Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers

Darius Garland is averaging fewest assists for team leader since 1951

NBA rookie Darius Garland is averaging 2.8 assists per game, which is actually the lowest for a team leader in the 24-second shot clock era.

Cavs rookie Darius Garland is averaging 2.8 assists per game, which is actually the lowest for a team leader in the 24-second shot clock era.

Most of the lowest figures came before 1951, which is when the current rule was introduced. Since then, the previous-worst since 1968 was by Marcelo Huertas (3.4) on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015-16 and Tony Parker on the San Antonio Spurs (3.5) in 2017-18.

To contextualize how bad it has been for Garland, who still manages to lead the Cavaliers in assists: The rookie has produced 2.3 assists per game in a set offense, per Synergy, which ranks No. 103 so far this season. His assists per game when running his team’s transition offense (0.5) ranks No. 120 as well.

Garland is averaging just 1.0 assist per 70 possessions to Kevin Love, which is quite a bit lower than he has received from teammates in previous years. compare that to last season when Cleveland’s Cedi Osman had 1.7 assists per 70 to Love. Love received more than three assists per 70 from LeBron James during their final two seasons together.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently wrote about how frustrating this has clearly been for the veteran big man, citing an intentional lane violation after just planting himself in the key (via The Lowe Post):

“He still stood there even as Brett Brown was on the court yelling for a three-second violation. And then as the coup de gras, he raised his hand to call for the ball and alert, on purpose I think, alert the referees to say: ‘That’s right. I’m still here.'”

Lowe believes that was his way of trying to signal to Garland and fellow young guard Collin Sexton that he wanted more touches.

Cleveland, overall, is passing at a fairly normal rate during the 2019-20 season. They are averaging 288.4 passes per game, which ranks 16th in the league.

But only 7.2 percent of those passes have been on assists, the second-lowest rate among all teams. The Cavaliers are averaging 20.7 assists per game this season, the third-worst mark in the NBA.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report. Possession data is pulled from NBA Wowy.

LeBron James believes Dwight Howard is ‘thriving’ in role with Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was asked about the former Magic star’s role for the Lakers so far this season.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers came out with a victory in the first game of their five-game road trip on Wednesday night, 96-87 over the Orlando Magic.

But aside from an excellent first quarter where they held the Magic to just nine points, most of the action on Wednesday was fairly forgettable except for a scuffle at the end of the game involving both teams that began with several Magic players shoving Dwight Howard. It ended an ejection for LA.’s Jared Dudley and Orlando’s Wes Iwundu, but with Howard back where his career started in Orlando, it obviously led to questions about how he’s been with the Lakers.

LeBron James couldn’t be happier with the fit, according to his postgame interview with Spectrum Sportsnet.

(H/T Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll)

“He’s thriving. He’s thriving. He’s gonna have more years in his career and he’s gonna add an ingredient to our team’s success because of the role that he’s accepting. He’s just making the most of it every single night. Defending at a high level, rebounding, blocking shots, catching lobs and with zero ego.

“When his number is called he goes out there, and when he’s subbed out he cheers on his teammates every single night. We were lucky to be able to snatch him up late in the summer like that, and we’re happy to have him.”

Howard’s numbers have normalized a little bit after his monstrous start to the season, which briefly included leading the NBA in plus-minus. But he’s still been incredibly important for the Lakers, often playing crunch time for them and averaging more minutes than starting center JaVale McGee.

Another reason why Howard’s numbers have stabilized as of late is that McGee has played better as well, which is a great sign for the Lakers as a squad moving forward. Howard is averaging seven rebounds and seven points per game while shooting 72 percent from the field in just under 20 minutes per game.

 

Jaylen Brown wants Celtics fans to show gratitude for Al Horford

Al Horford played a critical role on the Boston Celtics the three seasons he was with the franchise.

Al Horford was the Boston Celtics’ core veteran during the three seasons he played for the franchise, with his leadership helping stabilize a relatively young team.

Though Horford is now with the Philadelphia 76ers, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown wants Celtics fans to show their appreciation for Horford. On Thursday night, Horford will return to TD Garden for the first time since signing with the Sixers in free agency over the offseason. The Sixers and Celtics will tip off at 8 p.m. EST.

Here’s what Brown said on Horford, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. 

“I think he should be celebrated, in my opinion,” Brown said after the Celtics’ 122-117 loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. “Boston fans, they’re going to do what they want regardless, but Al came here and contributed, took this team the farthest it’s been since [making the Finals in 2010]. I think Al served his time well here. For me, he was a great leader, a great person to carry us every step of the way, so I know I’ll clap for him when they call his name.”

Per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Horford is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game because of left hamstring tightness and left knee soreness.

Horford helped the Celtics go to the playoffs each of the three seasons he played for the franchise. The Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Horford’s two first seasons with the team. Last season, the Celtics lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks.

During his stint with the Celtics, Horford had some of his best years. During the 2016-17 season, he posted a career-high 5.0 assists per game; his top three assists per game numbers are from his three seasons in Boston.

He averaged 13.5 points, grabbed 7.0 rebounds and shot 38.2% from the 3-point line during his time with the Celtics. This season, Horford is averaging 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and shooting 36.6% from deep.

Though he plays for the rival Sixers, Celtics fans should show their gratitude for what Horford did for the franchise.

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Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love recall UCLA thermostat battles

Russell Westbrook recalls thermostat battles with Cavs forward Kevin Love at UCLA, with the Rockets star wanting it as warm as 80 degrees.

Wednesday’s game between the Rockets and Cavaliers featured a reunion between Houston guard Russell Westbrook and Cleveland forward Kevin Love, who played college basketball together in the 2007-08 season at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Westbrook and Love were roommates off the court and stars on it, leading the Bruins to the NCAA Final Four that year. With each now 31 years old, they remain close friends to this day.

But their stint as roommates on road trips didn’t come without normal disagreements. In a light-hearted interview at Houston’s practice, Westbrook told AT&T SportsNet Southwest‘s Cayleigh Griffin that they argued over what temperature to keep their room at overnight.

When Griffin mentioned that she had heard they bickered over room temperature, the former NBA MVP responded with a smile:

Damn right we did. … Kevin likes the room really, really cold, and I hate it. If I was asleep, Kevin used to sneak to the therometer and turn it up really cold. And when he was asleep, I would go put it at 80 [degrees].

I hate being cold. That’s one of my pet peeves. We used to go back and forth about it all year long. Either I was waking up freezing, or he was waking up in a bed full of sweat. It’s something that we joke about now, but it was definitely something we did each road trip.

Both Westbrook and Love have since become All-Star players in the NBA. Westbrook helped lead the Rockets in Wednesday’s win at Cleveland with 23 points (45% shooting), seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals, while Love had 17 points (57.1% shooting) and 11 rebounds for the Cavs.

Perhaps best of all for both men, NBA road trips allow all players to have separate rooms and to control their own thermostats.

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Harden scores 55 as Rockets overcome 24-0 Cavs run to win

James Harden had 55 points Wednesday at Cleveland, including 20 in the fourth quarter as Houston overcame a late 11-point deficit to win.

The Cavaliers went on a 24-0 run in Wednesday’s second half to lead by 11 points, but James Harden rescued the Rockets with 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead Houston to a 116-110 win in Cleveland (box score).

It was a badly needed victory for the Rockets (16-8), who entered coming off a buzzer-beating loss and were missing two rotation players in guard Austin Rivers and center Tyson Chandler due to illness.

Harden had 55 points and eight assists for the game on 20-of-34 shooting (58.8%), including 10-of-18 (55.6%) on three-pointers ⁠— which tied the former MVP’s career high for made treys in a single game. The Cavs were the first opponent in weeks not to regularly double team Harden, and the NBA’s leading scorer certainly made them pay.

The 24-0 run gave Cleveland (5-19) a 99-88 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Rockets finished the game on a 28-11 over the final eight minutes to secure the win.

Harden, who leads the league in both overall scoring and free-throw attempts, scored his 55 on Wednesday on just five foul shots. In NBA history, only Rick Barry — who played over 40 seasons ago — had scored more points in one game while attempting five or fewer free throws.

Harden finished six points short of his career-best total of 61.

Other standouts for Houston included Russell Westbrook, with 23 points (45% shooting), seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals; Clint Capela, with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds; and P.J. Tucker, who hit a dagger three-pointer in the final 40 seconds to effectively ice the game. Appropriately, Tucker’s corner three came off an assist from Harden.

The Cavs were led by a career-high 24 points off the bench from rookie guard Kevin Porter Jr., who made 9-of-15 shots (60.0%) overall and 6-of-9 (66.7%) on three-pointers. Entering Wednesday, the University of Southern California (USC) product was shooting just 26.0% from behind the three-point arc this season.

In postgame comments, Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni praised his team’s defense down the stretch of the fourth quarter as they took command, but was critical of their effort in various stretches beforehand.

The Rockets return to play Friday in Orlando (11-13) as they wrap up a two-game road trip. Shortly after that game, they will catch a flight back to Houston for a Saturday night home game versus Detroit (10-14).

D’Antoni said postgame Wednesday that he believed the 31-year-old Westbrook was scheduled to miss one game of this weekend’s back-to-back, as he has in all back-to-backs so far this season coming off offseason knee surgery. However, D’Antoni clarified that he did not know for sure and did not specify which game it might be.

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P.J. Tucker pays homage to LeBron’s hometown by rocking Nike Zoom III ‘SVSM Aways’ against Cavs

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker rocks the Nike Zoom LeBron III ‘SVSM Away’ sneakers in Cleveland against Cavs.

P.J. Tucker is the NBA’s undisputed sneaker king. Part of the reason he earned that title is because of the method to his sneaker madness. Tonight, for example, he’s in Northeast Ohio to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. So, he’s paying homage to the birthplace of LeBron James by rocking Nike’s Zoom LeBron III SVSM Away’s.

Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (SVSM) is located roughly 30 minutes south of where Tucker and his Houston Rockets will collide with the Cavs. The Zoom III’s he’s wearing are one of LeBron’s most sought-after shoes of all-time and feature the colorway of his alma mater.

This particular LeBron sneaker was originally released by Nike in 2005. The Zoom LeBron III was worn by James during his first season as an NBA All-Star with the Cavaliers. It has dropped in a number of other iconic colorways as well but for my money the SVSM design is the cleanest.

Tucker enters tonight’s matchup averaging 10 points and seven rebounds while shooting 43% from beyond the arc. The Rockets are 15-8 and currently fourth in the Western Conference. Cleveland, meanwhile, has a record of 5-18 and is the worst team in the NBA not named the Knicks.

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LeBron James emotional for ‘full circle’ of Bronny Jr. playing alma mater St. Vincent-St. Mary’s

Los Angeles Laker star LeBron James spoke about his feelings regarding his son’s upcoming game against his high school alma mater.

[lawrence-related id=23045]LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will start a five-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic that will take them through five Eastern Conference cities, but the coming weekend is going to be an important one in the James family household for reasons beyond the Lakers keeping a perfect record away from Staples Center.

This Saturday, LeBron James’ eldest son Bronny Jr. and his Sierra Canyon Trail Blazers squad will be in Columbus, Ohio to face off against LeBron’s alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School from Akron, Ohio. As the Lakers are between games on Saturday, James is expected to be in attendance if the weather allows. James opened up about how that day will feel in an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

(H/T to our own Cody Taylor from Rookie Wire)

Obviously, everybody knows that St. Vincent-St. Mary is when people started to recognize me from a national standpoint and for it to be 15 years later and my son is about to play a high school game versus my alma mater in our home state, the only thing that would have been more emotional is if my son was playing St. Vincent-St. Mary at the LeBron James Arena in Akron. That would have been like, that would have been too much.

It’s just a pretty cool thing. You don’t know how things are going to line up in life and it almost seems like it’s all coming back full circle seeing my oldest son doing the things that he’s doing. I’m proud of him and his basketball club. They got a great team but more importantly, they are great kids.

James was able to see his son play during some fall league games but since the Lakers season has started and Sierra Canyon’s season has started, there have been a lot of conflicts. But if James does show up, expect him to be somewhere near fellow Sierra Canyon basketball dad Dwyane Wade.

James, of course, burst onto the national scene as a junior with St. Vincent-St. Mary’s after he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. During his senior season, he also was the first player to have his game airing on ESPN, with college commentators Jay Bilas, Bill Walton and Dick Vitale on the call.

While this game won’t have quite as much pomp and circumstance, it’s hard to imagine how much this game will mean to James and his family after all these years.

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LeBron James announces new ‘mental fitness’ partnership with Calm app

LeBron James has been a user of the Calm app for a long time and students at his I PROMISE school will also have access to it.

LeBron James is one of the athletic marvels of modern sport. He’s currently playing better than any Year 17 player we’ve ever seen to start the season and that’s without considering that James has played the most playoff minutes in NBA history, a total he almost certainly adds to this season. But to accomplish those things, as well as all the other things that LeBron does, also takes the precision of the mind. James is now sharing his routines and advice on “mental fitness” through a new partnership with the Calm app.

James unveiled the partnership last night in Los Angeles, which includes a TV spot for the app featuring James. “What’s a strong body without a sound mind,” James asks in the new commercial.

 

James and his routines with athletic trainer Mike Mancias, the constant care of his body and seriousness of that, have often been the main focus of LeBron and his training. But training his mind is just as important, according to him.

“As an athlete, there’s a lot of focus on physical fitness, ” James said. “This partnership with Calm is all about mental fitness. It’s something I’ve always prioritized, and it’s just as important to my game, my career, and my life than anything I can do physically. The ability to focus and calibrate everything going on inside your mind is a skill that can be strengthened over time, and Calm helps me do that. Through this partnership, I’m also excited to share that important tool with the youth in my Foundation and across the country.”

As part of the partnership, LeBron will be featured in the “Train Your Mind” series, featuring “10-minute inspirational wisdom sessions” featuring James on the topics of “managing emotions, sleep and maintaining balance.” In addition to that, students at LeBron James’ I PROMISE School will have access to the Calm program where it will be implemented in the day’s curriculum. Counseling and trauma therapy are already major parts of the I PROMISE School curriculum.

“Calm’s mental fitness and mindfulness practices align perfectly with the I PROMISE School’s trauma-informed curriculum and intentional approach to educating the whole child,” Michele Campbell, Executive Director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, said. “For the population of at-risk students we serve at IPS – many who are experiencing various forms of trauma  – mental toughness and the ability to process what they’re going through is a matter of survival. We’re excited to add Calm’s tools and techniques to the supports we’re able to provide in this critical area.”

 

The HoopsHype Daily: The Cavs are finally making Kevin Love available, and he could have interesting suitors

According to a Woj report, the Cavaliers have finally come to their senses and are willing to part with Kevin Love for the right price.

LOVE ON THE BLOCK? On Friday, Woj reported that the Cavs are finally willing to entertain trade offers for the lone All-Star on their depleted roster, Kevin Love. On the year, Love is averaging 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 44.0/37.1/88.2 shooting splits. What’s more, according to Synergy, Love ranks as an excellent scorer out of the pick-and-roll and in isolation opportunities.

That’s all to say: Even despite his age (31) and enormous contract (four years, $120.4 million), if Love is on the trade block, contenders will come calling, as the five-time All-Star can still contribute and produce at a high level. 

🔮 There are a few franchises that immediately come to mind as potential Love suitors, primarily teams on the second (or third) tiers of their respective conferences in need of scoring and rebounding. We broke down four such situations here.

CAVS REVOLT: Another Cleveland note: Various anonymous Cavs players went to The Athletic to complain about their first-year head coach John Beilein and his old-school, collegiate style of coaching. They did not hold back.

LAST NIGHT IN THE ASSOCIATION: The Lakers continue to roll and the Heat refuse to lose at home.

🔥 The Lakers are 21-3 after destroying the Timberwolves 142-125. Since losing to the Mavs last Sunday, Los Angeles is 4-0, averaging 126 points per game over those four outings and holding a plus-84 point-differential. Against Minnesota, Anthony Davis exploded for 50 points while LeBron James contributed 32 points and 13 assists. In the process, James and Davis became the first pair of Lakers teammates to combine for 70-plus points in consecutive games since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal back in 2003. That’s solid company for L.A.’s new super duo.

👶 Miami rookie Tyler Herro had his best game as a pro, scoring 27 points and hitting five three-pointers to help lead the Heat to a 110-105 victory against Chicago. In what was a tight contest late, Herro scored 16 of Miami’s last 18 points, 11 of those coming in overtime, and hit the eventual go-ahead triple with under a minute remaining. Miami is now 10-0 at home.

GENTRY ON THE HOT SEAT? The Pelicans have been one of this season’s biggest disappointments. Even despite the injury to Zion, New Orleans was not expected to be at 6-17 with the league’s seventh-worst net rating (-7.0) through the campaign’s quarter mark.

🤔 Regardless, according to The Athletic, head coach Alvin Gentry is safe for the time being, though that could change quickly if the Pelicans continue to look so futile.

SILVER STAYING OUT OF IT: During a radio spot with New York media, Adam Silver said he would not intervene with anything related to the Knicks because it wouldn’t be fair to the other 29 teams.

A BIT LATE: Literal days after firing David Fizdale, the Knicks finally released a statement thanking Fizdale for his time with the team. Mind you, New York had already played a game by the time the press release came out. Never change, James Dolan.

THE NEXT SCAPEGOAT: Speaking of that Knicks’ job opening, although that head coaching gig may not be the most desirable in the NBA, there’s only 30 of those so of course there’s going to be candidates willing to jump on that grenade. We take a look at some of them.

🏥 On a related note, coaching in the NBA is not good for health.

ALL-STAR SET TO RETURN? Just a month after breaking his left hand, Gordon Hayward says he might be able to return tonight, when the Celtics face the Cavs. Impressive turnaround considering the original prognosis had him out at least six weeks.

SHARPSHOOTER: Wizards forward Davis Bertans has always been an elite shooter, but thanks to new wrinkles in his game implemented by his coach, Scott Brooks, he’s reached another level this season.

LIFE ON THE ROAD: We spoke with beat writers covering typically lousy NBA franchises to see what that’s like. Drama can make great copy.

CONFIDENT DWIGHT: Lakers big man Dwight Howard reportedly requested his contract with the Lakers be non-guaranteed, just so he could prove how committed to the team he was.

ENOUGH WHINING: Luka Doncic is becoming notorious for complaining to officials after missed calls, and he admits he needs to tone it down moving forward. Pretty mature of him to realize, especially considering he said all this after a missed call in favor of the Kings cost Dallas a close game yesterday.

🔢 In that same contest vs. Sacramento, Luka Doncic broke Michael Jordan’s record for most consecutive games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Doncic is now at 19 straight such games.

DRAFT WATCH: Potential No. 1 overall pick for 2020 LaMelo Ball will miss a month of the NBL season due to a foot injury. Luckily, Ball should have the chance to return this campaign and continue to make his case for being next year’s top prospect, unless he decides to shut things down and solely prepare for the draft.

KICKS MASTER: Salvador Amezcua, a very popular sneaker artist who works with Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns and Donovan Mitchell, among many others, discusses how he forged his path to reach the top of the game.

SALARY QUIZ: WHO’S THIS NBA PLAYER? 🤔

Click here for the answer.

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