Reviewing TNT's Review, and Other Assorted Musings

by tabler84 on May 29, 2009 8:47 AM CDT Comment 14 comments

In order to get ready for game six, it's instructive to look at game five.

If you want to blast the Cavs for giving up big leads, they deserve equal credit for building big leads.

No Cavs fan wants to see a large lead erode, but that is the nature of pro basketball. Ebbs and flows are part of the game, and the Magic are a team that can stack massive piles of points together in a short time span. Turns out, the Cavs can do so as well.

We outscored Orlando 32-10 in the first 8 minutes. They outscored us by 30 (!) in the next 22 minutes. And we outscored them by 18 the rest of the way. If you want to whine about losing the lead, give this team the credit it deserves for going on significant runs of their own.

I love Barkley, but I have no idea what he was talking about.

The gameplan in the fourth quarter, according to Barkley, was to give it to LeBron at the top of the key and have him just improvise. That's easy to assume if you're only paying cursory attention, but there was one significant change -- nay, one significant adjustment at work here -- many of the possessions began with LeBron catching the ball with his back to the basket. For those of us who have been thirsting for such a scenario, we finally got it. And it paid off.

It's true that the offense moves much less and works more slowly in such a scenario, but three points about that: 1) It allows LeBron to back down smaller guards and get easier shots. 2) It obviously frees up other guards for wide open shots, which is hardly a problem. 3) I'm reasonably convinced it allows LeBron to rest. Seriously. He's not getting minutes off now, and he's understandably whipped. When he catches the ball at the top of the key or on the block, it's a moment to catch his breath. On one play, he caught the ball at the top of the circle, waited 13 seconds, and drained a jumper. Good result, bad possession, right? It's not ideal, granted, but if LeBron decides he's going to take a jumper, why not hold it, collect a breath, and shoot when he's settled? Guy needs to manufacture some kind of breather, and this offense doesn't seem to be nearly as grinding as Barkley makes it out to be.

The TNT gang is also wrong about the need to foul Dwight Howard more often.

Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller went on and on about the need to hammer Howard every time he catches the ball. They are apparently unaware of the whole "six fouls and you're out" thing. It's new, of course.

Really, Z and Varejao both fouled out, and Andy has had 2 fouls in the first quarter in the past three games. If we adopt their plan, we'd lose our two best big men by the third quarter. The other option would be to play the weaker big men more often. I'd suggest getting Joe Smith more minutes, but he's so svelte that I'm not sure he could hammer Howard hard enough to stop him.

(Note: I'm not suggesting that we not foul Howard at all; I'm suggesting the the D against him has been appropriate the past several games).

As others have said: Varejao's flops aren't selling.

Andy played a nice game, but the days of multiple charges are seemingly over. And I can't blame the refs. I love Andy's hustle, but if I were a fan of an opposing team, he would drive me nuts. Can't cry wolf that often. But I think he gets this, and is adjusting.

Joe Smith should see a few more minutes.

Is he in the doghouse or something?

This is a Fan-Created Comment on FearTheSword.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff at FearTheSword

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Your media critiques are always fun to read during the playoffs.

You make an interesting point that it is less tiring for Lebron to have the ball than to fight for position or placement on the floor. He certainly is able to manage his energy that way.

As for paying more attention to losing the lead – it’s an interesting application of Prospect Theory where people place greater impact on losses rather than gains (losing $100 has greater impact than gaining $100). That’s just the way people think. Ideally, the people that matter (coaches and players) understand the “rational” implications of the ebb and flow of the games.

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin

by Spidey on May 29, 2009 9:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I guess I am OK with losing a big lead...

as long as it sucks the energy out of Orlando to get even. Let’s see if they can come back from a 30 point deficit in game 6 :>)

So I told her," I'll be nicer if you try to be smarter!'..That was a mistake.

by Juannieboy on May 29, 2009 10:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

They wont need to, Juannie

by ohc on May 29, 2009 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I watched the TNT post-game, and I actually think they are correct about fouling Howard. What they specifically said was that “Howard should be at the line 18-20 times a game.” If you are rotating Z, Andy, Wallace, and Joe Smith, they should have no problem putting him at the line that many times. If Howard is shooting that many foul shots a game, he is more likely to shoot at his career foul percentage, than get lucky for 5 shots or so at the line.

The real reason they should be doing this, which they didn’t express that well, is that by fouling like that you can also only use 1 person to guard Howard, instead of the double teams the Cavs have been employing. This allows the Cavs to avoid the perimeter rotations that have burnt them in most of the games in the playoffs leaving tall shooters like Hedo and Lewis with wide open 3’s or 3’s against guy that are a good 6 inches shorter than them. This is why Orlando has shot a higher percentage than during the regular season from the 3 point line.

The best strategy is to single team Howard with those 4 Cavs big men, and keep him out of rhythm by putting him at the line 20 times a game. Guard the perimeter with Lebron James on one of Hedo or Lewis, and let the rest of the guys stay out on the perimeter so that we don’t let the Magic shoot 45-50% on 40 attempts

by Roger Dorn on May 29, 2009 10:59 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

also, Wally should not be guarding anyone. Give him the Redick treatment

by Roger Dorn on May 29, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It is no coincidence that as soon as Wally starts guarding Rashard Lewis that Lewis develops an uncanny ability to drive to the hole that he doesn’t seem prone to do otherwise.

by DisplacedBuckeye on May 29, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think this is selective memory. i don’t agree w/ this assessment. i think wally’s done a good job w/ lewis, especially in the post.

by DontCallMeJoey on May 29, 2009 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed, Wally can (sort of) stay with Lewis, and prevented Lewis from backing him down several times in games 4 and 5. When the Magic go to this tactic, it takes them away from their high pick-and-roll and inside outside games. It’s almost a good thing when the Magic try to iso Lewis on Wally.

However, Wally cannot stay in front of Turkoglu when he gets switched onto him. So that’s a problem.

by SanD on May 29, 2009 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

However, Wally cannot stay in front of Turkoglu when he gets switched onto him. So that’s a problem.

very very true

by DontCallMeJoey on May 29, 2009 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps this is all true that it is selective memory. And I think it’s a valid point to argue that even if Rashard Lewis is backing down Wally, it takes them out of their usual game with varying results. I’ll accept that.

by DisplacedBuckeye on May 29, 2009 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

100% agreed.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on May 29, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is a good argument.

Tabs – one thing about the foul trouble for Z and AV is that several fouls were dumb and were not related to Howard going to the line.

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin

by Spidey on May 29, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

this is a well stated argument. i’ve been crying for single teaming howard for the whole series, but i’m not sure that he needs to go to the line quite 20 times.

i will say, that while i believe it is a better bet to single him, we should send the occasional double, mixed in w/ fouling, to keep him on his toes. last night i noticed on many of the doubles that the when a guard was the doubler, as soon as howard passed the doubler went immediately to the open corner. i liked that.

by DontCallMeJoey on May 29, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m not a big advocate of fouling because it does two things. First, as has been alluded to, it forces Z and Andy to the bench. The dropoff from Andy to Ben is pretty significant. Second, it prevents us from getting turnovers and long rebounds, which lead to easy baskets and free throws in transition.

So I agree with Tabler on the defense being appropriate the last two games.

by SanD on May 29, 2009 1:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs