Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks: Sitting On It (UPDATE: Marvin to play, other starters to sit)
Cavs coach Mike Brown said today at shooataround that LeBron and Shaq
won’t play tonight. Woody said he hadn’t made up his mind: “Game-time decision.” But chances are Hawks starters won’t play or get only token minutes considering the Hawks can’t improve their playoff seeding and that’s the way Woody approached last season’s finale under similar circumstances.
(EDIT: In pregame, Woody said Marvin would start alongside Teague, Joe Smith, and Zaza.)
The consensus among Hawks players is they’re fine with sitting.
“If anything, it helps after such a long season, Al said.
These two will watch the game tonight. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
For Brown, the main motivation behind sitting LeBron and Shaq is to avoid injury. “That had a lot to do with it,” he said.
This will be the fourth healthy scratch in a row for LeBron. Shaq just recently was cleared to return after missing six weeks with a thumb injury.
The Cavs will enter the playoffs with their full lineup of LeBron, Shaq, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker having played together for just three full games. Brown wasn’t ready to say that’s not a worry because his team is so veteran.
“You worry,” Brown said. “As a coach you worry about a lot of things. You hope your worries don’t come true.”
After the shootaround, LeBron joked about whether his Atlanta fans want to see him play. Yeah, they do, and by the way does he feel for fans who bought tickets to games to see him as the main attraction? He shook his head: “I’ve played in every arena this year.”
That’s true, though I doubt it’s much solace for his fans who picked the wrong game to buy tickets. Some advice for those fans: If you want to see a star player on a good team, and his final visit is scheduled within the last week or so, best to catch him the first time he comes to town.
– There’s a feeling among the Hawks that the Heat might not go all out to beat the Nets tonight because Miami would rather face the Hawks than the Celtics. That’s not hard to believe. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says manipulating the seeding would be “messing with the basketball gods” but, depending on how many lines you want to read between, the Hawks’ suspicions can be confirmed by looking at this Miami Herald story by Izzy:
Jermaine O’Neal, who missed one game and started only five against the Hawks (in the playoffs) last year because of a concussion, said the difference between the Hawks and Celtics is predictability.
“[The Hawks] can put you in a tough situation, especially in Atlanta,” O’Neal said. “They play at another level. But you never really know what to expect with those guys. But with Boston, you know it’s going to be very physical, it’s going to be a grind-out type of a game, every-possession-counts type of a game. So it’s kind of like, pick your poison, really.”
Of course, even if the Heat tanked it would need the Bucks to beat Boston tonight to “secure” the No. 6 seed. That should happen since the Celtics are likely to rest their starters, too, but you never know. Maybe the Bucks want the Hawks, too.
MC
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543 comments Add your comment
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 14th, 2010
9:30 pm
Teague postered
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:30 pm
lmao@teague just give up
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:31 pm
There was a Bucks fan in the the stands and he had the jersey on with the hat and some sunglasses on while eating fries tryin to look cool lol.
WTF is he even doin the arena lol
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:31 pm
“The funny thing about it is he seems to go out farther and farther as if he has range.”
This is the real problem. At least over the last month, nearly all of his jumpers have been not only out of his range but out of the range of pretty much every big man not named Dirk Nowitzki. I don’t know what the hell is going through his head — if he just comes two feet closer to the hoop he’ll be fine.
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:32 pm
lmao@venom
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:33 pm
And just as I say that, Joe Smith makes two of those.
Freshmaker
April 14th, 2010
9:34 pm
Dam JT0 gonna have 20 assists by the end of the night!
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 14th, 2010
9:34 pm
Joe Smith feeling like he’s back in the 90s with Golden State again averaging 18+
O'Brien
April 14th, 2010
9:34 pm
cp,
Watching Marvin with these guys just continues to frustrate me. Because he still does not stand out among these guys. And it hurts everytime I think about the fact that we have him for 4 more years, at approximately $7.5 mil per year.
Jeff Teague with a double double so far. 10 pts, 10 assists.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:34 pm
By the way, Teague has his double-double.
cp
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
Joe finally hits some jumpers. Teague with 10 dimes alread. Also playing good d on West well other than that dunk lol
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
Teague has 12 pts 10 asts
Melvin
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
Teague is taking over….
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
breaking news josh smith and lebron will have a dunk off after the game
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
Teague is looking good.
Reggie
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
Funniest commentating all year, right there. ‘Nique goes on and on about how crazy Cleveland was to run at Mario for his jumpshot and Rathburn says, ” I’m…not quite sure…..Cleveland’s scouting report……goes…..that…..deep.
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:35 pm
I see the teague hater Northcyde is nowhere to be found.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 14th, 2010
9:36 pm
loll
BONE
April 14th, 2010
9:36 pm
JEFF TEAUGE HATERRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
falcons pick spoon
April 14th, 2010
9:36 pm
What’s all this talk about wanting to play the Heat beacause of ticket sales? Bottom line is D Wade can take over a game at anytime and you wouldn’t want to chance it, especially when they have won 3 out of 4 this year and took you to 7 games in the postseason last year. I would rather play the Bucks and have a possible sweep maybe the Bucks take one if they’re lucky. Let the Celtics deal with Wade. And if the Heat tank tonight against the Nets, that’ll give Atlanta more motivation to beat them anyway. I’m just saying, the Hawks have a better matchup against the Bogut-less Bucks. Get your sweep and rest up for the second round.
Wabe
April 14th, 2010
9:37 pm
I don’t want to hear the “look who he’s playing against” BS, because JT0 is ballin.
12 points; 10 assists
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 14th, 2010
9:37 pm
Scouting report on Mario West = if he’s in the game, its out of reach, either in our favor or the hawks.
Wabe
April 14th, 2010
9:37 pm
Nothing but a bunch of hatin toddlers here.
cp
April 14th, 2010
9:37 pm
O’Brien I have given up on Marvin. Im on the bring in Travis Outlaw next summer bandwagon. I have seen enough of Marvin. He should put up 30 tonight yet Mario West looks like more of a player than him. Its only so long you can say a guy has potential.
Southeastcyde
April 14th, 2010
9:38 pm
Teague is the M.V.S. of this game (Most Valuable Scrub)
Sautee
April 14th, 2010
9:38 pm
Teague with 12 points and 10 assists in 27 minutes.
Bibby’s season avg.?
9.1 points, 3.9 assists in 27.4 minutes.
The kid should have been playing more. I can NOT believe he would have cost us any games. And he’s playing good d on West.
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:38 pm
Picture of Northcyde found
http://media.photobucket.com/image/fat%20nerd/Smashingions/nerd.jpg
Big Ray
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
12 points, 10 assists, up to 50% shooting.
I wonder if that could be considered “taking charge” or “sparking the game”.
Call it garbage time if you wish, what I know is that our bench is beating their bench. Last I looked, the Cavs didn’t exactly have a sorry bench…
Wabe
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
It’s not as if he’s being checked by a bunch of bums. Cleveland has guys out on the floor that tend to play meaningful minutes for them.
Props to the kid.
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
Teague again
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
Another great drive by Teague.
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
damn teague
Melvin
April 14th, 2010
9:39 pm
Bibby is looking worry as he watch Teague….
bigdave
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
BRICKS!
Melvin
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
The Duck was floating on air…
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
I am SHOCKED that Marvin didn’t blow that dunk.
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
worst showtime dunk ever Marvin Williams
BONE
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
JEFF SAID SUCK HIS D1CC
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
lmaooooo@marvin stiff lookin dunk
BONE
April 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
MARVIN IS AZZ
Blast
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
Look at Marvin trying to get on ESPN highlights for the first time ever!
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
Where are the Teague haters?????????????????????
Picture of Northcyde found
http://media.photobucket.com/image/fat%20nerd/Smashingions/nerd.jpg
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
Assuming it remains the same, I wonder if Marvin’s performance in this game will make Woodson more weary of him. He’s not standing out from these guys one bit, and not only is it bench vs. bench, there’s guys who sit behind the bench getting minutes.
Sleepy
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
lol Marvin checked the blog during the timeout and saw that Outlaw comment ? CP is off the xmas card list
Melvin
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
Damn, Teague goes from sitting on the bench to demanding a double team when he touches the ball…. Play the rookie Woody….
Big Ray
April 14th, 2010
9:41 pm
Teague with 12 points and 10 assists in 27 minutes.
Bibby’s season avg.?
9.1 points, 3.9 assists in 27.4 minutes.
The kid should have been playing more. I can NOT believe he would have cost us any games. And he’s playing good d on West.
Co-sign…
Najeh Davenpoop
April 14th, 2010
9:42 pm
I’m not reading too much into this game, but it is interesting that the Cavs’ highly touted bench can’t keep up with the Hawks’ bench.
J.J.M.
April 14th, 2010
9:42 pm
nice info@big ray but all scrubs are playing lol
VenomSpitter
April 14th, 2010
9:42 pm
Picture of Northcyde found.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/fat%20nerd/Smashingions/nerd.jpg
Sleepy
April 14th, 2010
9:43 pm
I dont know why everyone is looking for northcyde for . This isnt the game you can or even should be wanting to defend Teague with . Hes doing what everyone would expect a 1st rd pick to do if he gets minutes in the extended garbage time of a game in the last week of the season . However Marvin is not ………