- First off, Mo is sitting out for this one as a precaution. He missed the last 5 days of practice to attend his father in law's funeral and still is not 100% after his groin injury
- Hickson came out quick in this one, started getting fouled going down the lane early, then showed off his much improved jumper. Just going for everything, carrying the offense on his back. I was disappointed to see him come out so early, but the rotation is far from being set right now.
- I have to admit, seeing Sessions for pretty much the first time visually, he looks really quick. The entire team has a little more speed this year, but I think that Sessions will really thrive in the up-tempo system
- Celtics came out kinda slow, which is to be expected from a team that had to face the Heat last night, Speaking of which, the Celtics look like a team hungry for another championship, while the Heat definitely suffered from Wade not playing in preseason. Lebron on the other hand look exactly the same, taking over the game, which has both benefits and problems, as Cavs fans well know.
- I still don't know if Hollins will fit in with the team long term, or even if he's that good, but he definitely works hard. He continues to fight for the ball even after most other players give up, which is something that the Cavs have really lacked in a center (unless you count Andy). He gave the Cavs several extra possessions with his work around the basket
- Gibson definitely looked a little off to start the game, missing a few jumpers and looked a step behind. Hopefully nothing to worry about
- The defense looked okay, but had some major lapses, leading to a wide open slam by KG. This is something that they will need to work on before the game begins to run away
- Glen Davis hitting a 3 at the buzzer hurts... Completely unacceptable... Even if it didn't actually count
- Still missing wide open shots, a result of a young team being nervous in the season opener without a true leader on the floor
- Jamison really does not look that good... This is something that really concerns me. If Jamison doesn't have a good year, it definitely hurts the Cavs chances at making the playoffs. On the other hand, it might allow JJ to get more time to develop.
- Andy continues to do what Andy does. Hustling around the basket for tap-in's and extra possessions. Good to see. Sooooo many offensive rebounds
- I don't quite understand why it took so long for Scott to put JJ back into the game, as he seems to be the only person on the team to have some consistency on the offensive floor. As soon as he entered the game, the offense picked up again. Andy and JJ work phenomenally together, something that many people didn't think would work
- Once again... I hate Glen Davis...
- Jawad Williams really looks lost out there... The Cavs really need help at the SF position. Jamario Moon is now the best we have. Speaking of Moon though, he is playing like he earned the starting role. Solid defense and outside shooting is exactly what we need
- Parker looks more comfortable in this game that almost all of last year. Its good to see him get a little bit more consistancy
- The more I watch Sessions, the more I like him. He seems to flow very well in the offense. He may not have much of a jumper, but its not all that necessary. Especially when Mo returns, the backcourt should be fantastic
- The offense settled in as the quarter progressed and we got to see a glimpse of what this team is going to look like when it gets to full steam. Pushing the ball and moving the ball around the court flawlessly. The defense still needs some work and is fouling too much, but all that will come in time. Just watch and enjoy the new offense... looks purdy
- It will be very interesting to see how the Cavs come out after half. If they can clean up some of the sloppy mistakes that they were making in the first half, they have a legitimate chance at winning the game. If they don't however, it will be completely dependent on how tired the Celtics are from last night
- Not too shabby for a team that's missing their starting point guard
- Score: 47-46 Boston
- FG%- Celts: 52.9%, Cavs: 41.3%
- FT%- Celts: 76.9%, Cavs: 62.5%
- Turnovers- Celts: 10, Cavs- 7
- JJ Hickson: 14 points, 3 rebounds
- Ramon Sessions: 12 points, 2 assists
- Varejao keeps working with a ton of energy, first with a bail out basket, then a rebound, and a beautiful rejection of Ray Allen to start the quarter off
- Rondo is getting shots too easily, mainly coming off of the fast break. Another thing the Cavs will have to work on. He continues to destroy the Cavs, but I have to admit that he may be one of the best PG's in the NBA right now
- I take back what I said before about Moon... He isn't just good, he's playing excellent basketball. He might not be able to exactly fill the shoes of the betrayer (Mr. South Beach), but he is playing almost perfectly in this offense. He might actually be the player most suited for the Princeton that Scott is running that the Cavs have right now
- JJ is starting to looking more like he did last year, still a little hesitant and is thinking a bit too much, taking himself out of the game
- Gibson hit his first shot, hopefully gets him going after starting 0-8 from the field
- Hollins continues to have a meaningful impact for the Cavs. Still growing on me. I'm really impressed with the defense he's putting up right now
- Jamison continues to have some difficulty from the field... 0-3 and looking out of it
- Cavs might not look too pretty, but they're doing what's necessary to get the win here. Fighting tooth and nail for every point. Coming back within 5 from down 11
- Early start with Jermaine O'Neal fouling out of the game. Always a good sign
- Gibson reeeeeally heating in the game, causing alot of frustration for the Celtics, who end up getting 2 techs, one for Nate Robinson and one for Shaq. Another great sign
- And Jamison finally hits a shot and all the Cavs are firing on all cylinders, getting a standing ovation from the crowd
- Not all too many mistakes being made this quarter and we continue to see the new system in the works. A few plays were too aggressive, but you'll take that against a team like the Celtics
- Celtics D finally started picking up again with about 6:30 left. Big moment for the Cavs to see if anyone can step up and bring the momentum back
- There are so many traveling calls on the Celtics tonight that they should be the Harlem Globetrotters. Yah, I know it wasn't that good of a joke but deal with it
- Shot clock violations are killing the Cavs and are perfect examples of times where the offense is being disrupted by an elite defensive force
- This Cavs team will thrive off of turnovers. With the amount of speed and athleticism that they have at all times on the floor, only good things can happen
- The home crowd is definitely affecting the game, giving the Cavs energy, which is helping the Cavs step up to a different level that what has been seen so far in the game, especially on the defensive end. Good to see seeming as a running offense usually suffers on the defensive end
- The Cavs might not necessarily have an offensive force to go to in late game situations, but their defense is sure doing the work for them
While the game might not necessarily mean that the Cavs could beat the Heat, I'm not going to let that convince me otherwise. It wasn't pretty and they were playing a tired team, but we got some fantastic glimpses of what this Cavs team could be... and it was gooooooood.
The Cavs had a great balanced attack tonight, with 6 players in double figures, which can be expected from a tteam without a player that really controls the ball. It also shows that this is not a team that is defenseless without LeBron. This is a team that will still be fairly competitive in the east and will still have a good shot at the playoffs.
Key Stats at Half:
- Score: 95-87 Cavs
- FG%- Celts: 47.2%, Cavs: 44.4%
- FT%- Celts: 76.2%, Cavs: 81.0%
- Turnovers- Celts: 19, Cavs-14
- JJ Hickson: 21 points, 6 rebounds
- Ramon Sessions: 14 points, 3 assists
- Anderson Varejao: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists
- Daniel Gibson: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists
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