Rival Report: Cavaliers Writer David Friedman
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
March 24, 2010
Throughout the 2009-10 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at the New Orleans Arena.
With the Hornets hosting Cleveland at 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBA writer David Friedman provides an overview of the Cavaliers. Friedman covers the Cavs in his blog 20 Second Timeout, at 20secondtimeout.blogspot.com.
Hornets.com: The Cavaliers have been one of the top teams in the league for the past few seasons, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2007. What aspects of the current Cavaliers may give them a better chance to come away with a ring this time?
Friedman: The Cavaliers are much more talented and deeper now than they were in 2007. Assuming that Zydrunas Ilgauskas is re-signed – which may have already happened by the time this is posted – and that Shaquille O'Neal returns to health in time for a deep playoff run, the Cavs are loaded at every position. The Cavs bring players off of the bench who have experience as starters for playoff teams. Obviously, the offense primarily runs through LeBron James but the Cavs have two other players – Mo Williams and Delonte West – who can create shots for others, plus shooting guard Anthony Parker has some experience playing point guard. Few teams have that many players who can function effectively as facilitators.
Center is a bit of a weak spot until Ilgauskas and O'Neal return to the fold but the Cavs have been playing “small ball” without those guys and have hardly missed a beat.
Hornets.com: The Hornets faced the Cavaliers on Feb. 23 in Antawn Jamison’s third game with his new team. How has Jamison adjusted to his new teammates and how is Cleveland integrating the two-time All-Star into its deep and talented mix?
Friedman: Jamison clearly was pressing a bit in his first few games with the team but he is understandably delighted to escape from the mess in Washington and have an opportunity to compete for a championship. He fits in perfectly with Cleveland’s offense because he can both shoot the jumper and cut to the hoop for layups. Jamison is an intelligent player, so he has quickly figured out when to spot up and when to go to the hoop based on what the defense is doing and where his teammates are located. Jamison will never be considered a great individual defender but Coach Mike Brown is very good at taking players who have certain limitations defensively (like Ilgauskas and Williams) and getting them to buy into a team defensive concept. Jamison is also an excellent rebounder and that skill has proven to be particularly valuable with O'Neal out.
Hornets.com: Everyone appreciates what LeBron James brings to the floor. What have been the most underrated aspects of the Cavaliers’ success this season?
Friedman: Although some commentators have started talking about Cleveland’s depth it seems like the general public does not fully appreciate just how many good players the Cavs have; one example that I like to cite is that Shannon Brown was the 13th man on the 2007 Cavs team that made it to the Finals yet he is a main rotation player for the Lakers now despite the fact that his per minute production essentially has not changed. If Brown were on the Cavs current roster he likely would receive very little playing time because he would be behind Williams, West, Parker and probably Gibson in the guard rotation.
Anderson Varejao is a very underrated player who can play center or power forward and is effective both as a starter and as a reserve. He defends, rebounds and is an excellent screen/roll player both offensively and defensively. He should receive serious consideration for both Sixth Man of the Year and the All-Defensive Team.
Theoretically, during this year's Eastern Conference Finals the Cavs could potentially put five current or former All-Stars on the court together at the same time: O’Neal, Ilgauskas, James, Jamison and Williams. Other than Ilgauskas – who is still a good pick and pop player and a good offensive rebounder – those players earned All-Star selections within the past two years.
James is clearly the best player in the league now and he deserves the accolades that he gets but his talents and persona have somewhat overshadowed both the contributions of his teammates and the job that Mike Brown has done.
Hornets.com: James was already recognized as one of the top handful of players in the league before this season. Are there any areas where James has continued to show noticeable improvement to his game?
Friedman: James made important strides with his free throw shooting and three-point shooting last season and he has maintained that progress this year while also improving his overall field goal percentage to a career-high level. James is working on adding post moves from both blocks to his repertoire and periodically he tries out those moves during games: from the left block he will either spin to the baseline for a short fadeaway or turn to the middle to shoot a jump hook, while from the right block he spins to the middle for a short one handed jumper or a left handed finger roll. He is getting more and more proficient with those shots and when he gets to those positions on the court during games he takes the shots that he practices, so as that comfort level increases he will likely use those shots more and more frequently.
Hornets.com: The Cavaliers have a somewhat comfortable cushion for the best record in the NBA. If and when they guarantee themselves homecourt advantage throughout the postseason, what will their approach be over the final games of the regular season?
Friedman: Based on what happened last year after the Cavs clinched the overall top seed, it is reasonable to assume that the Cavs will sharply limit the playing time of some of their key players or possibly even rest them entirely; the Cavs could have tied the all-time NBA record for home wins last season but preferred to give James and others some rest before the playoffs.
Hornets.com: How difficult do you think it will be for the Cavs to re-insert Shaquille O’Neal back into the lineup when he returns from a thumb injury in the postseason?
Friedman: I think that this is the biggest question (literally and figuratively) regarding Cleveland’s championship hopes. The Cavs won 66 games last year without O’Neal and swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, so they do not need him to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals but he was acquired specifically to match up with Dwight Howard (and possibly Andrew Bynum). The Cavs started the season slowly (by their standards) until O'Neal got fully acclimated but they will have no time for an adjustment period during the playoffs. O’Neal already knows the team’s system now, so mentally he should be able to step right back into the fray but physical conditioning has never been his strong suit so there is a legitimate reason to wonder just what kind of shape he will be in after not playing for six to eight weeks.
The other X factor for the Cavs in the playoffs will be Mo Williams’ shooting. He is a big part of the team’s success and if you closely examine last year’s playoff series versus Orlando you will note that even though everyone talks about Cleveland’s matchup problems defensively the reality is that if Williams had not slumped so badly the Cavs would likely have beaten Orlando anyway.
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
March 24, 2010
Throughout the 2009-10 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at the New Orleans Arena.
With the Hornets hosting Cleveland at 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBA writer David Friedman provides an overview of the Cavaliers. Friedman covers the Cavs in his blog 20 Second Timeout, at 20secondtimeout.blogspot.com.
|
Friedman: The Cavaliers are much more talented and deeper now than they were in 2007. Assuming that Zydrunas Ilgauskas is re-signed – which may have already happened by the time this is posted – and that Shaquille O'Neal returns to health in time for a deep playoff run, the Cavs are loaded at every position. The Cavs bring players off of the bench who have experience as starters for playoff teams. Obviously, the offense primarily runs through LeBron James but the Cavs have two other players – Mo Williams and Delonte West – who can create shots for others, plus shooting guard Anthony Parker has some experience playing point guard. Few teams have that many players who can function effectively as facilitators.
Center is a bit of a weak spot until Ilgauskas and O'Neal return to the fold but the Cavs have been playing “small ball” without those guys and have hardly missed a beat.
Hornets.com: The Hornets faced the Cavaliers on Feb. 23 in Antawn Jamison’s third game with his new team. How has Jamison adjusted to his new teammates and how is Cleveland integrating the two-time All-Star into its deep and talented mix?
Friedman: Jamison clearly was pressing a bit in his first few games with the team but he is understandably delighted to escape from the mess in Washington and have an opportunity to compete for a championship. He fits in perfectly with Cleveland’s offense because he can both shoot the jumper and cut to the hoop for layups. Jamison is an intelligent player, so he has quickly figured out when to spot up and when to go to the hoop based on what the defense is doing and where his teammates are located. Jamison will never be considered a great individual defender but Coach Mike Brown is very good at taking players who have certain limitations defensively (like Ilgauskas and Williams) and getting them to buy into a team defensive concept. Jamison is also an excellent rebounder and that skill has proven to be particularly valuable with O'Neal out.
|
Friedman: Although some commentators have started talking about Cleveland’s depth it seems like the general public does not fully appreciate just how many good players the Cavs have; one example that I like to cite is that Shannon Brown was the 13th man on the 2007 Cavs team that made it to the Finals yet he is a main rotation player for the Lakers now despite the fact that his per minute production essentially has not changed. If Brown were on the Cavs current roster he likely would receive very little playing time because he would be behind Williams, West, Parker and probably Gibson in the guard rotation.
Anderson Varejao is a very underrated player who can play center or power forward and is effective both as a starter and as a reserve. He defends, rebounds and is an excellent screen/roll player both offensively and defensively. He should receive serious consideration for both Sixth Man of the Year and the All-Defensive Team.
Theoretically, during this year's Eastern Conference Finals the Cavs could potentially put five current or former All-Stars on the court together at the same time: O’Neal, Ilgauskas, James, Jamison and Williams. Other than Ilgauskas – who is still a good pick and pop player and a good offensive rebounder – those players earned All-Star selections within the past two years.
James is clearly the best player in the league now and he deserves the accolades that he gets but his talents and persona have somewhat overshadowed both the contributions of his teammates and the job that Mike Brown has done.
Hornets.com: James was already recognized as one of the top handful of players in the league before this season. Are there any areas where James has continued to show noticeable improvement to his game?
Friedman: James made important strides with his free throw shooting and three-point shooting last season and he has maintained that progress this year while also improving his overall field goal percentage to a career-high level. James is working on adding post moves from both blocks to his repertoire and periodically he tries out those moves during games: from the left block he will either spin to the baseline for a short fadeaway or turn to the middle to shoot a jump hook, while from the right block he spins to the middle for a short one handed jumper or a left handed finger roll. He is getting more and more proficient with those shots and when he gets to those positions on the court during games he takes the shots that he practices, so as that comfort level increases he will likely use those shots more and more frequently.
|
Friedman: Based on what happened last year after the Cavs clinched the overall top seed, it is reasonable to assume that the Cavs will sharply limit the playing time of some of their key players or possibly even rest them entirely; the Cavs could have tied the all-time NBA record for home wins last season but preferred to give James and others some rest before the playoffs.
Hornets.com: How difficult do you think it will be for the Cavs to re-insert Shaquille O’Neal back into the lineup when he returns from a thumb injury in the postseason?
Friedman: I think that this is the biggest question (literally and figuratively) regarding Cleveland’s championship hopes. The Cavs won 66 games last year without O’Neal and swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, so they do not need him to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals but he was acquired specifically to match up with Dwight Howard (and possibly Andrew Bynum). The Cavs started the season slowly (by their standards) until O'Neal got fully acclimated but they will have no time for an adjustment period during the playoffs. O’Neal already knows the team’s system now, so mentally he should be able to step right back into the fray but physical conditioning has never been his strong suit so there is a legitimate reason to wonder just what kind of shape he will be in after not playing for six to eight weeks.
The other X factor for the Cavs in the playoffs will be Mo Williams’ shooting. He is a big part of the team’s success and if you closely examine last year’s playoff series versus Orlando you will note that even though everyone talks about Cleveland’s matchup problems defensively the reality is that if Williams had not slumped so badly the Cavs would likely have beaten Orlando anyway.
