The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series with the New Jersey Nets 87-85 tonight in East Rutherford, NJ. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:
- This by far was the most exciting Cavs playoff game this year. If you want to be an elite team you have to win games like this.
- I thought an excellent game plan by Mike Brown and the players executed it very well. In this series the uglier the game is the more it benefits the Cavs.
- I love the toughness the Cavs showed tonight and they didn't back down from the Nets tonight, and I thought the flagrant foul on Sasha tonight woke the team up and really raised our level of play.
- The Cavs definitely deserved to win this game because they got stops in the 4th quarter. This is the one thing that Mike Brown preaches. The Nets didn't have a field goal the last 6:58 of the game.
- People will say how that punk Mikki Moore had a great game, but he did nothing the last six minutes of the game. And he also awoke the opponent when we were struggling along with that punk ass flagrant foul.
- I was happy with the game that Lebron had tonight I thought he played like the superstar that he is and he played a complete ballgame tonight.
- I thought Z had a solid game tonight even though countless times he was slow getting back when defending the pick and roll.
- I know Sasha didn't have a great game point wise but at least he brought the toughness and he and Eric Snow really frustrated Vince Carter.
- I know Carter had 25 tonight but he did it on 23 shots and he showed once again why he is not an elite superstar and not a big time player in the clutch. Also before this series started I heard all the national media analysts say how great of an addition Nachbar was to the Nets but he has showed me nothing in this series and has shrinked more and more every game.
- All right Eric Snow haters even you have to admit the Cavs don't win this game without his defense and toughness. Sometimes I marvel at the disdain some people have for him. He honestly isn't the most talented guy in the world but he is a good veteran presence on the team and his toughness wear off on his teammates.
The Cavs will try and close out the series on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena and I expect a rocking house to greet the Nets.
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What Questions Were Answered? What Is Ahead?
May 14, 2007
It is a new world for these youngsters who stepped out of college into the NFL and were asked immediately to know where to go and what to do and how to act.
By the end of the weekend and three practices, most of the kids were swimming mentally and exhausted physically. Mini-camp tells you some things about a team, and about a player, and it also raises more questions to be answered.
I know this about the Eagles of 2007: This is as intriguing a team as I have been around, filled with promise and high expectations with many, many stories on the roster.
Let's discuss some of the topics from mini-camp moving ahead ...
THE MENTAL GAME: A WIN OR A LOSS?
This was the first of four camps before training camp. The rookies now stay around and condition, study, work out and prepare for the May 24 Rookie Camp. After that is a camp -- technically called Organized Team Activities -- for selected veterans and rookies and then another OTA for all veterans and rookies.
And then they break for a month before the rookies report for three days of training camp before the veterans arrive.
The coaching staff fed the rookies a lot of information. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg calls it a "three-day football school," and the players lived and breathed the playbook and X's and O's all weekend.
What kind of plays did the offense run, for example? The coaches introduced base plays, nickel runs, base play-action plays, movement throws, screens, nickel passes and also worked, minimally, on some "situation" -- red zone, for example -- plays.
"We threw an awful lot at the players and I think they responded, for the most part, very well," said Mornhinweg.
It was definitely a win, then. The coaches didn't come out of the weekend believing that any of the players new to the system -- signed as free agents or drafted -- are rock heads.
Most of the camp was mental, yes, but the players also understand how the Eagles practice. Defensive tackle Ian Scott was exhausted, having run reps on the second and third teams. He has a good appreciation for what to expect.
"I liked it a lot," he said. "Work hard and get the most out of you. That's fine with me. Whatever it takes to get on the field."
HOW DID THE ROOKIES DO?
The general consensus among the coaching staff was that the rookies got off to a collective good start. Tight end Brent Cesak stood out after reviewing the film, and quarterback Kevin Kolb was tremendous. Running backs Tony Hunt and Nate Ilaoa digested and processed the information and went and made some mistakes and also did a lot of good things.
Defensively, the Eagles liked what they saw from their young defensive backs, and they know both C.J. Gaddis and Rashad Barksdale have work ahead of them. Linebacker Stewart Bradley moved well and was in the right places, and end Victor Abiamiri moved very well for a big man. He is going to push for playing time.
Kolb was the star of the show, as expected. He took a third of the reps -- maybe a touch more -- and aced the mental game. Of the five practices, Kolb was tremendous in four of them and had a blip or two in one of the workouts.
He was about as good as a rookie can be in his first mini-camp. That is how the coaches saw his performance.
ARE THERE DEPTH-CHART SURPRISES?
Well, it depends on your perspective. If you thought, based on some reading in the last week, that Jeremiah Trotter had lost his starting job, you would be surprised to know that he is still starting and that he looks very good out there.
That said, expect Omar Gaither to play a big role on the defense. He and Trotter will likely split the duties at middle linebacker based on the personnel packages on the other side of the ball. The Eagles don't want Trotter to get caught in pass coverage, so they could use the more athletic Gaither in coverage.
William James is showing all sorts of confidence, and that is a good thing, about starting at cornerback. He wants it. He has a high goal. That's great for competition. But the job at right cornerback is Sheldon Brown's now, and Brown is not going down without a fight.
Andy Reid praised Ryan Moats on Monday, and Moats is currently running third at running back behind Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter. Trent Cole starts at right defensive end some of the time and Darren Howard starts there some of the time, so that figures to be a good battle in training camp.
Surprises? It is too early for surprises. No rookies jumped in to the starting lineup. Jason Avant appears to be the leader in the clubhouse for the role of slot receiver.
But there are many practices to go and much competition to wade through before decisions on who plays where and when are made.
CAN THE EAGLES COUNT ON ...?
There are several key players to talk about, so here is a mini-list ...
Chris Gocong, LB: The Eagles talked in glowing terms after camp about the way Gocong played here. He got to the right spots, made the right reads and ran 100 mph all over the field. He is your starter at SAM, with Tank Daniels and Stewart Bradley as the backups.
Sean Considine, SS: Bulked up and still quick enough to play well in coverage, Considine looks great. It was impossible for my eye to tell how he played. Coaches seem happy, which is fine with me.
Kevin Curtis, WR: Runs great routes, catches everything and is very quick. My only concern with Curtis is his size and his ability to stay fresh and healthy all year. I don't want him to wear down.
A.J. Feeley, QB: He looked great. Feeley threw the ball with authority and precision and good velocity. This is a new gig for Feeley, and he sure has a lot of confidence right now.
Brodrick Bunkley, DT: Keep your fingers crossed. The young man has work to do. He isn't there yet. But Bunkley is making strides and doing all the right things. He is not just saying the right things. He is there, working hard and taking no shortcuts.
Joselio Hanson, CB: The fourth cornerback here shows a good break on the ball and excellent quickness. He knows the defense and the coverage combinations.
Jeremy Bloom, KR/WR: He caught a zillion punts and handled them well. I thought Bloom also stepped up as a wide receiver. Can he release off the line of scrimmage, though? I see him as a man in motion a lot, and the Eagles need to see him with the ball in his hands. I like his quicks.
WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AND LEHIGH?
The conditioning program continues through June 22 and there are three more camps -- OK, OTAs -- between now and then. The Eagles have cap room and they have their eyes on the rest of the league to see what might come available.
Needs? You can always upgrade. The Eagles, from this perspective, seem pretty well set.
ARE THE INJURED EAGLES ON TRACK?
Some updates, please ...
Donovan McNabb, says Reid, should be ready at the start of training camp. McNabb was on the field for every practice with the quarterbacks, with the offense. He appears to be in superb physical condition. The knee is coming along well.
Jevon Kearse weighs 241 pounds and needs to add some beef in the next two months, and he will. What is remarkable is that the man has one percent body fat. He has an amazing physique. I expect Kearse to weigh between 255 and 260 for training camp. The speed is still there, as evidenced this weekend. Kearse made it through one practice a day fine.
Lito Sheppard battled some illness but he is fine. The elbow injury suffered in the playoffs is healed. He is good to go.
Montae Reagor seems to not be a bit concerned about missing this camp. He sounds like he will get on the field in training camp.
William Thomas has done all the workouts with the team and is in great shape and is expected to be ready for the next camp in June.
Bethel Johnson is a bit of concern for me. I think the Eagles will go with a return man who handles both punts and kickoffs and while Johnson is an explosive kickoff return man, he is not all that experienced in the punt game. So Johnson, who has a stress fracture in his tibia, did not have the chance to catch punts here. Can he make up the lost ground to Bloom?
ANY DARK HORSE CANDIDATES EMERGE?
I can't even go that far. I will give you all the good stuff I saw, but I can't overreact to the performances in this camp. Sure, Saverio Rocca is neck and neck with punter Dirk Johnson. There is no doubt that Tank Daniels is moving up the ranks at linebacker. Yes, Max Jean-Gillies is in better shape physically and Winston Justice is clearly stronger than last year.
But the pads have to go on before the real evaluations can begin. That is when it really, really, really starts. The youngsters who apply themselves the best in the spring mentally benefit when training camp arrives.
WHAT IS TEAM MORALE LIKE?
Seems great. Even for a guy like tight end L.J. Smith, who was besieged by questions about his contract status -- he is in the final year of his deal -- the team comes first. Winning comes first. The Eagles know this team has a chance to be Super. The talent is there. The coaching is there. The depth is promising. The top-end talent matches any in the league.
So, yeah, team morale is good. Better than good. Team chemistry, advanced last year during the winning in December and early January, takes a step forward now.
Is the McNabb story lingering? Maybe to you out there it is, but there is no evidence of that inside the walls of the NovaCare Complex.
Any malcontents? None stepping forward.
This is the time to think selfishly, in a sense. Each player has the responsibility to make himself the best he can be to win a roster spot. That is all that is important right now.
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