Red Right 88

In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the category “Shaq”

18 Apr 2010

Play Today, Win Today

There’s a tradition in tournament play to not talk about the next step until you’ve climbed the one in front of you. I’m sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let’s just keep it right there. – Coach Norman Dale

Pretty in the first quarter, gritty the rest of the way, the Cavs took the first step on what hopefully will be a long playoff road by beating the Bulls in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Like several of their games this year, the Cavs took a big early lead (22 points at one time, helped by seven turnovers and several missed shots by Chicago in the first quarter), let most of it dwindle before putting the game away with some clutch shooting down the stretch – after a Brad Miller basket cut the lead to seven with 2:29 to play, LeBron James’ traditional three-pointer and Mo Williams 3-point shot put the Cavs back up by 13 and sealed the win.

The Bulls actually outscored the Cavs over the final three quarters of the game, something that hopefully won’t give them momentum heading into Monday’s Game 2.

And while Derek Rose had 28 points and 10 assists for Chicago, Williams offset him nicely with 19 points and 10 assists. If Williams can stay close to Rose’s output for this series, what little chance the Bulls have to win the series evaporates quickly.

The Cavs were right at their season average in free-throw shooting as they hit 70 percent (12-of-17) for the game. Something to keep an eye on as the series progresses, plus the Cavs were weak from 3-point territory, hitting on six of 23 attempts.

Any rust the Cavs may have had due to taking time off or injuries was a non-issue, as Shaq looked ready as he and LeBron combined for 36 points and seven blocks.

Plus Shaq irritated the crap out of Joakim Noah. Always fun.

Game 2 comes Monday night.

One down, 15 more to go.

Posted in Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA playoffs, Shaq | Leave a comment
13 Apr 2010

Rest is the Sweet Sauce of Labor

“Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team – no one more important that the other.” – Coach Norman Dale.

Coach Dale preached and practiced the concept of team first, a valid philosophy that Cavs coach Mike Brown is right to follow as the regular season comes to a close Wednesday in Atlanta.

Despite the fuss raised by some about the Cavs resting key players down the stretch, with Tim Povtak of FanHouse leading the brigade of fools, Brown is paid to make the hard decisions and look at the big picture – how to get the 16 playoff wins needed to capture the team’s first championship. And he has been masterful at putting the team’s needs above everything else down the stretch.

Finishing the season with 61 or 62 wins is completely unimportant – having the team ready when the playoffs start is priority one. And while some of the players, most notably Shaq, may need the first round to shake off some rust, that shouldn’t be a problem. While the Cavs may not have the cakewalk they experienced last year in the first round against Detroit, any lingering impact from players resting should be minimal.

Plus the Cavs earned the right to rest players by fighting for the best record in the NBA. They worked hard during the season and this is the reward for that effort. If other teams don’t like it, oh well, maybe they should win more games so they have the opportunity to do the same.

With playoff positions becoming more focused, the pieces are falling into place perfectly for the Cavs. It looks like Boston will draw Miami in the first round, and if Kevin Garnett thought Kevin Durant got all the calls, wait until he gets a load of Dwyane Wade in the playoffs. Orlando will have to deal with a tough Charlotte team followed by a potential second-round matchup with Atlanta.

The pairings are working perfectly in the Cavs favor, why risk going against your gut instinct just to appease a few people?

Luckily, we can be assured Brown will make the right call. He’s not the most successful coach currently in town for no reason.

Posted in Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA playoffs, Shaq | Leave a comment

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