Thunder Dan
11-16-2009, 09:40 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thoughts following the Cavs' 107-103 victory over the Jazz:
• Watching how LeBron James has been nuturing J.J. Hickson over the last year, and the last week especially, has been like watching the National Geographic Channel. LeBron is teaching the youngster to hunt and he's doing it by giving up some of his scoring in the process.
When it was time to finish the kill against the Jazz, LeBron did have to take over. That is another topic, the Cavs' fourth-quarter closings have been hideous this week. But LeBron's hoping that with more nuturing like this, his takeover won't be needed as much.
Hickson had 20 tonight and in a blink could have had close to 30 because he missed some bunnies. Eventually teams will start to take away him sitting at the rim. Which is maybe what LeBron and Mo Williams, who hooked J.J. up a few times himself, actually want. To clear the airspace for themselves.
How LeBron made J.J. a member of his family this summer -- having him work out with him, bringing him to Casa LeBron for dinner and reserving him a seat on his Gulfstream IV to zip around to various apperances and camps -- has been well documented. Now he's doing it where it counts, in real games and with the chips on the line.
Huge statement of the night was Mike Brown having J.J. in the game to defend the Jazz's last possession. That is a red zone play for J.J., because one little mental mistake and someone is wide open for a 3. More on that play in a second. But Brown had him out there because LeBron wants J.J. out there and he's willing to take the leadership to make J.J. become successful.
Like a father would for a son.
• Two interesting things in the post-game locker room. First, someone asked LeBron why he didn't list John Starks' dunk on Michael Jordan in the playoffs as one of his Top 10 all-time when he listed his favorites the other night in Miami. I didn't have my recorder running so don't hold me to this exact quote, but this is pretty much what he said:
"No, it wasn't because it was a dunk-by not a dunk-on. Starks didn't dunk on Michael, he dunked by him. Go watch the tape again. Starks comes off the pick and drives baseline and Michael and Horace Grant come to help and he dunks by them. I mean that happens every night in the league. It was a great dunk but it wasn't the best all-time. I mean, that is what happened to me with that kid over the summer, he dunked by me and you all made a big deal about it."
My thoughts: 1) Look at that link, LeBron's point is interesting and his memory of the play off the top of his head is vivid. 2) Of course he's going to defend his idol. 3) I could have cared less about the dunk by the kid from Xavier at the Nike camp. It became a big deal because Nike took the video, not because it was some great moment in basketball history. Not that it should have been a story anyway, frankly.
The other thing from the locker room was the new buffalo wing bar. Over the last five years the Cavs keep upping the ante with the postgame food for the players. They can put in an order before the game and have food ready in a to-go bag afterwards. And it is off a full three-course gourmet menu, I might add.
Then they started adding pizza, one for each player that they could order with whatever toppings they want. I'll never forget Shannon Brown, who ate incredible amounts of food, putting two pieces on top of one another, folding them and dipping it in ranch sauce after a game. And the guy had about four percent body fat.
Then last year it was huge sushi trays in addition to the takeout gourmet and the pizza. This was a LeBron request, he loves sushi and so do the Cavs owners. It is one of the items Dan Gilbert likes to have on his private jet when he takes long flights.
Now they are just getting out of control. Tonight in addition to all that stuff, there was a buffalo wing bar. There had to be five or six different flavors.
Meanwhile, pregame Jerry Sloan and his coaching staff were eating in the media dining room. For $8 they got salad, chicken and rice and, as a special weekend treat, ice cream. As is well known, Gilbert takes care of his players.
• Carlos Boozer's record in Cleveland during his six-year contract: 0-6.
• Watching how LeBron James has been nuturing J.J. Hickson over the last year, and the last week especially, has been like watching the National Geographic Channel. LeBron is teaching the youngster to hunt and he's doing it by giving up some of his scoring in the process.
When it was time to finish the kill against the Jazz, LeBron did have to take over. That is another topic, the Cavs' fourth-quarter closings have been hideous this week. But LeBron's hoping that with more nuturing like this, his takeover won't be needed as much.
Hickson had 20 tonight and in a blink could have had close to 30 because he missed some bunnies. Eventually teams will start to take away him sitting at the rim. Which is maybe what LeBron and Mo Williams, who hooked J.J. up a few times himself, actually want. To clear the airspace for themselves.
How LeBron made J.J. a member of his family this summer -- having him work out with him, bringing him to Casa LeBron for dinner and reserving him a seat on his Gulfstream IV to zip around to various apperances and camps -- has been well documented. Now he's doing it where it counts, in real games and with the chips on the line.
Huge statement of the night was Mike Brown having J.J. in the game to defend the Jazz's last possession. That is a red zone play for J.J., because one little mental mistake and someone is wide open for a 3. More on that play in a second. But Brown had him out there because LeBron wants J.J. out there and he's willing to take the leadership to make J.J. become successful.
Like a father would for a son.
• Two interesting things in the post-game locker room. First, someone asked LeBron why he didn't list John Starks' dunk on Michael Jordan in the playoffs as one of his Top 10 all-time when he listed his favorites the other night in Miami. I didn't have my recorder running so don't hold me to this exact quote, but this is pretty much what he said:
"No, it wasn't because it was a dunk-by not a dunk-on. Starks didn't dunk on Michael, he dunked by him. Go watch the tape again. Starks comes off the pick and drives baseline and Michael and Horace Grant come to help and he dunks by them. I mean that happens every night in the league. It was a great dunk but it wasn't the best all-time. I mean, that is what happened to me with that kid over the summer, he dunked by me and you all made a big deal about it."
My thoughts: 1) Look at that link, LeBron's point is interesting and his memory of the play off the top of his head is vivid. 2) Of course he's going to defend his idol. 3) I could have cared less about the dunk by the kid from Xavier at the Nike camp. It became a big deal because Nike took the video, not because it was some great moment in basketball history. Not that it should have been a story anyway, frankly.
The other thing from the locker room was the new buffalo wing bar. Over the last five years the Cavs keep upping the ante with the postgame food for the players. They can put in an order before the game and have food ready in a to-go bag afterwards. And it is off a full three-course gourmet menu, I might add.
Then they started adding pizza, one for each player that they could order with whatever toppings they want. I'll never forget Shannon Brown, who ate incredible amounts of food, putting two pieces on top of one another, folding them and dipping it in ranch sauce after a game. And the guy had about four percent body fat.
Then last year it was huge sushi trays in addition to the takeout gourmet and the pizza. This was a LeBron request, he loves sushi and so do the Cavs owners. It is one of the items Dan Gilbert likes to have on his private jet when he takes long flights.
Now they are just getting out of control. Tonight in addition to all that stuff, there was a buffalo wing bar. There had to be five or six different flavors.
Meanwhile, pregame Jerry Sloan and his coaching staff were eating in the media dining room. For $8 they got salad, chicken and rice and, as a special weekend treat, ice cream. As is well known, Gilbert takes care of his players.
• Carlos Boozer's record in Cleveland during his six-year contract: 0-6.