The Assfingers are Still Assfingers

The Cavs played a really good Thunder team and I think they played how the Thunder would play if the Thunder were actually the Cavs (Freaky Friday style and fast/effort fueled play).  However, the first eight minutes of the game the Cavs played how they would play if the Spurs were actually the Cavs because they were deadly efficient:  we shot 5/5, shot a free throw for a Serge Ibaka defensive 3 second, and had an 8 point lead.  Then Russell Westbrook scored and we would spend the rest of the night trying to stop him and Durant for the most part.

Our defense actually played pretty good.  We’re starting to close out on shooters more.  I still think we have trouble on defense figuring out when to rotate after the first movement of the ball.  We can play the pick and roll, but when the player drives off the pick and roll deep inside, Thompson often waits too long to get into position. Our wing players worry Thompson isn’t going to leave his man, which causes them to not be able to cover anyone since they hesitate to make a choice (Thompson’s man or the shooter).

The offense played ok.  Gee missed a lot of open three pointers; we should flirt him for Steve Novak or Kyle Korver.  Or maybe, we can just play Gibson more (see the last paragraph).  By the way, Gibson played wonderful tonight.  He had 16 points, 6-12.  He is the only player from our bench that can score; he also played decent defense and looked like he was trying to stay with his man.

It’s also a blessing that Irving and Waiters can play the pick and roll so good.  They have a good sense of where they can score off of picks. Varejao is also able to finish around the basket, whether it is a little shot or dish.  Varejao has been having trouble shooting the fifteen footer lately, so I’m interested to see how Kyrie and Waiters will play with Zeller (when he returns) who can take the pop shot.  This might make our guards even more deadly, since a man will need to cover Zeller instead of helping on defense. 

Thompson is getting more efficient on offense and made a few nice little hook shots, but his form is so bad.  He has to gather himself to jump, so he puts shots up very slowly.  He also has to start with ball by his hips every shot, even off of rebounds when he could just put it up quicker to take the defense by surprise.  This shot style lets defenders get straight over him, since he is hunched down.  He also gets surprised by passes under the hoop like he isn’t expecting them.  Kyrie and Varejao both had passes hit his knuckles and cause him to stumble trying to just get the loose ball.

The forwards were very bad again.  Gee played good defense on Durant so his 7-17 is excused.  It also helps Gee that Waiters only took six shots tonight, which lets me blame Waiters for not shooting more to keep Gee from doing it.  Byron Scott decided to give good ol’ Casspi Assfingers the chance to be our wing player from the bench.  Scott was thinking Assfingers no longer had the same fingers he had from last year’s season when he was always picking his butt.  Scott hadn’t seen him do that for a while.  Little did he know Casspi made a few stops into the tunnel this game for a picking session while he was busy observing Gee miss open three point shots.  Assfingers’s assfingers let him shoot 1/7 and at least three of those were open. I hear in the year 2013, the NBA will honor its first Jewish player with the Omri ball stat being added to the box score.  It’s the stat for air balls.

Daniel Gibson gets to be the Fuck Truck driver of the night award recipient: Gee also shot decent tonight and had more points, but morale wise Gibson made a huge difference because he kept our second unit from completely bottoming out on offense. 

I think to give our second unit some life Byron Scott should seriously consider bringing Boobie in for Gee a little bit early so he can play with Waiters and Irving. I think Bobbie would get some quick points off of the out passes that Gee misses on.  This small lineup might catch some teams off guard too.   Then we can pull Kyrie and leave Waiters in to lead the second unit for a few before bringing the first line back minus Waiters.  Waiters can come in at the end of the second and forth super refreshed to bring some extra offensive punch.