Pre-Game - Cavs - THE Mother Of All Early Regular Season Games

OK.  First off, I missed the TOR game like dboss.  I was in Arkansas visiting my son who's a sophomore at U of A.  Saw my first and probably only SEC football game.  I don't even watch a lot of football but SEC fans set the standard as well as the SEC sets the standard for great football.  I wouldn't say this would have been a bucket list item for me to see an SEC football game, but it should have been.  It was against #3 Texas and I think the Long Horns came in like our boys do occasionally against what looks like lesser competition via Arkansas and Texas almost coughed this one up.  Great college atmosphere.  Great weekend.  Great food.  Good times.   

That being said, if we show up tomorrow and play CLE like we just did against TOR, I'm not feeling too confident we can pull off CLE's first loss of the season.  This has to be the one thing Coach Joe can't seem to shake so far, that is playing down to the lesser competition.  This game was won in the end of course with a walk-off 3-bomb, but it was really won at the free throw line.  TOR couldn't throw it in the ocean at the right time.  Joe says we're going to make 20+ 3's a game and we're going to make 90%+ of our free throws.  If you can hurdle those two at the least and still have more points than us after 48 minutes, we'll tip out hat.  TOR got close.  And they suck.   

Not going to say we should treat the CLE game tomorrow any differently than any other game, but since CLE is touting the streak, we have to treat it differently.  Plus we are in a very precarious position if we lose.  Let's look at the 4 outcomes and the resulting optics:

1.  CLE in a blowout - Pretty much will have to take the media barrage that we aren't quite ready, just like the last 6 teams to win a championship, etc.  Media will probably reluctantly throw us a life line with KP out but the deluge of there's a new sheriff in town, Celtics need to break up the J's, Al's too old, Joe is too young, blah, blah, blah.  Joe will get grilled and get snippy.  We'll have to admit there is some fly in the ointment, CLE is the $h1t, etc. It's a long season and just stay off our !#^(%^ing backs will have to be our response.

2.  CLE wins close/tight - Not as devastating as #1 above, but will sting us more to be close on not pull it out in front of our fans.  Plus with our performances at home so far and two losses doesn't bode will IMHBAO.  Our fans are getting their money's worth that for sure.  CLE doesn't have to bring their best game.  They bring it every night so far from what I can tell.  

3.  BOS wins close/tight - A win is a win.  We'll take this one.  Still proves CLE is going to be a problem and where we may need to start hoping that CLE will face match up issues before the ECF.

4.  BOS in a blowout - By far the best option, of course!!  This puts CLE in a box.  Keep beating inferior competition, but you are a long way from measuring up to us and much less making it to the ECF.  I don't know if this is going to be the outcome.  Would love for it to be, but our home play to date concerns me.  

We may need to begin splitting out our home/away record because if we come up short and we'd be 4 back in the loss column, we might not have home court throughout playoffs/EC.  Clearly CLE is an anomaly so far.  But they win tomorrow, then all the '72 Laker talk vomits out of the media like a chugging contest at a college frat party.  We do like playing on the road with only one OT loss so far.  Two losses at home so far.

I think BOS wins close and live with the consequences since KP is on the sideline and this will give us significant upside when he returns for good and it really matters.  Currently, it's BOS(-3.5).  Joe will have them ready.  But with each passing game, it is clear KP is missing.  Everything else works and is in fully operational Death Star mode.

Just so there's no ambiguity, when I say tight/close, that means the starters are still out there with 5 minutes to go in the 4th.      

db

dbrown,

Nice title to this thread.

I’m happy to hear you had a great time at the Arkansas game with your son.

In my opinion there is nothing like power 4 division 1 football. The pre-game atmosphere is unrivaled and if I could only watch one sport, that would be my pick. For us, with a son who’s a junior at Penn State, it’s games down in Happy Valley. While your son is still there, I would also suggest an Arkansas men’s basketball game. That should be another enjoyable event for you.

NYCelt,

Seeing Calipari and Co was brought up this weekend!  I think I may have to check that out.  I'd probably have to see Kentucky vs. Arkansas to surpass what I experienced this weekend.  These tickets for the weekend were reasonable at $65/each.  Upper deck, camera side on about the 15 yard line for opposing team in 4th quarter.  It was electric throughout the whole game.  I must have officially crossed over into the dirty ol' man stage of life.  My son has been dating the same girl since freshman year high school and they both go there.  She was out of town this weekend.  I asked my son, "How in the world do you not have a wandering eye here?!!"  I am serious when I say this and I know how Carolina (UNC) girls look(ed).  There wasn't ANY females there less than a 12 on the 1-10 scale.  Forgive me, Rosalie, I know I'm being sexist here.  And 90% of them were doing some very heavy advertising, at least I would call it that if I were their dad and knew this.  And this was what appeared to be normal, Saturday afternoon football dress.  Yeah, guess I'm glad I went to Davidson.  I would not have made it at a large university like Arkansas.   

My son's response to my inquiry, "Well, dad, you can't walk around with your head down staring at the ground all the time!"  Good answer.  Good answer.  I'm gonna keep my eye on you, Mr. Helper.  

db

Yeah...regarding the game tomorrow, we might want to prepare for the worst.  Not getting a warm and fuzzy about this one.  dboss...turn it up!!  Pull my fatass off the ledge!!

db

db

College football is simply fantastic.  I am partial to the SEC.  I have a cousin who played for UGA.

Back to the subject at hand.

The Cavs changed coaches over the off season hiring Kenny Atkinson.  He has turned them into an offensive powerhouse.  He has a lot of coaching experience.  His most recent assistant coaching position was under Steve Kerr with the GSW.  Perhaps that last stop has impacted the style of play of the 2024 Cavs.

They regularly play 10 guys.   Their 4 regular starters are Mitchell and Garland in the backcourt with Allen and Mobley in the frontcourt.  Either Isaac Okoro (SF) or Dean Wade (PF) will fill out their starting 5.  Everybody should remember Dean.  He is the guy that scorched us from deep last season.  Guards Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome are averaging double digits off the bench for them.  Other rotation contributors are SF George Niang and guard, Sam Merrill.

The Cavs are averaging a league high 123.4 PPG.  Consider their 52.4% FG% and 42.1% shooting from deep and you can see how dynamic their offense is.

I mentioned in another thread that I did not think they have great depth along the frontline.  Their BU center behind Allen, who warms the bench, is Tristian Thompson.  Their BU PF behind Mobley is Dean Wade.  That is it for their bigs.  

So how is it that they have reeled of 15 in a row to start the season.  Well, they play with great pace and they score from the outside and the inside.

On defense Allen and Mobley are strong on the glass and they both are good shot blockers.  The obvious weakness on defense is 6' 1" Garland at the point and Mitchell is only 6' 3'  

The Celtics will need to bring their 'A'  game to the floor on Tuesday.

The Celtics can ill afford another turtle like start.  They need to come out with laser focus at both ends of the floor.  Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser need to shoot the 3 ball a lot better.  AH needs to stretch the floor and pull the Cavs center away from the basket.  Queta and Kornet need to play with physicality.  The key to this game will be our guards Jrue and Derrick staying in front of Garland and Mitchell.  The Cavs will have their hands full trying to contain the Jays.  Their firepower comes from their guards and ours comes from our wings.

"The Cavs will have their hands full trying to contain the Jays. Their firepower comes from their guards and ours comes from our wings."

JT/JB 55.3 PPG vs DM/DG 46 PPG

So execute one of the major keys to any victory which I have failed to address in my analysis and observations of Coach Joe is getting the other team to play our game.  

You and I see the conflict there as the Celtics like to Cat and Mouse you throughout the game just to see if you can make it 4 quarters, essentially "taking off" the first 1quarter and 1/2 of the 2nd.  Getting behind to CLE early looks like a recipe for disaster.  I'll put this under the "playing with fire" category.  Celtics, however, seem very comfortable letting the lead run up 20+ points against us, as long as it's in the 1st quarter.  I'm not sure Joe has cured them of this flaw just yet.  We'll know in the first 2-3 minutes of Q1.  

Sounds like JH, JB & DW will have to be on defensive overload from the start, jacking up their offense and throwing their rhythm off.  Dang we need KP.  I've said this 1,000 times.  We get him back and everything changes for us.  The 5-man out works to perfection, KP busts any zone after one set, etc.  Right now we're doing ok with it, but KP blows it to the stratosphere.  We're moving inside, getting fouled, And One-ing it, so it looks pretty good.  Going to the foul like a crap-ton and making 90%+ there as of late.  The more we can perfect things while KP is out the better.  It just makes us far more lethal when he finally does hit the court.

Well, if we blow it, we should probably fall back on the missing KP and that we will be much better after December with completeness.  It's going to be hard to make up that ground (back 4 games) unless what I've predicted after about 20 games comes true with KP back and the steamroller.  I still like my prediction.

It is a toss-up for me.  BOS (-3.5) might as well be a tie.  I'd really like to see us come out and blow those arrogant, fun-loving, kum-ba-yahoos back to the Great Wall of China.  We're still searching for that "IT" factor.  Maybe it will come out in this game.  However, I have to admit, not having the spotlight on us has been a blessing as of late!  CLE will eventually fold up like a cheap suit under the scrutiny of their own city once the losses and injuries start pouring in.  

db

P.S.  As far as I'm concerned, there's SEC Football and then everybody else.  I obviously grew up in ACC country.  It was basketball first then maybe for football, it was Clemson and everybody else.

dbrown,

I know what you mean. My brother and I went to one game when the weather had already turned cooler and we went to meet up with my son and a few of his friends for dinner in town. State College is another one of those college towns that only exists because of the school. 45,000 students, half of them girls. My brother and I walked three blocks past the restaurant before we realized it due to the "scenery." Even in the cooler weather. Way different than when I was in school. Getting pictures of my son and some of his dates from a few fraternity and sorority formals, my wife has suggested I could perhaps pop my eyes back into their sockets. Even she has to say, "OK; Wow."

Celtics will definitely need to get off to a faster start Tuesday night. Holiday's health will certainly be a factor. Queta will have to pick it back up a little. A repeat of the Queta from last Friday or last Tuesday over last Wednesday will help, especially dealing with Allen and Mobley.

NYCelt,

OK, then it's just not me.  I didn't imagine what I was seeing.  Your wife's verbal confirmation makes it a wrap.  

Agreed on the start tonight.  We've started better in games before this season.  We've just forgotten how to do it and need to dust it off for this evening.  Joe will have them ready and if we do fall behind early, we do know we stand a pretty good chance of erasing that lead with our fire power. 

We need a repeat performance from our G1 contest against the Knicks.  We've seen how that start for NYK slapped them around subsequently.  CLE needs to feel the same and tailspin into oblivion.  

db

PP is questionable for the game tonight due to a left thumb strain.

Sooner or later CJ will have to dip deeper into his bench and play guys like Springer and Davidson. Maybe that happens tonight if PP sits.

Anyone want to make a wager on how long Kristaps will be up in Maine before he comes back ready to play?

I'll jump in there, dboss.  You know me too well.  I can't pass up a challenge!!  

Well, let's set the boundaries.  2 weeks sounds like the max.  You don't want him playing up there when he could be playing down here.  That gets him 3-5 games which should be enough.  He's going to be rusty regardless of how much time he spends in Maine.  And since we're dealing with a player with the fragility of a China doll, we can't keep him too far from the target.  

I personally think he is ready today.  But that's just conjecture.  Boston will look real hard at his first two games in Maine.  If he looks ready to go, back down to Boston he comes.  With a win by CLE tonight, we cannot spare another minute of KP being out.    

I'll go with my max.  2 weeks from whenever he starts up there.  

db

dbrown4 wrote:I'll jump in there, dboss.  You know me too well.  I can't pass up a challenge!!  

Well, let's set the boundaries.  2 weeks sounds like the max.  You don't want him playing up there when he could be playing down here.  That gets him 3-5 games which should be enough.  He's going to be rusty regardless of how much time he spends in Maine.  And since we're dealing with a player with the fragility of a China doll, we can't keep him too far from the target.  

I personally think he is ready today.  But that's just conjecture.  Boston will look real hard at his first two games in Maine.  If he looks ready to go, back down to Boston he comes.  With a win by CLE tonight, we cannot spare another minute of KP being out.    

I'll go with my max.  2 weeks from whenever he starts up there.  

db

damnit, I was going to pick 2 weeks. Think the 'Money Pit'

I say 2 weeks. Enough time to knock off the rust and improve his conditioning. Expect that he will be placed on a minute restriction. Fingers crossed for the best outcome

I'm really looking forward to how the PITP numbers reverse with his return.  Not that our guys aren't trying, they're just not in sync and don't have a wafer-thin 7'2" frame on them, perfect for swatting flies.  Al Queta is 7'0" but he's still erratic at best.  He's learning.  We're playing center by committee.  

db