Hey Cavs fans and CavFanatics! It’s A.C., checking in after four-in-five-nights. What’s happening?
It’s been a heck of a run for the Cavs after the All-Star Break. I loved Wednesday’s win over Toronto. But I was really impressed with our win over Chicago – a team that’s really had our number recently.
That game definitely shows that the team is starting to grow up. Because going into Chicago – coming off the game with Miami – I was wondering how they would react.
But they played like they were upset that they lost to Miami, and that’s what I like. They played physical, and they needed that against the Bulls – because the Bulls try to bully you if you don’t stand up to them. Once they realized we were not going to back down, it’s a whole different game.
I was really happy to see the Cavs step up and fight. And really, they should be on a four-game win streak. They just couldn’t quite close out the Heat on Sunday night.
The bench has been the key to this season’s turnaround.
Not only do they communicate well, but they defend well – they trap when they get you in a bad position. They just automatically know to do that. I know we’re coaching it, but they’re just doing it instinctively.
And offensively, they move the ball so well. You get so many backdoor plays. They play the game right. They look to push the ball up the floor. They do exactly what the coaching staff is trying to get the starters to do.
And hopefully the starters are starting to learn from them. A couple times last night, Tristan got a steal then took off and ignited the break. Because Dion, in the open floor, there’s not too many guys are going to stop him. He’s going to take everybody because he’s just that strong going to the basket. So the more you get Dion into the middle of the floor early, the better the fastbreak is going to be. And Dion’s also willing to give it up when the opportunity presents itself.
It’s just a solid feeling. The team just looks completely different now.
The entire bench has been good. C.J. Miles, you can tell, he’s starting to feel comfortable now.
What we’re seeing is: the first part of the season, the coaching staff was searching for rotations, searching for who plays better together. And all that is coming to reality now. Everybody is being put into a position where they can be successful. C.J.’s a perfect example of that.
Mo Speights has been a godsend. And you can see he’s starting to influence Tyler. Tyler is trying to be more physical, which I think it comes from watching Speights play, because Speights is a very physical player around the rim. He’s not a “leaper,” but he’ll throw you in the basket.
Tyler has the leaping ability and the size. Now he’s starting to see now that sometimes instead of laying the ball in, you’ve got to dunk it. Because you’re trying to set a precedent for people to understand: Don’t fool with me when I’m around the basket!
Wayne Ellington is very solid. He plays the game on both ends of the floor. He’s a solid defender. He comes off picks with a purpose. He can shoot the ball, he’s a good passer. He’s just a solid player; a great pick up.
And Luke Walton, to me, he’s the glue of the whole thing. Because when he’s out there, the way he moves the ball and passes it, he’s keeping everyone involved. When the gets the ball in the middle of the floor, he never holds it. It swings from side to side. Bang! Make the defense move!
Luke knows what he’s doing, he’s a super passer, and guys love to play with him because they know he knows the game. I wish he was physically healthier. You can tell his back still bothers him a little bit, but at the same time, we’re getting some great minutes from him.
To me, this is part of the team’s maturation – what he’s teaching out there on the floor. His leadership is definitely a big factor.
But it’s not just the bench. The starters have been good, too – especially Dion lately.
Dion plays angry. He’s on the attack. He reminds me a little of the way I played. My whole first thought was to go to the hoop. I didn’t care who was in there. I’m going in there and find a way to score.
I really love what he’s doing. And when he starts inside first, his jumper is pure. When he starts outside, that means he’s guessing and maybe taking shots he’s not too comfortable with.
The mid-range game dying art, but both he and Kyrie are very good at it. They both have the mid-range game. And I’ve said it before: That’s where ALL THE ACTION IS.
The mid-range game, it’s not as hard on your body. Defenses are set up to keep you away from the basket and from shooting the three. There’s nothing set up to stop you in the middle. Once you get past that front line, you can pull up and have your way.
Tomorrow’s game against the Clippers is going to be a tough one. You’ve got Chris Paul, the best point guard in the league. And I think we’re close to having “1A” right here in Cleveland.
It’ll be good for Kyrie to watch CP3 and watch how he runs the team. Because that’s one of the only areas in which Kyrie needs to improve a little bit. But we’ve needed him to score so much so far. In my mind, Kyrie will be most efficient when he can go 18, 10 and 5. He will be off the charts. And the team would be flying. That’s when we’ll be at our best.
It’ll be a fun game on Friday. The Clips like to get up and down the floor. They have an athletic team. You have to be physical with them.
We have to compete on the interior. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan – they’re very physical, very athletic. So you have to stay close to them. In other words you don’t want them to have running leaps on you. You want to stay close to their legs. You want them to be worried about you hanging around them.
And basically, you just go at them. You have to make them defend. The teams that have beaten them pretty handily go right at them. Attack them. Run your offense through to your second and third options. Those are the teams that beat the Clippers. Because the Clippers don’t want to defend for 24 seconds; they’re impatient.
What you want to do against the Clippers is very simple: make them play.