Lonnie Chisenhall is Barrels or Bust: Bode Plots
May 16, 2017Are you a Kaepernick or a Tebow? While We’re Waiting
May 17, 2017Happy Tuesday, WFNY!
Well, here we are again. It’s been a week since my last While We’re Waiting segment, and in that time the Cleveland Cavaliers have played exactly zero games. I love that the Cavaliers are getting as much rest as they need, but I’m also getting a little stir crazy watching all these other teams play playoff basketball while the Cavs are just waiting. The Western Conference plays Game 2 of their series tonight, which means by the time the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics get started on Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs will have already played two games. That’s pretty ridiculous, in my opinion1.
But alas, here we are, the day before the Cavaliers start their next phase of this journey. The problem with the team having more than a week off between playoff games is that, frankly, I have precious little to say about the team right now. In some ways, this reminds me a bit of college football bowl season. It’s always a little jarring when a team you follow has such a long break between games. You can almost forget what was going on with the team the last time you saw them play.
So, in case you forgot, the last we saw of the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were blitzing their way through the Eastern Conference Playoffs by playing some of the best offense we have ever seen while stepping up on the defensive end as well. How good have the Cavaliers been on offense? Well, in the regular season this year, the Golden State Warriors tied the 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers for the best Offensive Rating of all time at 115.6 points per 100 possessions. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers have scored an insane 119.3 points per 100 possessions, well above the ridiculous mark of 116.3 points that the Warriors have posted in the playoffs. The last two regular seasons, the Warriors have matched their own record eFG% of .563, but in the playoffs, the Cavaliers have established an eFG% of .579.
Obviously, the playoffs present a very limited sample size, but these numbers are only used here to help illustrate just how insane the Cavaliers offense has been so far in the playoffs. The Pacers and Raptors finished the regular season 16th and 11th, respectively, in defensive efficiency. So, not elite defenses but not bottom third defenses either. It would seem highly, highly unlikely that the Cavaliers would be able to keep up this level of efficiency on offense, but then again, they do have LeBron James. And, well, with LeBron, anything is possible.
Whether or not the team continues to play at this level is not really the point here. It’s more just that the Cavaliers had been doing something pretty special and now they have a chance to finally attempt to build on that momentum. It’s also interesting because, for the first time this year, the Cavaliers will open a series on the road. On paper, this Boston series doesn’t really worry me. The Cavaliers have shown in previous years that playing on the road in the playoffs doesn’t bother them. The Cavaliers also made their point to the Celtics in the last regular season matchup. Cleveland is deeper and has the best player. The Cavaliers should win this series.
But there is something sort of special happening with this Celtics team. They’ve been tested deeply in both of their series so far and every time people want to write them off, they have responded and been able to bounce back and do whatever it takes to win the series. Teams like this can be scary in the playoffs. All they need is the slightest glimmer of hope, and they’ll be ready to pounce on it. And if there’s one thing that has been consistent about the Cavaliers this season, it has been their tendency to offer opponents a lifeline.
Which isn’t to say I think the Cavaliers are going to lose this series, either, of course. I just think a lot of people are writing off the Celtics too easily. Boston earned the best record in the East this year and they are not an opponent to take lightly, especially with Isaiah Thomas’s fearless demeanor. The Celtics are a team that should be taken seriously.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I am also a little uneasy about this series because I do fear the chippiness factor. I’m worried about the Celtics taking their pound of flesh if it becomes apparent they are going to lose this series. Yes, I still remember Kelly Olynyk pulling down on Kevin Love’s arm. I’ve seen Jae Crowder get chippy in playoff series before. To be perfectly clear here, I am not saying the Celtics are a dirty team. I’m just saying they are a team that plays extremely hard and isn’t afraid to play physical to prove a point if they need to. Again, the Celtics are a fearless team and they will not back down and roll over.
But the Cavaliers control their own fate here. If they keep doing the things they can control, they will beat the Celtics. If the Cavaliers don’t take the Celtics seriously, or if they play careless and loose and start turning the ball over too much, the series will be a lot more difficult. I feel like it’s really that simple. Sure, it’s possible the Cavaliers will just hit a frustrating cold streak with their shooting. After all, most of the time stats return to their averages. If the Cavaliers have been this hot to start the playoffs, there’s a chance a cold streak is around the corner. But even if the Cavs go cold, they still have two of the best players in the world at attack the lane in LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. They have the depth and pieces to play a multitude of different styles and Ty Lue has shown an ability to adapt when needed.
I’m not expecting a sweep this time, but I do think the Cavaliers will make it past Boston and into their third straight NBA Finals. No matter what happens, though, it will just be nice to finally get to watch Cleveland play some playoff basketball again. The break was nice for the players, I’m sure, but as fans, I’m ready to get this thing going again.
- Yes, I know, the series will catch up by giving the West more days off between games. That doesn’t change how dumb I think it is that one series is starting so far ahead of the other. [↩]
59 Comments
https://i.imgflip.com/1p2bxo.jpg
Had to be Brennan.
This was so hard. This pic makes me excited and despondent at the same time.
Boston will take a game in this series. I wouldn’t even be stunned if they manage to take two–they may not look individually impressive, but they work well as a team. But no way should it be because the Cavs ease up. If they can’t stay focused for 48 a night against the team that essentially cost them the chance to be looking for a three-peat this year, then what are we even doing here? If the Cs are going to take one, it better be due to Herculean effort on their part and not a lack of focus on ours. And if LeBron wants to snatch souls for four straight games and maybe grab the squad a little more rest before the Finals, that’s cool, too.
To this day, I still haven’t seen a QB throw a ball like Elway. Sucks to be on the wrong side, but those were some great teams.
I see Boston winning a game in Boston but that’s it. Neither series is going past 5 games especially if Leonard is hurt.
I was initially a little more upset about 2 games in WCF before 1 in ECF, but the big diff is the break between games 2-3 for WCF. Since Leonard hurt ankle, spurs will have a chance to rest after tonight for Wed, Thurs, and Friday, before playing on Saturday. So the Cavs will have 2 games in before the third game of WCF. After that, they play every other day rotating between east and west.
https://media.giphy.com/media/hNmaZtvOzG1pe/giphy.gif
Favorite Browns player of all time.
Can you please run this photo again with 49 days left?
ooooh , yeah … it’s gonna get good now. i know they aren’t giving the Celtics much of a chance , but we’ll see.
There is a HOFer at 49, also.
I know. But more Brennan.
Like this?
https://media.giphy.com/media/uqEizPnkQ7qAo/giphy.gif
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/614e46f4f0d50af13f4df1a071e916ce7e47678403d5734a3fd2a2de4b5cc0ac.gif
Maybe I’ll try to find some pics for other countdown days where he is in the frame with another Browns player.
And, NO, I will not using the #44 slot for that.
The NBA loves to drag out the playoffs.
https://media.tenor.co/images/98106050cdaa3e90bfd9cb210d9453e9/tenor.gif
Anything but that. Besides, there’s also a HOFer available at #44.
I know, but it’s a tough call.
Trust your gut. I know what you’re inclined to do, and you should do that.
http://imgur.com/zJxAp2k
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http://media.mlive.com/wolverines_impact/images/denardfirstpitch.gif
hi JPF … one-hopper for a strike … that’s not easy to do.
No wicket on that one, not even close.
https://marykatherinemusings.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/bones.gif?w=496&h=241
I think Crowder has matured a lot and isn’t that guy anymore. He plays hard and fierce, but I don’t see him being as dirty as he used to be. I think he got what little respect he felt he deserved and moved on.
So what? None of it matters since we’re all going to die soon anyway. Just your daily reminder. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7dea6518976ddce7dc2443e7dc7bf0a7a8f76f75800333618d7dc7d256494ce.jpg
Is that “They Come Here”??
… Come Here They
“After all, most of the time stats return to their averages.”
That is correct. And if that is to be the case with this series, I think we’d see a much improved Kyrie Irving along with much bigger offensive numbers from JR.
The reason you can’t find a number to regress towards is because the Cavs are playing a completely different style than before. JR is now a defense-first guy. Shumpert looks like he’s poised to play more off the bench. RJ is essentially out of the lineup, and Kyrie has been shooting under 30% from 3. So I am not so sure the Cavs can’t keep up their current offensive onslaught. Maybe not to the tune of 119+/100, but up there somewhere.
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“man , i can’t wait until there are 74 days left !!” https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b1cf14d1bb251ef35c497a97cb30e7c36c892a4c5f0bb116ab6b6c1483d1ad81.jpg
There is a HOFer there, but I might use Care Bear if i can find the right pic.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/02090a96f27e08370eeffa1994af30386ddc44f9823d6c7b50fa7684538e127a.gif
Just wait til we get down to 3 days…
https://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/brandonweedendetriotlionsvclevlandbrowns1wfhp3rhlx7l.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1474dd26ae501d3f897946aefa10811dd071fe2a2064d0dd45291a187d9c2ca6.gif
EDIT: seems to be working now
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwj3uKzx5fTTAhVjrlQKHStfBbQQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgifrific.com%2Fcleveland-browns-qb-brandon-weeden-caught-under-flag%2F&psig=AFQjCNFpX-lngtJz0WRClBFx57pMpHzCLQ&ust=1495037245336375
My nephew is interning for astrophysics research and we were talking about this last night. He called him a “pop” physicist, lol.
We can live on mars! He’ll tell us how!
Here you go, friend: http://gif.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WEEDEN-FLAG.gif
“Pop physicist” is a funny pejorative! I think all of the cool kids like Neil Degrasse Tyson nowadays.
Its about time for a Shamrock appearance
He said the same about him. Not that it was disparaging, but they are not contributing new research, ie not relevant to emerging science. Their roles are more marketing now.
Weeden…a true American hero.
For only $29.99 a month (+ shipping & handling), you too can learn how it might be possible to maybe live on Mars in 100+ years!
My favorite part of this scene is the soldiers. Joe has a job to do, and I guarantee that there are 200 other things Joe would rather be doing, but dammit, Joe is going to do that job; obstacles and QBs don’t matter. I love Joe.
TRS ??? … i haven’t seen him on here for quite a while now. i half-expected to see him when the Browns played the Patriots.
And Weeden has just been flagged for excessive cluelessness.