Hey Cavalier fans and CavFanatics! It’s A.C., checking in from the Cavs’ three-game win streak.
I don’t know if I’d have believed someone if they’d said we would have swept three straight Western Conference teams. Because I just didn’t know the mindset of where we were. And actually, when you look at it, beating those two teams that we beat on the road – Denver and Oklahoma City – makes up for stumbling out of the blocks after the All-Star Break.
Western Conference teams want to run. And we want to run. But we want to control the game and run. When you run your set offense and run through your second or third option, it slows them down. They don’t like that and they don’t function well like that. And it happened with all three teams. The Cavs plan was simple: have patience, run your sets, run off defensive stops.
Now, we’re back into position – especially with the Knicks falling back – that opens up the fight for that 8th spot. Before, that 8th spot was starting to fade into the distance. Now, we’re one game out. It’s going to be interesting. And we get to go to New York in about two weeks. It’s going to be awesome. It’s almost becoming a little bit of a rivalry – and lately, we’ve had their number. You can almost feel it in the fans when we get there. They’re thinking: ‘Oh no, here it goes again.’
The Cavaliers are getting a great lift from Antawn Jamison all year. He’s been the one – when the team is dragging and not sure of itself – he’s the one who’s kept them going throughout the game. That is, until it’s “Kyrie Time.”
Kyrie seems to live for those moments. He almost rope-a-dopes for three quarters. Look at Sunday night’s game. His jumper was off. He looked lethargic. But once that fourth quarter rolled around, his jumper starts falling, he gets to the basket and the line, he hits the open man. And the whole team starts to feel it. Their energy level goes way up.
What excites me most about the team right now is that we’re not at full complement. When Andy comes back and we slide Andy in there and that puts everyone back into their correct rotation – we’re going to be tough. Put it this way: We’ll be in every game.
I’m really excited to see Andy and Tristan on the floor at the same time. There’ll be no space available out there; they’ll cover it all. That’s a combination that I’m really looking forward to seeing play together.
Besides Tristan up front, I thought Samardo played well, within himself, on Sunday. He and I were talking before the game. And I said: ‘Look, if you get the ball at the top of the key, take two more dribbles – it’s the foul line and the elbows that you want to get to.’
As a player, you have to understand where your “efficiency areas” are. When you watch film, look where you make your baskets. Look where you miss your baskets. Now, you’re a smarter player when you’re out there because you’re aware of your efficiency areas.
That’s what the pro game is about. It’s about understanding your weaknesses and strengths and trying to function as much as you can in the strong areas and working to improve your weak areas. It’s about work, work, work. And you stick to it.
I think Samardo took one crazy outside shot. But everything else was right in that area. And if he gets the ball around the basket, look out! Because he’s a load down there.
I like the way the second team is playing right now. When Coach Scott first made the lineup change, the bench was having a problem trying to identify the leaders. You knew Sessions was going to be there. But you needed other people to score and rebound and do the work. And it takes two or three or four games to get into the flow. Now it seems like they’re in the flow and know who’s going to assume which role. Each game, they’re starting to score more points off the bench.
Sessions is just killing it. He’s at the top of his game. He and Gee – I’m so happy for those guys, because they work so hard. And to see the fruits of their labor show up on the court is fantastic.
This time last year, Sessions was struggling. And the lightbulb just came on and now he’s a complete point guard. He knows when to attack. He knows when to back off and bring it out. He’s picking out the hot hand – getting Jamison involved in the pick-and-roll when he’s scoring. He’s learning all the nuances of being a point guard.
And Sessions and Gee added to their games in the off-season. Sessions is a much better shooter from long-range. He doesn’t look to shoot the three-pointer often, but he does it enough to where you can’t always go under the pick with him.
And Gee is beginning to add that mid-range, pull-up shot to his game. He has to do this. He’s such a good driver, but sometimes he’s so hell-bent on getting in there that he’ll turn the ball over. There are just too many people down there! So why kill yourself? Take two dribbles, pull up and shoot yourself an uncontested 10-footer. If he adds that, he’ll be extremely tough to guard.
Right now, the Cavs have the playoff picture to focus on. It’s a great motivator. They were starting to lose sight of it in the distance. And now it’s back in focus. And all that does is give you that extra little oomph heading into the final month-and-a-half.
The schedule is going to get much tougher, but they’ll have to adjust to it. They’re going to have to – just like everyone in the league is going to have to. They’re not alone in this. The key is to stay healthy. But the Cavs style of play – when they’re on – will wear teams down. Sessions is more prone to it than Kyrie. Sessions really puts pressure on a defense. And he can run all day.
I think as long as we stay aggressive and stay focused on what we’re doing, we’ll be fine.
First up this week is the Raptors, and they’ve already beat Cleveland twice. But mentally, we’re in a different place now.
It’s been a competitive two games, but now I’m looking to get a win. The problem we have with them is that Bargnani’s a tough guard because he’s a 7-foot jump shooter. We slack off him, and that’s what he wants. And it takes people out of their defensive rotations. So, it’s going to be interesting how we match up with them.
But I think we’re a different team than we were back then. And I’m looking for some different results.
I don’t know if I’d have believed someone if they’d said we would have swept three straight Western Conference teams. Because I just didn’t know the mindset of where we were. And actually, when you look at it, beating those two teams that we beat on the road – Denver and Oklahoma City – makes up for stumbling out of the blocks after the All-Star Break.
Western Conference teams want to run. And we want to run. But we want to control the game and run. When you run your set offense and run through your second or third option, it slows them down. They don’t like that and they don’t function well like that. And it happened with all three teams. The Cavs plan was simple: have patience, run your sets, run off defensive stops.
Now, we’re back into position – especially with the Knicks falling back – that opens up the fight for that 8th spot. Before, that 8th spot was starting to fade into the distance. Now, we’re one game out. It’s going to be interesting. And we get to go to New York in about two weeks. It’s going to be awesome. It’s almost becoming a little bit of a rivalry – and lately, we’ve had their number. You can almost feel it in the fans when we get there. They’re thinking: ‘Oh no, here it goes again.’
The Cavaliers are getting a great lift from Antawn Jamison all year. He’s been the one – when the team is dragging and not sure of itself – he’s the one who’s kept them going throughout the game. That is, until it’s “Kyrie Time.”
Kyrie seems to live for those moments. He almost rope-a-dopes for three quarters. Look at Sunday night’s game. His jumper was off. He looked lethargic. But once that fourth quarter rolled around, his jumper starts falling, he gets to the basket and the line, he hits the open man. And the whole team starts to feel it. Their energy level goes way up.
What excites me most about the team right now is that we’re not at full complement. When Andy comes back and we slide Andy in there and that puts everyone back into their correct rotation – we’re going to be tough. Put it this way: We’ll be in every game.
I’m really excited to see Andy and Tristan on the floor at the same time. There’ll be no space available out there; they’ll cover it all. That’s a combination that I’m really looking forward to seeing play together.
Besides Tristan up front, I thought Samardo played well, within himself, on Sunday. He and I were talking before the game. And I said: ‘Look, if you get the ball at the top of the key, take two more dribbles – it’s the foul line and the elbows that you want to get to.’
As a player, you have to understand where your “efficiency areas” are. When you watch film, look where you make your baskets. Look where you miss your baskets. Now, you’re a smarter player when you’re out there because you’re aware of your efficiency areas.
That’s what the pro game is about. It’s about understanding your weaknesses and strengths and trying to function as much as you can in the strong areas and working to improve your weak areas. It’s about work, work, work. And you stick to it.
I think Samardo took one crazy outside shot. But everything else was right in that area. And if he gets the ball around the basket, look out! Because he’s a load down there.
I like the way the second team is playing right now. When Coach Scott first made the lineup change, the bench was having a problem trying to identify the leaders. You knew Sessions was going to be there. But you needed other people to score and rebound and do the work. And it takes two or three or four games to get into the flow. Now it seems like they’re in the flow and know who’s going to assume which role. Each game, they’re starting to score more points off the bench.
Sessions is just killing it. He’s at the top of his game. He and Gee – I’m so happy for those guys, because they work so hard. And to see the fruits of their labor show up on the court is fantastic.
This time last year, Sessions was struggling. And the lightbulb just came on and now he’s a complete point guard. He knows when to attack. He knows when to back off and bring it out. He’s picking out the hot hand – getting Jamison involved in the pick-and-roll when he’s scoring. He’s learning all the nuances of being a point guard.
And Sessions and Gee added to their games in the off-season. Sessions is a much better shooter from long-range. He doesn’t look to shoot the three-pointer often, but he does it enough to where you can’t always go under the pick with him.
And Gee is beginning to add that mid-range, pull-up shot to his game. He has to do this. He’s such a good driver, but sometimes he’s so hell-bent on getting in there that he’ll turn the ball over. There are just too many people down there! So why kill yourself? Take two dribbles, pull up and shoot yourself an uncontested 10-footer. If he adds that, he’ll be extremely tough to guard.
Right now, the Cavs have the playoff picture to focus on. It’s a great motivator. They were starting to lose sight of it in the distance. And now it’s back in focus. And all that does is give you that extra little oomph heading into the final month-and-a-half.
The schedule is going to get much tougher, but they’ll have to adjust to it. They’re going to have to – just like everyone in the league is going to have to. They’re not alone in this. The key is to stay healthy. But the Cavs style of play – when they’re on – will wear teams down. Sessions is more prone to it than Kyrie. Sessions really puts pressure on a defense. And he can run all day.
I think as long as we stay aggressive and stay focused on what we’re doing, we’ll be fine.
First up this week is the Raptors, and they’ve already beat Cleveland twice. But mentally, we’re in a different place now.
It’s been a competitive two games, but now I’m looking to get a win. The problem we have with them is that Bargnani’s a tough guard because he’s a 7-foot jump shooter. We slack off him, and that’s what he wants. And it takes people out of their defensive rotations. So, it’s going to be interesting how we match up with them.
But I think we’re a different team than we were back then. And I’m looking for some different results.