Lebron James has the lowest scoring game of the playoffs. West and Mo play great but can't pull through. Howard has biggest game of the playoffs in his entire career and everyone else but Turkoglu and some of the bench play great.
Wally Szczerbiak has the worst game of his playoffs with the Cavs, possibly his worst career playoff game. Airballs a wide-open 3 pointer, although he comes back with his own. Airballs another shot later on and misses 2 good looks. HORRIBLE GAME.
Cavaliers lose... I hate saying it but it's the fact. At this point I have to study for Finals amongst other things... Despite the end of the season I will continue to update. Check every couple of days or subscribe to the blog on the right-- don't miss out. I am going to try and make this a great thing. Also, the mainsite is going to be finished soon as well.
As of now, I make 3 vows.
1) I will finish my Wally Szczerbiak Mixtape and upload it and try and spread it around as much as I can.
2) I will make this site a success so as long as I have the time to do so.
3) I am going to cry my eyes out until tears are embedded into my skin.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Recent News
In Game 2 the Cavaliers barely won on the now famous Lebron James' Shot, 96-95. We got lucked out. Lebron and Mo (especially Lebron, though) suggested that Sasha got some minutes, and he ended up getting 20+ minutes. In turn, Wally Szczerbiak didn't play at all, but I was able to accept it simply because we won on one of the greatest shots ever.
Last night, we didn't get that lucky... We're down 2-1 and the Cavs are heading to the Magic for a game 4 which in my opinion is also a "must-win". We need to regain the whole home court advantage thing and tie the series. If we lose tomorrow, that means we'd have to win 3 games in a row, which just seems unlikely to me.
In Game 3 the Cavaliers trailed most of the game but at one point did obtain the lead and tried to extend it. However, their attempts were futile and the Magic started to build a tough lead. Late-game we tried to come back but we just couldn't do it-- Dwight Howard was hitting his free throws, we had a hard time scoring (not just the 4th quarter but the entire game), and they pulled away for a 99-89 win over my favorite team in the NBA.
No, I'm honestly not satisfied with our play. We're not hitting shots and not even getting too many good opportunities. Z and Mo haven't been shooting well the whole time. West has been playing pretty solid and doing his best. We needed some offense yesterday but Mike Brown didn't play Wally at all-- instead, he played Sasha who did give some decent/solid defense, but no points. Joe Smith and Ben Wallace have been doing their jobs just as they need to be-- scoring a few points, playing defense, guarding the big men, grabbing rebounds. The fingers are being pointed.
At this rate we're looking at a Lakers vs. Magic Finals, but I don't want that, and most likely if you're reading this blog neither do you. Not anything we can do, really, but let's hope Mike Brown does something to get the team a win tomorrow, or let's hope Z and Mo combine for 40+ points on say, 20-30 shooting, like Lebron did the other night.
Last night, we didn't get that lucky... We're down 2-1 and the Cavs are heading to the Magic for a game 4 which in my opinion is also a "must-win". We need to regain the whole home court advantage thing and tie the series. If we lose tomorrow, that means we'd have to win 3 games in a row, which just seems unlikely to me.
In Game 3 the Cavaliers trailed most of the game but at one point did obtain the lead and tried to extend it. However, their attempts were futile and the Magic started to build a tough lead. Late-game we tried to come back but we just couldn't do it-- Dwight Howard was hitting his free throws, we had a hard time scoring (not just the 4th quarter but the entire game), and they pulled away for a 99-89 win over my favorite team in the NBA.
No, I'm honestly not satisfied with our play. We're not hitting shots and not even getting too many good opportunities. Z and Mo haven't been shooting well the whole time. West has been playing pretty solid and doing his best. We needed some offense yesterday but Mike Brown didn't play Wally at all-- instead, he played Sasha who did give some decent/solid defense, but no points. Joe Smith and Ben Wallace have been doing their jobs just as they need to be-- scoring a few points, playing defense, guarding the big men, grabbing rebounds. The fingers are being pointed.
At this rate we're looking at a Lakers vs. Magic Finals, but I don't want that, and most likely if you're reading this blog neither do you. Not anything we can do, really, but let's hope Mike Brown does something to get the team a win tomorrow, or let's hope Z and Mo combine for 40+ points on say, 20-30 shooting, like Lebron did the other night.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
What to Say...
We Lost.
Wally Szczerbiak missed both of his shots. He got some rebounds and a couple assists but had 3 personal fouls. He played 13 minutes. Lebron was amazing and scored some of the highest amount of points in a loss (49). The Cavaliers messed up 3rd quarter and couldn't close it out at the 4th. Andy was amazing, Z just couldn't keep up with Dwight. Lewis and Pietrus got good looks and hit them, just like I speculated. Howard was the only thing keeping the Magic alive in the 1st quarter, we should have tried to stop him. Wally said a few sentences in one of the videos but it's nothing great. I'm depressed.
What to say, what to do~
Wally Szczerbiak missed both of his shots. He got some rebounds and a couple assists but had 3 personal fouls. He played 13 minutes. Lebron was amazing and scored some of the highest amount of points in a loss (49). The Cavaliers messed up 3rd quarter and couldn't close it out at the 4th. Andy was amazing, Z just couldn't keep up with Dwight. Lewis and Pietrus got good looks and hit them, just like I speculated. Howard was the only thing keeping the Magic alive in the 1st quarter, we should have tried to stop him. Wally said a few sentences in one of the videos but it's nothing great. I'm depressed.
What to say, what to do~
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cavaliers vs. Magic Pre-Game Analysis
Here's my analysis of the match-ups in the Magic vs. Cavaliers series. It's going to be a tough battle, but I think we can overcome.
Mo Williams vs. Rafer Alston 
Redick has another small height advantage here, but I doubt it will hurt us a lot. West is a great defender and I think the match-up is pretty even. Redick isn't completeley used to the starting position and he doesn't seem to excel at anything. With Delonte's defense he shouldn't be a major scoring asset to us. I would definitely say West is a little better then Redick, no offense to the other team.
Lebron James vs. Hedo Turkoglu 
An interesting match-up here, if nothing else. Turkogly is a tad taller, at 6'10, when Lebron James is 6'8. I don't see anything major here though because The King is one of the best defenders in the league. James is obviously the better player, but that doesn't mean Hedo isn't a good player. Turkoglu can rebound and pass the ball. He's pretty dangerous from behind the 3-point line and has made some clutch shots in earlier series, such as buzzer-beaters and game-securing shots. Lebron is twice as good at defense and the only stat Hedo seems to beat him in is free throws; 80% to Lebron's 78%. The 3-point % is close but we both know they can hit them, and at a good rate.
Anderson Varejao vs. Rashard Lewis 
Mo Williams vs. Rafer Alston Mo Williams is just a tad bit shorter than Alston, meaning there won't be any major size issue in the match-up. We know Mo Williams is a solid defender, and so is Alston. Rafer can hit some big shots if he needs to, and he's pretty good from beyond the arc. Mo needs to keep him from getting open shots because those can hurt us (the Cavs).
Another thing I'm worried about is any dribble penetration. If he does penetrate, besides defending him is the worry that Howard might pick up a pass down low, in which case he'll most likely score. Definitely a solid match-up-- I would say Mo Williams is better but Alston will still cause problems and is a solid player. Mo's shots are going to be needed big time
Delonte West vs. J.J. Redick 
Another thing I'm worried about is any dribble penetration. If he does penetrate, besides defending him is the worry that Howard might pick up a pass down low, in which case he'll most likely score. Definitely a solid match-up-- I would say Mo Williams is better but Alston will still cause problems and is a solid player. Mo's shots are going to be needed big time
Delonte West vs. J.J. Redick Redick has another small height advantage here, but I doubt it will hurt us a lot. West is a great defender and I think the match-up is pretty even. Redick isn't completeley used to the starting position and he doesn't seem to excel at anything. With Delonte's defense he shouldn't be a major scoring asset to us. I would definitely say West is a little better then Redick, no offense to the other team.
Lebron James vs. Hedo Turkoglu An interesting match-up here, if nothing else. Turkogly is a tad taller, at 6'10, when Lebron James is 6'8. I don't see anything major here though because The King is one of the best defenders in the league. James is obviously the better player, but that doesn't mean Hedo isn't a good player. Turkoglu can rebound and pass the ball. He's pretty dangerous from behind the 3-point line and has made some clutch shots in earlier series, such as buzzer-beaters and game-securing shots. Lebron is twice as good at defense and the only stat Hedo seems to beat him in is free throws; 80% to Lebron's 78%. The 3-point % is close but we both know they can hit them, and at a good rate.
Anderson Varejao vs. Rashard Lewis Anderson Varejao is an inside player and a good defender. Lewis plays very, very different though. Rashard can shoot the ball, and well. He's not afraid to shoot the 3 at all-- we know that very well, especially if you watched the All-Star Weekend's 3-Point Shoot Out. The Wild Thing might need to help Ilgauskas out with Howard, which would leave Lewis with a shot in some instances. Contrary to some power forwards, we can't give up those shots to Lewis a lot. It's likely to end up hurting us. If Varejao starts off with some offensive intensity I'm sure we can roll pretty well. There's going to be a lot of pressure and this match-up is going to be one to watch, because if nothing else, it may prove to be unpredictable and imperative to the success of each team.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. Dwight Howard 
Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. Dwight Howard Z is taller than Howard, but Howard can jump and definitely get up really high. I'd say it evens out, but even then Z can be blocked by Howard and it wouldn't be shocking. Z is a solid defender but not amazing. It'll be hard for him to keep up with Howard's heavy-weight muscular post up. One major role of Ilgauskas will be to make his shots and bring Howard out of the paint and away from the hoop. That gives other people chances to drive or make something happen in the paint. If Howard stays there to protect the hoop, then Zydrunas has to make them pay big time. I'm hoping he has a couple 20 night games in this series, as well as a double-double. His defense will need to be strong and grabbing rebounds will be a huge necessity in order to obtain possessions. The Cavaliers can't let up against this team as far as defense goes because they have so many options to score. Giving them more chances to score, like offensive rebounds, turnovers, or some type of defensive stops, is one of the worst things to do, and moreso against the Magic than another team. Cavaliers will have to beat them at their own game.
Wally Szczerbiak
Wally will most likely be playing against several different players. If he plays against Turkoglu, it'll be a hard match-up for sure. He's lacking in height and his role defensively would just be "hold out and don't let him score". He can't take advantage of a person who's taller and bigger and he most likely won't get too many chances to shoot. If he does shoot, we know that's good, and that'll spread the floor a little bit. Wally is by far one of the best shooters between both teams, and he can dominate that way if he needs to. He's pretty equal with Courtney Lee but he'll have the height advantage and muscle/body size and that could potentially lead into some points. I'm also confident that Wally can outdo Pietrus. If nothing else it'd be an even match-up where it'd come down to solid defense and when you get the ball, flush it down the hoop.
Wally could potentially be getting more minutes than usual. The Cavaliers will possibly be needing his height and veteran expertise. Scoring long, wide-open shots is Wally's and Gibson's thing and spreading the floor will definitely be important. Wally is definitely underrated as a defensive player-- last year he guarded Ray Allen at times, and remember that he didn't score all that much. He's also had to guard some tough opponents during the year but he doesn't give up 20 points like people exaggerate. If he can play solid defense I'm confident he'll receive a good 10 minutes on average, although I'd hope for more. It'd be great if Wally could pull another Hawks Game 2 performance, or something akin to the 14 point performance vs. the Magic early in the year, around late January. Best of luck to you, Wally.
Wally SzczerbiakWally could potentially be getting more minutes than usual. The Cavaliers will possibly be needing his height and veteran expertise. Scoring long, wide-open shots is Wally's and Gibson's thing and spreading the floor will definitely be important. Wally is definitely underrated as a defensive player-- last year he guarded Ray Allen at times, and remember that he didn't score all that much. He's also had to guard some tough opponents during the year but he doesn't give up 20 points like people exaggerate. If he can play solid defense I'm confident he'll receive a good 10 minutes on average, although I'd hope for more. It'd be great if Wally could pull another Hawks Game 2 performance, or something akin to the 14 point performance vs. the Magic early in the year, around late January. Best of luck to you, Wally.
Other Players
Pietrus can shoot the 3, and he hurt us in the one worst game of the season by knocking down shots. Whoever is guarding him at the time has to do it well. We also have to watch out that he doesn't fake us out and mix his game up with something else, like a drive to the hole. He can do more than roleplay. Gortat will need to be handled defensively and taken advantage of when Howard isn't in. Realizing his weaknesses and flaunting them will definitely help the Cavaliers. Letting him get easy dunks or shots won't work but his play is only solid, not amazing. With the other players, it's up to defensive pressure leading into offense. Gibson will need to hit shots if/when he gets them.
Wally Szczerbiak is likely to get in the post and take advantage of any smaller players or at least start some offense. Joe Smith will be needed for his height and big-man qualities. I'd like to see Smith his some shots as well. I'm confident that he can do it. Another hope of mine is Big Ben. If he can help with defense, he can help with offensive. He may have been the defensive player of the year several times while averaging less than 10 points, but his defense IS offense, just like how when Wally makes shots he starts to play better defense.
Wally Szczerbiak is likely to get in the post and take advantage of any smaller players or at least start some offense. Joe Smith will be needed for his height and big-man qualities. I'd like to see Smith his some shots as well. I'm confident that he can do it. Another hope of mine is Big Ben. If he can help with defense, he can help with offensive. He may have been the defensive player of the year several times while averaging less than 10 points, but his defense IS offense, just like how when Wally makes shots he starts to play better defense.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Post-Practice Wally Inteview
There's another Wally Szczerbiak interview on the NBA website. Since there aren't any actual games, it's another after-practice one. Wally talks about the Magic, Lebron and his house, how he was quite unfortunately sick with the stomach flu, amongst other things.
If you didn't watch the last one, watch this, because it's a lot better and more interesting in my opinion. I'm not 100% sure why they are giving Wally more attention than usual; I mean, it's good, if not great, and he deserves it, but they usually don't, so it's a tad surprising. Maybe the dunks, the 17 point game, the bench-leading, and perhaps Wally being on fire during practice is getting him interviews.
Well, whatever, I'm happy, just watch it now!
Wally Szczerbiak Post-Practice Interview (5/19)
EDIT: THERE IS ANOTHER WALLY SZCZERBIAK INTERVIEW! IT IS A PREGAME INTERVIEW FOR THE 1ST GAME OF THE SERIES!!!
Wally Szczerbiak Pregame Interview (5/20)
If you didn't watch the last one, watch this, because it's a lot better and more interesting in my opinion. I'm not 100% sure why they are giving Wally more attention than usual; I mean, it's good, if not great, and he deserves it, but they usually don't, so it's a tad surprising. Maybe the dunks, the 17 point game, the bench-leading, and perhaps Wally being on fire during practice is getting him interviews.
Well, whatever, I'm happy, just watch it now!
Wally Szczerbiak Post-Practice Interview (5/19)EDIT: THERE IS ANOTHER WALLY SZCZERBIAK INTERVIEW! IT IS A PREGAME INTERVIEW FOR THE 1ST GAME OF THE SERIES!!!
Wally Szczerbiak Pregame Interview (5/20)
Monday, May 18, 2009
T-Mobile Commercial Remix
I realize this isn't Wally Szczerbiak related, but it still is funny in my opinion.
Not only that, but it'd be awesome if Wally was in a T-Mobile commercial. That right there would be one of the greatest things, next to Wally scoring 30+ points, or 45+ points (to break his career high), or becoming the MVP, or hitting a clutch game-winning shot... Or any of the other possible great things I want him to do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE9d4t9hLsQ
Not only that, but it'd be awesome if Wally was in a T-Mobile commercial. That right there would be one of the greatest things, next to Wally scoring 30+ points, or 45+ points (to break his career high), or becoming the MVP, or hitting a clutch game-winning shot... Or any of the other possible great things I want him to do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE9d4t9hLsQ
"Play It Hard When It Really Counts"
I can't seem to stress enough how Wally plays well in games where he seems to be needed. It's always the tough games, where nobody else seems to be stepping up, where they need an offensive option, that he gets in there and truly does his best to help the team.
Quote from Joe Gabriele's Blog, Part of Cavaliers Website
"LeBron did not erupt in either game in Orlando. In an 11-point loss on January 29, LeBron notched 23 points, but he was only 10-of-27 from the floor to get there. Wally Szczerbiak blew up in the first half, notching 14 points in 5:34, but he only had two points the rest of the way and the Wine and Gold – still without and injured Zydrunas Ilgauskas – had a four-game streak snapped."
Just goes to back-up what I say. During Game 2 vs the Hawks, I believe, Wally Szczerbiak gave Lebron a little bit of a break by scoring 17 points and only forcing Lebron to score 27. Along with everyone else it balances it out and if Lebron isn't playing at his best, we know that Mo, Z, Wally, and even Delonte and Varejao are all there to back him up.
Quote from Joe Gabriele's Blog, Part of Cavaliers Website
"LeBron did not erupt in either game in Orlando. In an 11-point loss on January 29, LeBron notched 23 points, but he was only 10-of-27 from the floor to get there. Wally Szczerbiak blew up in the first half, notching 14 points in 5:34, but he only had two points the rest of the way and the Wine and Gold – still without and injured Zydrunas Ilgauskas – had a four-game streak snapped."
Just goes to back-up what I say. During Game 2 vs the Hawks, I believe, Wally Szczerbiak gave Lebron a little bit of a break by scoring 17 points and only forcing Lebron to score 27. Along with everyone else it balances it out and if Lebron isn't playing at his best, we know that Mo, Z, Wally, and even Delonte and Varejao are all there to back him up.
It's a beautiful thang'~
Wally Playoff Diary
Wally Szczerbiak writes/has been writing a diary for The Plain Dealer. I was originally alerted by a friend who reads newspapers, but I didn't believe him at first, until somebody showed me a website mentioning his diary.
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/05/wally_szczerbiaks_playoff_diar_4.html
It's pretty interesting, I'd recommend you read it as well as any of the other entries. It's a tad old but cool nonetheless; I think I'm going to start reading newspapers a lot more.
With the Cavaliers facing the Magic, we're in for a big fight. I'm glad Celtics can finally shut up and some of their records have been broken, but I still feel the Orlando Magic are going to be challenging. Next up: break down on Cavs. vs Magic, with a focus on Wally Szczerbiak.
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/05/wally_szczerbiaks_playoff_diar_4.html
It's pretty interesting, I'd recommend you read it as well as any of the other entries. It's a tad old but cool nonetheless; I think I'm going to start reading newspapers a lot more.
With the Cavaliers facing the Magic, we're in for a big fight. I'm glad Celtics can finally shut up and some of their records have been broken, but I still feel the Orlando Magic are going to be challenging. Next up: break down on Cavs. vs Magic, with a focus on Wally Szczerbiak.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Updates... Complete!
I added a cheap temporary banner, I added a new image of Wally, a new "gadget" that allows you to suscribe to the blog (please do so!) and a new poll. Our last poll was "Who is more consistent?" and Wally Szczerbiak won with more than 80% of the votes (no surprise) with Gibson way down there and everyone else in the dumps.
The new poll questions who is the most useful player during the playoffs. I have a feeling Delontie (AKA Delonté) and Wally are going to dominate, but I'm not always right... am I?
In addition I spiced up the color a little bit. This will be the revised look until I can get some feedback on the best look and color scheme for the blog. Thanks to everyone for 800 hits, by the way. More Wally is on its way~!
The new poll questions who is the most useful player during the playoffs. I have a feeling Delontie (AKA Delonté) and Wally are going to dominate, but I'm not always right... am I?
In addition I spiced up the color a little bit. This will be the revised look until I can get some feedback on the best look and color scheme for the blog. Thanks to everyone for 800 hits, by the way. More Wally is on its way~!
Wally Szczerbiak After Practice
Here's a video of Wally after practice as featured on the Cavaliers website. Sorry I didn't post earlier, I wasn't aware.
Wally Practice Video
When I get the chance, I plan on working on the site a little bit to make it more visually pleasing; when people do visit the site, I'd prefer they stick around and realize Wally's true power.
Just imagine it... "IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!"
Wally Practice Video
When I get the chance, I plan on working on the site a little bit to make it more visually pleasing; when people do visit the site, I'd prefer they stick around and realize Wally's true power.
Just imagine it... "IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!"
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
4 Wins = Sweep
Yay! Cavs! Eastern Conference Finals! Wee~!
Last night the Cavaliers took a visit to the Hawks to attempt a continuation of their 7-0 playoff run. It was successful as the Cavaliers managed another double-digit lead, 84-74. We're now 8-0, we're in the Eastern Conference Finals, we've been playing great basketball, haven't lost a game, won every game by 10 points... As a Cavs fan I have no choice but to be pleased.
Wally Szczerbiak came in and gave some good minutes-- 14 of them and 59 seconds, to be exact.
Szczerbiak manned up and went into the post until he was close enough that he could turn around, face-up, and hit a quick shot for 2 points.
His 4th of his 6 points came from an emphatic ankle-breaking dunk. Wally received the ball and went to his right where he lost Evans and threw it down with 1 hand! THROW THAT HAMMER DOWN, WALL-E!
When the Cavaliers went to him again, Wally drove to the basket and tried to pull an LBJ but was cruelly fouled. Since the referees were chumps they didn't call anything and Wally got furious with the no-call, where he became indignant and got T'd up-- one of his first technical fouls in a long time. The technical was missed, however, which just goes to prove that the call WAS a bad call.
Szczerbiak also shot a technical; I forgot exactly when, but the referees didn't like Wally and put butter on the ball before he shot, causing Wally to miss his 1st free throw of the playoffs. Despite this he's still 90% which leads the Cavaliers for anyone who has taken 10 or more free throws.
Later on, Wally obtained his 6th point by a pass to Lebron where he knocked a shot just barely behind the 3-point line... If you hadn't realized that the referees are chumps, they are, and they took Wally's 7th point away, just like they took away his 8th point. Despite all the action, I'm still pretty happy. The things that bother me the most are his 3-point % (which is low because of two 2-pointers that should have been 3-pointers) and the fact that he's not perfect from the line. I hope he never misses again, personally-- then again I'd be happy if none of the Cavs missed again, because we all have one goal.
Oh no, I've started to go along with the whole "one" thing... Back to where I was, Wally also had an interview with Fred Mcleod after the game, so feel free to watch it. Links for Wally/Cavs related stuff are below, as well as Wally's dunk.
Wally "The Flash" Dunk
Wally Szczerbiak & Mo Williams Interview
Game Highlights
Boxscore, Recap, Full Play-by-Play
Last night the Cavaliers took a visit to the Hawks to attempt a continuation of their 7-0 playoff run. It was successful as the Cavaliers managed another double-digit lead, 84-74. We're now 8-0, we're in the Eastern Conference Finals, we've been playing great basketball, haven't lost a game, won every game by 10 points... As a Cavs fan I have no choice but to be pleased.
Wally Szczerbiak came in and gave some good minutes-- 14 of them and 59 seconds, to be exact.
Szczerbiak manned up and went into the post until he was close enough that he could turn around, face-up, and hit a quick shot for 2 points.
His 4th of his 6 points came from an emphatic ankle-breaking dunk. Wally received the ball and went to his right where he lost Evans and threw it down with 1 hand! THROW THAT HAMMER DOWN, WALL-E!
When the Cavaliers went to him again, Wally drove to the basket and tried to pull an LBJ but was cruelly fouled. Since the referees were chumps they didn't call anything and Wally got furious with the no-call, where he became indignant and got T'd up-- one of his first technical fouls in a long time. The technical was missed, however, which just goes to prove that the call WAS a bad call.
Szczerbiak also shot a technical; I forgot exactly when, but the referees didn't like Wally and put butter on the ball before he shot, causing Wally to miss his 1st free throw of the playoffs. Despite this he's still 90% which leads the Cavaliers for anyone who has taken 10 or more free throws.
Later on, Wally obtained his 6th point by a pass to Lebron where he knocked a shot just barely behind the 3-point line... If you hadn't realized that the referees are chumps, they are, and they took Wally's 7th point away, just like they took away his 8th point. Despite all the action, I'm still pretty happy. The things that bother me the most are his 3-point % (which is low because of two 2-pointers that should have been 3-pointers) and the fact that he's not perfect from the line. I hope he never misses again, personally-- then again I'd be happy if none of the Cavs missed again, because we all have one goal.
Oh no, I've started to go along with the whole "one" thing... Back to where I was, Wally also had an interview with Fred Mcleod after the game, so feel free to watch it. Links for Wally/Cavs related stuff are below, as well as Wally's dunk.
Wally Szczerbiak & Mo Williams Interview
Game Highlights
Boxscore, Recap, Full Play-by-Play
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Lebron Rocks Hawks 97-82
King J scores 47 points in his double-double, tagged with 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Since everyone else but Z was pretty much out cold for the game, Lebron had to take over, driving it in, hitting 12-16 FTs, and amazingly enough hitting many jump shots (including 5-10 of the 3 point land; he hit most of them earlier on and then lost his stroke).
Wally Szczerbiak took 2 shots. One was a quick look from the north-east corner of the arena and the other shot was with a man in his face on the perimeter. He's now 1-6 from 3-point land but maintains his high overall field goal % and his 2-pt field goal %. Wally didn't shoot any free throws and only played 7 minutes. His only good factor was 2 rebounds, which was nothing special.
Zydrunas has been quiet lately but today he played a solid game (in comparison to the regular season, anyway). He shot 6-9, many of which were mid-range jumpers, along with 2-4 FT for a strong 14 points. The Cavs started to play the pick-and-roll to give Z again in order to give Ilgauskus a good look and the effort payed off. He also picked up 8 rebounds. He did shoot two 3-pointers but was off the mark on both attempts.
Something interesting I noticed was that West played more minutes than Lebron. I'm positive I mentioned this to someone before but he's been playing a lot of minutes. Possible because he's a pretty good all-around player who can dribble, pass, shoot, drive, and play defense to a good extent (although he doesn't excel at anything in particular, in my opinion).
Well, nothing amazing-- despite the Hawk's rallies to catch up we (as in the Cavs) still beat them by double-digits.
From the Cavalier and Wally Blog in downtown Cleveland, see you next time!
Wally Szczerbiak took 2 shots. One was a quick look from the north-east corner of the arena and the other shot was with a man in his face on the perimeter. He's now 1-6 from 3-point land but maintains his high overall field goal % and his 2-pt field goal %. Wally didn't shoot any free throws and only played 7 minutes. His only good factor was 2 rebounds, which was nothing special.
Zydrunas has been quiet lately but today he played a solid game (in comparison to the regular season, anyway). He shot 6-9, many of which were mid-range jumpers, along with 2-4 FT for a strong 14 points. The Cavs started to play the pick-and-roll to give Z again in order to give Ilgauskus a good look and the effort payed off. He also picked up 8 rebounds. He did shoot two 3-pointers but was off the mark on both attempts.
Something interesting I noticed was that West played more minutes than Lebron. I'm positive I mentioned this to someone before but he's been playing a lot of minutes. Possible because he's a pretty good all-around player who can dribble, pass, shoot, drive, and play defense to a good extent (although he doesn't excel at anything in particular, in my opinion).
Well, nothing amazing-- despite the Hawk's rallies to catch up we (as in the Cavs) still beat them by double-digits.
From the Cavalier and Wally Blog in downtown Cleveland, see you next time!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wally's World in the Q
...Delonte passes it forward to Lebron James, Lebron James on the fastbreak, passes it to Wally Szczerbiak, Wally with the dunk!
Game 2 has been another blowout served up by Lebron and Wally along with everyone else.
As I said yesterday, Walter has been putting in quite a bit of effort into his minutes. Last night the Cavaliers marked their territory and held their own in the 105-85 victory.
The game started off strong as usual with the Cavs staying around the area but slowly moving away from the Hawks. At the end of the 1st quarter Lebron went iso--as he usually does--and lost his defender, finishing with an amazing reverse slam. Make sure to watch it in the highlights (see the bottom of the post for links).
Szczerbiak comes in at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and when fed the ball by a teammate, we know that 8 times out of 10 he makes something happen. With that, he backs down his defender at least 10 feet before he quickly shoots it off the backboard and hits for 2 of his 17 points in the game.
Mo Williams gets his floater "the Mo Flow" to go (along with a technical foul handed by refiree Crawford due to Mo's reaction after he got fouled on the play but no foul was called). The next minute Szczerbiak hustles down the court and Lebron throws an amazing pass to him. Wally takes the shot and drains it for his 4th point.
The next minute Szczerbiak is in the post again and with lightning-quick speed turns around and swishes a turn-around J to grab his 6th point on 3-3 shooting.
This is when one of the best assists of the game (there were at least 5 plays all worthy of being the "assist of the night", I'm telling you) occurs. Our Most Valuable Player dashes forward with Szczerbiak trailing behind. Instead of dunking it in Lebron makes the extra pass to Szczerbiak who dunks it in with 1 hand!
Wally and James seem to make a pretty good team, huh?
The score is 48-28 (Cavs leading, o'course) thanks to the whole team's efforts when Wally goes to the free throw line to shoot a technical which he swishes. You have to give this dude serious credit, he's 100% from the free throw line in the playoffs and his free throw shooting could come in handy in tough situations, if we ever need it. Along with his technical Wally shoots 2 more free throws later in the game making him 9-9 in the offseason so far (the best percentage, behind him are other people who also have 100% but have taken less free throws).
Wally has his fun for the 2nd quarter, especially with the Wally chants, which in his interviews he states that he greatly appreciates, and sits until the 4th quarter. Amazingly enough, Lebron and the other starters actually sit out the 4th quarter because the Cavaliers are up by an amazing 30+ points in the 3rd quarter.
Wally makes a great drive at the beginning of the 4th quarter to score his 11th point of the game. Unfortunately Szczerbiak becomes a little aggressive and picks up 3 offensive fouls, but he comes back later in the 4th quarter with an offensive rebound that is quickly turned into a point off the glass (see the highlights for this shot as well).
With 48.8 seconds Wally is fouled and shoots 2 more free throws. On the next possession Szczerbiak fades out and hits his 17th point, securing the win over the Hawks.
Wally's great play earned him a half-time interview and other points of attention, including a post-game interview. Similar to everyone else, he repeats some of the things he says, but he makes what he says sound really legit because Wally spices it up with his veteran interviewing skills.
Cavaliers vs. Hawks Highlights
Lebron James Reverse Dunk
Lebron James Half Court Buzzer-Beater
Wally Szczerbiak Halftime Interview
Lebron's Big Night
More Videos (Includes Wally's post-game interview from Game 1 and Game 2)
CavsFanatic Wally Thread
Now we just need a little more 3-point shooting from Wally and I'll be happy. He's doing a solid job on defense and averaging 5 points a game so far which is pretty good considering he's only playing about 11 minutes a game on average. We know that if Wally were starting he'd be getting at least twice the amount of play time meaning about twice the points-- meaning he'd average anywhere from 8-12 points which is still pretty solid and just shows that Szczerbiak hasn't "lost his touch" or anything; quite the opposite.
I have to go brag to my friends about Wally now, so I'll talk to you later.
Game 2 has been another blowout served up by Lebron and Wally along with everyone else.
As I said yesterday, Walter has been putting in quite a bit of effort into his minutes. Last night the Cavaliers marked their territory and held their own in the 105-85 victory.
The game started off strong as usual with the Cavs staying around the area but slowly moving away from the Hawks. At the end of the 1st quarter Lebron went iso--as he usually does--and lost his defender, finishing with an amazing reverse slam. Make sure to watch it in the highlights (see the bottom of the post for links).
Szczerbiak comes in at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and when fed the ball by a teammate, we know that 8 times out of 10 he makes something happen. With that, he backs down his defender at least 10 feet before he quickly shoots it off the backboard and hits for 2 of his 17 points in the game.
Mo Williams gets his floater "the Mo Flow" to go (along with a technical foul handed by refiree Crawford due to Mo's reaction after he got fouled on the play but no foul was called). The next minute Szczerbiak hustles down the court and Lebron throws an amazing pass to him. Wally takes the shot and drains it for his 4th point.
The next minute Szczerbiak is in the post again and with lightning-quick speed turns around and swishes a turn-around J to grab his 6th point on 3-3 shooting.This is when one of the best assists of the game (there were at least 5 plays all worthy of being the "assist of the night", I'm telling you) occurs. Our Most Valuable Player dashes forward with Szczerbiak trailing behind. Instead of dunking it in Lebron makes the extra pass to Szczerbiak who dunks it in with 1 hand!
Wally and James seem to make a pretty good team, huh?
The score is 48-28 (Cavs leading, o'course) thanks to the whole team's efforts when Wally goes to the free throw line to shoot a technical which he swishes. You have to give this dude serious credit, he's 100% from the free throw line in the playoffs and his free throw shooting could come in handy in tough situations, if we ever need it. Along with his technical Wally shoots 2 more free throws later in the game making him 9-9 in the offseason so far (the best percentage, behind him are other people who also have 100% but have taken less free throws).
Wally has his fun for the 2nd quarter, especially with the Wally chants, which in his interviews he states that he greatly appreciates, and sits until the 4th quarter. Amazingly enough, Lebron and the other starters actually sit out the 4th quarter because the Cavaliers are up by an amazing 30+ points in the 3rd quarter.
Wally makes a great drive at the beginning of the 4th quarter to score his 11th point of the game. Unfortunately Szczerbiak becomes a little aggressive and picks up 3 offensive fouls, but he comes back later in the 4th quarter with an offensive rebound that is quickly turned into a point off the glass (see the highlights for this shot as well).
With 48.8 seconds Wally is fouled and shoots 2 more free throws. On the next possession Szczerbiak fades out and hits his 17th point, securing the win over the Hawks.
Wally's great play earned him a half-time interview and other points of attention, including a post-game interview. Similar to everyone else, he repeats some of the things he says, but he makes what he says sound really legit because Wally spices it up with his veteran interviewing skills.
Cavaliers vs. Hawks Highlights
Lebron James Reverse Dunk
Lebron James Half Court Buzzer-Beater
Wally Szczerbiak Halftime Interview
Lebron's Big Night
More Videos (Includes Wally's post-game interview from Game 1 and Game 2)
CavsFanatic Wally Thread
Now we just need a little more 3-point shooting from Wally and I'll be happy. He's doing a solid job on defense and averaging 5 points a game so far which is pretty good considering he's only playing about 11 minutes a game on average. We know that if Wally were starting he'd be getting at least twice the amount of play time meaning about twice the points-- meaning he'd average anywhere from 8-12 points which is still pretty solid and just shows that Szczerbiak hasn't "lost his touch" or anything; quite the opposite.
I have to go brag to my friends about Wally now, so I'll talk to you later.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Round 2... Fight!
It's round 2 of the Playoffs and the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Cavaliers have advanced from the Eastern Quarter Finals to face off against Atlanta.
I apologize in advance for not posting on time, especially when Wally Szczerbiak had a solid game.
In a decent 11 minutes, Wally Szczerbiak scored 5 points on 2 of 4 shooting. It started off with him being isolated and hitting a quick jumper. He missed a fade-away shot later in the game along with a deep 3, however he stroked one on the right wing giving him his 5th point and what I believe is his 1st 3-pointer thus far.
In addition, Wally Szczerbiak showed a good amount of effort and activity. He grabbed 3 rebounds, a couple of which were good box-outs and vital to the possessions. On one play (which was also shown in the games highlights) Wally Szczerbiak was double-teamed and threw one over to Delonte West who knocked down a 3-pointer. His ability to find an open man, and more importantly the one who will do the job, is a great skill of his.
On the defensive side, Wally Szczerbiak quickly set himself and drew the charge. On a fastbreak play by the Hawks, he stepped up and stopped Josh Smith from getting an easy point, and forced him to the line. Just by looking at the play I would have said he was going for the block but the fact that he didn't give them easy points shows he's putting in good effort.
In addition to Wally's solid play off the bench, King James added 34 points on 12-20 field goal shots and 4 steals in his double-double on Tuesday. Pavlovic was for some reason given some minutes and he didn't mess up that much, so I won't complain.
Amazingly enough, Joe Smith (who I deeply respect, despite the fact that his name is considered "generic") didn't score even a point and only had 2 rebounds in his 20 minutes of play. But it's just one game, right?
With the Cavaliers 27 point win over the Hawks* our team goes to Round 2, Game 2, and we plan to fight them off. I'm looking for a sweep or a 5 game series. No disrespect to the Hawks but it's just going to be tough for them and if Tuesday night's game was representative of the rest of the series, they're in for it.
*(99-72, although we supposedly could have played better in the 1st and 2nd quarters; imagine how many points the Cavs would have led by if that happened)
I apologize in advance for not posting on time, especially when Wally Szczerbiak had a solid game.
In a decent 11 minutes, Wally Szczerbiak scored 5 points on 2 of 4 shooting. It started off with him being isolated and hitting a quick jumper. He missed a fade-away shot later in the game along with a deep 3, however he stroked one on the right wing giving him his 5th point and what I believe is his 1st 3-pointer thus far.
In addition, Wally Szczerbiak showed a good amount of effort and activity. He grabbed 3 rebounds, a couple of which were good box-outs and vital to the possessions. On one play (which was also shown in the games highlights) Wally Szczerbiak was double-teamed and threw one over to Delonte West who knocked down a 3-pointer. His ability to find an open man, and more importantly the one who will do the job, is a great skill of his.
On the defensive side, Wally Szczerbiak quickly set himself and drew the charge. On a fastbreak play by the Hawks, he stepped up and stopped Josh Smith from getting an easy point, and forced him to the line. Just by looking at the play I would have said he was going for the block but the fact that he didn't give them easy points shows he's putting in good effort.
In addition to Wally's solid play off the bench, King James added 34 points on 12-20 field goal shots and 4 steals in his double-double on Tuesday. Pavlovic was for some reason given some minutes and he didn't mess up that much, so I won't complain.
Amazingly enough, Joe Smith (who I deeply respect, despite the fact that his name is considered "generic") didn't score even a point and only had 2 rebounds in his 20 minutes of play. But it's just one game, right?
With the Cavaliers 27 point win over the Hawks* our team goes to Round 2, Game 2, and we plan to fight them off. I'm looking for a sweep or a 5 game series. No disrespect to the Hawks but it's just going to be tough for them and if Tuesday night's game was representative of the rest of the series, they're in for it.
*(99-72, although we supposedly could have played better in the 1st and 2nd quarters; imagine how many points the Cavs would have led by if that happened)
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