Guest Blogger Preview: Sixers4Guidos

Written by Brendan Bowers on .

Ricky from the Philadelphia 76ers blog Sixers4Guidos was nice enough to stop by for a Q and A in preparation for tonights Cavaliers - Sixers game, which tips off at 7pm.  If you're wondering about the name, its pronouced g-w-ee-dos...you know, like Tony Soprano's buddies?  My questions, and Ricky's answers, are below:

1.  What's the problem with the Sixers...a playoff team from a year ago...how much longer do you give Eddie Jordan to turn this thing around?
 
I think there are several reasons for Sixers' poor record. It's a combination of:

1) poor coaching
2) poor coaching
3) injuries. No excuses here but Speights and Williams went down when they were playing some really good basketball.
4) poor coaching.
5) nonsensical (? assuming this is a word) decision by the front office.

I have to explain the "poor coaching" thing.
Jordan has done an HORRIBLE so far, with his own bad combination of poor rotations, with guys passing from DNP CDs to the starting line up, or from 20-25 minutes per game to 3-5, key players/leaders benched (Brand), zero/few attention to defense and rebounding (Sixers were solid in both categories last year), extremely poor "locker room management", calling out a former all star like Brand, or making jokes about him, or refusing to take any responsaibility for the losing streak (it took him like 10 straight losses to come up with something like "at a point it's also up to me"...).  

To sum it up so far we've seen a bad Xs and O's coach with ZERO psychological skills. His pre game/post game quotes are a rare collection of BS: "Brand is no more a 40 min guy" (start of the season, when he was trying to recover full efficiency after having basically missed the whole year...), "Probably it was (Brand) to tell Green to get Holiday injured (in praccice)" (= so that Brand could be put again into the starting lineup...), "I'll leave Iverson the choice when to pull himself out of the game" (?? I thought coaches were getting paid to do this..) etc etc.

Front office didn't help him much either, signing Iverson, the anti-Princeton offense, 20 games into the season, when Sixers were (slowly...) starting to learn a new system that requires some time to adjust.

But anyway I don't think Jordan's job is at serious risk, he was signed for 3 years and firing him after 25 games would mean the GM admitting a major failure. Remember last year Cheeks was fired and got replaced by Di Leo, so Jordan's successor would be the 4th coach in 2 years. Highly unlikely, to me, but then again so it was Iverson's return...

2.  What's your take on the AI situation?
 
I loved the guy and still love him but I didn't want him back. I would have been ok with Jrue Holiday at the helm, even after Lou Williams broke his jaw. I think Iverson take minutes from players we need to develop or whose value we have to see (Holiday, Lou Williams when he'll be back, but also Carney at SG). I would have preferred that some contending team would have signed Iverson (Cleveland?), to give him a shot at a title, ala Gary Payton in Miami. But of course, for the final chapter of his career it's better in Philly than in Memphis, or at home....

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A win is a win...I guess: 99-89 Cavs over Nets

Written by Brendan Bowers on .

Since the Cavaliers felt like they didn’t have to put forth maximum effort tonight against the Nets, I am going to assume that its okay I don’t put forth maximum effort in my re-cap post either.  Prior to watching, I did want to though, I promise.  But a game that takes Devin Harris hitting Jamario Moon in the head with 3:48 left to get the Cavs players – and multiple fans throughout the Q – to literally wake up out of a drooling sleep is just difficult to write about.  

I could write about all the negatives in tonight's game though, but I don’t want to.  What I wanted to talk about was how the Cavs treated the Nets like a jv squad, and dominated them from start to finish.  I also wanted to belabour the point about how awful the now 2-23 Nets are.  I wanted to argue that 10 players on the Cavs’ roster could have started for New Jersey tonight.  I wanted to say that Shaq dropped an early O’Doyle rules on the Jersey front-line with 9 first quarter points, and then bullied his way to a season high 30+.  I wanted to poke fun at how ridiculous the speculation that LeBron James would opt to sign with the worst franchise in the NBA next season really is.  But after watching those Nets hang in the game all night long, during the most boring Cavs' win in the last two years, I decided none of that really made sense talking about.   

Brook Lopez gets the player of the game award for me with 22 pts/15 rebs, and before getting ejected, Devin Harris kicked in 22 for the bad guys. 

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Slam Online's Sandy Dover Presents...

Written by Sandy Dover on .

The Quarter Report by San Dova: Autumn Session

* Editors Note: Slam Online's Sandy Dover was nice enough to by StepienRules today and offer us an assessment of the Cavaliers' play to date through the first quarter of this NBA season.  For more from Sandy, check out the San Dova Speak Easy, or follow Sandy on Twitter @SandSeraph. *

Before I start, I want to give some love to Brendan for allowing me to jump on StepienRules and share some knowledge with you guys about the Cleveland Cavs. It’s not everyday that you’re invited to share some insight as a guest on other channels, especially not by a site as thorough in coverage at StepienRules, so a big thank you to Mr. Bowers for the open invitation. While some of you may have seen me kick around at SLAM, I’m going to be delivering occasional reports on the Cleveland Cavaliers in what you’ll know to be The Quarter Report.

So…upon the start of the season for the Cavaliers, Cleveland was learning how play amongst each other with several new additions to the team (along with some notable subtractions). A few bad losses and a lack of out-the-box cohesiveness brought many of observers of the team to question Cleveland’s potency. Our hero, LeBron Ramone James, seemed to also be feeling out his court space with new teammate Shaquille O’Neal, and head coach Mike Brown was struggling early after losing former assistant offensive whiz John Kuester, who’s now the head coach for the Detroit Pistons. Alas, the Cavs made emerging second-year player J.J. Hickson the starting power forward (while sending Anderson Varejao to the bench), upgraded the backcourt in acquiring Anthony “The Other Tony” Parker (leaving troubled combination guard Delonte “KFC” West on the bench). Since the early November adjustment period, the Cavaliers have seemingly been on pace for another notable season-long campaign. And now to player evaluations…

Daniel Gibson

He’s really been on and off this season, but the former Longhorn has done relatively OK whenever he’s been in games, and has even been a good contributor for them when he’s been able to play within himself. One of the things that Daniel should continue to work on is his ball-handling, because the Cavs always need more players to use that can play on and off of the ball, and it would raise his stock as a potential trade asset (even if Cleveland still doesn’t want his contributions). 

Danny Green

It’s hard to say what all Danny will do this year, and thus far, he hasn’t been a disappointment, so that’s a good enough sign. He’s a winner, so as long as he plays good defense and is court-aware in the little minutes he’s projected to get, he’ll be straight. 

J.J. Hickson

J.J.’s really come on for the Cavs as a starter, and it’s something that’s especially welcome. While he gave good contributions in his rookie season, learning the NBA game and having to sit behind Joe Smith and Ben Wallace didn’t allow him to build on the progress he made in the middle of the previous season. Now, Hickson is giving Cleveland the extra boost of athleticism and post game production that was sorely needed. 

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

He’s been a champ for quietly and willingly going to the bench this season. Being a key player for Cleveland in their continuous run for a championship, Z may actually have a chance to be a better producer as the season goes along with his limited minutes thus far. Right now, he’s still trying to find his niche as a reserve player, but is still moderately effective when the offense is run through him, LeBron and Varejao. 

Darnell Jackson

The Kansas product hasn’t had many minutes thrown his way early, but I’m sure it’s because he hasn’t earned what he hasn’t been yet given. Hickson’s production and Varejao’s re-role as a reserve big man have kept his burn low. Thus far, he’s solid insurance for injuries. 

LeBron James  

One thing that’s noticeable about LBJ is that he’s a little less muscle bound this year, which isn’t a total surprise. He said last year that he wasn’t expecting to stay at 275 lbs and actually wanted to shrink to about 255 or 260, so that may explain it (if I were him, I’d keep his weight around 270). Either way, Le King is having another excellent season, upping his assist average and continuing to guide the Cavs with his scoring, passing and remarkable leadership. His jump shot seems to be as accurate as ever, while he’s still finding his lanes around the perimeter to slash. Not bad for an MVP. 

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French Fries and HORSE Shots

Written by Brendan Bowers on .

In case you hadn't heard, LeBron James made two steals in one play last night against the Thunder.  My apologies, bad joke.  But he did steal a pass, go the length of the court, make a lay-up, get fouled and then steal a fry from a fan sitting courtside.  Video evidence is below...

HatTip: YouTube

 

Also, as referenced by Bill Nagel this morning, Mo Williams' go to H-O-R-S-E shot - from the U in Th-u-nder...

HatTip: YouTube

 

 

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That one was fun to watch

Written by Bill Nagel on .

OKC is certainly a young and interesting team.  Kevin Durant definitely has all the tools to stay a star in this league for a long time and they have done a good job surrounding him with young talent.  Nevertheless our boys went to work and got a nice win on the road.
 
On the star matchup...
I'm sure this is not what Durant envisioned when he woke up this morning as he was going to square off against Lebron.  In what was a very close game throughout, his team was outscored by 17 while he was on the court in large part because he had 7 turnovers and was 0-6 in the 4th quarter as the Cavs took control of the game. In what turned out to be one of the most critical stretches of the game Lebron pumped breath into his team and the young Durant allowed it to happen.  With 1:42 left in the 3rd quarter and OKC up 7 and the crowd feeling it Kevin Durant rushed up a three that missed and lead to a Lebron three on the other end (after hitting a technical free throw.)  Crowd sits down.  Next time down the court Durant turns it over and NBA Jam style Lebron comes down and of course hits another three.  Crowd gasps.  With the ball in his hands next trip he gets to the line but splits the pair.  And naturally Lebron being in a mini Bradley Center type-zone he nets another three leaving the OKC faithful punching their chairs in disgust.  Lebrons 10-1 run to close the 3rd quarter enabled us to win this game.
 
On Mo's HORSE shot...
Absolutely unbelievable.  One of the best things about tivo is being able to watch plays like this again and watch the crowd.  Every person in the background simultaneously puts both hands on their head and screams to the sky.  Being such a young team OKC could never recover from that shot.  Great 4th quarter from Mo.
 
Delonte Watch...
The thing I'm most concerned about is his seeming lack of confidence in his 3 pt shot which was a great weapon for us last year when he took over three 3's per game and hit 40% of them.  This season Delonte has suited up and played in 16 games and has only attempted nine threes making just one all the way back on Halloween. Thats right.  With 24 games in the books Delonte West has made one 3 pt shot, tying him with Darnell Jackson.  I can only hope that this is a product of such sparatic playing time due to his personal issues and that those personal issues are behind him.  Delonte just needs to go out there and have fun.  He needs it for himself and his team needs it as he's ten times the perimeter defender Anthony Parker is.
 
Quick hitters... 
 
-There's no such thing as a 50/50 ball up in the air when Jamario Moon is under it.  Incredibly underrated rebounder.

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Examining the race for home court

Written by Bill Nagel on .

If you told me after 23 games that we were going to be 4th in the East, and already lost 4 more games then the Lakers, I would have started hyper-ventilating.  Even after beating Portland last night I was a bit on the ledge that even the Hawks have surpassed us in the standings.  Albeit it's early, I needed some type of reason to step back off the ledge. 

Luckily, I found it in examining our schedule and comparing it to the rest of the league's elites:

First off, we've played 8 back-to-backs already, going 5-3.  Meanwhile, the Elder C's and Orlando have only had 5 to contend with in the opening months.  Second, we've played well vs. the other good teams in the NBA.  We are currently 6-2 vs. teams with winning records, while Boston is 4-3 and Orlando is just 3-4.  Atlanta truly surprised me though in this category, posting a 7-2 record vs winning ballclubs.  Third, LA has only played 4 games outside the Staples Center in their first 21.  Seriously?? I can't understand how this is even possible, but look for LA to fall back to the pack a bit as they finally venture out into the world for their next 5 games.  More on LA, they have only played 3 back-to-backs and the so-called unstoppable champs are a mere .500 against winning teams at 3-3.

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Andy plays big...LBJ deflects a shot attempt

Written by Brendan Bowers on .

After opening the game with a first half as depressing as the 3 halves of Cavailers' basketball that had preceeded it, the Cavs responded from a 54-45 halftime deficit with a momentum changing second half to close out B-Roy and the Blazers 104-99 in a game they absolutely had to have.  In addition to doing what his team needed him to do offensively, King James brought a little bit of D as well to close this thing out... 

And I don't think I need to tell you what Austin Carr had to say about that one.  But I will share with you the opinions of those esteemed bloggers from around the web who weighed in on last night's win - speaking on the play of Anderson Varejao specifically:

Wating For Next Year, Jacob:

"In the second half, LeBron (33-7-7) and his sidekick Mo (14-10), who was also suffering from the stomach flu, mercilessly pounded the basketball into the painted area for cutting teammates. Anderson Varejao was at his absolute finest tonight, finishing 10-17 from the floor in 36 minutes off the bench. Yes, the big story with our forwards was the Shaq getting pokedin the eye, but when Anderson can produce like he did last night offensively, the Cavaliers won’t need the plodding Shaqtus come crunch time in big games."

Cavs: the blog, John Krolik:

"If there was any doubt coming into this game that Anderson Varejao is the Cavs’ best big man by a fairly wide margin, it should be erased after this game...9 of the Cavs’ 11 field goals in the fourth quarter were assisted, and 6 of those 9 were baskets by Anderson Varejao, a guy who never stops moving and looking for seams when the ball is in somebody else’s hands. Varejao’s off-ball movement the whole game was beautiful, but in the fourth quarter Varejao was just putting on a clinic..."

King James Gospel, Cody:

"The Wine and Gold then [Friday] took the floor against an undermanned Portland Blazers team and headed to the locker room at half time down 54 – 45.   After LaMarcus Aldridge put in two quick buckets over JJ Hickson to open the third, Mike Brown turned to Anderson Varejao and Mr. Efficiency responded with 18 second half points to turn the game around."

And lastly, an opposing teams' take on the performance of our beloved Brazilian...they don't like him as much...

Bust a Bucket...A Blazers Blog, Sheed:

"Anderson Vareflop. This guy drives me crazy. His sole purpose is to irritate and draw fouls from the opponent. The only problem is he is dirty, grabbing and pushing to get what he wants. The refs seem to like him, but when they don't? He goes crazy and complains about every single call.  The ugly part of all this? He torched Portland, especially on the pick and roll. He had a season high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Portland had no answer for him. It looked way too easy for the Brazilian sideshow Bob look alike. Oh well, perhaps we can throw some defense at him next time, right?"

 

 

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Guest Blogger: Bust a Bucket...A Trailblazers Blog

Written by Brendan Bowers on .

Sheed, from the best Blazers blog in Portland - Bust a Bucket - was nice enough to stop by Stepien Rules today for a Q and A in anticipation of tonight's Cavaliers - Blazers game.  My questions, and his answers, are as follows:

Where do you project Portland to be, come playoff time as far as seeding goes? How many playoff rounds do you foresee them winning?  Is a Western Conference title realistic, or are the Blazers a year or two away from those goals? 

Now that is a great question. Coming into the season many Blazer fans, including myself, had very high hopes. I thought we’d win 56 games and get a 2 or a 3 seed. Since that time, situations have changed. Injuries, poor play, and the excellent play of other Western Conference teams has made a play-off run tough.  At this point, making the playoffs is the goal. It will likely be a 6-8 seed and a tough first round match-up. I think they could possibly win a series in the right match-up, but getting to the Western Conference Finals seems impossible at this point.  The Western Conference goes through Los Angeles, at least for the next few years. Until the Lakers slow down, no one else is coming out of the West. You’ve seen how they’re playing this year, they are stacked and motivated. 

How good is Brandon Roy? Specifically, if you could pick any NBA player to lead your franchise, how many guys would you pick before you took Roy? 

There aren’t too many guys in the NBA who are young, talented and poised like Brandon. He’s definitely in my top 5-10 if I were picking.  His all around game and ability to close games is what really makes him stand out.  Of course you have Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, but after that, there are a lot of great players who bring different skills. I am happy with Brandon in Portland, and our GM will get the right personnel pieces for Roy to succeed. 

With Oden going down again, reportedly for the duration of this season, what's the feeling in Portland about his career prospects long-term? 

This is the question of the year for Blazer fans. After this latest injury, I know even the believers had to be worried about the future of Greg Oden. He has been injured so much in his short collegiate and NBA career, it’s natural to be concerned about the future.  But, there are positive things to gain from this situation. First of all, He’ll be 22 in January. He is still very young, and there is really no reason to think he won’t be coming back next season ready to contribute.  Greg is also a very hard worker. He trained his backside off this summer, and we know he’ll do whatever it takes to get back to where he was this year. I don’t doubt Greg Oden, we just have to be patient and hope he turns out like Zydrunas Ilgauskus, injured early on, but very productive in his NBA career. 

Do you wish the Blazers had picked Kevin Durant? 

Obviously Durant is an exceptional talent designed for the NBA and it’s rules geared towards offense.  I love Durant, but I don’t necessarily think we’re monumentally better with him here. I’ve tried to figure out how he fits into this team but it would be totally different. There are only so many shots to go around and I don’t see how his 20-25 shots per game fit in.  Portland took Greg with the number one pick because he was a once in a lifetime talent at the center position. He showed crazy upside and ridiculous athleticism. I’m going to be a Greg Oden fan forever. I remember how I felt when we got the first pick, I know who I wanted, and I’m willing to be patient now.  Asking Portland fans if they wish they had taken Durant is like asking me if I wish I had moved to New York after college or taken a different job 4 years ago. We are where we are today for a reason, who knows where we’d be if Durant was here. Perhaps things would be totally different, but I’m not going to worry about it.  

What is something about this Blazers team that the Cavaliers need to watch out for tonight?  More directly, how do they beat Cleveland tonight? 

The Cavs need to watch out for Portland getting hot from deep. Honestly, our 3-point shooters haven’t exactly been shooting well this year. Considering Cleveland has lost their last two, and will be looking to break the streak, only a very good shooting Blazer team can win this game.  A lot of these things are  cliché, but if Portland wants to win in Cleveland, they must limit turnovers. Careless ball handling will kill them. Also, keeping our bigs out of foul trouble will be key. With Oden out, and not much depth in the front court, foul trouble will likely leave the Blazers hoping for a rally in the fourth quarter.

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LeBron Held In Check As Rockets Beat Cavs

Written by Glenn Moore on .

It’s really amazing what can happen in two days of NBA basketball. After five technical fouls, forty turnovers, and two loses, the Cavaliers go from riding a four game winning streak to losing two straight, including their most recent loss, in which the Houston Rockets put on a defensive clinic while beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 95 – 85 Wednesday night.

Rocket defenders gave LeBron James a hard time on the perimeter and when James did get in the lane, he had to deal with the Rockets big men. Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza harassed LeBron all night and while James had 27 points, he only made 8 of 21 shots and for the second time in as many days, he turned the ball over five times. This loss adds to the Cavs woes in Houston, as they have lost 6 of 7 times on the Rockets home court.

The Cavaliers (15-7) did cut the Rockets double digit lead to single digits, but were not able to get it close enough for Houston to panic. It did not help that Mo Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, and Delonte West received technical fouls for arguing calls. The Rockets converted those technicals to points and padded their lead. The frustration of the night did not stop with the players.

Cavs coach Mike Brown was ejected by referee Scott Wall before halftime. It is always a good idea to keep your cool, especially on the road, but with the team’s lack of intensity, Brown probably did it more to ignite a spark for his team.

“I don’t like to do that because I think we’re good enough to win no matter which way the calls go,” Brown said. “I took it a step too far.”

For the second straight night, the Cavaliers were hurt by committing 20 turnovers, which led to easy baskets for the Rockets (12-9). Those miscues cost them 22 points and Houston ended up with 18 fast-break points. Ariza led the Rockets with 26 points, including 4 of 6 shooting from 3 point range and getting easy fast-break hoops. Aaron Brooks put in 27 points and held Williams to only 7 points.

West helped keep the Cavs in the ballgame with 14 points on 6 of 12 shooting. The Cavaliers did hold the edge in rebounding, 47 – 37, including 11 offensive boards.

To add to the Cavs troubles, Daniel Gibson suffered an injury to his right pinky in the first half and didn’t return. X-rays were negative and he is day to day.

The Cavs return home Friday night to take on the Portland Trailblazers. But their home stand will be short lived, as they will be back on the road to travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.

This article can also be seen at "The Dugout Sports Show".

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EPISODE 4 : “Wine & Gold Podcast” Cavs/Rockets Pregame Show

Written by Glenn Moore on .

"Wine & Gold Podcast" Pregame Show vs. Rockets 12.09.09 - Click to Listen

Brendan and I previewed the Cavaliers/Rockets game on the "Wine & Gold Podcast" on 12.09.09. We hit on the Grizzlies/Cavs game and gave our opinions on bench play, LeBron, and also the play of the Grizzlies and their big three.

OUR GAME PREDICTIONS: THIS SEASON: TIED 1-1-1

GLENN - HOU 101 CLE 90 LeBron James - 31 / Aaron Brooks - 19 points

BRENDAN - CLE 95 HOU 89 LeBron James - 28 / Aaron Brooks - 23

Our next pregame show will be before Friday's Cavaliers/Portland Trailblazers game at 7:00PM ET.

We also will be doing pregame shows for ALL Cavalier games, one hour before tipoff! Just come to the website and join the chat box and listen in!!!

"Wine & Gold Podcast" Pregame Show vs. Rockets 12.09.09 - Click to Listen

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