What Cleveland Must Do To Win Game 6 Tonight
Words. Chantay Jordan
Following the convincing Boston rout of Cleveland on Tuesday night, the Cavs look like a team in total disarray. Don’t get me wrong; this series is not over. Facing a 3-2 deficit heading back to Beantown, the odds are against them to win the series. But if they adhere to the following three things, they just might be able to snatch Game 6.
Key #1: LeBron has to be the best player on the floor.
Rajon Rondo not LeBron James has appeared to be the best player in this series. To put it bluntly, Rondo has made just about every Cleveland defender his personal urinal. Aside from Rondo, a 3-for-14 LeBron is not going to cut it for Cleveland in any lifetime.
In Cleveland’s three losses this series, LeBron has attempted 15, 18 and 14 shots; but in the two wins, he had more than 20 field goal attempts. LeBron must use his 6-8, 260-pound frame to punish the Boston defenders instead of bailing them out by hoisting his inconsistent jump shot. He usually likes to get his teammates involved early in the game, but he is going to have to come out assertive and aggressive like he did in Game 3 for them to win. The Cavs are a “monkey see, monkey do” type of team, so if LeBron goes hard, then it is possible the Cavs will follow suit.
Key #2: Mike Brown and his coaching staff must answer the call.
There is no doubt that Mike Brown has been out-coached by Doc Rivers and the Boston coaching staff this series. And if Brown has any intentions of saving his job, then he and the Cavs need to win Game 6. First, Brown needs to clean up the lack of consistency in his rotations and figure out a winning game plan. For Cleveland to win, they must cut out little mistakes and fix what they have control of fixing. Things such as getting back in transition, moving the ball on offense, not having mental breakdowns, hustling to get the 50/50 balls and most of all, giving a legitimate effort to win. That means changing their body language and playing like they want to win.
The Cavs must pick their poison wisely. Either you take the risk of the “Big Three” having a big game, or you allow Rondo to have his way (to an extent) by making him a shooter and making it hard for him in the interior. Rondo has made it clear that he can (and will) beat his man of the dribble 99.9 percent of the time, but Cleveland’s help defense must be ready. That means Ray Allen can’t continue to get open looks on the perimeter, and someone must put pressure on Paul Pierce.
Key #3: A guy other than LeBron must score at least 20 points.
After universal criticism for his performance (or lack thereof) in Game 5, LeBron will probably bounce back in a major way scoring the ball. In the playoffs, Mo Williams has become one of the League’s biggest choke artists, but there is still time for him to redeem himself. Aside from LeBron, no other Cavs player is averaging more than 14 points per game. In this series, when only one Cavs player scores more than 20 points, Cleveland has lost; but when two or more Cavs score 20 or more points, it results in a Cavs win. In Game 1, it was Mo that dropped 20, and in Game 3, it was Antawn Jamison. LeBron’s supporting cast is indeed the X-factor for Game 6. Williams must put pressure on Rondo offensively, and Jamison has to stretch the floor. Kevin Garnett has been killing Jamison in the post and on the pick-and-roll, but in Game 3, Jamison put pressure on KG by drawing him out to the perimeter.
Without a doubt, the Cavaliers have dug themselves a massive hole, but it is not impossible for them to rise up. Redemption must start in Game 6, and the three keys above are essential if Cleveland wants to come home to play rather than clean out their lockers. Either way, we will all be witnesses.
What do you think? Will the Cavs win Game 6?
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May 13th, 2010 at 9:17 am
My Favorite Superhero says:
I think the CAvs can win if they ALL play up to their potential. When I look at their offense, it’s basically the Hawks offense, just with every play running through LBJ….
If you don’t have plays drawn up to use you’re other players; Shaq on the block, Parker on the outside, Mo Will and Delonte off screens or off the dribble, Jamison in a few pick and rolls; then you’re not going to win….
The Cavs can’t just defer to LBJ and expect to win, you’ve basically got one TEAM playing against one MAN without a real coaching strategy
May 13th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Kermit The Washington says:
Nah man…the Cavs have proven over the past few years that they can only play ONE WAY. That is, LeBron doing everything, and when he passes to someone else they better make the shot. That’s it. If you don’t have BOTH ‘Bron doing everything (and do everything WELL), AS WELL AS at least one other dude hitting his shots, then it’s a wrap. You can’t expect the Cavs to suddenly “figure out a new game plan”. There ARE no other game plans.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:26 am
mcw88 says:
man, this ‘witness’ thing is really comin back to bite Lebron in the ass lol
I think KG put it best when he said that they have to consider this to be a game 7 – really no celtic would want to have a game 7 in Cleveland considering whats at stake for them
Hard to predict who will win game 6 considerin the number of home losses both teams have had thus far.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:29 am
fallinup says:
Defense, defense, defense. That’s how Cleveland wins tonight. They have to take the crowd out (good luck with that, Boston fans will be rabid). They have to slow down Rondo, while also slowing down the Big 3. (KG is having his way with Jameson, Allen is hitting his shots, and Pierce has to stay aggressive to make LBJ work.) But it all starts with disrupting Boston’s flow.
I’m going to go with my gut once again… like I did for game 5 and say the Cavs win. But if they don’t I’ll be the first one on these boards giving Bron the finger.
I’m an NBA fan tonight. This will be a great… GREAT game.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Brown says:
I have a gut feeling it’s a wrap for the Cavs tonight. Mo Williams disappeared in last year’s playoffs and it seems like more of the same this year. Jamison is the key to me. He has to produce for them to have any chance at winning. Shaq, Parker and West can’t be counted on for more than 8-10 points each on a good night, so unless the Cavs can somehow find a way to slow down the Celtics scoring, they’re done.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:40 am
fallinup says:
Annnnd… the referee lineup for tonight’s game:
Monty McCutchen
Bob Delaney
Eddie F. Rush
Really?! No Joey Crawford, Dick Bavetta, or even Steve Javie?
Dare we trust the referee’s tonight? Or is it just a league trick? Dun dun dun.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:42 am
sh!tfaced says:
Hoping for a great game too. But you can just see the Celtics have already got the Cavs figured out. Their defense is on fire and that grind it out half court offense seems to be working against Cavs.
We’re still not certain about LeBron but Mike Brown is LeGone for sure. Only a chip can save is ass now.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:46 am
sh!tfaced says:
Those are tonight’s refs? Damn. Even Stern has given up on his dream finals scenario. They’ll just see each other in New York soon, I guess…
May 13th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Kermit The Washington says:
@ Fallinup:
Wow. I’m inclined to say that these refs cannot be trusted either LOL
@ CeltsFan:
I’m runnin’ with you and all the other crazy boston fans out there on this one. Every loss for ‘Bron is a win for Kobe in my mind. Not sure why that is, but it JUST IS!
May 13th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Celts Fan says:
@Kermit – haha thanks man. Clearly I want to win, but it is a little disconcerting that a W tonight probably propels the best (at worst, 2nd best) player in the world right into our division for his absolute apex over the next 4-5 years.
Here’s how Cleveland can win tonight. LeBron has to be aggressive. He’s gonna come out p(ssed and drive non-stop. There’s a good chance we see him drop 50 on us. If he’s driving non-stop, it’s tough to stop. Pierce/Ray can’t guard him. TA’s too small. If our bigs’ rotations are on-point, we can slow him down.
Also, pound the ball to Shaq and get Perk and/or KG in foul trouble. KG and Perk are good defenders. Sheed and Big Baby? Not so much. Also, if anyone sees Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams, please let them know the Playoffs started 3 weeks ago.
on the refs – anyone remember the guy that Doc got into an argument with that clearly doesn’t like him/us? Pretty sure it’s McCutchen…
Either way, tonight is gonna be a WAR. Let’s kill the King (and basketball in Cleveland) tonight!!!
May 13th, 2010 at 10:14 am
fallinup says:
Ohhhh to be a Celts Fan in Boston today. I’m jealous.
May 13th, 2010 at 10:34 am
SparkyJay23 says:
You mean rout not route don’t you?
rout – definition
a. A disorderly retreat or flight following defeat. b. An overwhelming defeat. 2 . a. A disorderly crowd of people; a mob.
route
A road, course, or way for travel from one place to another. A highway.
And what the Cavs need to do is play some fucking d which will lead to easy buckets then the fact the coach is a damn retard will be hidden.
Hold Boston to 90 or less and win the game. The Cavs are not in this position because they’ve been held to low scores its because they can’t stop anyone. 1st team all D – show us why
May 13th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Kermit The Washington says:
I can hear it now…Bron gets a “chase-down block”…the announcers go nuts:
“THAT’s why he’s All-Defensive First Team!!”
…ugh…
May 13th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Royal says:
You guys take grammer to (yeah I said to not too WTF are you going to do about it?) serious on this site. lol
May 13th, 2010 at 11:00 am
QQ says:
Simply put, Lebron has to be the best player in the world. This is his time. It’s not exaggeration that this could be the biggest game of his career.
This will be that game where he put all us haters to shame by completely destroying the Celts. This is where he’s gonna drop 60 or more, and punk everyone in Boston. This will be his legacy.
Of course, there’s this:
This will be the game where he proved that all haters were right all along. This is where the Celts will destroy Lebron. This is where he’ll go 5-20 and prove he’s a punk. This will be his legacy.
So, what is it Bron? Cliche as it seems, but… It’s now or never.
Can’t fucking wait for that game, for reals.
May 13th, 2010 at 11:01 am
QQ says:
@ 14:
You said grammer, not ‘grammar’. It’s that part of the act to be a smartass too?
May 13th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Kermit The Washington says:
@ Royal:
We take grammar seriously on ALL SITES. And ADMIT IT…you said “grammer” by MISTAKE, didn’t you? LOL
May 13th, 2010 at 11:05 am
JAY says:
I love to see how Dime is so impartial towards this series. *sarcasm*
How about an article on what Boston must do?? Stop jerkin Lebron off and write an article about the other team.
May 13th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Mike Brown says:
To: Whom it may concern
Fr: Mike Brown, Head Coach; Cleveland Lebronaires
My coaching has been suspect before I got this job, now I’ve been thoroughly outcoached the past 2 yrs. I realize now that the Cav’s brass made a HUGE mistake in hiring me. After this game, I will re-evaluate what little options I have an possibly step down from my duties. My 13 Yr old daughters high school team is looking for a coach, and I believe this is where my coaching skills are better suited.
PS: Lebron’s gone!
Thanks for the oppurtinity, Pop!
Mike
May 13th, 2010 at 11:27 am
New Guy says:
I’m just going to say it. You guys are all assholes. Why pick on every single little mistake, rather than actually comment on an article? You think you’re better – try your hand or go to a different site. These guys bust their ass each day so you can have a distraction during work, and all you can do is complain.
Keep up the good work guys!
May 13th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Aron Phillips says:
Working on a Boston post now.
May 13th, 2010 at 11:28 am
LMNOP says:
its crazy. Tonight’s game could have more future implications, more meaning and more importance than the Finals will.
C’s win… The NBA changes, The City of Cleveland breaks out in riots and David Stern ejaculates for the first time in 50 years over the thought of the Knicks being good again.
Cavs win… the City of New York breaks out in riots, the Knicks just give up, move to Europe and become a euroleague team and LeBron stays in crappy cleveland making the NBA finals every year but never winning a ring because the useless Cavs organization will never hire a good coach or get a proper PG.
Gonna be a BIG game
May 13th, 2010 at 11:38 am
fallinup says:
@ New Guy
Shut up Royal! Get back to work.
May 13th, 2010 at 11:40 am
fallinup says:
@ New Guy
Distraction from work??? Haha! Jokes on you! I’m unemployed and sitting in my grandma’s basement right now. Oooooooohhhh… who’s the asshole now!
May 13th, 2010 at 11:57 am
SparkyJay23 says:
Aron – for fucks sake check that post and please explain the rebirth of KG
May 13th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Kermit The Washington says:
LOL @ Fallinup
“shut up Royal!” hahaha good call
I don’t think it matters whether or not ‘Bron wins a ring; I have a feeling he’s gone either way. Maybe an excuse like that will help his cause, but he’s gone either way.
May 13th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Jack says:
@ fallinup
hahahaha
May 13th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Kermit The Washington says:
@ sparkyJay:
Oh my GAWD. I have been looking for that BT site for so long…I used to go there all the time and then lost the shortcut I had…I couldn’t remember the name and couldn’t find it in my google searches…good looks!!
May 13th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
jay says:
should be an interesting game! i hope lebron shows up…i am not going to go down the road of bron tanking game 5 but ya have to wonder what he was thinking..tough game..somehow i want to say bron drops 60 and this series goes 7 but with kg’s heart i just dont see it….good article!
May 13th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
QQ says:
I love Dime
and they rock
everyone who critiques them to the bone are nothing but unemployed, grandma lovin losers
May 13th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
The Journeyman says:
booo LeBron
I’m sooooooooooooooooo drained from hearing about him these last 2 days.
I hope he’s done and is gone fishing so that the attention can be on Steve Nash getting to the NBA Finals pitted against the Centaur
May 13th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Celts Fan says:
@Jay – Come on man. If you know anything about ball, you know this is all about LeBron, not us. These next 1 or 2 (please God be 1!) games will shape the NBA for the next 10 years. If Cleveland takes an L, LeBron’s probably gone and kills basketball in Cleveland in the process. It’s not hyperbole to say that these next 4 days will have a far-reaching impact that could reshape the league and be felt for decades. That’s why the posts are all about LeBron. That and he had an awful game 5. I’m a Celtics fan and even I understand it’s not about us this time…
May 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
sh!tfaced says:
LMFAO @ fallinup – Haha. Great catch!
@ The Journeyman – Sorry to say this but even if Cleveland loses tonight…
Only hearing about LeBron the Cavalier will stop and hearing about LeBron the Free Agent begins
- from the very moment he’s out of the playoffs, throughout the summer until he signs with whichever team he chooses…
The LeHype will never end.
May 13th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
QQ says:
@ 30:
Now Austin, do you know who that faker is? I know you do…
May 13th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Celts Fan says:
oh, and anothger thing they need to do to win tonight is put LeBron back on Pierce. They took him off to slow down Rondo and it let Paul get going last game. I thought it was a bad move beforehand and I’d go back to normal tonight, but it’s Mike Brown we’re talking about here, so he’ll probably put Shaq on Rajon.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
QQ says:
@ 35:
HAHAHAHAHA. He’ll probably put Hickson on Ray, and one of his assistants on KG.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Fallinup said it best..
Its all about D for the Cavs.. make some stops foo’s lol damn.. and it aint like when your PG is burned all hope is lost lol shit we got DFish on our team.. Wheres the help D?? Wheres the nothing inside CLE defense we’re used to seeing??
Everytime i turned around Boston was hitting cutters underneath the basket.. they’d stop penetration but then the big would float up and leave the baseline open..
They need to lock down defensively and use Bostons strategy against them.. which is knock down your perimeter shots.. But with Ray and Pierce thats risky..
Didnt Rondo hit a 3 too last game?? OUCH lol
May 13th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
sh!tfaced says:
You can never go wrong putting Z on Rondo, Mike Brown.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
fallinup says:
You guys can burn me for this. But…
I think Brown’s gotta play less Shaq… and more Hickson and (GULP) Varejao. They need quickness… not Shaq’s big ass slowing them down. And yes… he slows them down on D and O… and clogs that lane too much for Bron.
Only way they improve that defense is getting some energy guys out there to rotate on picks and step out on the perimeter.
Garnett, Baby, and even Sheed have been having their way with jumpers and post ups. Ray was having a field day running around picks and dropping buckets. Cavs have to disrupt their flow.
If Cavs win and Shaq plays just as many minutes as he did in game 5… I’ll be hugely surprised.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
control says:
Cleveland winning comes down to one person, LeBron. Honestly, take James off that team and they’d lose to the Nets in a 7 game series, they are actually that bad. This ain’t an excuse for James and his supporting cast, etc…honestly he had a hand in that shit. There’s no doubt he signed off on the Cavs spending 50mil on a cunt like Valagina. His teammates rely on him 100%, if you want proof then just go youtube his teammate’s highlights…other than Shaq and Jamison who had highlights before they got to the Cavs, 90% of the highlights from his teammates were setup by James.
His team is full of roleplayers who ain’t playin their role. They gotta shut the fuck up, step the fuck up, and put the fuck down.
May 13th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Delonte West
Anthony Parker
Antawn Jamison
Varejao
Shaq + all the bench players in the world
Would not lose to
Devin Harris
Courteney Lee
Whatever Asian Dudes name is
Whoever starts here
Brook Lopez + no bench
In a 7 game series lol be real..
May 13th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
LakeShow84 says:
They need a coach who knows how to counter opposing teams lineups.. thats the point of having good bench players.. when you need a speed lineup you roll em out.. when you need a power lineup you roll that out..
Mike Brown doesnt know how to properly make adjustments to the lineups hes faced with.. which is probably the biggest problem with that team..
oh and half of them are certified chokers.. Shaq, Jamison and Mo ARE NOT CLOSERS.. and Lebron is barely one when faced with an adequate defense.. ironic how those 3 are also the 3 biggest defensive liabilities..
May 13th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Taj says:
Its the exact same thing that killed them last season vs Orlando.. Bugs werent quick enough to get out to shooters. Now Jamison, Hickson and even Parker/Moon.. need to step up HUGE as well as a 2 x 40 pt outings from Lebron to win this thing.
PS: Mike Brown is a terrible coach, in case this was a news flash to anyone!
May 13th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
control says:
LakeShow84
Who on the Cavs but LeBron can pass the ball at all? Shaq or Z are the best passers next to LeBron…
All of those bench players in the world are putting in like a combined 30-40 minutes a game this series, and their minutes are pretty much the only things they are adding to the box scores.
West, oldman Shaq, the talented and cockless Mr. Valigina, Jesus Dog and Candice Parker’s brother ain’t exactly world beaters.
At least Brook and Harris are somewhat legit…Yi hasn’t been absolutely horrible either, he’s had a few pretty decent games.
May 13th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Royal says:
Yea that was a mistake…… oh well smh
May 13th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ Fallinup
i think Bob Delaney is one of the “league favorites” lol we’ll see what happens.
May 13th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ Control
Your killing me bruh lol
May 13th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
fallinup says:
Here’s how the Cavs can win. Bron can’t have 8 turnovers.
oh… fuggetaboutit.