[harlee71]

Thinking .5unit

Or is this just a waste?

[ijenpo]

Waste imo

[THEGREAT30]

Worth a shot, but most likely will lose.

[jmiezie]

I threw a little chunk on it for fun.. Cavs are due for a let down

[maseda17]

They are an attractive double digit dog on the road against anyone in my opinion.

[The fiddler]

Cavs minus 6 first half. Blowout.

[Quagmire27]

They are +10 for good reasons, on paper the Cavs win this by 20, my hunch is the Grizz come out to prove they belong, then the Cavs style & antics rub the cocky Grizz players the wrong way, the Grizz play over their heads & keep it somewhat close, I took the points, won't play the ML.

We shall see

[harlee71]

Took it for .5unit at +518 for shits and grins.

[xxbadazxx]

GOOD LUCK, CRAZIER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED

[BebeRebozo]

C'mon and join the Memphis-Trend-Wagon to Wasteland

[CHAZ]

Grizzlies on the road and played last night against the Lakers.

Nehhhhhh

[Mac4Lyfe]

I like the Cav's minus the points so I don't like Griz ML AT ALL. Take the points and sprinkle a little on the ML if your that confident but I'm small playing the Cav's. They are playing at a high level right now, similar to last year when they were covering ridiculously high lines. I made a lot of money tailing them when most people kept thinking they would let up eventually. Keep riding the horse when you can...

[williams22]

I like the Cav's minus the points so I don't like Griz ML AT ALL. Take the points and sprinkle a little on the ML if your that confident but I'm small playing the Cav's. They are playing at a high level right now, similar to last year when they were covering ridiculously high lines. I made a lot of money tailing them when most people kept thinking they would let up eventually. Keep riding the horse when you can...

I find it tough to have that mentality until we get Mo and Delonte back, but I love your confidence

[HoulihansTX]

Any ML Dogs is worth a wager with money management.

[SpreadSniper]

whata you say Will? Cav's gonna cover that shit? MEM playing 4th in 5 is the only reason Im not POUNDING the living SHIT outta them - MEM + the points that is....
I got's my LBJ jersey on today

[williams22]

whata you say Will? Cav's gonna cover that shit? MEM playing 4th in 5 is the only reason Im not POUNDING the living SHIT outta them - MEM + the points that is....
I got's my LBJ jersey on today

I can't take the Cavs without Mo and Delonte against such a talented team. I realize this is a rough stretch for Memphis and there's a good just they just don't show up, but they are far too talented to be a double-digit dog here.

That being said, I really like what I've been seeing with the development of Shaq in the offense recently and it is generating a TON of open 3-point looks. Not to mention the Cavs are proving they are one of the deepest teams in the NBA this year. The only play I'd consider here is a 1Q or 1H bet on the Cavs, but I'd go very small on it. I'm not putting my money on this game.

[playa420]

Memphis might cover, but theres no way in hell there gonna beat the cavs in cleveland.

[SpreadSniper]

I can't take the Cavs without Mo and Delonte against such a talented team. I realize this is a rough stretch for Memphis and there's a good just they just don't show up, but they are far too talented to be a double-digit dog here.

That being said, I really like what I've been seeing with the development of Shaq in the offense recently and it is generating a TON of open 3-point looks. Not to mention the Cavs are proving they are one of the deepest teams in the NBA this year. The only play I'd consider here is a 1Q or 1H bet on the Cavs, but I'd go very small on it. I'm not putting my money on this game.

agreed - tough to get a read on this one with MEM playing the lakers last night and winning.... im almost of the belief that MEM will be out to prove that last night wasn't a fluke.... They got enough young legs on MEM to hang me thinks.

Shaq - I freaking HATED his signing, but realized we needed a big body. I too am AMAZED with how he has been contributing lately..... teams are having to account for him and the result is good.

[williams22]

agreed - tough to get a read on this one with MEM playing the lakers last night and winning.... im almost of the belief that MEM will be out to prove that last night wasn't a fluke.... They got enough young legs on MEM to hang me thinks.

Shaq - I freaking HATED his signing, but realized we needed a big body. I too am AMAZED with how he has been contributing lately..... teams are having to account for him and the result is good.

To be honest, Shaq playing well right now doesn't even matter. What matters is that he's taken care of Howard and Bynum perfectly so far. However, he does seem lighter on his feet right now than he was to start the season, which should be scary for opposing teams. For the first 30 games or so they would feed him in the post and then stand around and watch him either get called for an offense foul (bullsh*t) or muscle his way into the middle only to come up short and flat on his jumphook. Now his moves look better, Lebron is scoring off of him, and the shooters are having a field day. I can't wait for Mo to come back and join in on the fun.

On a different note, has anyone else seen how impressive Jawad Williams has been? He wasn't even supposed to play this season. Once Mo/Delonte/Powe are back and healthy the Cavs are legitimately 12-deep.

[MattyMobound]

There wasn’t much stress in Sunday’s 114-89 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavaliers tied an NBA record with 11 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes, propelling them to a franchise-best 46 points in a quarter. LeBron James, the league’s third-leading scorer with 29.4 points per game, hit five 3s and scored 23 of his 32 points in the first quarter as Cleveland won eight in a row for the first time since a 13-game run March 7-31. “There’s no description of a player getting into the zone like that. It just happens,” James said. “And when it happens, everything you put up, you feel like it’s going in.” The Cavs have also been in the zone for backers, with 9-1 ATS record in home games after three consecutive covers as a favorite over the last two seasons, winning by a crushing margin of 17.3 points per game.

James was likely in that zone in Memphis on Dec. 8, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 43 points, but it wasn’t enough to lead his club to victory. After Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley scooped in a shot with three seconds remaining in overtime, James missed a 30-footer at the buzzer and Cleveland fell 111-109. Since snapping a seven-game slide to the Cavaliers and a six-game overtime skid in that contest, the Grizzlies are 10-4 SU and ATS in games decided by six points or fewer.

Memphis, though, has dropped four of five on the road as well as its last five visits (3-2 ATS) to Cleveland. The Grizzlies also must face a Cavaliers team that’s won 17 of 18 at Quicken Loans Arena (8-10 ATS).
“I told the guys in the locker room that it is not like college. You can’t go play Sacred Heart tomorrow, you have the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins told the team’s official Web site Monday. “It just keeps coming. That’s the beauty of this game. That is what competition is all about. If you are a competitor, you will get your juices flowing again tomorrow.” In this case, the next game means Memphis is 19-4 ATS after playing a home game this season.

Memphis will likely need another big game from All-Star forward Zach Randolph to win its first game in Cleveland since a 122-115 double-overtime victory on Nov. 29, 2003. The 2003-04 season was also the last time the Grizzlies swept their annual two-game series with the Cavs.
Randolph, who had 32 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in the Dec. 8 victory over the Cavaliers, has posted a double-double in each of his last five games, averaging 22.6 points and 14.8 boards in that span. He is one of two players in the NBA, along with Toronto’s Chris Bosh, averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game on the season.

Bookmaker.com has Cleveland as 10.5-point favorites with total of 200.5. The Cavs are 12-3 ATS playing clubs with win percentage between 51 to 60 percent in the second half of the season and are 8-1 UNDER off a home win by 10 points or more during this campaign. This young, talented Memphis squad is growing in confidence and why not, sporting 15-2 ATS record off a home win this season and is 15-4 OVER as a road underdog.

This matchup is on local FOX affiliates starting at 7:00 Eastern and it is noteworthy the Cavs are 6-10 ATS as double digit favorites during this season

[Glitch]

31 percent chance of memphis upsetting i would guess.

i think its worth it for a little bit or in a parlay with some confident plays.

[Saltdog]

All in on the Grizz

[harlee71]

Burn baby burn!

[Mac4Lyfe]

I can't take the Cavs without Mo and Delonte against such a talented team. I realize this is a rough stretch for Memphis and there's a good just they just don't show up, but they are far too talented to be a double-digit dog here.

That being said, I really like what I've been seeing with the development of Shaq in the offense recently and it is generating a TON of open 3-point looks. Not to mention the Cavs are proving they are one of the deepest teams in the NBA this year. The only play I'd consider here is a 1Q or 1H bet on the Cavs, but I'd go very small on it. I'm not putting my money on this game.

Williams - I actually like the Cav's without Mo Will and Delonte. They both are not starters in this league. Mo's defense is horrendous and teams score at will especially on pick and rolls with him and Shaq or Z. Delonte is like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, you don't know what to expect from him night in or night out. Parker and Moon should play the 2 and never Delonte. Use Delonte, Mo and Gibson at the 1 with Lebron playing the point anyway. This team is better when it's bigger and Mo and Delonte are both too small.

[ngates815]

Delonte plays SOLID D. Mo plays "ok" D, nothing great, but is better than gibson. I like them with Parker at the 2 because he's a good Defender, and has size to him.

Delonte is my fav player on the team, besides Lebron.

I don't see how you can say Mo and Delonte are not starters in this league, because I'm sure either one of them would start on 75 percent of teams in the league.

[Mac4Lyfe]

When has "No show" Mo or Delonte ever come through in the playoffs? Mo's defense isn't "ok", it flat out sucks. Do you realize how many bucket's he gives up when he's out there? Teams isolate and spread him one on one then pick and roll with our big and we can't do a damn thing about it. Look at how much better the defense is with Mo out hurt. Delonte has been just as bad as mo in the playoffs. He can't hit the broad side of a barn in crunch time. Did you forget him missing wide ass jump shot's against Celtic's including game 7? Delonte has mental problems and can't be relied on nor trusted. He might bring gun's into the locker room any day now.

I love Delonte's heart when he plays and Mo can give you some offense but his liability on defense negates anything he gives you scoring. What 75 percent of the teams would Mo and Delonte start for? There's a reason Mo was let go from Milw in the first place and Delonte couldn't start for his last team. Both of these guys are 6 men at best.

Gibson is a tweaner (just like Delonte) but he has come through in crunch time in the playoffs. Him, Lebron and Shaq are the only players that have shown up in important games. Mo talked all that shit last year and layed a big fat egg versus Orlando. I can name 80% of PG's that are better than Mo all around...

[williams22]

When has "No show" Mo or Delonte ever come through in the playoffs? Mo's defense isn't "ok", it flat out sucks. Do you realize how many bucket's he gives up when he's out there? Teams isolate and spread him one on one then pick and roll with our big and we can't do a damn thing about it. Look at how much better the defense is with Mo out hurt. Delonte has been just as bad as mo in the playoffs. He can't hit the broad side of a barn in crunch time. Did you forget him missing wide ass jump shot's against Celtic's including game 7? Delonte has mental problems and can't be relied on nor trusted. He might bring gun's into the locker room any day now.

I love Delonte's heart when he plays and Mo can give you some offense but his liability on defense negates anything he gives you scoring. What 75 percent of the teams would Mo and Delonte start for? There's a reason Mo was let go from Milw in the first place and Delonte couldn't start for his last team. Both of these guys are 6 men at best.

Gibson is a tweaner (just like Delonte) but he has come through in crunch time in the playoffs. Him, Lebron and Shaq are the only players that have shown up in important games. Mo talked all that shit last year and layed a big fat egg versus Orlando. I can name 80% of PG's that are better than Mo all around...

I'd have to disagree strongly here. Mo and Delonte are the 2nd and 3rd best offensively players on the Cavs and Delonte is one of the best perimeter defenders (used to be the best, but Parker, Moon, and Jawad have all done well so far this year). I absolutely love watching Mo play. Do you realize he had the 2nd best true 2-point FG% last year? The guy can flat-out shoot the ball. Not to mention he and Delonte are the only Cavs not named Lebron who can create their own offense.

Mo really plays like a combo guard, which is great in combination with Lebron since he handles the ball so much. Yes, the Cavs have played well without Mo and Delonte, but have you seen how little movement there is in the offense by comparison? The Cavs are still winning because Lebron is shouldering even more load than before, and he's capable of doing so.

I agree that Mo isn't a great defender, but he isn't awful either. He always makes the proper rotations and his 1-on-1 defense has improved.

The moral of the story is that the Cavs have almost twice as many weapons this year, and that is why they will win Lebron's first ring this year. Tonight the Cavs had a lineup on the court with the shortest player being Moon at 6'8". They have also played lineups with Lebron at PF. This team is amazingly dynamic and Mike Brown is finally figuring out all his pieces, making them more fun to watch now than ever.

[Mac4Lyfe]

Mo is a HORRIBLE defender. He IS AWFUL. His offense can't make up for his defensive liabilities. His plus/minus is bad when he's on the floor and it's because teams exploit him on defense. Delonte is a good defender but not as good as Moon or Parker. While i agree they both can create a shot, they are both better off the bench. I would start Boobie and Parker and bring Mo and Delonte off the bench for a boost. Boobie has been a much better defender shutting down opposing PG's.

I'm not saying Mo and Delonte are bad (except Mo's defense). I'm glad they are on the Cav's but they should come off the bench. The team is playing much better without them and there's a reason why. Defense first, plus the offense flows much better than either of them handling the ball when they both are not true PG's and are too small at the 2.

[williams22]

Mo is a HORRIBLE defender. He IS AWFUL. His offense can't make up for his defensive liabilities. His plus/minus is bad when he's on the floor and it's because teams exploit him on defense. Delonte is a good defender but not as good as Moon or Parker. While i agree they both can create a shot, they are both better off the bench. I would start Boobie and Parker and bring Mo and Delonte off the bench for a boost. Boobie has been a much better defender shutting down opposing PG's.

I'm not saying Mo and Delonte are bad (except Mo's defense). I'm glad they are on the Cav's but they should come off the bench. The team is playing much better without them and there's a reason why. Defense first, plus the offense flows much better than either of them handling the ball when they both are not true PG's and are too small at the 2.

Horrible defense was when we had Damon Jones. Mo is an average defender for a PG. Delonte is an incredible defender because of his length. The problem with Boobio playing point is that he can't actually run the point, which leaves Lebron to do everything.

Also, Mo's plus-minus is skewed because he is on the floor for every minute that Lebron is resting. Mo is a tremendous player and was the main reason the Cavs reached 66 wins last year. Yes, his playoff performance was dissapointing, but I expect him to play much better this year. The guy is a stud.

[lyon804]

Horrible defense was when we had Damon Jones. Mo is an average defender for a PG. Delonte is an incredible defender because of his length. The problem with Boobio playing point is that he can't actually run the point, which leaves Lebron to do everything.

Also, Mo's plus-minus is skewed because he is on the floor for every minute that Lebron is resting. Mo is a tremendous player and was the main reason the Cavs reached 66 wins last year. Yes, his playoff performance was dissapointing, but I expect him to play much better this year. The guy is a stud.

I dunno Williams.. I might have to side with Mac4life here.. Mo Williams is not a stud. He is a good player and would be a better #6 than the starter. He is a helluva streaky shooter. Some games he can't miss and some games he can't hit. I have seen both quite a bit... A little background on Mo Williams.. I am from the state of Alabama as I have mentioned to you before so I got to actually watch his college career as he played for the Tide. Man, I would have to admit he has come along way since those days becasue quite honestly I did not see it from him. When he was at Bama you didn't say ... "This guys is gonna be the PG for a 60+ Win team in the NBA someday". At Alabama he scored some points, but he was just a volume shooter that made terrible decisions running the team and commited the most untimely turnovers. Not saying he isn't talented, he must certainly is. The point is Mo Williams is a product of the talent around him. The focal point of that team is LBJ and with his double teams and Shaq's double teams Williams get's the benefit of shooting many uncontested 3's. He would not be near the player he is somewhere else were he was the focus.. Say he went to the Nets and he was the man right.. He would be getting shut down every nite in the NBA. Hell, with LBJ and the other talent on the Cavs roster I could run the point for the Cavs and the team would still be a great team. All in all Williams fills a roll the Cavs needs... "A player that is a perimiter threat" Most nites he can stick those shots with great accuracy and when he is on... he is really cooking, but that's just it. Nothing more, nothing less. I like that young guy.. Anthony Parker. He has done an excellent job this year an understands his role. What makes the Cavs great other than having the best player in the league is the team works as a unit and each player understands their role. LBJ is the unqestioned star of that team, but he doesn't act like it.. What I mean by that is he is more than happy to share and make his teamates look good. Just like last nite.. He has 15 assists and did very little scoring early in the game. The 1Q he had like 2pts. He wasn't missing shots.. He was just getting everybody else into the flow of the game because he understands he can score whenever he wants.. It's as simple as that. I have always been slow to come around the Lebron James hype machine, but I will now come forward and admit he is the best all around player in the league today and maybe ever... One thing Kobe has on Lebron is... Kobe is so clutch in the moment and the big shot player. If I needed a player to play 48 mintues tonite I would pick Lebron everyday of the week. If I needed a player to take my last shot of the game.. I would take Kobe everyday of the week. Lebron does a better over all job than Kobe at making his team better. Trust me, take Lebron off Cleveland and that is not that great of a team. He makes them all better. You may disagree with this, but I know i am right... Take Kobe of LA and Lebron of Cleveland and both teams play... LA wins that game more times than not with both stars gone.

[williams22]

I dunno Williams.. I might have to side with Mac4life here.. Mo Williams is not a stud. He is a good player and would be a better #6 than the starter. He is a helluva streaky shooter. Some games he can't miss and some games he can't hit. I have seen both quite a bit... A little background on Mo Williams.. I am from the state of Alabama as I have mentioned to you before so I got to actually watch his college career as he played for the Tide. Man, I would have to admit he has come along way since those days becasue quite honestly I did not see it from him. When he was at Bama you didn't say ... "This guys is gonna be the PG for a 60+ Win team in the NBA someday". At Alabama he scored some points, but he was just a volume shooter that made terrible decisions running the team and commited the most untimely turnovers. Not saying he isn't talented, he must certainly is. The point is Mo Williams is a product of the talent around him. The focal point of that team is LBJ and with his double teams and Shaq's double teams Williams get's the benefit of shooting many uncontested 3's. He would not be near the player he is somewhere else were he was the focus.. Say he went to the Nets and he was the man right.. He would be getting shut down every nite in the NBA. Hell, with LBJ and the other talent on the Cavs roster I could run the point for the Cavs and the team would still be a great team. All in all Williams fills a roll the Cavs needs... "A player that is a perimiter threat" Most nites he can stick those shots with great accuracy and when he is on... he is really cooking, but that's just it. Nothing more, nothing less. I like that young guy.. Anthony Parker. He has done an excellent job this year an understands his role. What makes the Cavs great other than having the best player in the league is the team works as a unit and each player understands their role. LBJ is the unqestioned star of that team, but he doesn't act like it.. What I mean by that is he is more than happy to share and make his teamates look good. Just like last nite.. He has 15 assists and did very little scoring early in the game. The 1Q he had like 2pts. He wasn't missing shots.. He was just getting everybody else into the flow of the game because he understands he can score whenever he wants.. It's as simple as that. I have always been slow to come around the Lebron James hype machine, but I will now come forward and admit he is the best all around player in the league today and maybe ever... One thing Kobe has on Lebron is... Kobe is so clutch in the moment and the big shot player. If I needed a player to play 48 mintues tonite I would pick Lebron everyday of the week. If I needed a player to take my last shot of the game.. I would take Kobe everyday of the week. Lebron does a better over all job than Kobe at making his team better. Trust me, take Lebron off Cleveland and that is not that great of a team. He makes them all better. You may disagree with this, but I know i am right... Take Kobe of LA and Lebron of Cleveland and both teams play... LA wins that game more times than not with both stars gone.

Hmm where to start lol.

First off, Anthony Parker has been a nice pick-up, but he's far from a "young player"...I believe he's 34?

Is amazing how quickly people have forgotten last year. Mo was the biggest reason the Cavs jumped up to a 66-win team. Mo is a phenominal shooter, a solid passer, and a strong ballhandler. Most importantly, he's able to be the scorer when Lebron needs to rest.

As for the rest of what you said, I think it's all dead-on. Lebron is head and shoulders above every player in the game today because of the effect he has on a team. Not only does he elevate everyone's playing level with his own player, but his charisma and leadership make him able to get even more out of everyone. I've never seen a single player who was able to control his team as well as Lebron does.

Most importantly, no matter how good you think Mo is, the Cavs are unquestionably 12-guys deep now and have the single greatest and versatile star in the league. Makes for quite a strong team.

[Mac4Lyfe]

^^ Solid post about Mo. He's a streak shooter and fit's in well with Cav's but I think the team is better with LBJ running the point ala Magic. Lebron has a way of getting everyone involved and I really like the big lineup. Mo off the bench isn't a slight to Mo IMO. I think it makes the 2nd unit much better. We shall see but I'm not holding my breath that Mike Brown will delegate Mo to the bench because he's too loyal and will start Mo when he's healthy. Unless Lebron tells him differently.

Parker by the way is pretty old. I wish he was 20 something but he's 34 going on 35 in June. He seems to have a lot of legs left so that's good. He played in Israel for like 6 years. I like him and Moon pickups and Leon Powe is going to round the team out just fine. Jawad Williams and Hickson are making great contributions as well. This is the deepest I've seen the Cav's in 20 years.

[ngates815]

Off the top of my head I can think of a few teams that would probably start Mo over their PG's now.


Mike Bibby - ATL
Calderon/Jack - Toronto
Felton - Charlotte(maybe)
Whoever Miami's starting pg is chalmers?/
Duhon - Knicks
Stuckey - Pistons
AI/Lou Williams - 76ers
Aaron Brooks - houston
Conley/tinsley - memphis
Flynn - minny.
whoever indiana's pg is

Thats just the pg's I could think that he would start ahead of...Maybe a couple on the list would be questionable. But he could also start as a 2 guard on many teams