The NBA playoffs are not designed for teams to sweep.  The past two years were the exception, not the rule for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they swept Washington and Detroit in the first rounds in 2008 and 2009.  So, it wasn’t a surprise that the Cavs lost a game to Chicago this year. 

 

It’s the way they have lost that is puzzling.

 

Last night, the wine and gold dropped a 108-106 decision to Chicago, but still hold a 2-1 game lead in the best of seven series.  However, for the second game in a row, the Cavs’ defense failed to show up, and it’s time for Mike Brown to make an adjustment.

 

Chicago is using its athleticism to get in the paint easily, and either scoring or passing out to open shooters at the three-point line.   Luol Deng and Joakim Noah played well again, but not as well as in Game 2, but Kirk Hinrich stepped up with a 27-point evening, hitting nine of twelve from the floor, including five of eight from behind the line.

 

The main culprit though, is Derrick Rose, who is an emerging superstar.  Rose scored 31 points and dished out seven assists, and caused havoc by getting into the paint at will.  The coaching staff simply has to find someone who can control him, whether it’s Delonte West, Anthony Parker, or perhaps using Jamario Moon’s length to keep him outside. 

 

Maybe LeBron James can guard him in the fourth quarter, because yesterday, Rose staved off the Cavalier rally with several key buckets at the end of the game.

 

Noah was active again, getting 10 points and 15 rebounds in 32 minutes.  It’s clear right now that he is quicker than both Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and it’s hurting the team.  Brown might give some minutes to J.J. Hickson to try to match the athleticism of Noah.  Hickson is currently the odd man out in Brown’s rotation, but he showed in the regular season that he could help.

 

Of course, it didn’t help that Anderson Varajao got into foul trouble and played just 20 minutes, scoring three points and getting just six boards.

 

Offensively, the Cavs were way too dependent on three point shots, taking 35 for the game.  That’s about 20 too many.  Granted, some of these shots came when the wine and gold were trying to catch up from a 21 point second half deficit, but Cleveland needs to attack the basket more often. 

 

They also need to handle the Bulls’ zone defense better.  There is no rule saying a team has to shoot from outside against zones.  A good design, such as putting James at the free throw line, can dissect a zone.  The Cavs are settling for jump shots.

 

The Bulls have no one on the interior that should put fear in the hearts of Cavalier players driving to the basket. 

 

The other thing that came back to bite the Cavs was the free throw shooting.  They missed 11 freebies, including an almost 50% night from LBJ (7 for 13) and a 2 for 5 performance from Mo Williams.  In a game that ended up being decided by two points, this is a killer.  Hopefully, it’s a one game aberration.

 

It’s not a panic situation, because most people thought the series would not be a sweep.  However, for teams as good as the Cavaliers, the job becomes how well you perform in comparison to your potential.  In that series, the wine and gold is down 2-1.  They need to raise their level of play Sunday afternoon in Chicago, and put themselves in a position to close it out in Game 5.

 

JK

 

Game 1 was kind of an ensemble cast for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Game 2 was a Hollywood blockbuster, featuring a leading man in LeBron James’ sizzling shooting, a co-star in Jamario Moon, and a villain in Joakim Noah. 

 

In the end, the wine and gold overcame a sloppy first half a porous defense throughout the night to take a 2-0 games lead in the best of seven series, topping Chicago 112-102 at The Q.

 

James had the outside shot working, hitting 16 of 23 from the floor in route to 40 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists.  The Bulls made a conscious effort to keep LBJ out of the paint, so he simply scored over them, hitting a variety of jumpers in an unbelievable shooting display.

 

In a game where the rest of the roster seemed out of sync, Moon stepped up.  He played 20 minutes, which he probably didn’t even expect, and hit four three pointers, as well as grabbing some big rebounds in the fourth quarter when the Cavs pulled away.  He even blocked a Noah shot at close range.

 

Despite being booed because of disparaging remarks about Cleveland, Noah played a tremendous game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 boards.  He had numerous offensive rebounds and put backs, helping to account for the fact that the Bulls took 22 more shots than the Cavs. 

 

Those extra 22 shots are the reason the Bulls were able to stay in the contest.

 

For Mike Brown, the victory came with a ready made teaching opportunity for his team during practice leading up to Game 3, Thursday night in the Windy City.

 

Chicago made an effort to attack the basket and unfortunately, the wine and gold defense parted like the Red Sea in biblical times to take it easy for them.  The Bulls wanted to play an up tempo style of game, and Cleveland wasn’t ready for it. 

Derrick Rose, Flip Murray, and Luol Deng got to the basket very easy, and when they missed Noah and Taj Gibson were there to clean up their mistakes.  That problem has to be resolved by Thursday night. 

 

Of course, the Cavalier offense aided the Chicago running game by throwing the ball away too frequently.  It was a good thing the Cavs tightened up this aspect of the game in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Cleveland pulled out the victory. 

 

So, the defense has to improve and so does the defensive rebounding.  The Bulls led the NBA in board during the regular season, and Cleveland needs to make a concerted effort to stop them from getting second shots.  If the Cavs can control this, they will have an easier time with Chicago as the series continues.

 

A good sign for the Cavaliers is the play of the Bulls.  It is doubtful all of their key players (Rose, Noah, and Deng) can play this well on the same night again in the series.  They all had outstanding games last night, and Chicago still lost by 10.  They also turned the ball over just four times. 

 

The most concerning thing about game two was the lack of defense showed by Mike Brown’s team.  That is the area the coaching staff emphasizes the most.  The players know they will have to have a better effort in this regard both Thursday night and throughout the playoffs if they want to carry the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

 

Last night’s performance wasn’t good enough to beat teams better than the Chicago Bulls.

 

JK

 

Watching the first half of Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs between the Cavaliers and the Bulls, what was the most striking was how easy it was for the wine and gold to regain their mid-season form after many players had time off the last two weeks of the season.  The Cavs jumped out to a big first quarter lead and basically coasted to a 13 point win, 96-83,  to take a 1-0 series lead.

 

The Cav with the longest time off, Shaquille O’Neal looked tremendous running the floor, clogging the middle, and showing a nice touch with a little right-handed jump hook.  He finished with 12 points, and quite frankly looked as though he hadn’t missed anytime at all.  However, his highlight move came in the second half when he left Joakim Noah grasping at air on a spin move, followed by an O’Neal slam.

 

LeBron James outside shot did look rusty, but he still finished with 24 points.  Mo Williams, a key to the playoff run after last year’s disappointing series against Orlando, played very well, with 19 points and 10 assists.  Antawn Jamison did his usual thing, with 15 points and 10 boards, and Anderson Varajao had 15 rebounds as well.

 

The only negative was a second half malaise which saw the Bulls cut the Cleveland lead to as little as seven in the fourth quarter.  It was during this time that the wine and gold got sloppy with the ball and started firing ill-advised three point shots as Chicago went to a zone look. 

 

Since it worked in game 1, look for the Cavaliers to see it plenty tomorrow night in Game 2.  Mike Brown’s crew has to do a better job handling it as the series goes on.  One thing to know about the playoffs is, if something works, you have to keep using it and make your opponent adjust.

 

Teams also can’t lose intensity with big leads in the playoffs.  You can get away with it in the first round, particularly if you are playing a team that finished .500 in the regular season.  However, as the post-season goes on, and the opponents get tougher, championship teams cannot have lapses like the Cavs had in the second half.

 

Defensively, as we told you on Friday, Brown went with Anthony Parker on Derrick Rose, and Rose took 28 shots to score his 28 points.  Stopping Rose is the key to stopping Chicago, and the defense played by the Cavs forced the Bulls into numerous turnovers early in the contest.  They also opened the game conceding the open jumper to Noah, who will have to make some to keep Shaq honest in guarding him. 

 

Their best bet may be to play Brad Miller more often to make The Diesel come away from the basket, but then they lose Noah’s defense and rebounding.  Miller is a slower, older player, and takes away Chicago’s athleticism.

 

Still, all in all, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it look easy in the first game of this series.  If the wine and gold keep improving as the series goes on, this will be a relatively short series, going no more than five games.  But, adjustments will be made on both sides, and the Cavaliers will have to change and do better against a zone if indeed Vinny Del Negro decides to go that way.

 

That’s the beauty of this Cleveland team, though.  They are deep and versatile enough that they most likely can handle whatever the opponent throws at them. 

 

That said, look for Game 2 to be more of a challenge than yesterday’s contest. 

 

 

 

 

We are Cleveland sports fans.  So naturally, there are always things that concern us about each of our major league sports teams.  Here is what worries us about each team…

 

Cavaliers. 

No, we aren’t worried about the losing momentum going into the playoffs on a four game losing streak.  Heck, it’s not as though the wine and gold made a wholehearted effort to win those games. 

 

However, what is a concern is the drop off of the team’s defense as the season progressed.  Maybe it was the absence of Shaquille O’Neal, whose presence dissuaded people from driving to the basket, but the Cavs aren’t the same defensive team they have been in the past. 

 

The first thing that needs to occur starting tomorrow afternoon against the Bulls is that the point guards need to stop Derrick Rose from going to the basket at will.  Penetration has been the biggest single reason for the decline in stopping opponents, so look for Anthony Parker and Delonte West to draw the responsibility for handling Rose.

 

The hallmark of the team under Mike Brown has been defense.  If the Cavaliers are going to win their first title this spring, the defense has to get back to where it has been.

 

JK

 

Indians.

Besides the bullpen, you have to be a little concerned about the Tribe offense, which has only scored five or more in a game three times in their first eight games. 

 

This is the American League, and if you can’t put five runs up on the board most nights, you are going to have a very difficult time winning. 

 

Our thoughts about Michael Brantley over the winter look to be true.  He can’t drive the ball, as of yet, so he isn’t ready for an every day job at the big league level.  The same thing can be said of Lou Marson. 

 

And the strikeouts are once again a huge problem. 

 

When a journeyman like Colby Lewis starts and strikes out 10 guys in 5-1/3 innings, you have problems with your hitting.  Right now, outside of Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo, no one is hitting with any consistency.  And if this team can’t hit, it’s going to be a long, long year.

 

KM

 

Browns.

The NFL draft is coming up next week, so any concerns about the Browns have to be there, especially based on their lack of success in the past. 

 

There continue to be rumblings that Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert are interested in moving up to get QB Sam Bradford.  Hopefully, this is just a smoke screen.

 

This football needs someone who is going to step in, play, and make an impact right away.  This will not happen if they draft a quarterback.  In fact, the Browns probably need to draft two players next week that can start when the season opens in September.

 

They also need to get some difference makers on the defensive side of the football.  That’s the formula for winning in the AFC North, a division inhabited by the Steelers and Ravens. 

 

The Browns need to get a young quarterback; they just don’t need to take him with their first round draft pick.

 

JD

 

It’s a good thing new Indians’ pitching coach Tim Belcher preached throwing strikes during spring training.  Otherwise, the Tribe hurlers would be walking every other hitter they faced. 

 

Belcher certainly has his work cut out for him.  Through seven games, his staff has walked 13 more hitters than the next closest American League team.  That’s an average of almost two walks per contest more than the teams tied for second most in this category, the White Sox and Mariners.

 

And it’s not just the bullpen either.  The starting pitchers have issued 26 free passes in 39-2/3 innings of work, while the relievers have walked 19 batters in 23 frames. 

 

Checkout some of these strikeout to walk ratios—

 

Fausto Carmona:  14 innings, 5 strikeouts, 10 walks

Jake Westbrook:  9-2/3 innings, 8 strikeouts, 7 walks

Mitch Talbot:  5 innings, 1 strikeout, 5 walks

Chris Perez:  3 innings, 1 strikeout, 5 walks

Aaron Laffey:  3-1/3 innings, no strikeouts, 2 walks

Joe Smith:  3 innings, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks

Tony Sipp:  2-2/3 innings, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks

 

Keep in mind that a good pitcher strikes out two batters for every one he walks. 

 

Carmona has showed signs of turning around his performance of the last two years, but even on Monday when he pitched well he walked four hitters while striking out the same number. 

 

Guys like Talbot and Laffey, who aren’t power pitchers, absolutely cannot walk people.  This has been a problem with Laffey in the past, who in his career has walked about as many as he has fanned.  If Talbot doesn’t throw strikes, he won’t be in the major leagues very long. 

 

The guys like Sipp and Perez are even more troubling.  They both have plus stuff.  On Monday’s radio broadcast, it was mentioned that Belcher said certain pitchers are giving hitter too much credit.  It’s tough to hit a 95-mile an hour fastball.  Both Perez and Sipp are falling behind hitters because they are falling in love with their breaking pitches.  They miss and they are behind in the count.

 

That’s a recipe for failure. 

 

The season is just a week old, and already the bullpen has blown two games.  Bad bullpens usually mean bad teams.  What is disturbing is that this organization doesn’t seem to be able to put together a good relief corps. 

 

We have asked the question before:  Is it because they don’t pick the correct guys coming out of camp? 

 

In this case, there are mixed answers.  Chris Perez was hot and cold during spring training, and Rafael Perez pitched well in the desert, as did Laffey.  Joe Smith had the team made before camp started, but he was mediocre in Arizona, and Sipp had control issues. 

 

The point is this.  Shouldn’t a guy like Josh Judy received more of a look?  Granted, he has a bit of a sore arm now, but he deserved a longer look. 

 

The 2009 Indians had a bad bullpen, and yet the only newcomer is Jamey Wright, who has had a career of being unable to throw strikes consistently.  Unfortunately, besides Judy, there wasn’t anyone else who turned heads in Goodyear.  That makes it more odd that the youngster wasn’t given a better shot at making the big club.

 

Look, it’s early to jump to conclusions.  However, walking guys is not the way to win baseball games.  Manny Acta knows it.  Tim Belcher knows it.  Now they just have to get the guys throwing the ball to realize it.

 

MW

 

Oh, no!  The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost three games in a row!  Surely, this will ruin their chances in the playoffs because they have lost momentum going into the post-season. 

 

That reaction has been heard throughout Cleveland in the last few days.

 

However, nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the last three games show how strong this roster is.

 

First, LeBron James, the sport’s best player didn’t play in any of these games, all close losses to the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic.  The fact that the games could have gone either way right down to the end shows how talented the Cavs roster is. 

 

The Bulls were playing for their playoffs lives, yet won because for some reason, Anderson Varajao thought he was a jump shooter at the end of the game.  Oh, and by the way, the wine and gold’s second leading scorer, Antawn Jamison missed most of the fourth quarter with a bruised foot. 

 

Still, Cleveland almost, and you could argue, should have won that game.

 

Against Indiana, Mike Brown decided to sit Jamison and Mo Williams in addition to James, and once again the Cavs were in the game to the end with little used Sebastian Telfair scoring 21 points and looking good doing it.

 

The likely MVP sat out again yesterday against Orlando along with Anthony Parker, and again the game wasn’t decided until the final few minutes.  And Brown decided not to put Mo Williams and Jamison back into the game in the fourth quarter, when they obviously would have provided an impact. 

 

All were close games, even though several key pieces of this team were missing.  And don’t forget Shaquille O’Neal is still out with his thumb injury.

 

Also, the coaching staff learned something in these games, which may be even more important.

 

Mo Williams looked like the player he was in the 2008-09 regular season.  He didn’t settle for jump shots.  He took the ball to the basket, and when he did shoot from outside, his shot look much better than it did following his return from his shoulder injury.

 

Jamario Moon got a chance to play, and showed that he can be a contributor.  And no offense to Jawad Williams, but if Mike Brown thought he was a better player than Moon, he is crazy.

 

Telfair looks like he can be a contributor next season if he is here.  He looks like a player who can handle the ball and get to the basket to create things.  He could take the minutes of Daniel Gibson next season because of his ability to initiate the offense. 

 

Varajao should not be taking anything besides the layups he gets by slipping behind the defense when opponents double and triple team LeBron James.

 

When the playoffs start, Delonte West will become more and more important to this team the deeper it gets in the post-season.  West can create his own shot, can handle the ball, and most of all, he can defend out on the perimeter.

 

Relax, Cavs’ fans!  Just one more regular season game, and the playoffs start this weekend.  Finally!  The quest for a title is at hand.

 

JK

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Browns are preparing a pretty good smoke screen as to what they are going to do in the NFL Draft, which will occur later this month.  Reports have the team looking at cornerbacks, safeties, quarterbacks, defensive linemen, and offensive linemen. 

 

Since three of these spots are on the defensive side of the ball, it’s safe to say that Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert feel the need to improve on that side of the line of scrimmage. 

 

Last week, they made another move to help out in that area.

 

They traded a 4^th round pick, a 5^th round pick, and backup linebacker Alex Hall to Philadelphia for cornerback Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong.  The initial reaction is trading a couple of mid-round picks and a reserve player for two guys who will likely start for you is always a good thing.

 

The team continues to have five selections in the draft’s first 92 picks.

 

Brown, 31, gives the team an experienced corner to go with Eric Wright.  He started all 16 games for the Eagles, picking off five passes.  He is most definitely an upgrade over Brandon McDonald and Mike Adams, who started last season. 

 

Gocong, who is just 26 years old, has started 35 games for Philadelphia, and can play both the inside and outside linebacking positions.  He is also expected to play special teams for the Browns. 

He was mentioned during Heckert’s introductory press conference as a guy both he and coach Eric Mangini liked coming out of college, but Heckert’s Eagles picked him before Mangini’s Jets could. 

 

Outside of upgrading the quarterback position, there is no question the defense was a huge concern for the new administration, particularly the secondary.  If Eric Berry from Tennessee drops to the seventh spot in the draft, which it appears more likely he will, the Browns will jump to get him.

 

That would replace half of last year’s starting secondary, with Berry replacing the oft-injured Brodney Pool, who was let go prior to the free agency period.

 

If Berry isn’t available, then the Browns can turn to CB/S Earl Thomas or USC S Taylor Mays to help the secondary.

 

There is no way to project who will start at what spot among the linebackers, because of the flexibility the brown and orange have picked up in the off-season.  Newly signed free agent Scott Fujita can also play both spots. 

 

It would also not be a surprise if Holmgren and Heckert went for another linebacker with one of their first five picks in a few weeks. 

 

The point is this.  Just like last season, the Cleveland Browns need an impact player on the defensive side of the ball.  The AFC North has good quarterbacks and intimidating defenses.  Think about Troy Polamalu with the Steelers and Ray Lewis with the Ravens. 

 

The Browns need both of these things.  Holmgren will target the QB in the second or third rounds, but he can use the first round choice to get that defensive player. 

 

Now is the time to make the move.

 

JD

 

We’ve looked at the American League last week, so with the regular season starting up in earnest today, here is what we think the National League will look like in 2010.

 

Atlanta

Philadelphia

New York

Florida

Washington

 

The Braves still have their trademark pitching and the offense will be bolstered with rookie Jason Heyward.  They will break the Phillies stranglehold at the top of the division in Bobby Cox’ last season.  Roy Halladay will have a big year going to the National League, but the back of the Phils’ rotation could be shaky.  The Mets will get better season’s from David Wright and Jose Reyes, but their pitching is problematic.  Florida is still too young, although they have the second best player in the NL in Hanley Ramirez.  The Nationals will be improved, but not enought to escape the basement.

 

St. Louis

Chicago

Cincinnati

Milwaukee

Pittsburgh

Houston

 

The Cardinals are still the class of this division, led by Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday.  The Cubs need a comeback year from Alfonso Soriano in order to have a better offense, and the back end of the bullpen is a question mark. They are good, but St. Louis is better in all aspects of the game.  The Reds are starting to improve, although they need a comeback season from Aaron Harang.  Joey Votto may be the leagues’ most underrated player.  The Brewers can probably out hit anyone, but their pitching is suspect.  The Pirates will escape the cellar and are improving.  The Astros might be the NL’s worst team.

 

Los Angeles

Colorado

Arizona

San Francisco

San Diego

 

Many have forgotten that the Dodgers were the NL’s best team during the regular season, and they are for the most part, still a young team.  The Rockies are the trendy pick to win the pennant, but they will come up short in the pitching department.  Arizona improved their pitching, and will be improved, but not enough to be in contention.  The Giants have enough great starters to be tough if they got to the playoffs, but they don’t have enough hitting or youth in their lineup to get there.  The Padres are rebuilding and will probably trade their best player, Adrian Gonzalez, during the season.

 

WILD CARD:  Colorado

 

KM

 

Every year, Cleveland Sports Perspective tries to give you an idea of how this baseball season will go.  We’ve already told you the Indians will finish in 3^rd place this season.  Here’s our guess on how the rest of the American League will shape up.

 

AL EAST

Boston

New York

Tampa Bay

Toronto

Baltimore

 

This division will be hotly contested with perhaps the three best teams in the AL in this division.  Yes, Tampa Bay is that good.  The edge goes to Boston because eventually, some of the Yankees (Jeter, Posada, Rivera) have to show some age.  The Red Sox have a deep starting staff and a solid bullpen, although their offense will not be as strong.  Toronto and Baltimore are probably pushing for the radical realignment plan to get out of this division.

 

AL CENTRAL

Chicago

Detroit

Cleveland

Minnesota

Kansas City

 

The loss of Joe Nathan and the move out of the Metrodome will hurt the Twins more than people think.  The White Sox have the best starting pitching in the division with the addition of Jake Peavy for a full season.  The Tigers could have a top three in the rotation that rivals Chicago, but the back end of the rotation is iffy.  If Francisco Liriano comes back, the Twins will move up, but the rest of their rotation is a bunch of pitch to contact guys, and those guys don’t fare well every season.  The Royals keep signing guys like Scott Podsednik.

 

AL WEST

Oakland

Los Angeles

Seattle

Texas

 

Seattle is the trendy pick, but after Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, their starters are nothing to write home about.  The A’s are young and improving and they will emerge as the winner in the league’s most balanced division.  Keep an eye on Oakland’s Brett Anderson, who could be the AL’s next great pitcher.  The Rangers starting pitching won’t repeat the very good season they had last season. 

 

WILD CARD:  New York

 

Coming up soon, our fearless National League forecast.

 

MW