Xs and Os: The James Finish

by Tommy Dee on April 20th, 2010 at 11:20 am

While I’d like to say this wasn’t a case of overly innovative coaching, I give Cavs coach Mike Brown credit for the play call which led to Lebron James hurting James Johnson’s feelings last night.

To me, there’s nothing more important, especially at home and more especially during the playoffs, than finishing out a quarter or half. By allowing for James to pace himself, he had only taken 5 shots up until that point, the Cavs were able to have a more fluid offensive game during the first 11 minutes of the game. But with a minute left, they call for James to catch in the high post.

No one else does anything except for a seal by Anderson Varejao who took Joakim Noah under the rim and out of the play. All James had to do was attack the lane and get by the rookie, who stood no chance without help.

Again, an example of a great player making plays that great players can, but I respect the way it was called at the end of the quarter to get the crowd excited heading into the second.

  • young hova

    I really think you might be giving Brown too much credit there. From what I saw it looked like Lebron called for the ball because he was fed up with Johnson being all over him. The seal by Varejao was good though again I don’t know if it was intentionally a seal or he adjusted once he saw Lebron coming down the lane. But I personally don’t think Brown really had much to do with that play

  • Mal

    I dont like Cleveland, I’m really not a LeBron fan and for that matter D Wade either, because currently they play for enemy franchises so every time we play them I curse how they get away with murder from the refs. If they became Knicks I’m sure I’ll change my mind. I like Melo and when he plays the Knicks I want him to lose but I dont have the same negative feeling towards him as I do Lebron and Wade.

    The Knicks need superstars, I would love if we were able to get players that could beat those guys, instead of recruitng them, I’d LOVE to beat them.

  • fredweis

    Lebron put on a clinic last night. Witness campaign back in full effect.

  • HaS

    That ship has sailed more than likely.

  • ScottD

    I agree, but with who?

  • HaS

    Unless we can get Chris Paul.

  • fredweis

    It’s a heads up play by Varejo to get position, which then set up LBJ for the opportunity to drive.

    Mike Brown did nothing here, unless that’s a play they’ve practiced (which they probably have).

  • Jeff C

    Chrip Paul and Chris Bosh with Galo and Chandler would be better than the best of the suns teams. particularly defensively. Just a random thought about how much i want chris paul (if LeBron’s off the table, of course.)

  • bbrody1

    if we did nola trade?

    cp3 – chandler – gallo – amare – okafor
    bench – walker, 2nd rounders, barron, td, ?

    cp3 – jj – chandler – gallo – okafor

    cp3 – chandler – gay – boozer? – okafor
    -too much salary

    i think getting collison would be better cuz then we’d have more money to sign other ppl

    fantasy of collison – wade – bron – gallo – okafor
    isn’t that technically doable??

  • Mucha

    Melo’s a throwback NBA player that’s why, his game is old-school. He looks like a superstar SF version of Anthony Mason lol.

    This article says it all : http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/03/10/thomas.20090310/index.html

  • Mucha

    Well if you want Chris Paul that much you can say goodbye to Wilson Chandler, or Danilo Gallinari (probably both)

  • ds2488

    There’s no room for x’s and o’s in Mike Browns “offense”. Im gonna start using quotes like Has and Biggie do when referring to Mike Brown as a “coach”. He’s awful. While I respect his commitment to defense, that shouldn’t mean the offense has to move as slow as it does and make what should be the most exciting player in the league relatively boring to watch. God I hate Mike Brown. Orlando I really hope upsets them.

  • HaS

    Chris Paul, Anthony Morrow, Rudy Gay, Tyrus Thomas and Emeka Okafur?

    That team on the break would be ridiculous, Paul to Walker, Tyrus and Gay for alley-oops all day.

    Bill Walker, Earl Barron, Etan Thomas, Toney Douglas from the bench? Or Korver and or Mike Miller to add a shooter?

  • HaS

    I think people underestimate Mike Brown, who by no means is an elite coach, but he isn’t an “awful” coach either. I do agree he needs an offensive mind on the bench with him. I think he is a little too afraid of playing a frenetic pace at the expense of devaluing the basketball/giving up turnovers or just giving the other teams extra possessions by shooting quick shots,

  • HaS

    His pedigree is well respected having worked with Poppovich in San Antonio.

  • LBJ2010

    Pretty intriguing lineup. Would you be pleased with Walsh’s execution if that came to fruition?

  • ds2488

    I don’t know. I’ve watched many playoff games down the stretch where he just makes it too easy for the other team to defend Lebron(although it didn’t help that his Robin was Larry Hughes). Too many games are just give the ball to Lebron and everyone else stand around.

    Obviously I respect the Poppovich pedigree, but that doesn’t excuse his terrible play-calling and offensive sets. He deserves credit for really coaching and emphasizing defense, but I would still say overall he is an awful coach because he makes it harder for Lebron to dominate and for the team to score when they need to down the stretch. Any coach of Lebron will succeed in winning. I think even you could agree that Dantoni would win 50+ games every year with Lebron.

  • PipeDreamin

    Wow. I couldn’t agree more. Sure if we get LBJ thats obviously awesome… But i’d much rather have a team that BEATS lbj instead.

  • PipeDreamin

    i like how ur thinking, but if we make the trade for cp3/okafor or collison/okafor, we will not have all of gallo/chandler/td. some or all will be traded.

  • HaS

    Any scenario where we end up with Chris Paul will be fine with me. Everyone else Paul can make better just by playing with them.

  • HaS

    “I think even you could agree that Dantoni would win 50+ games every year with Lebron.”

    Yes I think he could, but I doubt he would make it to the Finals with him. _”antoni doesn’t call plays either, so I’m sure LeBron would still end up creating on his own or be put in some sort of pick and roll situation which would probably end up breaking down into a “bail us out LeBron” play against the better defensive teams in the playoffs anyway.

  • ds2488

    true. I hate how he doesn’t call plays. But a basic pick and roll with a decent big man is light years ahead of stand and watch Lebron and make it easy to double.

  • HaS

    LeBron is so big though that a pick and roll against a good defensive team could just clog things up even more for him, I don’t know I guess it depends on the big man. A pick and roll with him and a point guard like Paul would be unstoppable though.

  • young hova

    SO in these situations is NO just handing Paul over to us for free?

  • fauci933

    LOVE that lineup…god I hope we have a shot at Paul.

  • oscar f

    Yeah that would be unstoppable. Im reading a few good possible lineups for the knicks. But lik someone mentioned if the knicks didn’t get LBJ(even though I feel they will) it would be fun to build a team to beat his aging team consistently and it’s possble. Im sure the knicks can build a better team than the Cats who beat the Cavs all the time. BTW the lineup HaS put up would be very entertaining to watch but not sure how deep they could in the playoffs.

  • oscar f

    Tyrus thomas will have a team optin that im surr MJ will pick up.

  • bbrody1

    i was figuring that if we got paul it would involve a sign and trade with lee since they wouldnt be able to sign him on their own, and also maybe toney douglas

    do u think okafor/collisson for lee/curry isnt outlandish?

  • young hova

    Amazingly someone in the NBA thinks Lee is a good defender

    http://twitter.com/HowardBeckNYT/status/12530264213

    “Fave part of NBA awards: looking for totally bizarre votes down-ballot. Someone gave David Lee a 3rd-place vote for Defensive POY. Really.”

  • Mucha

    Rebounding = Defense. You didn’t know?

  • harris

    LOL! His agent will be all over that one.

  • harris

    Did Big Al at least get honorable mention?

  • x-man

    As a Knicks and Mets Fan, I’m stuck with 2 highly overrated Davids – Lee and Wright! All the knicks need is a Jose and a Carlos and we can have the trifling Trifecta!

  • harris

    Even Wright though was more deserving of his gold glove (as ridiculus as that was) than Lee is of getting a vote for Defensive Player of the year. What are some of these people watching?

  • Hydr0

    lol..on the second play it looked like lebron took 19 steps to get the the basket and they he still gets the foul called in his favor…**sigh** sometimes it’s tough to watch the nba…if we don’t get lebron, at least i won’t have to see him get those calls over and over again…they are soooooo annoying

  • ds2488

    This Miami team is an absolute disgrace. How this team made the playoffs, let alone as a 5th seed, is mind-boggling. Although I guess anything is possible with Wade. But what a joke, and what a terrible boring team and matchup to watch. This is horrible.

  • Mucha

    + 1

    By the way I love Joakim Noah – his post-game interview was great. The Bulls are not good but at least they play hard. And Derrick Rose is the truth, obviously. We’ll see how the Celtics play against the Cavaliers.

  • ds2488

    lol. The Noah postgame interview was one of the best I’ve ever heard. He permanently cemented himself as one of my favorite players for that hilarious interview.

    I like the Bulls a lot. Free agents should really consider going to them. Wade or Lebron= At least 1 championship with Rose and Noah to build with.

  • HaS

    *blank stare*

  • trenttucker

    You mean, local boy Joakim Noah? He’s a graduate of Poly Prep high school in Brooklyn. Great guy, if a massive hound, I’m told by my friend who teaches there.

    Nice seal by Andy Varejao on that play. Any chance that David Lee ever makes that play to help a teammate? (No.)