February 2010
51 posts
3 tags
Cavs / Clippers Bazooka Point
As far as regular season games go, the first quarter of tonight’s game was the most insane 12 minutes of professional basketball I have ever seen.
For anyone who didn’t catch the game, the Cavs went 11-13 from beyond the arc in the first quarter on their way to 46 points. (That’s 84.6% 3FG%, for those of you who love efficiency.) Lebron stole the show as usual by unleashing...
January 2010
43 posts
5 tags
GQ on Worldwide Wes →
Fascinating article about William Wesley, A.K.A. “Worldwide Wes,” power broker to the stars and frequent cog in T.I.T. conversation about where LeBron will go and play in 2010.
Of course, Simmons never mentions that Mike Brown talks to Worldwide Wes frequently and that Danny Ferry is close with him, via Danny’s agent David Falk.
Really, the whole NBA is close with this dude.
...
2 tags
Cavs-Pacers Bazooka Point
Incredibly, the Cavs beat the Pacers by 21 tonight even though they turned the ball over 23 times and shot 52.3% on free throws (23-44).
Tonight’s Bazooka Point will be brief because it’s Friday (party), but here goes.
I’m not sure if it’ll happen once Mo and Delonte return from injury, but I’d like to advocate for Coldstone selectively going “Andre The...
A Hard Salary Cap May Be Coming →
Essential reading if you’re interested at all in the business of the NBA, as well as how the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations (after the 2010-11 season) are affecting the way GM’s and owners think about trades and free agents right now.
Also, there are some additional details on the possibility of the Cavs making a trade in general, and on obtaining Antawn...
4 tags
All-Star Selections: the NBA's Beauty Pageant
As everyone knows, the All-Star reserves were announced today, and no Cavs’ players were on the list. This should surprise absolutely no one. Mo was the only real possibility in terms of how the people making the selections think. Shaq doesn’t play enough minutes to qualify in most people’s minds, and it’s not as if there’s anyone else on our roster who...
2 tags
Cavs-Timberwolves Bazooka Point
In honor of tonight’s route of the Timberwolves, I thought I would take this opportunity to ask a simple question:
Would you at least attempt to watch all 82 Cavaliers games if they were as bad as Minnesota is this year?
I spent a lot of time going to and watching Cavs games when Ricky Davis and Darius Miles were running the floor. Still, it was no comparison to what I do now. And even...
3 tags
You Never Hear the One That Gets You
As Mike pointed out on either his Twitter or Facebook feed earlier this week, we have now officially entered the stretch of the NBA season where the trade deadline becomes a constant presence in our daily lives.
When I wake up in the morning, I check Twitter for any new chatter from Brian Windhorst, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Ric Bucher, or Marc Stein. (This is literally the first...
Bron Wants a 4 ... If He Gets It, He Signs Now? →
This article, if true, would make an incredible amount of sense in terms of why the Cavs seem so hell bent on trading for a PF…
4 tags
Cavs-Heat Bazooka Point
Cavs pulled off another “we’re thankful the clock ran out when it did” victory tonight. They are now 3-0 without Mo Williams in the line-up and 2-0 without Delonte West. Their average point differential in those three games is +2.67, which includes one point wins over Miami and Oklahoma City.
It looks a lot like the Cavs are having problems winning without Mo … or...
5 tags
Trade Report: Amar'e Stoudemire Chatter Edition
For those of you not operating on the west coast (or who like to go to sleep at something resembling a reasonable hour), Suns beat writer Paul Coro is reporting that the Cavs are one of three teams that have recently been in trade talks with Phoenix regarding All-Star PF Amar’e Stoudemire.
Stoudemire is arguably the big-name player whose name has most often come up in trade chatter over...
1 tag
Wins Produced - 41 Games Report →
Here’s a link to Dave Berri’s mid-season report on player productivity, based on his measure of Wins Produced. A couple quick hits, which are also in the article / table if you feel like reading it.
Bron has produced more wins than any other player in the NBA so far this season. His Wins Produced Per 48 Minutes (WP48) rating is .420. Since Bron has played 1582 minutes, he’s...
ABJJ #4 - Troy Murphy
Yes, I know, I know - JJ is playing better. In fact, fans of my posts know that I’m concerned that this series has already jumped the shark - even before JJ’s recent heriocs. The problem JJ is, well, he’s JJ. He’s just like Braylon Edwards — he makes plays sometimes and looks really good. However, deep down you know he’s BE and he’s going to drop a...
2 tags
Cavs-Thunder Bazooka Point
Is there such a thing as a switch?
If so, J.J. “Glitch” Hickson might have hit it.
After getting 14 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Lakers, Glitch got 9 rebounds in 31 minutes tonight during the Cavs victory over Oklahoma City. In both games, J.J. was 4-6 from the field and over these 56 minutes he only had a total of 2 turnovers.
J.J.’s activity level is up. You can see...
5 tags
Cavs / Lakers Bazooka Point
Kobe “The Greatest Finisher in the Game” Bryant’s 4th quarter performance:
5 minutes 23 seconds, 1-6 FG, 2-2 FT, 4 points, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 BLK
Lebron’s 4th quarter performance:
6 minutes 22 seconds, 5-7 FG, 1-2 FT, 12 points, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 BLK
Granted, there was a lot more to the game than that. Most of all, it seemed like the Lakers - for a second time -...
6 tags
Marc Stein's Latest Trade Column →
Which includes this:
The Sixers are only growing more determined to make a deal before the deadline. I’ve heard that in strong terms from three different sources this week already. Which tells me we should expect to keep hearing more trade scenarios that include Andre Iguodala’s name. Foiled in its longstanding attempts to move Samuel Dalembert and/or Elton Brand, Philly has apparently come to...
3 tags
Two Idiots Talking (T.I.T.) Volume 1
We’ve taken umbrage with ESPN’s Bill Simmons and Chad Ford in the past, most notably on this and this occasion, in Tim’s Mesa v. Simmons / Ford double dip. I’m late reporting on their most recent podcast because I haven’t been in the mood to lacerate anyone recently.
I guess that changes today.
I’ll admit that while I’ve been mulling over whether or...
4 tags
Cavs / Raptors Bazooka Point
Despite the Cavs’ coming out on top tonight, I am once again completely and utterly baffled by their decision-making for the vast majority of the 4th quarter. Brian Windhorst has been harping on the team’s 4th quarter offense for weeks now, and he’s absolutely right about it. Normally I would just leave it to him to handle this, but I thought that their game plan for the final...
My Assault Against "We"
There’s a tendency that many of us have, including at least two people I love and admire, to refer to our favorite teams as “we.”
For example …
“We lost that game because Anthony Parker didn’t do anything but miss two pointers.”
“We’ll never lose to the Celtics in the playoffs if Garnett isn’t healthy.”
“I can’t...
2 tags
Sundiata Gaines Update
Today’s update on Sundiata Gaines, last week’s future hall of famer if you watched ESPN, involves the following line from last night’s Jazz-Nuggets game:
2 Min and 1 TO
That’s it. No points, shot attempts, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and not even any personal fouls.
Moral of the story … eliminate chance. Don’t let the game come down to the final shot....
Nickname Dictionary Update
Thanks to the expertise of Mesa friend Matt K, a link to the JMID Nickname Dictionary is now permanently embedded at the top of the page right next to the RSS link. Should make life easier and more convenient for all of us. So, major dap from the entire Mesa crew to Matt for his help.
Also, if you have two hours to waste, my Retro Liveblog of the Cavs / Clippers game is below.
-T
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Cavs / Clippers: a Retro Live Blog
I took my maiden journey to Staples Center last night to see our boys play the Clippers. Mesa regular and good friend Holland came along for the ride. I quickly learned that taking notes to do this live blog is a hell of a lot more difficult for a basketball game than a baseball game. Nevertheless, here’s what I managed to record of the experience:
7:20 pm - On the way to our seats,...
5 tags
Cavs / Jazz Bazooka Point
Technically, the Cavs lost tonight on a buzzer-beating 3 by D-League call-up Sundiata Gaines. However, the game was really lost the whole way through due to the Cavs’ well-established Achilles heels: turnovers, poor free-throw shooting, and a tendency toward stagnant offense.
The team coughed the ball up 21 times tonight, or one turnover every 2 minutes, 18 seconds. They missed 10 free...
2 tags
WP48 on Chris Bosh →
The Ru Paul of big men gets a breakdown courtesy of Dave Berri, creator of Wins Produced Per 48 Minutes.
In short, Bosh is finally having an all-star season … but I’m still not very convinced he deserves a max contract over the summer.
6 tags
Trade Report: Second Edition
As I did when I wrote Trade Report: Edition 1 on David West, I intend to give you a logical portrait of the current trade picture. I don’t have access, obviously, to the infamous “league sources,” nor will I ever try and tell you that I know more about basketball than Cavs executives … this is simply an accurate representation of the lay of the land.
Let’s start by...
1 tag
Official JMID Nickname Dictionary, v.1.0 →
That’s right, I’ve finally gotten around to creating a glossary of the many ridiculous nicknames in regular rotation on the site. In addition to the definitions themselves, I’ve also linked whenever possible to the post in which each nickname was born like the screaming, feet-first infant it is.
For reasons no one but a computer programmer would enjoy hearing about, there...
ABJJ #3 - Jawad Williams
Or should I say “Hot Wad” Williams.
Anyway, this column has probably jumped the shark since T urged me to do this version earlier in the week. Well, I planned to do this Sunday, but the Joe Flacco fiasco overwhelmed me.
So, I digress … .
Anyway, I have to say, even though its a very small sample - Wad has been pretty impressive so far. In fact, I forget he’s really 6’ 9” or so, because he’s...
3 tags
Cavs / Warriors Bazooka Point
The Cavs beat the Warriors by 3 points tonight, in a game that really shouldn’t have been that close. It was a typical sort of contest in Oracle Arena - 105 possessions (the Cavs average 91 per game) - with plenty of weirdness to go around thanks in large part to the man who is about to become the NBA’s winningest coach … Don Nelson.
1) D-League call-up Cartier Martin gets 19...
5 tags
Cavs / Blazers Bazooka Point
Good road win for the Cavs tonight, and a special congratulations to Andy Varejao. Tonight’s announce team essentially confirmed that Andy’s leading the league in (unadjusted) +/- has made it into the “points that must be covered when announcing a nationally televised Cavs game,” right up there with:
1) LeBron’s court vision being the best part of his game
2)...
Joe Flacco Is A "Wacko", If You Know What I Mean?
Yeah, I know that Flacco is better than any QB on the Browns roster. I also realize that he’s one of the up and coming QB’s in the league. However, the information about him disclosed at the end of today’s game - was - well, disturbing. So disturbing to me that I don’t think he could survive as the QB in Cleveland — if the word got out.
I’m sure you heard...
Braylon Edwards Still Can't Catch →
For all the Braylon haters still in Cleveland, here’s a continuous replay of a sure fire TD pass dropped by 5 Hr Energy boy in the endzone earlier in today’s Jets/Bengals playoff game (via SB Nation). Oh, memory lane!
-T
2 tags
Cavs-Nuggets Bazooka Point
I’m in too bad of a mood to write much about tonight’s game (stagnant offense, turnovers, poor shooting from Mo and Bron), so I figured I would highlight my two least favorite plays in basketball —
1) The three point shot that’s really only a two pointer because the player’s foot is on the line.
2) When a player catches the ball on the baseline or sideline with...
6 tags
PAD's Survival: No Alarms & No Surprises
As Dad noted below — in what has to be one of the great extended analogies in sports blog history — PAD lives to piss on another tree.
Only after reacting with major surprise when the news broke did I realize that I should absolutely have seen this coming. Here’s a few reasons why, Terry Pluto-style (that means “with numbers”, not “by giving the Cleveland...
(Post) Alpha Dog Has His Day or Jordan vs. Ely
Well, at least for now, PAD has had his day in court and survived. I’m not sure what he said or how he said it, but he has earned another day within the pack.
Now that Walrus Dog has taken control, he has decided to let PAD run with the rest of the dogs, at least for a while. But, make no mistake about it, PAD was completely neutered in the process. He may have survived, but his...
4 tags
The Fleecing of Sacramento →
Like many teams in the NBA and other American professional sports, the Sacramento Kings are advocating for a new arena to be built in their hometown — with the lingering threat that if this doesn’t happen, the team may be “forced” to move elsewhere.
As I’ve discussed before, the economics of new stadiums basically math out to highway robbery of the public by some of...
3 tags
Windhorst's Take on Jamison
This is the post you guys probably wish I had written. Should the Cavs want Antawn Jamison?
Brian Windhorst has this to say:
“Obviously, the Cavs want Jamison in the worst way. He fits everything they want and need at the moment. A great shooter with size, a smart player with playoff experience, a strong character in the locker room, a willingness to fit into the team concept.”
That...
2 tags
Cavs | Wizards Bazooka Point
I was out at a bar watching tonight’s game, so I could write a critique of it, but that would be pretty worthless, especially since the Cavs won by 23. Suffice it to say, Cleveland decimated the Wizards.
Henry Abbott wrote a great column about +/- today that went over some of the same points I covered in my +/- breakdown. In the article, Abbott goes into an extended story about Andre...
6 tags
Effort & Performance
It’s just past midnight Pacific as I start writing this column, which means that in approximately 16 hours the Cavs will face off against Gilbert “Castor Troy” Arenas* and the Washington Wizards at the Q. (*Note the specific weaponry TMZ alleges Gil had in his locker, or else the reference won’t make sense.)
At present, the Wizards are a dismal 11-21 and last place in...
4 tags
If Alpha Dog Is Fired Today ...
… the man that he can blame is Randy Lerner.
If you read my post on Michael Lombardi’s article about Bob LaMonte, you know that Randy “Lost In Space” Lerner gave up a lot to get Mike Holmgren to come to Cleveland - not only total control but also $10M per year for 5 years.
Of course, the media has been all over what a difficult decision Holmgren - who we desperately...
5 tags
Cavs / Bobcats Bazooka Point
Repeat after me: the sky is NOT falling.
Yes, the Cavs lost another game to a sub-.500 team tonight. Yes, they were out-hustled and out-executed on their home floor. Yes, the haters will come out of the woodwork again to declare that the Cavs are not a championship team because of these supposed mental lapses, because they’re not taking certain opponents seriously enough, because Mike...
ABJJ #2 - Leon Powe
My series is somewhat tainted now because — as M as pointed out - Coldstone has stated that he starts JJ cause he can do the least amount of damage at the beginning of the game, he’s just hoping to keep the “4” slot warm until he can put Andy into the game.
However, I still maintain that the more we get at that spot whenever Andy isn’t in the game, the better team...
3 tags
Varejao Is A Beast ... Hickson Is A Dead Body →
Included in this True Hoop post about Anderson Varejao taking the overall lead in unadjusted +/- away from Ron Artest is this rather revealing quote from Mike “Coldstone” Brown about Andy and J.J.:
“I play Hickson with Shaq because I want to play Andy the whole game, but I can’t play him the whole game. So I decided to start J.J. because in the first eight minutes of the game, we’re...
3 tags
Cavs-Nets Bazooka Point
No one really wants to read about the snore-inducing Cavs-Nets game that took place at the bizarre time of 1 PM EST earlier today, and I’m already growing tired of bashing JJ “Glitch” Hickson (2-9 from the field today), so let’s talk about something else:
REBOUNDING
I doubt any one who reads this blog also reads The Morning Journal for coverage on the Cavs, but just in...
Bob LaMonte May Have Just Fleeced Randy Lerner →
Insightful article by Mike Lombardi about agent Bob LaMonte, whom Lombardi implies is now basically in control of the Browns thanks to his ability to manipulate reputation to get his clients (including Mike Holmgren) jobs.
Perception is king.