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Preview: Cavs at OKC...tip-off at 7
Written by Brendan Bowers   
Sunday, 13 December 2009 13:48

Projected Starting Lineups:

Oklahoma City Thunder...

PG - Russel Westbrook
SG - Thabo Sefolsha
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Jeff Green
C   - Nenad Kristic

Cavaliers...

PG - Mo Williams
SG - Anthony Parker
SF - LeBron James
PF - J.J. Hickson
C   - Shaquille O'Neal - Q

Game Notes:

Shaq made the trip, participated in shoot-around and is currently listed as questionable.  If I were Mike Brown, I'd start Anderson Varejao at the center position if Shaq can't go, but obviously Z may get the nod here instead if Shaq's eye is too much of a problem...

Durant is 3rd in the NBA in scoring at 28.3 ppg and also leads the team in rebounding at 7.2 per game, and if you didn't know, he's 6'10" and can handle the ball well on the NBA's perimeter also...in short, he's a ridiculous stud that I would think LeBron will have to guard tonight, and if so, he should push the King some on that end....

Big test for Hickson tonight who's been dominated of late in the low post defensively, first by Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies, and then more recently by LaMarcus Aldridge and his Blazer front court mates.  As a reminder, Hickson was pulled early in the half for Varejao and did not return against Portland on Friday...

Beyond Durant, Russel Westbrook will be the biggest test for Cleveland tonight, and he will be yet again another handful for Mo Williams to contend with defensively.  Westbrook is leading the team in assists at 6.9 per game, and is also averaging over 16 points and nearly 5 rebounds...he'll be an All Star one day soon, I just hope its not tonight...

I was watching the UCLA game last night and they showed a stat saying that if recent early NBA entrants had stayed a Bruin, Kevin Love would be a senior, Jrue Holiday a sophomore, and Russel Westbrook a junior...that team would be good, no? Instead they're (2-7)...

And after OKC Thunder - sitting at 12-9 -  tonight, as Jacob over at WFNY  pointed out this morning, the schedule doesn't get any easier during the latter part of this month...

 

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Comments (2)Add Comment
Schedule
written by Jacob Rosen, December 13, 2009
Hey Brendan, thanks for the mention as always. This is a typical trip-up game and if this is for real a championship unit, they will win the next four before going on that massive western road trip.
@Jacob Rosen
written by StepienRules, December 13, 2009
no problem...thanks for stopping by...couldn't agree more about the importance of today's game with respect to that trip west that's looming, and meanwhile, with Boston reeling off 10 straight - its about the time the Cavs made a statement run of their own here in the early goings of the season...here's hoping they get off to a good start today against Durant and company.

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About Stepien Rules

Ted Stepien was the owner of the Cavaliers from 1980 to 1983. In 1982, the New York Times wrote an article calling Stepien's Cavaliers the "worst club, and most poorly run franchise in professional basketball."  During his tenure as Cavaliers owner, the Cavaliers went 66-180, had five different head coaches, and losses of $15 million.  Click Here to Read More...

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