Recap/Box Score

I haven’t heard, but can already hear Bucks fans lamenting the Bucks lack of energy in Sunday’s loss to Cleveland.  After all, isn’t that typically what gets the blame when a team gets smoked?  Effort and energy get cited in big losses more than alcohol in DUI’s.  But I can’t help but think it’s even more simple a problem than lack of effort in this one.

The Bucks are just a little below average, whereas the Cavs are significantly above.  So that’s pretty much that.  Cleveland is full of keepers and the Bucks are in the beginning stages of figuring out who figures into their future.

Coming into the game the Bucks biggest strength was their three-point shooting.  Well, the Cavs do it even better.  Among the Bucks biggest weaknesses was allowing significantly more free throws than they shoot.  Well, the Cavs shoot roughly as many free throws as they allow.  So how did those things play out in the game?

Bucks: 4-20 on three’s and 12-16 from the line.

Cavs: 6-10 on three’s and 25-27 from the line.

So much for the Bucks making up the points they allow on free throw’s through their three-point shooting.  Against some teams, they’ll get by with that mentality.  Not everyone defends the three-point line very well.  But the Cavs do.  And so do other good teams.  On top of that, the Cavs now have more capable offensive players than ever and still get in your face on defense.  They’re pretty good.  Against them, it’s not going to matter if the Bucks are going balls out from start to finish, because they are more talented virtually across the board than the Bucks.

The Bucks came out with a furious punch to the proverbial face of the Cavs in this one too.  An 11-0 start had no one questioning the Bucks effort in the first three minutes.  Funny how those things work out, isn’t it?  But in the end the Bucks lose by 15 so it looks like they were lifeless.  I didn’t see that though.  I just saw one team that looked like a contender for the NBA title and another that looked like most of their guys won’t be around in two or three years.  Effort shmeffort, this one was about talent. Read more…

Note: This will not be a thorough preview.  It’s Sunday.  I’m lazy.

Cleveland Cavaliers (Mike Brown) 14-5

(Likely) Inactives: Leon Powe, Coby Karl and Jawad Williams

at

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 9-9

(Likely) Inactives: Joe Alexander and Michael Redd

Date: 12/6/2009

Game time: 2:00 (CST)

Television: FS Wisconsin

Match-ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Mo Williams

Eventually Jennings will surpass 33 percent shooting in a game.  Could happen any day now.  I’m not super worried about it.  Development year.  Mo Williams does a great job of watching Lebron do work and waiting for kick out passes so he can shoot three’s.  He did such a good job of it last year that he made the all-star team despite having no ALL as apart of his game.  He does fit Cleveland very well though.

Advantage: Cavs

Shooting Guard

Charlie Bell vs. Anthony Parker

A friend of mine once hit eight three’s in a game with Anthony Parker against me in NBA 2K9.  I disputed the reality of that … until Parker actually did it a week later.  He’s not bad at all for this team.  A good passer, shooter and active defender.  Plus he has good size.  A lot to like about Anthony Parker in a super-supporting role.

Advantage: Cavs

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Lebron James

ADVANTAGE: CAVS

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. J.J. Hickson

Hickson is the guy I’d love to be apart of any Mike Redd to Cleveland deal.  I think that’s a pipe dream at this point though.  His rebounding still isn’t great but he’s looking a lot better in his second year than he did in his first.  He’s big, strong and athletic, so he’s the exact power forward the Bucks have always wanted.  Ilyasova has been dealing with foul problems the last few games and the huge Cavs frontline could put him back in foul trouble today.

Advantage: Cavs

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Shaquille O’Neal

Bogut struggled against Brendan Haywood and Ben Wallace. How do I think he’ll do against Shaq?  The words not and good come to mind.

Advantage: Cavs

Bench

Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Kurt Thomas

vs.

Zyndrunas Ilgauskas, Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, Delonte West and Jamario Moon

The Cavs second lineup would win more games than the Nets starting lineup.  Sigh.  Usually the Bucks bench is able to scrap the Bucks back into the game, typically because Luke Ridnour has been off the charts good this year, but that seems unlikely today.

Advantage: Cavs

Prediction: Cavs 104 – Bucks 90

The Cavs are very very talented.  I’m not sure if Shaq gets them an NBA title or hurts their chances, but either way it doesn’t matter until the playoffs.  To me it seems like he clogs the middle and makes it more difficult for Lebron, but when things break down in the playoffs it should be nice to have him.  Regardless they’ll likely destroy the Bucks.  Lebron said if Jennings wants to go for 40 he’ll join him.  That would at least make this game entertaining.

The Bucks do play better at home and they have marketed this tailgate thing pretty hard over the past week or so, so I’d expect a loud crowd.  Crazier things have happened, but a Bucks win here after playing so poorly in their last two games seems exceptionally unlikely.  It’d be something though.