Nine Times! Cavaliers win 9th straight, beat Memphis Grizzlies

by John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) on Feb 2, 2010 8:42 PM CST

Ok, full disclosure. The Memphis Grizzlies came to town after a huge win last night at home against the Lakers. They also came to Cleveland to play their 4th game in 5 nights. Add in a dash of revenge, and you get a huge can of whoop-ass to the tune of a lopsided 105-89 win for the Cavaliers - their 9th straight.

The win pushed the Cavs record to 5-1 against teams who beat them the previous time. OF course, only Charlotte has beaten the Cavaliers twice in a row this season. It will stay that way after Cleveland once again turned a big first quarter(28-16) into a big home victory.

What has been fun to watch these last 7 games - all wins, all without Mo Williams - is just how great of a basketball player LeBron James is. With LeBron running the point at times, the offense looks fluid - he just knows where to take the basketball to get into the best offense possible. He knows when to deliver the basketball - and to whom it should go to.

Tonight was no exception. James scored 22 points - but tied a career-high with 15 assists.James added his 13th chase-down block of the season. Right now the game is just easy to LeBron and the Cavaliers. The wins keep piling up.

The Cavaliers have also figured out how to play with Shaquille O'Neal on he floor, too. Shaq had yet another double-double, scoring 13 points with 13 assists. Shaq also protected the rim against the NBA's best interior-scring team with 4 blocks. As a team, the Cavaliers rejected the Griz a total of 10 times.

J.J. Hickson was solid as well. Each game Hickson seems to becoming less of an athlete and more of a basketball player. He is moving without the ball, now, and is ready when the passes come his way. An efficient 15 point / 8 rebound night - in just 22 minutes - proved why Hickson would likely have to be involved in any deal the Cavaliers make this year.

Between Hickson and Anderson Varejao, the Cavaliers held Western Conference All-Star Zach Randolph to just 8 points on 3-14 shooting. Rudy Gay led the Griz with 15 points as the team shot 38 % from the field, just 2-14 from deep.

Daniel Gibson was solid...again, scoring 16 points. He has grown more comfortable handling the ball and like Hickson is becoming a complete basketball player right before our eyes.

The Cavaliers are clicking on all cylinders - even as a wounded team. I think this experience will prove invaluable in the playoffs, allowing the Cavaliers to go with several different floor-combinations.

Up next, a rematch with the Miami Heat on Thursday Night.

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We've also gotten to see what Shaq can really do when he has to step up

We can still use Shaq as a go to guy. He’s had to help out a lot more with a thinner roster, and he’s had several double doubles lately.

by WaveOcean on Feb 2, 2010 11:41 PM CST reply actions

malik is at it again on the Power Rankings page. I laid some more data down for him to chew on.

by talonk on Feb 3, 2010 1:31 AM CST up reply actions

Interestingly enough we now hold the same record after 50 games as last year…
39-11

"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren

by johnnyphoenix on Feb 3, 2010 12:26 AM CST reply actions

Should/Could Mo lose his starting job?

LOL, you say? I think the team looks much better offensively with LeBron running he show. Guys are moving and cutting without the ball and LBJ finds them, more often than not, for easy buckets. The O seems much more fluid….when was the last time Mo had 15 dimes?

I love Mo, but if things go funky when he returns……

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

by Juannieboy on Feb 3, 2010 7:36 AM CST reply actions

i agree. the offense does look better with Lebron running point. i was there last nite i was amazed at the 15 dimes too. every1 always talks about how great Lebron is scoring. but as amazing as his scoring is, i’ve always said his passing is even more amazing. this guy makes some of the prettiest passes i’ve ever seen. magic johnson like. the only current players that can compare is steve nash, chris paul, and deron williams. his passes are just as jaw dropping as his dunks.

by eye_was_born_ready on Feb 3, 2010 7:47 AM CST up reply actions

Yep

When LBJ ran the show and started hitting his teamates for easy assists…..their defense sagged back off of him, trying to prevent the buckets….then LBJ started driving in for easy ( for him easy) dunks. The Grizz had no answer and got toasted no matter what they did. It was beautiful basketball!

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

by Juannieboy on Feb 3, 2010 7:58 AM CST up reply actions

Bench Mo for Boobie? Are you kidding? Gibson is a nice player but he should not start over Mo. As Gradysmanldy said below, the offense runs through LeBron no matter who is playing with him so there is no reason to bench Mo just to give LeBron more ballhandling duties.

by Buckeye Brad on Feb 3, 2010 9:46 AM CST up reply actions

I did not suggest benching Mo for Boobie

I understand that this was only one game but LeBron seems to be doing a much better job of directing the offense than Mo did before he got hurt. LeBron picked apart the Grizzle’s defense in a way that Mo could not have done, IMO. LeBron and Parker was a very good combination last night…..just saying….. I don’t see Mo losing his job but Mike Brown should be aware of the considerable skills that LeBron has over Mo and use it when needed at the very least.

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

by Juannieboy on Feb 3, 2010 12:19 PM CST up reply actions

Well, you said that Mo would lose his starting job. Who is going to replace him if it’s not Boobie? I assume that’s what you meant because you said the Cavs are looking better offensively lately and Gibson has been starting. If you’re not benching Mo for Boobie then who are you benching him for?

by Buckeye Brad on Feb 3, 2010 12:56 PM CST up reply actions

I don’t see Mo losing his job but Mike Brown should be aware of the considerable skills that LeBron has over Mo and use it when needed at the very least.

I don’t understand this at all. Of course LeBron has more skills than Mo; he has more skills than everyone in the NBA. Brown doesn’t need to choose between LeBron and Mo because he can start them both. That’s why I didn’t understand what you meant by your comment above about benching Mo. You’re not going to bench Mo for LeBron because LeBron already plays the most of the game anyways, so who is going to start if Mo gets benched? Your comment seems to imply that benching Mo would result in more playing time for LeBron but of course that makes no sense.

by Buckeye Brad on Feb 3, 2010 1:03 PM CST up reply actions

I guess I was not very clear...

I was not suggesting any specific rotation but could not Brown choose between Moon, Jawad, Andy to replace LeBron’s starting spot and then have Mo spell LeBron?

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

by Juannieboy on Feb 3, 2010 6:58 PM CST up reply actions

Lets be clear.

Whether Mo, Delonte, or Boobie runs the offense…..the ball handling primarily goes through Lebron.

Mo is a more dynamic scorer than either of those two. Suggesting that he wouldn’t return to the starting lineup is madness…..he doesn’t dominate the ball and when healthy shoots just as well as Gibson.

I would like to see Boobie remain in the rotation, however.

"Mixed emotions. Rather see him hit PEDroia [with that pitch]. I don’t care if he is in the dugout"

by Gradysmanldy on Feb 3, 2010 9:09 AM CST reply actions

Let’s be honest. As transcendent as LeBron is, don’t expect him to be dropping 12+ dimes on a regular basis if we decided to run him at the point. By using Mo, we become a far more dynamic team, that’s pretty obvious. While LeBron’s 15 assists is really impressive, a large number of those assists were the result of smart off-the-ball movement by everybody else on the court, especially the beautifully lethal alley-oop that has become a cornerstone of this offense. In my opinion, if Mo had been playing yesterday, had the ball in his hands, and the rest of the team moved like they did, Mo would’ve easily had a double digit assist night as well.

by Savage_Buckeye on Feb 3, 2010 9:51 AM CST up reply actions

Well..

Let’s be honest. As transcendent as LeBron is, don’t expect him to be dropping 12+ dimes on a regular basis if we decided to run him at the point.

Honestly, I just can’t agree with this.

Also, it could very well that "smart off the ball movement " is a result of who is running the show and their abilities to get them the ball. LeBron has incredable court vision and his teammates know it. I think that may be why we are seeing much more moving and cutting lately.

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

by Juannieboy on Feb 3, 2010 12:30 PM CST up reply actions

You nailed at least part of it…but Mo is a shooter first and a passer last…When was theb last time he had a double digit assist game?..When was thee last time you saw Mo drive to the hoop and kick the ball like he did so much last year, or that nice runner he used to put up?…How many passes from LeBron to Mo this year with 10 or more seconds on the clock have ended up as a shot (good or bad) from Mo?…I LIKE MO…but I like the style he played last year much better…It was almost identical to the style the TEAM played last night..IF he can regain that and come back the way he was before he became the Mo who didn’t meet a shot he didn’t like, then he goes back to starting…BUT MB has to be quicker to make a change when Mo starts hoisting up shots that turn into a 3-13 night…and he has had a few of thosse type of nights this year….with five or less assists

by cavslandrocks on Feb 3, 2010 3:15 PM CST up reply actions