps setting a new one every game it will be 72 by the end of the season.
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