Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

[Vince]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

shaq looks horrible defending Toronto's quicker bigs.

[ehh]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

They still don't have any guys who can guard quicker/step out bigs. Sheed and Bargani have already proved it in a game and a half. It's gonna be scary when they have to face the Magic this year.

[Vince]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

The Cavs looked so much better with Shaq out.

[The Chef]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

Im late to the party but I agree with the OP as there is no way I can see Cleveland winning a title with Shaq. He is no longer the dominant force on the block he once was and thats his entire game. With Z in the game atleast they can run pick and pop plays between him and LeBron, cant do that with Shaq. With Shaq sitting in the middle he serves to clog the lane for LeBron as well as allowing more defenders to pack the lane to defend the drive. This, imo, was one of the worst signings of the offseason if not the worst. Shaq would do better with a team like Detroit, a team that rarely tries to run and runs a structured offense where dumping it into the post doesnt detract from what they are trying to do offensively. The Cavs on the other hand are the exact opposite.

[55]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

They still don't have any guys who can guard quicker/step out bigs. Sheed and Bargani have already proved it in a game and a half. It's gonna be scary when they have to face the Magic this year.

We'll see exactly two weeks from tonight. Wednesday November 11th - Cleveland @ Orlando. The only thing that worries me is that Shard will still be suspended for that game. He comes back two games after that one. The Cavs and Magic won't play again until February 21st so it may be a while before we can get to see the true measure between each club against one another.

[Court_vision]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

shaq looks horrible defending Toronto's quicker bigs.

That was the point of the original post...and it's continued again.

All I'm saying is that it's a bad fit.

IMO you can book in any athletic big who can hit from further than 15 feet for a career night every time they play Shaq this season.

Bargnani 28 points tonight.
Shaq - 25 when in the game.

Stats don't lie.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

I blame Mike Brown, who flat out doesn't know how to play with a big man...

Brown is going to be gone by Christmas and this is going to be a struggle all year for the Cavaliers.

[HMcCoy]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

I blame Mike Brown, who flat out doesn't know how to play with a big man...

Brown is going to be gone by Christmas and this is going to be a struggle all year for the Cavaliers.

Yeah Brown was horrible with JO in Indy, and even worse with Tim Duncan before that.

Jokes aside though, Brown does appear to be over his head this year. Losing Keuster and having to draw up a new offense based on new starters, and at the same time finding a way to cover Shaq's utter lack of defense is a tall order. Still to early to make assumptions though...If we don't win big, it won't be becaue of Shaqs 25 minutes of mediocre defense.

The Cavs defensive FG% is 44% in those losses...nothing to panic about. Its the ~40% that the Cavs are shooting that has me worried...

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

Not to jump to conclusions, but Shaq might equal AI.

Both guys aren't "cancers" but they change the chemistry way too much. Both guys still put up numbers but there's that "but".

LBJ is still putting up numbers but I swear last year from the start of the season Cleveland was scoring with so much ease. And LBJ was making everyone score the basketball.

Their offense now looks confused.

[JBH3]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

Let's use your excuse for a quick second...now if that's the case then why make him a #2 option? If Mo has not shown he's capable of stepping his game up during the playoffs then why put the pressure of being the #2 option on him?

Mo was brought in to make life easier for Lebron during the regular season AND postseason. Mo is not capable of being the #2 option for Lebron.

It's no excuse. It's completely viable. The guy was everything LBJ needed during the regular season last yr. His playoff resume pre-Cleveland was bench duty on I think the '04 Bucks. With no sample size to draw from there's no way you can dismiss Mo Williams just yet.

Last yr only his 2nd time in the playoffs, and first time starting in the playoffs. The effect of his play could've very well spawned from fatigue of never having played such a long season not to mention flat-out inexperience in the postseason.

It's irrational to believe Mo can't become the same player we saw for 82 last year, in the postseason as well. Book ain't out just yet.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

Not to jump to conclusions, but Shaq might equal AI.

Both guys aren't "cancers" but they change the chemistry way too much. Both guys still put up numbers but there's that "but".

LBJ is still putting up numbers but I swear last year from the start of the season Cleveland was scoring with so much ease. And LBJ was making everyone score the basketball.

Their offense now looks confused.

It's because

1) A lot of new players and

2) Having a player that 90% of the team has never played with.

None of the players on the Cavaliers have ever played with a guy who plays back to the basket, so they are very confused on their spacing and when to cut to the basket.

In short, it's a mix between bad offense design and poor chemistry on the court. At least both are fixable.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

I hope so, because Cleveland last year was not only fun to watch but they were playing winning basketball as well.

[DakkoN]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

Cavs will never win a championship as long as Mike Brown is the coach.

This quote from tonight says it all...

Then in the fourth things changed, substutions had to be made, and the Cavs played big with O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. I was taken aback by this, I didn't think the Cavs could stay small and James needed to rest some, but I didn't think they'd go back so big. After all, Chris Bosh and Bargnani ripped that setup in the first half. I asked Brown why he did it and he said because it worked in the fourth quarter last night against Boston.

I guess when playing LeBron at the PF is what gets you back in the game... the most logical thing to do is do what worked against a completely different team

[SPTO]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

LOL at that quote from Mike Brown.

That guy is a joker of a head coach kinda like Sam Mitchell except Brown might be worse.

[ehh]

Re: Cavs + Shaq = not going to win it all

The saddest part about the whole Mike Brown thing is that LBJ actually wanted him back.