1 Coach… 1 Cup…
This drives me mad and I'm hoping someone from a network reads this and acts accordingly.
Can all networks covering Cleveland Cavalier games please stop leaving the camera on Head Coach Mike Brown when he's spitting into that cup! ESPN have done it a couple of times now and it's enough already!
It drives me mad!
He seems to do it quite often but do you really need to leave the camera on him for 20 or so seconds while he fills that cup with throat treasure??
This is how I'd prefer to see Mike Brown on TV.
End of rant.
Big Z needs Chubbs Peterson…
People everywhere, including 2SOTH have documented the issues with Cleveland's torrid start this year. Most of those issues have in some way, right or wrong been linked to Shaquille O'Neal. Then there's Head Coach Mike Brown, who for all of his seemingly offensive inadequacy gets a fair run too.
One thing that hasn't been really focused on is the fact that Zydrunas Ilgauskas over the past 5 games has made 4 of 31 field goals...
I'll let that sink in...
That is a whopping 12.9%.
Mid-way through the 2nd quarter against Miami tonight, he is 0-3 and continuing his not-so-stellar form.
Hopefully someone from the Cavs, (paging LeBron James!) can set Big Z up for an easy dunk to ease the tension.
Even Chubbs Peterson would find it hard to ease Big Z's tension of late...
Cleveland Steamrollers!
Here at 2SOTH we'd like to give a warm welcome to the Cleveland Cavaliers who arrived, albeit 7 games late, for season 09/10 last night. I for one am not getting too carried away, as the Cavs will have to do a lot more than this to convince everyone that their early season form has been nothing but a minor hiccup. But it was nice to see them back in full flight.
The Cavaliers were led well by the incredible LeBron James and the often criticised Mo' Williams. The ball movement for Cleveland was impeccable, Shaq dominated Dwight Howard inside and Orlando was forced into way too many mid-range jump shots. The three-ball was dead, which is always a massive problem for the Magic.
Orlando looked flat all night and Dwight Howard looked as though he was more interested in convincing the crowd he was right about criticizing the referees recently than actually winning the game. Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter played really well but were the only bright sparks for Orlando. Brandon Bass almost looked as though he was scared to make an open layup at one stage. It's safe to assume he was thinking more about LeBron trailing him than making the shot himself.
Dwight Howard was determined... to whinge in Orlando last night.
The most impressive thing I saw all game from Cleveland was their ball movement and their seemingly endless patience on offense. Runner-up in the impressive stakes was the Cavs smothering defense. They chose when to double-team Howard and Carter really well and left Orlando searching for answers often.
Once again Orlando's three-ball party went missing and they were beaten badly. Don't let the box score fool you, they were done before halftime.
No three's equals no Orlando it seems.
Cleveland Boycott
We are officially ignoring everything about Cleveland for the next week. It's a train wreck that should sort itself out once Mike Brown gets fired and they get a coach who can organize an offense, but it's too horrid to watch right now. Plus there are lots of other great stories going on around the league. Examples being:
- Brandon Jennings (currently giving Derrick Rose an uncomfortable welcome handshake in their first meeting)
- Sam Dalembert showing proof of life against Boston
- Carmello Anthony starting the season so el fuego that there hasn't been a defense that can touch him and that's just from today.
It's probably best not to look at the carnage in Cleveland right now
Tuesday Predictions…
There's 9 games on the books today in the NBA and I'm in the mood for some predictions. So here's my take on the games for November 3rd. Now you might raise your eyebrows at a couple of my suggestions, but I'll explain my reasons as we go.
Washington @ Cleveland: There's a big rivalry between these two teams and this game will be no exception. The Wiz are on their way upwards while the Cavs are finding their feet. Prediction: Cavs by 4. Result: Cavs by 12.
Denver @ Indiana: These two teams played each other in China during the pre-season. I think if Indiana get to within 10 points, they can consider it a win. Prediction: Nuggets by 14. Result: Nuggets by 18.
Boston @ Philadelphia: The Celtics aren't going to lose this... there is no way. Philly have some nice emerging talent but the Celtics are WAY too deep and will win easily. Prediction: Celtics by 18. (Side bet: Rondo to have a triple double by 3/4 time to celebrate his contract heist!) Result: Celtics by 31.
This is Rajon showing you how many millions he's going to be earning per year from now on. Also, how many points, rebounds and assists he's likely to get tonight.
Orlando @ Detroit: The Pistons have had an indifferent start and the Orlando Magic are trying to look as deep as Boston. They're not doing a bad job thanks to Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick. I think Ben Gordon will be the only thing that keeps this close for three quarters. Prediction: Orlando by 14. Result: Pistons by 5.
Phoenix @ Miami: A hard one to pick in my opinion. Both teams have a perfect 3-0 record and I really wouldn't have said either of them would be 4-0 to start the season. One of these teams has to be however and I'll have to go for the Heat but only because they are at home. Prediction: Miami by 3. Result: Suns by 8.
Milwaukee @ Chicago: United Center. Where Derrick Rose will happen. Prediction: Bulls by 10. Result: Bulls by 2.
The Bulls need a BIG night from Derrick Rose tonight...
LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City: The Thunder do look exciting and there's a few reasons to predict an OKC victory here but I'm sticking with the Lakers in a close one. Russell Westbrook has the opportunity to score 25 on Fisher and Farmar. I'm most interested to see if Artest guards Durant, and if so... the results. Prediction: Lakers by 8. Result: Lakers by 3.
Utah @ Dallas: I couldn't care less about this game but in the spirit of equality and objective journalism, I will predict a 15 point win to the Mavericks. Mainly because of Okur's gimpy foot. Result: Mavericks by 11.
Atlanta @ Portland: In my opinion the most exciting game of the night. I definitely predict a shoot out. If Oden and Aldridge can have a large impact, I see the Blazers doing it fairly comfortably. However, that is not a certainty. This one is ultimately a flip of the coin for me and I think it'll go overtime. Prediction: Portland by 4 in OT. Result: Atlanta by 6.
Here's to another entertaining day in the NBA!
Paul Pierce kills Bulls on Halloween
The Celtics rolled to a 28 point victory over the Bulls at home today as their hot start to season 09/10 continues. In scenes reminiscent of the C's strong start last season, the Celtics dominated throughout the game, with Paul Pierce scoring 20 points in the third quarter to completely ensure victory.
Paul Pierce, 3rd quarter killer
The Lakers are also looking strong with Bynum especially active on both ends, which adds significantly to their defensive ability over last year. Orlando too look to have taken a leap with the additions of Brandon Bass, Vince Carter and Jason Williams. Let's hope Cleveland and San Antonio sort themselves out after their rocky offensive starts to the season so we have some real depth to that upper crust, because at the moment it's looking thinner than the paper skeleton hanging on my wall.
Average Jackson to get his wish?
It appears Stephen "Average" Jackson is likely to be moved out of Oakland soon... with possible suitors including the Clippers, Spurs, Cavs and Hornets...
Or is he? And are they?
It seems the trade will definitely happen at some stage but the Warriors aren't prepared to part ways with Jackson for a bargain basement fee.
There's a lot of implications regarding Jackson's 3 year $28m extension that kicks in after this season. So his potential new home needs to account for that. Will they get a return on investment? Unlikely, unless he's the final piece to a franchise's puzzle. No one can logically say that about the Clippers or Hornets.
So that leaves the Cavs and the Spurs. I'd be pretty sure the Spurs are happy with what they have, although Jackson is talented and his arrival might provide a little insurance for the potentially fragile Ginobili and Richard Jefferson.
The Cavs, and more importantly LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal are reportedly very interested in bringing Jackson to the Q. But the asking price is Zydrunas Ilgauskas. A price that at this stage, is too high for Cleveland.
Where will Stephen "Average" Jackson spend his Christmas?
There's a article on ESPN's TrueHoop that sum's it up best. It's not so much the article itself as the title of the article.
I think either Chris Broussard is being clever, or he just simply made a spelling mistake.
There's two O's and no E in Moron.
Lakers & Celtics… 16-0?
In the midst of everyone foolishly losing their collective minds regarding Cleveland's shaky start, plus the fact I'm not a big fan of Orlando, I thought I'd do some day-dreaming...
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are potentially poised to break a 15 year old record this year. The record is for the best undefeated start to a season. The record is 15-0 and it is co-held by the Washington Capitols in 1948–49 and the Houston Rockets in the 1993–94 season.
When you look at both teams' schedules for the first 16 games, there are a couple of danger games but nothing that would suggest it's impossible for Boston and/or LA to claim the prize.
First we have the Celtics, who are playing some great Basketball already this season and look extremely deep and talented. Of the first 16 games, the Celtics have already taken care of the Cavaliers quite brutally in Cleveland and have quite a favorable run. Currently sitting at a perfect 2-0, lets take a look at their schedule for the next 14 games:
- Chicago
- New Orleans
- @ Philadelphia
- @ Minnesota
- Phoenix
- @ New Jersey
- Utah
- Atlanta
- @ Indiana
- Golden State
- Orlando
- @ New York
- Philadelphia
- Toronto
Of the games shown here, there are obvious danger games. For example the Toronto, Orlando, New Orleans & Chicago games will be tough. But they're all home games! There is a genuine chance for Boston to go 16-0 to start the season.
Now let's take a look at the Lakers schedule for the next 15 games:
- Dallas
- Atlanta
- @ Oklahoma City
- @ Houston
- Memphis
- New Orleans
- Phoenix
- @ Denver
- Houston
- Detroit
- Chicago
- Oklahoma City
- New York
- @ Golden State
- New Jersey
Again, as with the Celtics, the Lakers have some danger games such as Dallas, Atlanta and a road trip to Denver but these match-ups certainly aren't lop-sided against them. It's safe to say the chances of going 16-0 are higher for the Celtics and in fear of sounding like a Laker fanboy I'm happy to admit that. But imagine the hoopla around the League if both of these teams managed to make it to that magical mark?
It certainly wouldn't do Cleveland, Orlando and San Antonio any harm to be shoved under the radar.
Good times ahead...
It’s easy being Green
Rasheed and the Celtics bench are a tough matchup
After opening the season against Cleveland yesterday with a convincing win, the Celtics today faced a very different caliber of opponent, but the result was the same.
The most interesting fact from the game wasn't KG and his healthy looking play, nor Rajon Rondo as he showed that his contract issue is not affecting his play as he notched an easy double double, but rather the super play of reserve Shelden Williams who stood up in the minutes which were earmarked for Big Baby Davis at the start of the season. Shelden joined the party with some fantastic play (12p, 9r, 3a, 1s, 1b in 22 mins) to show that the Boston bench is scary deep compared to last year with Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels joining mainstay Eddie House and Big Baby when he returns from injury.
This Boston team is for real, and with the depth they are showing, can really hide their main concern, the age of the core, by spreading the minutes around. Look out league, because the Celtics have their eyes on the prize.
It's easy being Green
The renovations are looking mighty fine
The big story of opening day has to be the Celtics domination of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sure, the score was close at the end, but that was more a factor of Lebron being Lebron. No one else on the team looked like a contributor on an elite team, and not even the amazing wine and gold 23 can propel his team all season long. The Cavs are going to have to have people stand up.
Garnett looks healthy in his return to action
Having people stand up for the Celtics should be no such issue, as newcomers Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels meshed perfectly with the Green nucleus of Rondo, Pierce, Allen and a very healthy looking KG. In fact, KG looked so healthy that at one point in the fourth he trailed the break and blew what would have been an emphatic dunk. The good news is, that's just his timing being off, because his knee looked fine.
So do the Celtics title chances.