Cavaliers vs Pistons: Game Two Open Thread
April 21, 2009Cavaliers Too Much For Detroit Again
April 22, 2009While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.
We have a pulse: “LeBron James drove to the basket midway through the second quarter, and as soon as he got past Arron Afflalo and Antonio McDyess, Amir Johnson came from behind and threw both arms up around James’ shoulders and head, hitting him in the face and the head. James used a forearm to clear Johnson away, but Johnson got up and shoved Anderson Varejao, who was objecting to Johnson’s foul. Johnson was called for a personal foul and a technical, and James made all three free throws to put the Cavs up, 37-23. Until the fourth quarter comeback by the reserves, it was the first sign of fight the Pistons showed in two games.” [Mary Schmitt Boyer/Plain Dealer]
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We could be in for one heck of a Saturday: “The Redskins have the 13th overall pick in the draft. Without looking at the exact trade chart values, I wouldn’t mind taking the Redskins’ third round pick at No. 80 and a second- or third-round pick next year in a three-picks-for-one trade (we could toss in a fifth-rounder or something too). While the odds of Sanchez still being available at No. 5 aren’t great, there are a lot of scenarios I could see unfolding that have him on the board still.” [Chris Pokorny/Dawgs By Nature]
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This didn’t take long: “[CC Sabathia] was no longer some free agent. He was the new face of the franchise, a $161-million investment on which this season would be judged. And his cap was on straight. Now, I wish him all the health and wealth and happiness for him and his family off the field, but on it, I hope he immediately comes down with Rick Ankiel disease and never throws another strike as long as he plays.” [Vince Grzegorek/’64 and Counting]
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I, too, dig Mel Kiper: “Mel Kiper works his entire year for this one day. Let him [expletive] have it to himself. I don’t think there’s any danger of Mel running out of [things] to say. You bring up some third string running back from Carson Newman and Mel can go on and on about him for seventeen minutes. “Jamal Woolsley. Good kid. He’s a banger, Mike. Likes contact. Not afraid of contact. Benched over 400 pounds in Indianapolis. Not a breakaway threat like a Knowshon Moreno. He’s probably gonna start out on special teams. But I think he could be a decent change of pace back for a team that needs shoring up at that position. He could backup A FRANK GORE, or A STEVE SLATON. Still needs to work on catching the ball out of the backfield, though. Also a bad sport when playing Monopoly. You like to see that kinda fire in a kid. But I expect more poise from the young man when he lands on my Pennsylvania Avenue…” [Drew Magary/KSK]
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And finally: “Here’s something else to consider: through two games, Prince has also combined for exactly two personal fouls. It’s not necessarily his style, but getting a bit more physical wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. What, can the free-throw disparity actually get worse? The Cavs attempted 43 from the stripe on Tuesday; the Pistons, 16. If more of the Pistons showed a bit more fire, maybe it wouldn’t stick out so much when the big men police the paint.” [Matt Watson/NBA FanHouse]
9 Comments
I’ve heard, and I will admit that there is no way I could ever confirm this, that Mel Kiper’s opinion of players is overly influenced by players agents and the sort. Now this rumor could be a result of jealousy or it could have merit, who knows. I like Kiper too, and hope it isn’t true. But just throwing it out there
Scott, what did you think of that block against Mo somewhere near mid-court as he ran ahead unawares of the Piston player before him? I can’t recall who the Pistons player was, but I also can’t recall seeing a defensive player take position like that near mid-court and hold his forearms up as he watches an ill-alert player run at him. After the ensuing collision, a TNT announcer immediately declared that it was a “clean play,” and maybe, in some abstract way it was, since the defensive player did have position; but what was the purpose of blocking Mo from advancing to a point just beyond mid-court? I just hope that that was not done intentionally with an eye to harm the player. I have seen similar stuff pulled malevolently on basketball courts where I was a suited player and it is not beyond the pale of imagination, especially given the bad blood that has started to circulate between these teams.
Maybe I’m just blowing this out of proportion. Did anyone else find that unusual?
I want to say that it was either Maxiel or McDyess. I know what you’re talking about – and it’s those types of plays that can definitely make you raise an eyebrow.
However, as long as there isn’t a blatant forearm raise or anything aside from establishing position, it is legal. One of the Cavaliers on the floor should have called it out for Mo so he wasn’t blindsided like that.
It will be interesting to see if the physical play increases in Detroit with the hopes of getting a few more calls their way. I could see the Pistons taking a Wizards circa 2008 approach.
Phil – that type of thing happens all the time. The big will set a pick in the backcourt precisely because the defending guard is normally unaware. It normally gets called out because another big will be there to call it, but at this point all our defenders were down court.
Nothing malicious about it. Juat a way to try to dissuade the Cavs from putting a little back court pressure on.
Ricky – you may be right. Give that whole post a read (if you don’t mind a few curse words). Essentially, it just says that even if he doesn’t know all of the stuff he says, he’s really the only guy on the set that truly cares about the draft. All of the other ESPN talking heads are just there to take up space and show those at home how to match their tie and pocket squares.
To clarify – by “Wizards circa 2008 approach”, Scott means not being able to feel their faces, and getting into a beard-off with Drew Gooden.
thought it was a clean play.
The Cavs have made that same play before. Maxiel didn’t lean into Mo, he didn’t lower a shoulder. It was absolutely a clean play.
@ Denny
Don’t forget inviting Soulja Boy to sit courtside.