Wiz vs Cavs Poll - call the series count

[hands11]

Ok, I thought someone would have done this.


This isn't the game thread. This is the series projection thread

I'm calling a sweep

Wiz 4-0

[Donkey McDonkerton]

Soulja Boy -4
Jay Z-2

[Wizards2Lottery]

Wiz in 5

[MJG]

4-2 seems too realistic and plausible to not be my answer.

[omarvelous]

considering we lost today, i say 4-1 us.
we win the rest.
Go Wiz!

[hands11]

well, I went for the fences so I'm out. I really thought we could do it. Not even going to touch why we didn't.

I still think we can do it so I'm hoping for the best. If we don't, I'll go off at that point.


Game 2 on deck.

[clubbing_caveman]

This has to go the full 7 games. I sense the start of a new rivalry.

[closg00]

Need to see one more game before calling it. One of these teams is going to win 4-2.

[hands11]

Down 0-2 after 2 games and clearly an ass whoppen last game he is a review.

Not that we can blame the refs for everything but I did go back and watch the start of game 2 again. If anyone recorded it, take a look and you should see what I saw.

The refs were terrible. Just in the first quarter alone I saw so many missed called and inconsistent calls it was criminal. We actually started pretty well and we were up but then the refs took over.

- CB went for a dunk and got clobbered by Wallace. This was just as hard of a foul across the body as Haywood put on James

- AB got clobbered by V and took a shot to the head. Also just as bad as the Haywood foul.

- Labron aka Latravel was taking his luggage with him all over the place. On the one play he drove down the left side of the lane and Blatche got the blocking foul but LB took 3 steps to get there. CB even did the traveling signal right after it happened. AB may have been moving but LB would never have reached him without 3 steps.

- The Lebron fast break dunk was also a travel. He started one way and split the D and dunked but it took him 3 steps to do it. The travel happened before the blocking.

- Z travels also. Reggie even commented on it. He posted I think AJ and did the 3 step. Reggie just said, he gets away with that.

AJ got clobbered on the baseline of the Wiz hoop by V. I mean V just ran over and fell over AJ on the baseline so AJ lost the ball. Wiz turnover. No foul. It wasn't even close. It was a clear foul. Even in the playoffs.

Then on the other hand, Haywood gets called for boxing out Z under the CLE hoop. BH had inside position. Z comes in from behind him and gives him a strong hip check that moves BH. BH fights for position as the ball comes off the rim. With Z behind him, BH goes up and somehow gets called for the foul. That should have been a no call or a foul on Z but it was the 2nd on BH.

So BH and AB get 2 fouls each quickly. This was something we couldn't afford to happen. We need our bigs active in the game against these guys.

But Cleveland was smart to go to the post a lot in order to get our bigs in foul trouble. They feed Z and Wallace to start the game. This is the strategy I have been calling for us to do for some time in the playoffs and in big game where the other team has a big who are key to their success.

I'm not one to blame the refs for everything but there was a 6 min or so run where they just called or didn't call everything to CLEs benefit. We went from up to down and in foul trouble. CB was fighting hard. So was AJ and the rest of the team but it's hard to overcomes the refs, talent and the home team.

Then we lost Haywood and it was all over.

Add to this the replay of Lebron taking his elbow to ABs chin. That was intensional. Easily a flagrant 2 and worthy of a suspension. AB should have made more of a scene about it.

If Haywood isn't suspended and we can get fair refs, I think we take game 3. Once that happens there is no reason we can't take game 4. We can get this to 2-2.

All of that said, EJ doesn't help this team enough with a good strategy, leadership or using all out talent when and where it is needed. I give EJ failing grades for both Game 1 and game 2.

We can win these games with better coaching and fair refs. Also, we need Etan because we need more bigs.

I know we aren't getting Etan but I am surprised the media or the Etan hasn't really mentioned him and his status.

[CaPtaiN eYeSaNo]

Etan is not coming back. Even if he did, he's not in game shape.
Where is the heart on this team??? I felt so embarassed that I would have glady taken my out of shape self out there to give some hard fouls. Jamison is playing like he's scared. Butler is missing multiple lay-ups... and EJ is coaching scared. I'm afraid to go to game 3, I might get arrested for charging the court to slap some passion into this team. Where's Kwame when you need him for some slappin'?

[Donkey McDonkerton]

Soulja Boy -4
Jay Z-2

[gimmick413]

I guess it's possible nobody wins this poll. There was no option for "Cavs 4-0"

[hands11]

I guess it's possible nobody wins this poll. There was no option for "Cavs 4-0"

opps

[gimmick413]

-= original quote snipped =-
opps

oh noes!

[hands11]

OK,

with Haywood back for game 3
CB in his 3rd game back from injury
with us back at home

and with EJ hopefully pulling his head of his, well you know.

Rack it up as a win. Probably by 8+ pts

CB needs to be the clear leader of this team. Being back home will rally the call.

0-2 looking at 1-2

[hands11]

Etan is not coming back. Even if he did, he's not in game shape.
Where is the heart on this team??? I felt so embarassed that I would have glady taken my out of shape self out there to give some hard fouls. Jamison is playing like he's scared. Butler is missing multiple lay-ups... and EJ is coaching scared. I'm afraid to go to game 3, I might get arrested for charging the court to slap some passion into this team. Where's Kwame when you need him for some slappin'?

Well if your out of shape self could do something then an out of shape Etan could do more.

I don't think Jamison is playing scared. He is just getting clobbered between the trees so the only thing left is outside. CLE is long in the post.

I see the same problem I've seen in the past. EJ doesn't adjust the line ups when his standard white with stains isn't working.

It's the same problem we had against teams like ATL and the Sixers.

Certain teams line ups cause you problems so you have to match them or over match them with your own combo of talent. Even if that means playing younger players.

We can't go smaller and slow against their taller and slow. Specially if we don't feed the big men.

The playoffs is all about fouls and mismatches.

[hands11]

Well I was jones'n for some Wiz ball so I was rewatching what happened last game.

Dame GA really sucked ass when he was in. If it wasn't a turnover it was a forced jacked shot trying to be the man vs LJ.

Then half time came and it was all about what GA was doing wrong. They called him out as being a good player but he will never be a great player until he learns that it's not all about just him. He has to run it threw CB and AJ, specially since he isn't 100%. They said he just doesn't get it.

Hmm, wonder where I head that before

Then the 2nd half started. We were in the game. Down 15 when the Haywood foul happened. Here is the part I missed.

Reggie was going on and on about how they made the right call, a flagrant 1. Then when Haywood came off the floor he thought EJ was just pulling him out. He was going on and on about how it was a hard foul but not a flagrant 2. Then Haywood left the floor and Marv called it a 2. Reggie was all confused and disagreeing with the call. Said there were hard fouls like that the whole series. Its the playoffs.

This was even more strange. They were reviewing the play and Haywood had already left the court. Very strange.

I bet Reggie isn't asked to do any more CLE games. I guess they didn't get the memol.

I just found that interesting. I missed that the first time. That and how badly Gil played. Ah and another walk by Z so that was at least 2 for LJ and 2 for Z. Reggie commented, I don't care how tall you are, you can't get from the 3 line to the hoop without a dribble. Then he laughed.

Then another charge from LJ on AD and a charge in the open floor that put DS on his ass. Oh and Z had an basket interference on a offensive tip in.

The more I watch, the more I notice that the refs just sucked.

Things should be a lot different back home.

And for those he have been complaining about CB. CB was playing well and with a ton of heart. He was mixing it up. Took a baseline dunk. Blow past Wally several times. Took it hard for a dunk but was clobber by Wallace. For only his 2nd game after injury, I have no complains about CB.

Some home cooking should change a lot of this crap.

[hands11]

Game 2 has been erased. +36

How you like me now.

Haywood didn't get the 10 shots I want to see but you can't always get everything you want.

CB 6-12 - Next game he gets that 3 ball fallen again.

RM 8-14 2-3 from 3. The man got his nerves settled.

BH 5-6 - like I said. I want more shots from BH

AJ 5-10 - very proud he didn't force things.

AB 3-6 and lots of energy.

Things I wanted to see...

AB shoot better from the foul line
NY score a pt

Great team win lead by their leader. On to game 4

[hands11]

And that is why it's call the playoffs.

Game 4 as just as must a must win as this game was.

Game 5 isnt a must but if we don't win it, Game 6 and Game 7 are.

Obviously the best road is to win out. Take game 2 and 3 and come back home 3-2 read to close it out. That would also make a statement going into a Boston series were we will be confident. So the next 2 games are huge.

The important things about this win are:

1) We psychologically removed any damage created by the +30 pt loss

2) RM got comfortable for the first time a playoff series so now have an outside threat which takes the pressure off from their tough D.

3) DS the same. He didn't play well in the playoffs last year or this year

4) We won playing tough perimeter D - 23 turnover

5) we won sharing the ball - 28 assists

6) we won using BH in the post over Z. Z still got his 10 shots but BH only got 6. Z wasn't living in the post. We still need to get BH more shots. I want him at about 10

7) AB continues to get good playoffs experience. Something that should have happened more last year but with every playoff game that he plays well, his confidence an ability grows.

DMAC is getting a taste of playing time. He may actually be a better choice right now off the bench since he bring hopes, energy and pounding the boards for rebounds. This is were we need the most help against CLEs Z, W, V and JS

9) This was a CB lead W

We are just getting things started. This team as a team lead by CB doesn't have a ton of playoff experience. Players like RM, DS, AB, Songaila, and DMAC are all just getting it started. Not even mnetioning that NY would be a great advantage if he can get it going. They are puppies. NY hasn't even scored yet in the playoffs.

We still have a ton of upside. With every successful game, this team is taking the next step. They are that inexperienced.

Now if we can count on GA doing what he did to start the game, we take another huge step because we need another PG. Then if he can learn when to use his scoring ability, we take another. We need another PG more then we need anther scorer.

If all these things can come together over the next 3 games, we can take this series and give ourself a chance to grow more in the next series.

That is how this team makes it to the conference finals. We can do it but the hole in the needle is small. We don't have much room for error and not playing a smart strategy for game 1 and game 2 has made the hole smaller. That's were some get frustrated with EJ.