Cavaliers @ Nets Preview <font color="DarkRed">Cleveland Cavaliers</font> (10-22) @ <font color="Navy">New Jersey Nets</font> (16-14) Friday, Jan. 2nd, 7:30 pm Eastern Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ TV:NBATV, WUAB Vegas Line: Jew Jersey -9? Season Series: 1st Meeting Previous Game Pacers 92 @ Cavaliers 89 Warriors 70 @ Nets 88 Last 10 Games Cleveland: 4-6 (Lost 1) New Jersey: 7-3 (Won 1) Head Coaches Paul Silas/Byron Scott Probable Starters LeBron James/Jason Kidd Kedrick Brown/Kerry Kittles Darius Miles/Richard Jefferson Carlos Boozer/Kenyon Martin Zydrunas Ilgauskas/Jason Collins 6th Men Eric Williams/Lucious Harris <div align="center"></div> <div align="center">Players To Watch - Point Men LeBron James/Jason Kidd James: 20.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.53 steals Kidd: 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.83 steals</div> Injury Lists Cavaliers Dajuan Wagner DeSagana Diop Ira Newble - doubtful (thigh contusion) Nets Alonzo Mourning Zoran Planinic Tamar Slay Fast Facts LeBron James will get his first taste of Jason Kidd, the NBA's best point guard. Keys To The Game <u>Cavaliers</u> Try to make Kidd play a scoring role Get back fast of the defensive end Box Out Keep K-Mart away from the rim <u>Nets</u> Get the ball out of LeBron's hands early Double Ilgauskas on the blocks Keep a body on Carlos Boozer Run, run, run The King's Take The Cavs have a knack for always keeping things so darn close, they always seem to get out hustled. The Nets are the type of team that will give the Cavs fits because they are scrappy and they have Jason Kidd who will push the ball every single time down. Too much for the Cavs to handle Nets by 7 <font size="1">Please visit NBA.com</font>
I say the Nets take this one if they run. They've been lagging lately and I personally want to see them get a lot of fast breaks so I can see if they can get back on D. IMO I say the Nets take this one by 5.
How bout the stats on the *New Cavs* ? I say they are getting better each game and playing well against the better teams now..I'm going Cavs on this one
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Clevefandan:</div><div class="quote_post">How bout the stats on the *New Cavs* ? I say they are getting better each game and playing well against the better teams now..going </div> Yeah I agree. the way the Cavs been playing I fliped a coin for this one and called heads for the cavs but it landed on tails so I said the Nets but I was kinding going for them anyway.
Yeah, the stats just show that the cavs never lose by much and are in every game. They also show that they don't get to the line much and turn the ball over a lot. That is why they lose, it's just the little things.
Jason has the advantage over Lebron, hence hes been in the year longer. Kmart will be too much for Boozer, along with Jefferson being to much for Newble. Nets by 6
^^English Dee, please. You are a mod, you should also explain why you feel the way you do about things, anyone can say "he is too* much"
This game should be really exciting to watch, to bad i wont get it, nice preview by the way, i like the NEts in this one, they have more experience
Very entertaining game to watch! although the Cavs are playing pretty good lately, I'm going with the Nets in this one .. they started playing good D, and they have many contirbuters on offence, so I say Nets by 11 !
This will be a great game to watch. Great preview KJ! I think the Cavaliers just can't compete with the Nets when they play their game. The Nets are a much better team. I think Nets will win by 6.
Warriors 70 @ Nets 88 That was a beat down last night, lots of bench time for both teams in that one. So the Nets got some momentum back going into this one.
I'm going with the upset here, I'm taking the Cavaliers by 3. Lebron will finally get his triple double in this one. Of course everyone knows I'm going to be wrong, but it's always fun to go with the underdog.
Great preview King James, I love the stats part! Yeah, you're right when you say that Cavs never lose with much, they never win with much either, but that just show that Cavs is a good team, but they got to get just a level better then now, and they are going to playoffs! I hope LeBron and Carlos Boozer can take the Cavs to the next level in NBA basketball and come to playoffs and be an entertaining and winning team! About this game would I say that we have a good change, because the Nets have a very "roller-coaster game", and it depends from night to night how they play their game, and with out J-Kidd in top shape, will the Nets lose. It also depends abit on how K-Mart is playing! The Cavs got to keep him out of the field and pressure him that much so he can't take alot of rebounds, but it'll be hard for Boozer only, because K-Mart is a great field-player, but since the Nets don't have a real good center, Illgauskas can help Boozer defending K-mart and double him, because Jason Collins is a bad center and will not get much rebounds or points, it's up to K-Mart in the field! This can be the chance for Illgauskas to show Silas his defense, and get Silas in a better moud about him! As you guys maybe heard of my view of the case, the Nets is all about J-Kidd and K-Mart. Yeah, they got this ok or better than ok small forward, Richard Jefferson, but he will not be a big problem for Darius Miles and Ira Newble! (in fact King James, I think Darius Miles will start this game!) If the Cavs do what I said here, they win by 5 to 10, if they don't they lose with 5 to 10! Go Cavs!
The game will be close if the Cavs get the ball to Illguaskas in the low block then the game will be close. He gives the Nets problems every single time the Nets have faced the Cavs these past few seasons. And with our front line being the weakest it has been in J.Kidd era. I think he can do even more damage than usual. He needs to give the Cavs 20-plus points. With Aarron Williams injured, that means he will spend most of the night being guarded by Jason Collins. JC cant guard him or keep him off the boards. I dont think K-mart will guard Illguaskus tonight because K-mart gets in foul trouble guarding bigger players. So it should be an easy night for Illguaskus,if he gets enuff touches in the low post against JC. Lebron has to know the type of advantage Illguaskus has against their frontline. This will help keep the game close for a while.But the Cavs turn the ball over way to much. This plays right into the Nets hand. Fastbreaks all night. Nets by 10.
Thanks for stopping by Henacy, great post. Looks like the majority is going for Nets in a blowout, I just hope that the Cavs get pumped up for this one and don't back down from the moment. I can't wait to see Kidd and James play, DADGUMMIT I love the NBA!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James:</div><div class="quote_post">Thanks for stopping by Henacy, great post. Looks like the majority is going for Nets in a blowout, I just hope that the Cavs get pumped up for this one and don't back down from the moment. I can't wait to see Kidd and James play, DADGUMMIT I love the NBA!</div> Wow thanks for the props KJ, And Yeah I cant lie. Ive been waiting for this game all week. Its going to feel go turning on the TV and seeing the Continential Arlines Arena filled up life it was a playoff game. The Nets love to put on one of their run & gun shows in front of a packed Continential crowd. And we all remember the type of performance that Lebron put on in that High School tornament in Jersey (56pts). So maybe he can duplicate something similar but of course hopefully in a loss. Should make for a very entertaining game.
Actually, I would be more happy with an assist duel between the 2, say Kidd would get 13, and Bron 12. That would be more exciting to me.
My Predictions LeBron James-24 pts 11 reb 11 ast Carlos Boozer 12 pts 9 reb Eric Williams 11 pts 3 reb 2 ast Jason Kidd 16 pts 10 reb 10 ast 2 stl Kenyon Martin 17 pts 6 reb Kerry Kittles 14 pts 2 reb 3 ast 2 stl Final Score: Nets 97< Cavs 94
2 triple doubles would be an instant classic. ok, I'll stop dreaming now, lol, game is not till way later tonight.
