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Thinking Big

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Hey, fans of the Wine and Gold and fellow CavFanatics! It’s A.C., with one last blog before Turkey Day.  What’s happening?

It was a pair of tough road losses this weekend for the Cavs. But in the NBA, you can’t look back; you have to look ahead. The upcoming schedule demands it.

Right now, one of the shining points of the team has been the play of Andrew Bynum – watching him starting to get back to what he wants to be. It’s great to have a weapon like him. But now we have to learn to play with him in the offense.

If I were playing with him, I’d always want to be in his eyesight. I’d always be in his eyesight and ready to shoot it, because he’s a willing passer. We can almost use him as the starting point of the offense under the basket and have Kyrie be our starting point on the perimeter. That way the offense doesn’t get stuck; you can go either or.

It’s just good to see him back out there. I know what he went through, with all the knee issues because I went through the same thing. I know his tolerance for the pain is going to have to go way up. He’s never going to feel 100 percent all the time because that’s just what happens. It depends on his pain threshold.  

Right now, the team’s not totally comfortable playing with him.

If I’m on the floor with Bynum, the first thing I’m doing is getting him the ball. And if my man peeps in, I’m going in the opposite direction, because he’ll give it to you. And if I don’t get it and I’m clearing out the other side, I’m coming right around on the other side of the free throw line, because if he gets in the middle and doesn’t have an option with the ball, that’s the first place he’ll be looking.

It should be fun for these young guys playing out there with the big fella. The first time you throw it in to him, you see what the defense does. Does your man drop back immediately into Bynum’s lap? I’ll stay outside and create myself some space. If my man wants to double-down on him, I want to be in an open area to get the ball back. If your man doesn’t double-down and is just peeping back at the big man, I’m gonna go the other way. If he peeps right, I’m cutting left; if he peeps left, I’m cutting right. If I don’t get it back, I’m still cutting through the lane and out to give him room to operate. 

There’s a lot of ways to play with a big man. A lot of teams aren’t set up to defend that. There are a lot of different ways to play with him, and the Cavs are getting used to having a low-post presence. He commands a double-team, and that always creates a mismatch. There’s a lot of things he can do once we get used to playing with him.

Inserting Bynum into the starting lineup isn’t the only move the Cavaliers are still getting used to. There’s the change at shooting guard as well.

I look at it two ways. One, I’m glad Dion did not let his ego get in the way and still produced. I have to take my hat off to him. He stepped up. Instead of pouting, he took the man’s way, and I think it’s going to help his development down the line.

It comes down to what the TEAM needs. And what we needed was more production off the bench. If coach feels that’s the right way, then you have to deal with that. He still got his minutes and he made those minutes productive.

Right now, the second unit has been outstanding for us. The second unit is giving us the energy level, the life – they’re keeping things going.

Things look a little muddled right now, but I just think it’s guys getting used to the offensive system and the defensive system.  You’re going have fluctuations like this. One night, you play great. The next night, not so much.

That’s what happens when you’re changing players and cultures and systems. It’s different than Training Camp. You’re trying to think about what’s happening out there, what you’re supposed to be doing out there, and it’s happening almost too fast for you to think about. It has to be instinct. And that comes with time and repetition. And you’re not going to have that when you’re only 14 games in to a new system. Right now, they’re working toward the point where it’s instinct as opposed to thinking.

It’s growing pains. You can see it. It’s not second nature to them yet. It’s all a process and that little bit of hesitation is what gets you beat. This is a fast game and that half-a-second is just enough to throw you off.

The Cavaliers rookies have played a bigger role than I think people might have expected at this point of the season. A guy like Matthew Dellavedova even worked his way into the starting lineup.

I hope this doesn’t get taken the wrong way. But if I was a veteran, I would be embarrassed if an undrafted rookie came in and started because of his hustle. I would be embarrassed. The whole team should be upset that a guy can come in right out of college and can start basically because he puts forth a great effort every night.

That’s not a knock on Delly at all. I love his game; he’s a tough little player. And the offensive moves pretty well when he’s in there and letting Kyrie play off the ball a little. But that’s just how I see it.

Anthony Bennett had himself a nice little run on Saturday. And I think he’ll be fine. He just needs to have more confidence in what he’s doing.  He just has to learn the game. And he has to learn HIS game. He can put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the mid-range jumper, he can rebound. But it all takes repetition. It’s in there – he just needs to express it on the floor.

You can see that the young man is struggling to get his confidence. He’ll have a breakout game and then he’ll be fine. But right now, he’s playing not to make a mistake, and that’s a tough way to play the game.

Segey Karasev has played well in spurts. But he’s a kid who understands how to play the game. You can see it.

Right now, he’s a little timid. But that’s to be expected. As soon they get physical with him on defense, he backs off. Instead of going forward, he’ll back off. But that’ll all change once he gets in the weight room and gets stronger – where when a guy comes at you strong, you can ward him off. But he already has everything else. When his confidence gets there, he’ll be fine.

He can shoot it, too. And you can tell, once his confidence comes and he gets stronger, guys will rush him and he’ll still go where he wants to go. Right now, when guys rush him, they control him. When the day comes that he can control them, he’s gonna be a real player.

And I think Henry Sims has been a solid guy off the bench. I like Henry. He’s a typical Georgetown big man. He’s going to give you solid minutes. He plays hard. He’s not a complainer. He can take it and he can dish it out. Sims is a keeper.

Speaking of dishing it out, the Cavaliers will have to bring their big boy game for a big matchup with Miami on Wednesday night.

More than anything, I want us to compete. Come out there on Wednesday with some hair on your chest! If you’re racking up personal fouls, so be it. At least they know you’re competing with them. Don’t sit there and let them control you.  Play like you feel you’re a winner. Right now, there still playing with some of last year’s mentality.

Right now, they’re letting teams hit them in the mouth first instead of the other way around.  We need to turn the tables on that trend. Because teams like San Antonio and Miami, they’ll hit you in the mouth first and keep hitting you all night. That’s why I want to see some real fight out of the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. 

Take it to them right from the opening tip.


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