Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 22 points and 10 rebounds,but only two other Cavaliers hit double digits and no one scored more than 11 points to support Love.
Cleveland will not have long to turn things around as the team returns to the hardwood tonight in Salt Lake City and the Utah Jazz...
Swashbucklings
1) The dip in effort was VERY noticeable to me in the fourth quarter.
I'm not concerned about wins and losses at this point,but LeBron James basically rolling over and labeling this as "breaking bad habits" of other players is an interesting,if perhaps flawed way of teaching.
If there is a plan for all of this,fine,I guess,but I'm not sure what lesson was being taught...
2) Just awful shooting in this one.LeBron James (4 of 12),Dion Waiters (3 of 11) and especially Kyrie Irving (3 of 17) were just filled with iron benders.
Part of this was (see number 3),but some of the problems were simple as good Portland perimeter defense...
3) However-Move the basketball!!!!
Very little ball movement and therefore very few easy layups,short shots from inside the paint and yes dunks.
Way too much clearing out and going one on one.
I'm a fan of moving the ball and creating easier shots,but there is one player in particular that just drives me nuts because he seems to hate doing that!
4) That player's name is Dion Waiters,who has all the talent to be a significant offensive contributor,but just might be the next J.R.Smith,who treats the basketball as a gift to be chucked away with a shot no matter how poor the percentage of the ball hitting the hoop is.
Waiters just frustrates me and I'm not going off the reservation here,but I'm not sure that he is going to be the type to be buy into winning over stats.
5) Kyrie Irving was dominated by Damian Lillard as Lillard made a statement against his being cut by FIBA coaches/officials in the summer World Cup.
Irving played great in that tournament,but many observers think that there could (no judging) been some favoritism toward Irving by his college coach in making it over Lillard or even keeping Lillard off the squad.
In any event Lillard controlled Irving off the dribble,most notably by driving right by him down the lane to start the second half with a thunderous slam.
Combine that with shutting him down defensively and...
Advantage-Lillard..
6) David Blatt is still learning too as his struggles in finding lineups that work throughout the game continue.
I'll pass Blatt though as he is trying different things,but he will learn and improve as the season continues....
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