Game 69 Preview: Blazers vs. Cavaliers

see.. the Cavs will have scouted for LMA but if the Blazers bring out Ruffin or Shav in real PT.. well.. the Cavs just better watch out…

see.. the Cavs will have scouted for LMA but if the Blazers bring out Ruffin or Shav in real PT.. well.. the Cavs just better watch out…and I hope Oden puts a dunk right back into LBJ’s face..

see.. the Cavs will have scouted for LMA but if the Blazers bring out Ruffin or Shav in real PT.. well.. the Cavs just better watch out…and I hope Oden puts a dunk right back into LBJ’s face..and I want whirled peace..

Stop me if you’ve already figured this out, but the Cavs are pretty good. For a contender, that is. If you like that kind of thing. Personally I prefer up-and-coming teams, the kind that are out to prove themselves every night, the kind that everybody else underestimates but who turn out to be really good.

Sooo Dave, next year when we’re contenders, are you going to jump off the bandwagon like most bandwagon fans?

You are?

Fine, be that way. Go blog for the “Thunder” or some “up-and-coming” team. We’ll stay here and be true fans and root for our Blazers through the pain, agony, and torture of the contender years.

I want minutes out of the big man if he plays well again! We need a huge night out of Troutlaw. BRoy will need to get all superstar on national TV tomorrow if we want a W.

I give our chances 95%.

But Oden needs to knock King James into the third row. I don’t think LeBron has ever experienced such a thing, and so it will probably help him fall in love with that streaky jumpshot of his.

Now I’ve made this OK in my opwn mind b/c LBJ is like 99.999% muscle, so I don;t think he’d actually get hurt, just put some fear in him. It’s like slapping the follow-through of a hot shooter in a pickup game, then faking it the next couple times to break the guy’s rhythm (yeah, I’m the Bruce Bowen of pick-up ball sometimes).

I blame Nate.

But this might be either the Day of the Living Dead or the Blazers Popping Day.

Shav
ruffin
frye
sergio
bayless

think about it,
they’ll never expect it.
they’ll be like………. whut ?

Then, and here’s the trick.
….
we keep them in for the entire game.
claiming the rest of the team has diarrhea or something.

I can guarantee 100% percent they won’t expect that.

Neither Kobe, nor Wade, nor even Howard lead their teams in all 4 statistical categories.

LOL! that was halarious.

I think the NBA has already determinde that King James and the Cavilers is going to be annoited NBA champions and MVP awards. What the NBA wants they get.

Now hopefully they have not intructed the Refs to block our chance of winning since we are not a threat to them. Maybe, we will get far enough ahead before they realize they have to intervine. Am I being too bitter? probably.

If we go into the game with the idea of winning and play hard 48 minutes of basketball to the best of our abilities, it won’t matter who wins or loose.

I do worry about Sir Charles and King James. James with hamming it up for the media and Charles cutting us up for the media.

hg

LOL! That was hilarious.
I think the NBA has already determined that King James and the Cavilers is going to be anointed NBA champions and MVP awards. What the NBA wants they get.
Now hopefully they have not instructed the Refs to block our chance of winning since we are not a threat to them. Maybe, we will get far enough ahead before they realize they have to intervene and we can win. Am I being too bitter? Probably.
If we go into the game with the idea of winning and play hard 48 minutes of basketball to the best of our abilities, it won’t matter who wins or loose.
I do worry about King James, hamming it up for the media and Sir Charles, cutting us up for the media.
 hg Posted before I edited, sorry about that.

I agree with Dave – I got the feeling the Blazers could’ve taken the Cavs in this one. Call me crazy. I watch just about every Cavs game and every Blazers game. The Cavs have been in a big, big rut the past 5-6 games, despite winning all of them except the Boston game.

They struggled at home lately against the Knicks and REALLY struggled on the road against the Kings and Clips. Needed mammoth comebacks in both LA and Sac-town. They’re playing lackadaisical.

That’s what great teams do, I guess – win games when they’re not 100% playing well (or even 75%). But sooner or later, it’s going to bite them.

If the Cavs play like they did against Orlando the other night, they would be vulnerable to Portland.

Would they be vulnerable to Portland starting Frye at the PF spot, though? Um, probably not. Post defense has been a big part of the Cavs stuggles. LMA would force double teams and the Cavs have been terrible at rotating lately.

Frye? He’s lucky to force a single team. Portland will need a huge effort from Roy, Oden and/or Outlaw to hang around in this one.

It’s now or never. Stranger things have happened.

is probably how I’d describe the Blazer’s chances for tonight. It’s always fun to watch LBJ, but not as much as when he’s playing against the Blazers. He is such a freak of nature, it’s just sick.

the guy’s been playing out of his mind lately. Batum, I’m not so bummed he will miss just because last time he was too skinny to take lebron. The only thing i’ll miss from batum (besides his defense on everyone else, natch), is his secret offense, baseline dunks, etc.
With our boy LMA out, I’d really like to see Nate put in Pryz and Greg in together a little just to pack the paint and force lebron and mo to shoot over the top.

Roy is going to have to go for 40+, Outlaw will need to score 25+, Rudy will need to be hot off the bench, Bayless will need to make an impact (in a good way), Oden will have to establish himself in the low block.

What are the chances of all of that happening on the same day?

without B-Roy (even though it was at home).

Anything is possible!

we’ve got a small chance. And if we go on the break we can’t just send one person because LBJ specialty is wiping single player breaks off of the glass.

Here’s to hoping LBJ guards B-Roy, and the refs are nice to Roy. And here’s to hoping Travis stays in front of LBJ.

Um, book it?

Usually, I just read the other teams posts but don’t comment on them. However you are catching the Cavs at a bad time. They are sitting atop the NBA standings and smell home court for the playoff’’s. LeBron is not letting them lose and they are taking each game on the schedule one at a time and avoiding “trap” games.`

Your best hope is to get a big lead, if you can, heading into the 4th quarter. If it’s close, LeBron will likely take over and break your hearts. BOL…..err…..after tonight.

Thats what Nate’s pregame speach should be. Everyone has the green light to shoot at all times.

Oden from 3? book it
Bayless 20 ft. baseline? money
Ruffin finger roll from foul line? All night long

Aldridge is upgraded to Questionable for tonight’s game, Batum is out.

This game is within the realm of possibility for the Blazers if LMA plays. It would take a miracle if he doesn’t.

I posted in the LMA injury thread but then I realized it was off topic there.

Anyway, the Cavs are NOT the same team without Big Ben. I knew this, watching them the past few weeks, but now I just confirmed it on 82games.com.

The Cavs offensive efficiency is 3.9 points per 100 possessions better with Big Ben, and their defensive efficiency is 7.7 points better. So, in total, they’re over 11 points better per 100 possessions with Wallace on the floor.

That’s huge.

Wallace is the second most important guy in the Cavs line up, behind the obvious, whose net efficiency differential of 24.1 is by far the highest I’ve ever seen.

To illustrate, the Blazers are about 7-10 points per 100 possessions better with Roy or Aldridge on the floor.

That’s why it’s so important LMA plays, from Portland’s perspective. It’s not a coincidence that the Blazers are 12.5 points per 100 possessions WORSE with Channing on the floor.

Aldridge’s differential is higher than Roy’s, incidentally, because his replacement is much worse. Although Roy is a better and more valuable player than LMA, the difference between Roy and LMA is less than the difference between Rudy and Frye. If that makes any sense.

Forget about trying to stop LBJ tonight and pound these guys inside! Jump all over the O glass with the Joel / G.O. front line from the start. Without LMA playing there will be plenty of shots to go around for the front line. Not to mention, you need a big body to keep Side Show Bob off the glass.

P.S. Nate please, please keep Frye close to the hoop, he’s been making my eyes bleed recently! There is a reason he gets open looks at 22 foot jumpers, when they miss it’s an automatic fast break going the other way.

Lets go with Oden, Przybilla, Frye, Shavlik, and…………………..RUFFIN!

for the Blazers!!! Get em!