Gamethread: Wizards vs. Cavaliers - Sunday, Jan 4th

[Mr. Grundle]

Ironically, this was the first game I've been to since the playoff game when Letravel won with the infamous travel. It was frickin sweet. Lotta kids with Lebron jerseys went home disappointed. Without looking at the box score, things that stuck out to me were....

-Cleveland isn't very good. Without Z and without Sideshow going over the back, they can't rebound. Without Lebron they are a lottery team, like bottom-5 bad.

-Love the rebounding we get with Blatche, Jamison, and McGuire in the lineup. Like the defense too.

-Not loving Butler at the end of the game. I remember him doing 2 or 3 things at the end of the 4th that really miffed me. The worst being when he posted up Delonte West, and instead of taking it to the rim to score or draw a foul he shot a ridiculously difficult turn around fadeway that bricked. I can't remember the other things that pissed me off, but I think he had a couple bad turnovers too. If just wasn't very veteran-savy play down the stretch, and was really disappointing to watch.

Other tidbits:

-Lebron is a dick. There was like 4 little kids with Lebron jerseys on the side of the Cavs tunnel tryin to smack 5's with the players as they go in at halftime. Everyone on the team slaps 5 EXCEPT Lebron.

-I'm sitting there with the wife, and we just took Caron out and switched DMac over to guard Lebron. Lebron hadn't dunked all game, and as he is dribbling up the court, my wife says "Uh oh, he's gonna dunk it". I was like nah, we got DMac guarding him now. Of course, he blows right by DMac for a ridiculous and-1 two handed monster slam.

-There was a kid sitting behind the Cavs bench with a sign with a picture of Lebron crying that said "CRYBABY". After Lebron got hit and as Mike Brown is getting tossed, they showed it on the jumbotron for like 2 minutes and everyone laughed at the crybabies. It was great.

[badinage]

I'm loving all this Cavs/LeBron hate. Where is the love people? I know you guys dont have much to cheer about nowadays but cheer up. Why would you want LeBron to go to the Western Conference when he can stay here and play your team for the rest of his career. He loves playing against the likes of Deshawna and Brenda. I enjoy our playoff series together, Don't you guys?

He's not boring -- but he IS borish.

And smug. And assholic. And whiny. And self-mythologizing *

Sports is filled with drama queens and egomaniacs who simply just don't get it -- Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, etc. James is not in their camp. But he's not appealing, either. In fact, he's decidedly unappealing.

He gets it, but he doesn't. He doesn't get that his signature move is illegal, and worse, that he just admitted he travels ALL THE TIME. And he doesn't get that he has made a mockery out of the league's officiating -- a league that can ill-afford the appearance of bias and impropriety -- and how that might be bad for the NBA in the long run. (As if he cares two $HIT$ about that. As if he is capable of conceding the point that an entire league could matter more than any one good player.)

But man, what a contrast he is to the stars who made the league what it is -- Erving, Bird, Jordan, Magic, Russell, Shaq.

You'd have to go back to Rick Barry to find a star as unappealing as James.

And who can name another top team that was as unappealing as Cleveland is -- with so many bad seeds and sullen-looking cats? Who is there to like on the Cavs?


* I'd be happy to phurnish you a dephinition, Mr. "Phresh"

[Ruzious]

"LeCrabdribble" from the post comments...hahah

I took a crab dribble, which is a hesitation dribble, and then two steps.

I was taught that the rule book says 2 steps is a violation. But I missed the exception right there in the book - If you take a "crab dribble" AND 2 steps AND your name is Lebron, then it's not a violation.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

I logged on expecting to see an entire thread dedicated to the final play of last night. This is similar to when people say the Skins could lose 14 games and as long as we beat the Cowboys twice it'd be all right. The Wiz have been so bad it's hard to watch, but last night was nearly enough to make my season! ESPN even showed a flashback to his playoff game winner where even the anchor admitted he took "like eight steps", hahahaha

Too bad if it was the playoffs with "seasoned" officials it probably would have gone uncalled... just curious (I was watching without sound) were they veteran officials?

And then LeTravel defends himself!! BULLOCKS!!!!
I can only hope this starts a trend where refs cut down on LeTravel's bull crap...

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

This is similar to when people say the Skins could lose 14 games and as long as we beat the Cowboys twice it'd be all right.

Amen. This is exactly like the Skins/Cowboys. In a tank season, I'm ambivalent about every other win... but when we play the traveling, shellfish-mongering, whine and gold-toting, river-on-fire, worst-school-system in the country circus side show that is the Cr@paliers, it's like the Super Bowl for me.

And, I love the fact that DeShawn was jawing with LeCrustacean from the bench... it's what makes me still like him, despite the fact that, statistically-speaking, he is the worst SG ever.

[P'Oed]

craaaaaaab dribble, craaaaab dribble, craaaaaab dribble




dribble like crabs, travel like people

craaaaab dribble, craaaaaab dribble

[doclinkin]

Funny thing is, even on the charge call that got Mike Brown ejected, LeCrab was back to his old melodramatic south american soccer player antics. He collapsed on the endline holding his head like his jaw was broken, hamming it up trying to get the foul on DMac. I'm pretty sure he thought the whistle was giving him freethrows. Ditto Mike Brown, which is why he got the first exercise the old Bench Potato has seen all year, running the length of the court to protect his 260 lb manbaby. They're trying to huuuurt mee...

Does LeCrab get fined for the 'bad call' statement, questioning the referees after the game? The NBA fan fairness committee wants to know.

Maybe he'll just get retroactively assigned a technical foul after the year is over. Just so he knows he's been a bad boy.

[doclinkin]

By contrast to LeBaby and his Crabaliers:

> Big props to Dominic McGuire on the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He has a battle wound to show for it, too. While going up for his 10th rebound he got scratched just below his left eye by LeBron. It still had a bloody scratch there after the game, but no foul was called.

[Severn Hoos]

Here's what the Rulebook has to say:

Section XIV-Traveling
a. A player who receives the ball while standing still may pivot, using either foot as the pivot foot.
b. A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may use a two-count rhythm in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.
The first count occurs:
(1) As he receives the ball, if either foot is touching the floor at the time he receives it.
(2) As the foot touches the floor, or as both feet touch the floor simultaneously after he receives the ball, if both feet are off the floor when he receives it.
The second occurs:
(1) After the count of one when either foot touches the floor, or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.
c. A player who comes to a stop on the count of one may pivot, using either foot as the pivot foot.
d. A player who comes to a stop on the count of two, with one foot in advance of the other, may pivot using only the rear foot as the pivot foot.
e. A player who comes to a stop on the count of two, with neither foot in advance of the other, may use either foot as the pivot foot.
f. In starting a dribble after (1) receiving the ball while standing still, or (2) coming to a legal stop, the ball must be out of the player's hand before the pivot foot is raised off the floor.
g. If a player, with the ball in his possession, raises his pivot foot off the floor, he must pass or shoot before his pivot foot returns to the floor. If he drops the ball while in the air, he may not be the first to touch the ball.
h. A player who falls to the floor while holding the ball, or while coming to a stop, may not gain an advantage by sliding.
i. A player who attempts a field goal may not be the first to touch the ball if it fails to touch the backboard, basket ring or another player.
PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the sideline, nearest spot of the violation but no nearer the baseline than the foul line extended.

Now, it seems to me that the relevant sections are:

d. A player who comes to a stop on the count of two, with one foot in advance of the other, may pivot using only the rear foot as the pivot foot.

This would be the case in the playoff Travel from 3 years ago. he took two steps and then pivoted off of his front foot. Pretty cut and dried to everyone but the referees on the court that day.

(1) After the count of one when either foot touches the floor, or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.

I really hate the jump-stop rule (I assume this is where it comes from, since the term "Jump-stop" does not appear here). But to the extent that it exists, it seems clear that the two feet have to come down simultaneously, or else it's a Travel. And that's obviously what happened in yesterday's game. And for once, the ref called it right. Wow.

And stating the obvious - umm, I found no mention of the "crab dribble" in any of the NBA rules. Can one of the Cleveland lurkers kindly point me to a link in the rule books explaining the legality of such a move? I'm sure it's there, you just have to look hard enough....

[bulletproof_32]

Pech has a golden opportunity to prove his worth to the Wiz faithful at the VC the next time the Cavs are in town. Not so much on the court but he could be a huge hit on the Jumbotron by reenacting this (the song is Weezer’s “Crab”):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wo-NIcY ... re=related

[go'stags]

Say what you will about Stevenson, and yes, he has sucked mightily this year, but one this is for sure: He hates Lebron. i love that about him, and I hope it is infectious.

[Ruzious]

Shun the crab dribble. Shuuuuuuuuuuunnn.

[doclinkin]

Say what you will about Stevenson, and yes, he has sucked mightily this year, but one this is for sure: He hates Lebron. i love that about him, and I hope it is infectious.

Infectious like Crabs. Mike James has already gotten into the spirit of it.

As for the jump-stop. I recall in rules discussions late-summer referees said they would keep a tighter leash on the jump step. Even LeBron supporters admit he gets away with 'non-simultaneous' jump-stops. That he has 'perfected' getting away with it. Here's one:

James has been pulling off jump stops for the past decade -- he started using the move in earnest as a sophomore in high school. While in the NBA, he's nearly perfected the move and how to get away with not landing on both feet at once. He's been called for it in the past, most notably twice during a close game with the New Jersey Nets in 2004, when he was hit with a technical foul by official Marc Davis for protesting.

(From some generic Crabaliers blog.)

Yeah, it's his signature move, and yes it's illegal. No big deal, he's good enough to adjust even if the refs unfailry steal it from him after he's gotten away with it for so long. Without travels and offensive charges he's still a great player. One reason why I want an argentinian flop artist on the squad though to raise the flag and get him called for more of his illegal antics. Make him work for it. No freebies. No jump-stutter-steps.

[miller31time]

I'm digging the new nicknames - LeCrab, Le Crustacean.

But damn, there are just so many good ones - LaQueen, LaTravel, and some unmentionables.

[dobrojim]

Any win for a 7-25 team is a great win in my book. But the fact that Ji the Tankster has nothing negative to say about a win against the Cavs should explain everything you need to know about this being a great win.

+1 on all that

'proof, were you there?

Funny you ask.

I've gone to all but 3 home games prior to today and I only missed those because I had legitimate conflicts (out of town, work etc), but I just couldn't bring myself to go to this game when I knew my section would be littered with all the LeBron lovers.

So, I told the guy I split tickets with to go ahead and go with his wife. I’m regretting that decision now but the amount of fans for the opposition at recent games has been way too much for my liking and I just felt like I needed a break from attending games.

The Portland and Lakers games, in particular, were just impossible for me to sit through. I nearly lost it at the Portland game when the clueless bandwagon fan next to me just wouldn't shut up about how great Portland is and how much the Wizards suck. I mean every single play he reminded everyone in the section. And he was sitting right next to me.

At one point (he was going on to no one in particular that the Wiz should've signed Brand and Baron instead of Gilbert and AJ) I asked him to sit down because he clearly didn't know what he was talking about. It just became awkward and uncomfortable after that.

The thought of reliving that with a Cavs “fan” was too much for me to bear so I opted to watch it on TV today.

I’m sorry I missed it live though.

sorry to hear that.

our section (107) seems to get what I feel is more than our share of opp fans.
It's really annoying sometimes. I really try to bite my tongue sometimes in hopes
of being the person my dog thinks I am. Doesn't always work although since I go
with one or the other of my girls, I'm never profane or really nasty.

[Wizards2Lottery]

Any tech savvy person have a LeBron gif image with him complaining?

[nate33]

From the Washington Times:

Caron and Antawn were both asked if they knew what a crab dribble -- which LeBron James said he did at the end of the game -- was.

Caron: "A crab dribble is a travel. [laughs]. That's the hottest thing on the market right now: is the crab dribble a regular dribble? I think he established his pivot. Once you go up, you can go up, but he switched his pivot again, so obviously that's a travel. I couldn't do it in AAU, couldn't do it in college, and obviously can't do it now." [more laughter].

[bulletproof_32]

^^ ha, ha. I was just about to post that same exact quote. Too funny.

[miller31time]

Caron has delivered some quotable one-liners in the past few days.