Game 4: Wizards @ Cavaliers (11-3-09)

[P'Oed]

If there's any consolation, it's that Cavs fans appear to be the ugliest human beings ever assembled in one building. L

hahahahhahahaa. Wait, I need photographic proof on this one.

[Silvie Lysandra]

Imo Butler needs to go; he's a bad fit for this team. We need a slashing defensive wing, someone in the Gerald Wallace mold.

Let's say:

Butler + NY + James for Wallace + Mohammed or however it works in checker (since we're going to need extra big man fouls if we meet Cleveland in the playoffs)

Haywood (30)/Mohammed(10)/McGee (8)
Blatche (30)/Jamison(10)/Oberto (8)
Wallace (30)/Jamison(12)/Miller (6)
Foye (20)/Miller (16)/Stevenson (12)
Arenas (32)/Foye(10)/Critt (4)

[Jimmy Recard]

Blatche had another pretty good game. He didn't stick out, but he had a quiet 7 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks in 25 minutes with sound D and few mistakes. He had 3 turnovers but really got robbed on the offensive foul so I'll only count it as 2 turnovers. If this is a "bad" game for Blatche, then I'll take it.

Yep i was pleased with Blatche. He just seems to have much better awareness out the and is making smarter decisions. Apart from that last silly tunover, i thought he played well. And the refs killed him.

[keynote]

Gerald Wallace is a menace to knees everywhere. He just took out somebody else's MCL (I forget if it was Redd, or someone else).

[80sballboy]

But if we trade Butler, who would do all those commercials?

[nate33]

I thought Butler's D was solid. He held Lebron to 7-16 shooting with 4 turnovers while getting no double team help. he certainly looked better than last year.

[Silvie Lysandra]

Gerald Wallace is a menace to knees everywhere. He just took out somebody else's MCL (I forget if it was Redd, or someone else).

So far he hasn't done it to anyone on his team, thus if he plays for us than we're safe. JACKPOT!!!

[keynote]

^
That annoying Pizza Hut ad with the guy from Chappelle's weed movie killed that word for me.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Gil looked timid tonight which is the last thing I want to see from him against the Cavs.

Yes and the Cavs also just played better D. I think Gil feared driving the lane and getting clobbered.

I was scared that might happen, too. I wanted the starters out when the Cavs were up 76-71. Game was already over as far as I was concerned.

Everybody came out healthy, and maybe Mike Miller learned why teammates didn't want him wearing Lebron shoes.

[GilArenas88]

nate33 wrote:

The Cavs are a good team that will probably win around 60 games. They were playing at home. We were missing one of our best players. I don't know why anybody is all that surprised.

The refs killed us late in the 2nd quarter with those two cheap fouls on Haywood and then they got him again with a really bad call on his "offensive foul". That's what did the Wizards in. Once Haywood was gone, Shaq had a field day.

Other than that cheap stuff on Haywood, I didn't think the refs really controlled the game with bad calls. Yeah, Cleveland got away with some one-sided treatment by the refs, but that's gonna happen.

Blatche really got screwed twice by the refs though. He took a great charge on Lebron in the 3rd quarter just as Lebron passed it away and it ended up being a no call. And that fast break when Blatche dribbled coast to coast was a blatant blocking foul on Gibson. It was truly one of the worst calls I've ever seen. We got away with a couple of calls too though. They called a few ticky tack fouls on Z that I thought were unjustified.

On offense, we got into real trouble when they doubled Arenas off the high screen. It left somebody open, but we just couldn't find him.

I don't understand why Stevenson played so much in the 4th. He wasn't in there for defensive purposes because Butler was on Lebron. Miller should have been in the game.

Blatche had another pretty good game. He didn't stick out, but he had a quiet 7 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks in 25 minutes with sound D and few mistakes. He had 3 turnovers but really got robbed on the offensive foul so I'll only count it as 2 turnovers. If this is a "bad" game for Blatche, then I'll take it.

I thought Haywood had a damn good game. He fought Shaq for everything and was really a presence down low. He also showed some pretty good hands catching balls in traffic. I still can't believe they called him for an offensive foul when Varajeo just walked into him and ran him over with his chest.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

In other news Orlando lost to Detroit, Miami lost to the Suns, and the Hawks are on there second of a back-to-back versus Portland later on. Indiana also lost and the Sixers got crushed by the C's, Celtics shot 14-20 from three, that a boy EJ.

[yungal07]

Imo Butler needs to go; he's a bad fit for this team. We need a slashing defensive wing, someone in the Gerald Wallace mold.

Let's say:

Butler + NY + James for Wallace + Mohammed or however it works in checker (since we're going to need extra big man fouls if we meet Cleveland in the playoffs)

Haywood (30)/Mohammed(10)/McGee (8)
Blatche (30)/Jamison(10)/Oberto (8)
Wallace (30)/Jamison(12)/Miller (6)
Foye (20)/Miller (16)/Stevenson (12)
Arenas (32)/Foye(10)/Critt (4)

That's laughably horrible for the Wiz.

[cdouglas]

This definitely wasn't the team I watched on Saturday. The ball movement and defense in Saturday's game was fantastic. I really wasn't impress with Butler because he was playing like he was in the old system for Eddie Jordan. He was playing for himself and hardly ever passed the ball. I guess he wants to make sure he get his but I'm no longer interested in watching that selfish type of play.

[80sballboy]

Butler playing like that has nothing to do with the system. Eddie's Princeton isn't about Caron's ballhogging and contested shooting. It's not about the old system; it's about the old Caron.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

With more offensive weapons this year, Caron needs to stop forcing it like he had to last year. I think he might be used to how it was last year, when he and Antawn were the only offensive weapons.

I don't remember him shooting this many contested jumpers when Gilbert was playing with him a couple seasons back.

[Michael Jordan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUy0D1fst0M

[Tiny Too]

I agree with most of our Board's posts tonight but wish to make two additional obsevations about Flip...one good and one bad.

First the bad: I just don't see Flip's fascination with DeBrick' s defense. He isn't quick or fast enough to stop penetration from point guards, and he is not big enough to contest jump shots from 6' 5" or taller two guards. He is the poster boy for the poorly talented offensive player (his shot has sidespin...watch carefully and you will see) who is automatically assumed to be a defensive stopper. The only things he stops is his team's chances of winning on too many nights. Any day, I'd rather see Nick Young, even if he doesn't know the plays and gets lost on defensive rotations.

Now the good: It was a pleasure watch Flip's strategy of allowing Wood or JaVale to guard the post one-on-one. Granted, this was one of Shaq's better games and we got in foul trouble. But, it was still so much sounder than watching Eddie's defense collapse in the paint, even on much lesser post threats than Shaq, leaving perimeter players open for 3s. Flip even let Oberto guard Shaq by himself, and he was in foul trouble. Tonight, the strategy didn't work, but Shaq is not going to shoot 7 for 9 every game. And, more importantly, against other teams we play like Orlando, I think we can do an excellent job one-on-one defensively in the post and thereby reduce our vulnerability to open 3s on the perimeter. This DISCIPLINE will ultimately serve us well in the long run and make us a better defensive team.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

no i haved the account a long time but after reading all your crying i had to post something

Haved?

Anyway, this loss wasn't on the refs. The Wizards choked, straight up. They got off to a great start, then they got cocky and blew it. Flip kept the subs in too long in the 2nd quarter and Deshawn needed to come out immediately after that hard (should have been a flagrant) foul from Shaq. Stevenson can't play up to his emotions and he made some poor choices. Blatche was timid. Miller was timid. Foye kind of stunk. Gil and Caron were fine, but El B.J. and Snaquille were better. Mostly, the Wizards needed more from the bench tonight.

If there's any consolation, it's that Cavs fans appear to be the ugliest human beings ever assembled in one building. L

You are way too kind. The refs SUCKED and spotted the cavs twenty points in the second quarter. What has been seen cannot be unseen, and my eyes saw some atrocious, atrocious, atrocious reffing that cost the zards a twenty point lead. How else can you see it? Given how blatantly the refs were throwing the game it's amazing it was so close at the end.

[Zerocious]

systematically whistled out of a W. i was getting nervous when we started getting into a 15 point lead.

[dandridge 10]

I would like nothing more than to win this game, but I don't see us winning tonight. Blatche was en fuego last game and I just don't see him repeating it tonight against Sideshow Bob. I think Jamison's absence and our lack of depth in the frontcourt will be apparent against a big Cavs team. Also, I seem to recall Mo Williams being able to handle Gil pretty well and having big games against him. I think all that combined with a home court advantage spells a victory for the Cavs. We will get them back though at home in two weeks when Jamison is back and I see us winning our next two games against Miami and the Pacers so we will just be fine.

Just finished watching the game, and I gotta admit I was pretty close with the above prediction. I don't think Blatche had a bad game but I knew he would come back to earth against a good defensive team like the Cavs. Overall, I just think the Cav's size just killed us in the frontcourt and we really did miss Jamison. Having him on the court would have opened up things a bit more for Gil. No biggie. I think we win our next two games and Jamison should be back when we face the Cavs again at home on the 18th.

BTW, I think we also saw why McGee can't get big minutes yet. Aside from one good block, he looked like a boy among men out there tonight and our lead evaporated when he came in for Haywood.

[CaPtaiN eYeSaNo]

From the Washington Post...

"You read in between the lines the way you want to," Haywood said. "I couldn't be aggressive, Dray couldn't be aggressive. No one could because you knew you were strapped with fouls. Tough situation because you don't want to talk bad about the referees. I can't give you too much, but I was frustrated the way it was called. I can't get in trouble for that."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/03/AR2009110303983.html