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Tag Archives: Timofey Mozgov
KENNY’S KEYS TO A GAME #6 WIN FOR THE CAVS
AGGRESSIVE, ATTACKING LEBRON – While he didn’t get the calls in Game #5 at Golden State, LeBron needs to go to the basket strong and frequently because it’s his best offensive weapon and it will put the onus on the officials to make calls if there is any contact. I expect “King James” to shoot no less than 14 free throws in this Game #6 if he attacks the rim.
POUND THE BOARDS – The Cavs lost the battle of the boards in Game #5 overall and at the offensive end, that can’t happen again in this series starting with tonight’s Game #6. Even if David Blatt decides to go small again, the Cavaliers as a unit must find a way to hold the Warriors to one shot, while at the other end create second and third chance opportunities on offense.
GET PHYSICAL WITH STEPH AND THE WARRIORS – Curry went for 37 in Game #5, if he does that again the Cavs season will end tonight and the Warriors will be NBA Champs. Overall the Cavs must make Golden State feel them from the opening tip to the final whistle. If that means take a few hard fouls and also grab, bump and knock Steph Curry around, then do it. Don’t let him get comfortable. I would also mix in a little zone when trying to play maybe Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov together, putting Lebron, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert on the perimeter and force the Warriors to go inside. Use this to try and catch Golden State by surprise and it may buy you a few minutes so you can play your “Bigs” together.
CONTROL THE TEMPO – This series has been all about the pace of the game. When Golden State has scored 100 or more points in the NBA Finals, they are (3-0). When the Cavs have held the Warriors under 100 points, Cleveland is (2-0). A slowdown, slugfest favors Cleveland. An up and down the court, track meet style game benefits the Warriors.
A SUPPORTING CAST – LeBron is doing it all and that’s still not enough. He needs a consistent second and third scorer if the Cavs are to force a Game #7 and have a chance to win the title. That means J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert must step their games up on the offensive end and provide at least 35 points between the two of them for the Cavs to have any chance. I expect LeBron to score between 35 and 45 points tonight, but without help from “The Others”, it won’t matter and the season will come to an end.
PREDICTION:
With the TV ratings at an all-time high, you know the NBA office wants a Game #7 that would feature Steph Curry and LeBron James. With that in mind and this game being played in Cleveland, I expect the Cavs to get more calls tonight giving them a chance to win Game #6, but it will come down to LeBron and “The Others” making shots and free throws. In a game in the 90’s, I expect the LeBron and the Cavs to find a way to win and force a Game #7 Friday at Golden State by defeating the Warriors tonight 95-91 at The Q!
CAVS – NEWS, NOTES AND NUMBERS
Cavs are now 10-2 this postseason.
Cavs are now 6-1 on the road this postseason.
Cavs are 4-1 at home this postseason.
Cavs are now 44-11 in their last 55 games counting the regular season and postseason. That’s a winning percentage of (.800).
Cavs are now 20-9 in their last 29 road games counting the regular season and the postseason. That’s a winning percentage of (.690).
Cavs through 12 playoff games this season are holding opponents to just 91.4 points per game and 41 percent shooting from the field. They are the top defensive team in the NBA Playoffs.
Cavs have surrendered just 73, 89 and 82 points in their last 3 playoff games this season, all 3 on the road, and all 3 wins.
Cavs held the Hawks to 31 percent shooting and 38 points in the second half of Game #1 and 34 percent shooting and just 33 points in the second half of Game #2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cavs have held the Hawks to 20 percent shooting (9-49) from 3-point country in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cavs All-NBA First Team small forward LeBron James is averaging 27.2ppg-9.9rpg-8apg over the first 12 playoff games and 30.5ppg-8.5rpg-8.5apg vs Atlanta in the ECF.
Cavs leading scorer LeBron James is 14-0 in NBA Playoff series’ when leading that series 2 games to none. (Courtesy of ESPN Stats)
Cavs have 6 players averaging in double figures versus Atlanta in the ECF – LBJ-30.5ppg, J.R. Smith-18.5ppg, Tristan Thompson 10.5ppg and 13rpg, Timofey Mozgov 10ppg, Iman Shumpert 10ppg and Kyrie Irving 10ppg.
Cavs next game in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals is Sunday night at 8:30p at Quicken Loans Arena.
Cavs “Magic Number” to win the NBA Championship is 6.
KENNY’S KEYS TO A CAVS WIN IN GAME #5
LEBRON 30 FOR 30 – With how hampered this team is with injuries, and even though LeBron James is playing with a sore left ankle, “The King” needs to find a way to get the Cavaliers about 30 points per game even if it means taking 30 shots per game over the next two or three games in order for the Cavs to win this series against the Bulls and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
DON’T FALL BLATT ON YOUR FACE – Tyronn Lue and LeBron James bailed out the Cavaliers first year head coach in Game #4. Lue with a better tackle than most Browns players made last year on Blatt so he wouldn’t get a technical for calling a time out he didn’t have, and James for telling Blatt to stick his original out of bounds play call where the sun don’t shine and demanding the ball and then delivering the game winning shot. In my opinion, Blatt has failed miserably in Games #1 and #4 in this series and the Cavs are lucky to be tied 2-2 with the Bulls. He has to do a better job of managing the game with time outs, player substitutions, play calls and having a feel for the game. He has to flat out coach better and not have a relapse of what happened in Games #1 and #4.
FIND A SECOND SCORING OPTION – With Kevin Love out for the playoffs and while Kyrie Irving is playing, he’s suffering from two big time injuries that have limited him, so the Cavs need someone to step up and be that #2 scorer. For three games it was Iman Shumpert who filled the void, averaging over 18 points per game, but he ended up suffering an injury in this series and is also playing hurt and it has affected his ability to score. So now it’s time for either J.R. Smith or Timofey Mozgov to rise to the occasion and become the second offensive weapon the Cavaliers need in the remaining two or three games is series.
GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE – Cleveland is struggling on offense right now, so the Cavs have to be the aggressor, attack the rim, and force the officials, as horrible as they’ve been, to have to make a call. This way you get a chance at two uncontested shots to put points on the board. Also the more aggressive you are, the better chance you have of getting into the bonus early and that could be a major plus, since as a team the Cavaliers are shooting 86% from the charity stripe in this series so far.
BOARD DOMINATION – This one is real simple. Led by LeBron, Tristan Thompson, Timofey Mozgov and whoever else, the Cavaliers must dominate the boards and win the offensive and defensive rebounding battle the rest of this series. They must limit the Bulls second chance opportunities and create as many second chance opportunities for themselves to score easy buckets.
VALUE THE BALL – While the entire team must focus on this stat, it is imperative that LeBron James take it to heart and cut his turnovers per game in this series in half. LBJ is averaging nearly 6 turnovers per contest against the Bulls. That number has to come down to 3 or maybe 4 at the most. James needs to protect the ball better when Jimmy Butler is up on him defensively and not make so many lazy passes.
DEFENSE – Another simple one, but it is “Mucho Importante”! With how bad the Cavs offense has been, the reason they are tied 2-2 in this series with the Bulls is because of their defense. The Bulls are not a good shooting team and the more pressure you apply on the defensive end, the worse they become at trying to put the ball in the basket. So ratchet up your defense in Games # 5,# 6 and if necessary Game #7, and you’re your chances of winning that game, and the series increase dramatically.
SHOT SELECTION – The Cavs are shooting far too many 3’s in this series. I know all season they have been a team that feasts on the 3-pointer, but against a good defensive team like the Bulls who are trying to take away that shot, or at least challenge every one of them, you might want to try and dial it back a bit. The Cavs are shooting 28 treys a game, but only making 34% of them and LeBron’s percentage is at a season low 10% from 3-point country. Attack the basket more and get fouled, and to my earlier point, take advantage of scoring points at the free throw line where you are shooting 86% as a team and LeBron is hitting 85% of his freebies.
CAVS NEWS, NOTES AND NUMBERS
The Cavs at 53-29 posted the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and the 7th best record in the NBA.
The Cavaliers are a perfect 23-0 at The Q when they score 100 points or more.
The Cavs posted a 27-17 record against the 15 teams who made the NBA playoffs this season.
The Cavs were 18-10 against all Eastern Conference playoff teams this season.
The Cavs went 9-7 against the Western Conference playoff teams.
The only Eastern Conference playoff team the Cavs had a losing record against was the Atlanta Hawks 1-3.
The Cavs beat every NBA playoff team at least one times this season except the Houston Rockets 0-2.
In their final 43 games the Cavs went 34-9.
In 69 games with LeBron James in the line up the Cavaliers posted a 50-19 mark.
The Cavs starting line up of Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov posted a 29-4 record, best winning percentage of any starting 5 in the NBA this season. (Thanks John Michael for that info)
The Cavaliers “Big 3” of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined to average roughly 63ppg – 19rpg – 15apg. James played in 69 games, Irving and Love in 75.
When the “Big 3” scored 80 points or more this season the Cavs were a perfect 6-0.
When the “Big 3” scored 75 points or more the Cavs went 11-1.
When the “Big 3” scored 70 points or more the Cavs were 14-2.
When the “Big 3” scored 65 points or more the Cavs went 20-4.
The Cavs without LeBron James in the line up went 3-10 this season.
The Cavs without Kyrie Irving in the line up went 1-6 this season.
The Cavs without Kevin Love in the line up went 3-4 this season.
After making the trades for Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov and with all 3 in the line up the Cavs posted a 30-9 record.
The Cavs record by month: October/November 8-7, December 10-7, January 11-6, February 8-3, March 11-4 and April 5-2.
LeBron James led the Cavaliers in scoring average at 25.3ppg.
Kevin Love led the Cavaliers in rebounding average at 9.7rpg.
LeBron James led the Cavaliers in assists per game at 7.4.
Timofey Mozgov led the Cavaliers in blocked shots per game at 1.2.
Tristan Thompson was on the only Cavalier to play in all 82 games this season. “Doube T” has now played in 288 consecutive games.
The Cavaliers home record of 31-10 is the 2nd best in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers 103.1 points per game is 2nd best in the Eastern Conference.
THE CAVS ARE “FRANK THE TANKING IT”
Yes the Cavs are streaking from L.A. to Cleveland and here’s a look at some numbers during the Cavaliers current 6 game winning streak that would make “Frank The Tank” want to do as many beer bongs as possible because it tastes so good, and has Cavs head coach David Blatt feeling so good because of his team’s play at both ends of the floor.
Photo courtesy of ibankcoin.com
The Cavs have now won 6 games in a row for the second time this season.
Their season high winning streak is 8 games (Nov.24-Dec.9).
During their current 6 game winning streak the Cavs margin of victory is 16 points per game – (114 to 98).
3 of those 6 wins have come against teams with records of.500 or better (Clippers, Bulls and OKC).
In all 6 of those games the Cavs have won the rebounding battle and have out rebounded their opponents (287-244).
In the last 4 games the Cavs opponents are shooting just 39.7 percent from the field .
The Cavs are a perfect 13-0 at home when scoring at least 100 points this season.
After finishing the first half of the season at (21=20), the Cavs are now (4-0) to start the second half off the season.
In the 6 wins:
LeBron James is averaging 31.5 points per game.
Kyrie Irving is averaging 22.3 points per game and 5.3 assists per game.
Kevin Love is averaging 16 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. (Only played 5 games)
Timofey “I Must Break You” Mozgov is averaging 10.5 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per game.
Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
J.R. Smith is averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting 40 percent from 3-point country as he’s made 22-55 from beyond the arc.
Tristan Thompson is averaging 9 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Next Up For The Cavs:
At Detroit on Tuesday, January 27th.
Home against Portland on Wednesday, January 28th.
Home against Sacramento on Friday, January 30th.
At Minnesota on Saturday, January 31st.
CAVS OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FOR THE TIMOFEY MOZGOV TRADE
CAVS ACQUIRE TIMOFEY MOZGOV
ALSO RECEIVE 2015 SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICK
CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Timofey Mozgov and a 2015 second round pick from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for two protected 2015 first round picks (via Oklahoma City and Memphis), Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced tonight.
This season, Mozgov has appeared in 35 games (all starts) for the Nuggets, averaging 8.5 points on .504 shooting, a career-best 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game. The 7-1 center from Russia also has nine double-doubles on the year.
Mozgov, who is in his fifth NBA season, has played in 247 career games (115 starts) with averages of 6.4 points on .513 shooting, a .738 mark from the foul line, 4.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game with New York and Denver. He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics with the Russian National team that was coached by David Blatt.
Cleveland conveyed to Denver its right to Oklahoma City’s protected first round draft pick and its right to Memphis’ protected first round draft pick. The Cavs received Denver’s right to the less favorable of Chicago’s own 2015 second round draft pick and Portland’s own 2015 second round draft pick.
–cavs.com–
6 BIGS THE CAVALIERS SHOULD LOOK AT
Former Cavs coach John Lucas is going to love this blog because it’s all about the “BIGS”.
The Cavaliers are in need of a halfway decent rim protector to come off the bench. So I searched the free agent market and looked at some teams that either have an excess of “BIGS” or just might be willing to deal one for a draft pick, and here’s the list of players I came up with.
VIA TRADE
JEFF WITHEY – 7’0 – 235 – 24 – Pelicans – $816,000
He only averaged 0.86 blocks per game, but that came in just 12 minutes per game. He’s young and would be a good role player coming off the bench for defense. Plus New Orleans has five PF/C on their roster. Might be able to get him for a future draft pick.
IAN MAHINMI – 6’11 – 250 – 27 – Pacers – $4,000,000
Averaged 0.94 blocks per game in 16 minutes per game. At 27, making $4 mill per season and with Indiana maybe looking to the future because of the Paul George injury and Lance Stephenson leaving through free agency, maybe Larry Bird would trade him for a future draft pick and a player to make the trade work.
TIMOFEY MOZGOV – 7’1 – 250 – 28 – Nuggets – $4,650,000
With four centers on the roster making about $23 million dollars amongst them, Denver might be willing to dump his salary off on another team for expiring contracts and a draft pick. Mozgov averaged 1.22 blocks per game in about 22 minutes per game.
VIA FREE AGENCY
EKPE UDOH – 6’11 – 245 – 26 – UFA (Bucks)
Had some knee issues last season, but might be worth taking a chance on at a cheap price in free agency. Did average 3.4ppg-3.5rpg and 1 block per game in 19 minutes per contest.
JERMAINE O’NEAL – 6’11 – 255 – 35 – UFA (Warriors)
Yes he’s almost ancient, but played well for Golden State last year averaging 8ppg-5rpg and just under 1 block per game. If healthy, you might be able to get him for the veteran minimum.
EMEKA OKAFOR – 6’10 – 255 – 31 – UFA (Suns)
Missed all of last year with a neck injury, so obviously he’d have to be 100 percent healthy to even consider him. He’s really not a rim protector, but he is a big body who could clog the paint and maybe at least challenge shots. Not sure what type of salary he is looking for, that will factor into it as well.