When Will Enough Be Enough For Cavaliers
I just got finished watching the Cavaliers lose. Again. Another loss on the road, the 4th straight, 8 of 11 so far this season. More disturbing is the fact that the Cavs lost another game to a team under .500. Sure, New Jersey is very talented, much better than their 10-14 record would indicate, but they are 10-14. Amazingly, 5 of their 9 losses have come against teams that did not make the playoffs last year. I can go on and on about the numbers, but how much fun is that to read. No, I want to focus more on how this team is playing, and why Mike Brown or LeBron James keep letting it go on.
Tonite was the same ‘ole same ‘ole. Play decent in the first half, collapse in the 3rd quarter, claw back and make the final score look a lot closer than the game actually was. LeBron was great tonite, but noone else decided to show up. Eric Snow is still a waste of space on the floor, and can someone please tell me when Larry Hughes became a jump shooter. Larry did not go to the basket once during the game. NOT ONCE! Wasn’t that his M.O. in the league before breaking the bank in Cleveland? A slasher, a guy that drive hard to the hoop. Not so far this season. Larry seems content to sit out at the 3-point arc and chuck up long range jumpers when LeBron penetrates.
And what about all the talk from Donyell Marshall about playing more inside? Early in the season it appeared Marshall was going to do just that. Rebound, post up and get to the basket more. Not anymore. In the few minutes that he played Marshall hoisted three after three, miss after miss.
Meanwhile the Nets were going inside. Vince Carter, himself struggling with a case of threepointitis, went to the rim early and often, matchin LeBron point for point, especially down the stretch when the Cavs tried to come back.
Yea, all that is frustrating, but not nearly as frustrating as watching LeBron and Damon Jones laugh it up with Jay-Z over and over late in the game when the Cavs were down double-digits. Hey, maybe Lebron wants to play in Brooklyn when the Nets move to the city in 2010. That’s fine with me, go ahead, but until then, when the supposed contender you play for now is getting embarrassed, AGAIN on the road, try to keep the fraternization with the other team’s owner to a minimum. Could you imagine Michael or Larry joking around during a loss? Me neither.
But that’s the thing about LeBron, isn’t it? He’d rather be Jay-Z’s buddy off the court than beat his team on it. Miss a pair of free-throws in the 4th quarter when the game is still in doubt, no problem cuz I am Jay-Z’s boy.
So the Cavs drop their 2nd straight overall, and head home to face the Pistons. Good thing the Cavs are 11-2 at home, becuase the way this team plays on the road they are going to need all the wins they can get.
Technorati Tags: LeBron James, Cavaliers, Jay-Z, Cleveland, New Jersey Nets, Vince Carter, Larry Hughes
