The Celtics scored 69 points Friday night and the Cavs won. Great defense? OK, sure. Did the Cavs get "stops"? Yes. They swarmed, they hustled, they denied, they rebounded. Yes, yes, yes, yes.Then why do I have the nagging feeling it's not why they won? Why is that ALWAYS the nagging feeling in games like this?
Because their offense is so uninspired, that's why.
I'm sorry, but a physically gifted superstar going to the line 15 times is not a sound offensive strategy -- it's the advantage of playing at home. Give credit where credit is due -- LeBron made 13 of those -- but does anyone really think he'll get those opportunities in Game 7 in Boston?
The Cavs shot 32.9 percent from the field. CLANK. But they "got to the line" 25 times, and made 21. Boston was a more efficient 11-of-13 from the stripe. You think those 10 points didn't make a difference in an offensive stinker like this one?
Yes, credit the Cavs with having much to do with Boston's 39.7 shooting percentage from the field. But the fact remains, the Celtics outshot Cleveland from the field and the line, and had almost twice as many assists, and lost. That's because they were called for far more fouls, and the Cavs made enough of their free throws to win.
That's not going to happen in Boston.
So where does that leave us? With the Cavs having to make shots. And that, as anyone knows, is scary. Not because they can't shoot. But because they end up settling for so many bad shots, out of position, in an offense that seems, inevitably, to lead nowhere.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas appeared totally uncomfortable from the opening tip Friday night, going 3 for 11. Wally Szczerbiak shot 2 for 11. Ben Wallace -- well, we won't count Big Ben. Anderson Varajeo, 2 for 6. Sasha Pavlovic not only went 1 for 6, he looked awful doing it. Damon Jones got in briefly, missed the first two shots he's taken since Roosevelt was President, and came back out.
Devin Brown must be wondering what a guy has to do to get some court time, something the key contributor throughout the season hasn't had this series.
You're left scratching your head sometimes, wondering if the Cavs know what they're supposed to be doing out there other than getting out of LeBron's way, or looking to get the ball back to him as soon as they get it.
Are the Cavs good because of their defense? Because they got stops? Because of their rebounding?
Not really. They do those things well sometimes, maybe even most of the time. But they're good -- in the "championship caliber" sense of the word -- because of LeBron James. It showed again on Friday night.
It doesn't make for a good scenario for Game 7. No way LeBron gets that charge call at the end of the game in Boston. No way the Cavs get the advantage at the line they enjoyed Friday night, in a game that could -- should -- have been a runaway but ended up a squeaker.
That's not to say Game 7 isn't winnable. But it's not likely to be winnable the way Game 6 was won.
3 comments:
No question Pierce would have got the foul call in Boston. It will be a tough game for the Cavs in game 7. They'll have to shoot better & LBJ will have to be almost superhuman. If Boston's legs are tired Cleveland could steal one. Go Cavs!
Lebron needs to learn from Kobe and other superstars when and how to include his supporting cast.
In the Utah series, the Lakers lost an overtime game when Kobe, with a bad back, missed 6 or 7 shots. In the next two games, both victories, he took some of the big shots, but passed off to his teammates for others.
The Cavs clearly need to identify their 2nd and 3rd options, and let those guys make some shots.
It is going to be a hard game, but if we use all of our options we can pull it off. We just cant depend on LBJ to do everything. Go CAVS lets do this!
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