Hey, Cavalier fans and CavFanatics! It’s Austin, with one last blog entry before the All-Star Break. What’s happening?
The Cavs have some work to do before they get to the Break, and it’s a tall order with the Spurs coming to town on Wednesday.
I know Coach Scott is frustrated with the ups-and-downs the team is going through, but it’s still part of the growing pains with a young team.
Right now, they need to find their identity and embrace it. It’s ok to be “the hunters” when you’re a young, growing team. Until they embrace that, they’re going to have hot and cold nights. And that would be a great image to hold on to.
When they put together a couple little win streaks lately, you could tell they were starting to understand their identity. They’re starting to push the ball up the floor. They’re looking to run at all opportunities. So they’re learning who they are.
They struggle when they don’t understand their identity. For example, on Monday, they had 13 fast break points in the first quarter and seven the rest of the game. How do you forget your identity that quickly? You are who you are – and you have to play that way.
Against Minnesota, I thought we’d blow them out of the building. But we backed off a bit in the second half; we stopped running off turnovers. They just don’t have the right mindset yet. And I know it’s frustrating to the coaching staff. They preach it every day.
The reason it’s important to understand who you are is so you can do what you every night– even when you’re not playing well. Play your style.
The Rockets are a good example. Houston wasn’t playing well against us; their style beat us. Like Denver, we lost because of their style. They kept it on us the whole game. We wilted a little under the pressure and they kept going.
It’s a matter of attrition. You start the first quarter with 13 fastbreak points, you get 10 the second quarter, you get 11 the third quarter. By the time you get to the fourth, you’ve worn them down. And those are 30-plus of what we call “easy baskets.” And that’s what they have to understand: the more you play your style, the more you wear your opponent down.
They have the weapons and I’ve seen some really nice things. Dion pushes the ball extremely well. He flattens the defense. He’s very good at attacking the rim. He makes the defense have to deal with him.
The Cavs can make a real positive statement in the second half of this season. They’ll have less than 30 games left to get themselves prepared for next season. You have to establish who you are and who you’re going to be next year over these next 30 games. That’s the way I see it.
Last week, Coach Scott said his two rookies weren’t hitting the rookie wall, but they were “leaning” on it.
Both rookies need the little bit of rest they’re going to get after the Rising Stars game on Friday. Tyler needs the rest. Dion, the same thing.
All the travel and all the play, it takes a while to get used to it. It’s as simple as that. And all rookies go through it. About this time, they’re used to getting ready for the tournament. But now they have to keep going. You get a few days off. Then you get 30 more! Half of your first season is just getting used to the grind.
Tyler’s lost a little of his confidence lately. But, again, he’ll get a chance to reevaluate and look at some film over the break. (We called it film, but it’s DVDs now.) And hopefully, he’ll come back ready to attack any problems he’s having. That’s how you do it. I did the same thing. And when you watch film of yourself – especially when you’re getting your butt kicked – it does something to you. At least it did to me. I did not like it.
Like any rookie, Dion’s had his ups and downs, too. As a starting two guard, I wouldn’t want any less than five points, two rebounds and two assists every quarter. In the second quarter, you try for 6, 3 and 3. You compartmentalize it instead of looking at the whole picture. That’s what Lenny Wilkens taught me when I was a young player.
You get out of whack thinking about the whole grand picture. This takes the pressure off a rookie. And it helps you focus on the defensive end.
If you miss two or three shots in a row, your head is still in the ballgame. You’re not worried about X-amount of points; you’re concerned with the here-and-now. It really helps to break it down that way.
One aspect of the team that hasn’t had ups and downs is the second unit. Byron’s bench has been fantastic. And they are starting to get a little swagger about them. I like that, because eventually that should spill over to the starters.
But right now, the bench, when they come in, they expect to play well. The pace of the game picks up. And defensively, they really pick up the intensity. They trap, they press, they don’t allow you to dribble up the floor, they give you a little token pressure. And Coach Scott will ride them if they’re playing well which, I love. It says: If you’re playing well, you’re going to play. Period.
When they take the floor, there’s a tangible feeling: something good’s going to happen.
Before I wrap up, I want to wish good luck to all the Cavaliers heading to Houston this weekend. Tyler, Tristan, Dion and Kyrie. They’re all deserving of the honor and Cavs fans will get a glimpse of our bright future. It’s a tribute to them and the organization.
I think Kyrie is going to do very well in the Three-Point Shootout and the All-Star Game.
In the Shootout, he’ll do well because of his effortless motion. He’s not a big jump-shooter. His whole thing is going to be his rhythm – getting the ball out of the rack and getting it up. It’s still a grueling contest. By the time you get to the finals your legs are going to be tired.
He’s got a good shot to succeed in the actual All-Star Game on Sunday. He plays that kind of game. It’s going to be interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the open floor with some of the other All-Stars.
As for me, after we wrap up on Wednesday, I’m going down to Florida to play some golf. I’m getting right off the plane and heading right to the golf course.
Good luck this weekend, Cavaliers!
See everyone in the second half …