Some coaches complain about a lack of practice time even as they cancel it to give their players rest.

Byron Scott has been reluctant to pass on any training opportunities. Since the regular season began the Cavaliers have practiced on every off day except one.

“The lockout, in my opinion, hurts the teams with a core of young guys and us being one of those teams,” Scott said. “We want to get as much work done as possible without killing the guys.

“Some days I just want them coming in to smell the gym, to just be in there and not do a lot of running but [stay active] from a mental standpoint.”

Scott will not hold practice Thursday after coming off the team’s first back-to-back games. The Cavs have just five back-to-backs in the first 21 games, affording them more practice time than many teams. Of course, they will pay for it later in this condensed schedule, but the coach wants to get his youngsters up to speed as quick as possible.

“We want to understand what we are doing on both ends of the floor,” Scott said. “We don’t have to go through pounding. We just want to be mentally in tune.”

Body clocks: The Cavaliers begin their six-game road trip today in Toronto before flying to Minnesota. The team will play in four time zones over the next 10 days.

It will be a new experience for rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, who said he plans to get as much rest as possible and follow the lead of veterans. Anthony Parker said a player almost has to go through it once or twice to get his body clock straight.

Curry’s take: Dell Curry isn’t quite an expert on Irving, but he has a fair amount of insight as to what the former Duke point guard is facing during his rookie season in the NBA.

Curry, a former Cav who is now a broadcaster in Charlotte (N.C.), is the father of Seth Curry, a junior guard at Duke, and Stephen Curry, the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NBA draft by Golden State out of Davidson. Before Tuesday’s game, he was asked what advice he gave to Stephen before his rookie season that might apply to Irving.

“First, find a coach he can really learn from, usually an assistant,” Curry said. “And watch film. I think film is big for young guys — to watch yourself, your mistakes and the things you do well. It’s tougher for a point guard. He’s got to learn everybody else’s game and his own. I think film is even more important from that aspect.”

Asked if he thought Irving had the makeup and/or personality to handle running the Cavs, Curry said: “He’s very tough-minded. I think that’s something he learned at Duke — from practice and the games. He’s coachable, and he plays with a lot of energy. That’s something you really can’t teach.”

Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer contributed to this report.

That’s all for today.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

What do you guys think about this.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 30, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — Another ugly game, another win for the Indiana Pacers.

Danny Granger scored nine of his 22 points in overtime, after No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving missed a layup that would have won it at the end of regulation, and Indiana beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91 on Friday night.

Indiana has shot below 40 percent from the field in each game this season, yet is off to a 3-0 start. Indy went 0-19 last season when shooting under 40 percent, but the Pacers have a new identity this season under coach Frank Vogel, a hard-nosed approach that emphasizes defense and rebounding.

Gone are the days when the Pacers flung 3-pointers at will — Indiana made just two against the Cavaliers. Indiana had three players with double-doubles for points and rebounds for the second time this season: Roy Hibbert had 17 points and 13 rebounds, David West had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyler Hansbrough added 11 points and 12 boards.

It’s what Vogel calls “smash mouth basketball.” And the Pacers say they are only going to get better.

“When we start shooting over 40 percent, it’s going to look a lot prettier out there, and we won’t have to grind these wins out,” Hibbert said. “Just to be able to do this now is great.”

Part of the reason Indiana has been able to get away with shooting so poorly is the team’s ability to make shots at key moments. Granger shot just 5 of 17 in regulation, but was 3 of 5 in the extra period. On Wednesday against Toronto, Granger made two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after struggling throughout the game.

“That’s what Danny does,” Hibbert said. “He makes big shots down the stretch and we follow his lead. David and I try to be defensive anchors, and everything else falls into place.”

George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers.

Irving led Cleveland with 20 points in his best game so far, but missed a layup that would have won the game at the end of regulation. Irving got by his defender and drove the lane for an open shot, but the ball rimmed out, and the game went to overtime.

“I had a great look at it,” the 19-year-old Irving said. “Wish it would have gone down for me and my teammates to get this win, but it didn’t. We fought hard in overtime. We just didn’t come out with the win.”

The Pacers knew they got away with one.

“Irving is a heck of a player,” Vogel said. “Not `going to be,’ but right now. He got by our pick-and-roll defense and got penetration to the basket. Fortunately, he missed.”

Irving said he’d learn from the experience.

“I left it all out there in the floor,” he said. “All you can do is leave it out there, play hard, and go to sleep and get better the next day.”

Anderson Varejao added 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Anthony Parker and Antawn Jamison each scored 12 points for the Cavaliers.

The score was tied late in regulation until West made a pair of free throws with 2:12 left to give the Pacers an 82-80 lead.

Irving made one of two free throws to cut it to 82-81 heading into the final minute.

Parker’s 3-pointer as the shot clock expired gave Cleveland an 84-82 lead with 17.5 seconds left. Indiana, with no timeouts, immediately went into its offense. West nearly lost the ball, regained control, drove and dropped in a floater with 4.4 seconds left to tie the score.

Granger took over in the extra period. He hit a layup while closely defended by Alonzo Gee. Jamison’s 3-pointer was blocked by West, then Granger hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Pacers up 93-87, and Indiana maintained its lead from there.

The Pacers led 70-61 at the end of the third quarter. Cleveland made just 4 of 18 shots and committed seven turnovers in the period.

Hill carried the Pacers early in the fourth quarter. He hit a baseline jumper, then converted a three-point play to push Indiana’s lead to 75-64. Cleveland rallied, and a reverse layup by Irving trimmed the Pacers’ lead to 76-72 and forced Indiana to call timeout with 6:40 remaining. The game remained close the rest of the way.

“We took some bad shots, made some bad plays down the stretch, and we added fuel to the fire by giving up layups on the other end and giving Anthony Parker open threes,” Granger said.

Cleveland coach Byron Scott said it was a positive step for his young team.

“We had an opportunity to win the game before the overtime period, but I just loved the way our guys competed, against a team we feel is one of the better teams in the East,” he said. “Our effort was fantastic and something we should be proud of.”

Notes

Indiana F/C Jeff Foster sat out with a sore lower back. Vogel said he planned to use Foster sparingly early in the season anyway. … Cleveland coach Scott played for the Pacers for two years. … Indiana F Jeff Pendergraph missed the game with a sore right knee. … The Pacers failed to make a 3-pointer in the first half and Cleveland made just one. .. Cleveland G Daniel Gibson left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ring finger. He returned in the third quarter. … Cleveland’s Samardo Samuels fouled out with 9:25 remaining.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Another ugly game, another win for the Indiana Pacers.

Danny Granger scored nine of his 22 points in overtime, after No. 1 pick
Kyrie Irving missed a layup that would have won it at the end of regulation, and
Indiana beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91 on Friday night.

Indiana has shot below 40 percent from the field in each game this season,
yet is off to a 3-0 start. Indy went 0-19 last season when shooting under 40
percent, but the Pacers have a new identity this season under coach Frank Vogel,
a hard-nosed approach that emphasizes defense and rebounding.

Gone are the days when the Pacers flung 3-pointers at will—Indiana made
just two against the Cavaliers. Indiana had three players with double-doubles
for points and rebounds for the second time this season: Roy Hibbert had 17
points and 13 rebounds, David West had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyler
Hansbrough added 11 points and 12 boards.

It’s what Vogel calls “smash mouth basketball.” And the Pacers say they
are only going to get better.

“When we start shooting over 40 percent, it’s going to look a lot prettier
out there, and we won’t have to grind these wins out,” Hibbert said. “Just to
be able to do this now is great.”

Part of the reason Indiana has been able to get away with shooting so poorly
is the team’s ability to make shots at key moments. Granger shot just 5 of 17 in
regulation, but was 3 of 5 in the extra period. On Wednesday against Toronto,
Granger made two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after struggling
throughout the game.

“That’s what Danny does,” Hibbert said. “He makes big shots down the
stretch and we follow his lead. David and I try to be defensive anchors, and
everything else falls into place.”

George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers.

Irving led Cleveland with 20 points in his best game so far, but missed a
layup that would have won the game at the end of regulation. Irving got by his
defender and drove the lane for an open shot, but the ball rimmed out, and the
game went to overtime.

“I had a great look at it,” the 19-year-old Irving said. “Wish it would
have gone down for me and my teammates to get this win, but it didn’t. We fought
hard in overtime. We just didn’t come out with the win.”

The Pacers knew they got away with one.

“Irving is a heck of a player,” Vogel said. “Not `going to be,’ but right
now. He got by our pick-and-roll defense and got penetration to the basket.
Fortunately, he missed.”

Irving said he’d learn from the experience.

“I left it all out there in the floor,” he said. “All you can do is leave
it out there, play hard, and go to sleep and get better the next day.”

Anderson Varejao added 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Anthony Parker and
Antawn Jamison each scored 12 points for the Cavaliers.

The score was tied late in regulation until West made a pair of free throws
with 2:12 left to give the Pacers an 82-80 lead.

Irving made one of two free throws to cut it to 82-81 heading into the final
minute.

Parker’s 3-pointer as the shot clock expired gave Cleveland an 84-82 lead
with 17.5 seconds left. Indiana, with no timeouts, immediately went into its
offense. West nearly lost the ball, regained control, drove and dropped in a
floater with 4.4 seconds left to tie the score.

Granger took over in the extra period. He hit a layup while closely defended
by Alonzo Gee. Jamison’s 3-pointer was blocked by West, then Granger hit a
3-pointer from the left corner to put the Pacers up 93-87, and Indiana
maintained its lead from there.

The Pacers led 70-61 at the end of the third quarter. Cleveland made just 4
of 18 shots and committed seven turnovers in the period.

Hill carried the Pacers early in the fourth quarter. He hit a baseline
jumper, then converted a three-point play to push Indiana’s lead to 75-64.
Cleveland rallied, and a reverse layup by Irving trimmed the Pacers’ lead to
76-72 and forced Indiana to call timeout with 6:40 remaining. The game remained
close the rest of the way.

“We took some bad shots, made some bad plays down the stretch, and we added
fuel to the fire by giving up layups on the other end and giving Anthony Parker
open threes,” Granger said.

Cleveland coach Byron Scott said it was a positive step for his young team.

“We had an opportunity to win the game before the overtime period, but I
just loved the way our guys competed, against a team we feel is one of the
better teams in the East,” he said. “Our effort was fantastic and something we
should be proud of.”

— —

Notes: Indiana F/C Jeff Foster sat out with a sore lower back. Vogel said he
planned to use Foster sparingly early in the season anyway. … Cleveland coach
Scott played for the Pacers for two years. … Indiana F Jeff Pendergraph missed
the game with a sore right knee. … The Pacers failed to make a 3-pointer in
the first half and Cleveland made just one. .. Cleveland G Daniel Gibson left
the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ring finger. He returned in
the third quarter. … Cleveland’s Samardo Samuels fouled out with 9:25
remaining.

— —

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap

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Read More: George Hill (G – IND), Kyrie Irving (G – CLE), Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, Dec 30, 2011 6:00 PM CST

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off of a convincing road win against the Detroit Pistons and have a chance to win another in Indiana on Friday night.

Behind strong shooting from inside the arc, the Cavaliers have a 47-45 lead after the first 24 minutes.

While the Cavs have a two-point advantage at the break, they are shooting just 57-percent from the line and 1-of-9 from long distance. The Pacers outscored the Cavs 8-5 in the final 2:50 of the first half, too.

The No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, Kyrie Irving, leads all scorers with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting with two assists and two rebounds for the Cavaliers. George Hill is the leading scorer for the Pacers with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting off the bench.

For more on the Cleveland Cavaliers, go to Fear The Sword. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA.

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Overall. the Cleveland Cavaliers looked good Wednesday night, Dec.28. Not only did they pull off a 105-89 win on the road, six different players scored in the double digits. But, just like the opening game was not clear indication of how the season will go, this game can not accurately predict the future. Despite the solid performance, they did have a bit of a headstart on this team having already faced them twice in the short and rushed preseason.

Regardless, as a fan it was great to see the team, working as a team. The bench truly stole the show from the starters, and no one minded. The depth of the team was great to see.

The bench contributed 56 points, 23 rebounds and 15 assists. While rookie, Tristan Thompson, put up 10 points and four rebounds, it was even better to see Kyrie Irving more comfortable on the court. Irving racked up 14 points, had 7 assists and four rebounds in under 20 minutes of playtime. Some fans were worried about Irving, but he proved his worth Wednesday night against the Pistons. This young recruit needs to acclimate himself to the NBA and his position and it seems he is well on his way. He certainly played more confident.

“It was definitely a different feeling,” Irving said. “Last time I wasn’t really enjoying the game. I love the game so much and the first time I wanted to be so serious, wasn’t joking around, no smile on my face. Tonight, it was about having fun.”

Although the Cavaliers had 21 turnovers, Coach Byron Scott is not complaining. They defended well, kept a handle on the easy baskets and outrebounded the Detroit Pistons, 40-26. Nothing to complain about there.

“On the defensive end, we were so much better, so much more aggressive from start to finish and that’s exactly what we talked about,” Scott said. “When you play defense like we did tonight, it seems like the offense is easy.”

More by Sylvie Branch:

Cavaliers Lose Opener 104-96 Against Toronto Raptors, Does Not Decide Season: Fan Report

Top Five Cleveland Cavaliers Moments of 2011

Cleveland State Part of the Top 25: Fan Reaction

Sylvie Branch is a die-hard Cleveland sports fan who is perpetually holding out for the day her teams do not break her heart!

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Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers were treated to a nice surprise on Wednesday, December 28. After last year’s abysmal 19-win and 63-loss performance, we got used to the fact that wins were hard to come by. We hoped for an improved squad this season but knew there would be some growing pains. A solid victory always helps.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons by the score of 105-89, Cleveland improves to 1-1 on the season while Detroit falls to 0-2.

Ramon Sessions was the top performer of the game for the Cavs scoring 16 points with seven rebounds and six assists coming off the bench. While he led the team in scoring he was only 4-11 from the field, which is still cause for some concern.

For the Pistons, rookie Brandon Knight led the team with 23 points on the night paired with a rebound and six assists. Unlike Sessions he was 10-13 from the field. Ben Gordon scored 25 points on the night but Knight gave a better overall performance in the Pistons’ losing effort.

Rookie Kyrie Irving had a much better night scoring 14 points with four rebounds and seven assists on the night. He was 5-9 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. After his disappointing opening night performance against the Toronto Raptors, he had nowhere to go but up. I was happy to see him show much improvement in this game.

Tristan Thompson played well yet again adding 10 points, four rebounds, and an assist coming off the bench. While he has only played in two games in his young career, I have no complaints the Cavs picked Thompson as high as they did in the draft.

Already this season has a different feel to it. Fans realize the Cavs are young and rebuilding. Last year was a season filled with anger and hostility. This year is a season filled with promise. There is the promise that comes with knowing Dan Gilbert is dedicated to building a team the right way this time around and the promise that while the team will surely take its bumps and bruises this season, they will get better.

Cavs’ fans have something to look forward to again.

Next up for the Cavaliers are the Indiana Pacers on Friday, December 30.

More Cleveland Cavaliers Commentary from this Contributor:

Cleveland Cavaliers drop opener to Raptors 104-96, Irving struggles: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Omri Casspi shines in his preseason debut: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving defeat Detroit Pistons 91-87: A fan’s reaction

Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers is better for business: A fan’s perspective

Cleveland Cavaliers use amnesty clause, waive Baron Davis: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Cavaliers fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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What do you guys think about this.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ coach Byron Scott started rookie Kyrie Irving in the teams’ first regular season game on 12/26/11 against the Toronto Raptors. This was a decision that many were on the fence about. What really seemed odd is that coach Scott not only started the rookie, but he put him back in the game in the last few minutes when the Cavs were down. Irving was not having a good shooting game.

Ramon Sessions was having a hot night with shooting, but coach Scott benched him in favor of Irving in those last critical minutes. Coach Scott says that Irving has to get used to these types of situations. This makes sense.

“It’s a developmental thing right now,” said coach Scott. “I’ve got to get this young man (Irving) used to closing out games and I have to find out what he has, what he’s made of when the games are on the line in situations like that.”

Coach Scott is in his 12^th season as a coach in the NBA so he knows what he is doing. Plus, he is in a tough spot with the Cavs. He is trying to win games, but he is also trying to mold and mentor new players at the same time. This is a difficult balance.

Kyrie Irving does need to be in those high-pressure situations in order to get used to them and to build up the confidence and skills to tackle them effectively. The NBA is a completely different world and a whole new level of competition for him. He is obviously a skilled player, but he has to get used to playing against guys of NBA caliber. So, it seems that coach Scott’s decision to put him in at such a critical time was a good one, at least from an experience-gaining standpoint.

Plus, as Ramon Sessions has said, Irving did start the game, so it only makes sense that he also close it out.

Irving is a new player in the NBA, so there are going to be bumps in the road. He was rather impressive during the preseason and he looked bumpy during the first regular season game. This is to be expected. As coach Scott provides him with more experience and opportunities to improve his craft, he is sure to become a cornerstone of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. She was raised a Cavs’ fan and has remained loyal through all of the teams ups and downs. She remains confident that the Cavs will bring home a championship at some point in her life. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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With less than six minutes remaining and his club trailing by seven points, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott replaced his most effective player with a rookie point guard searching for his rhythm and jump shot.

Without context the decision sounds indefensible, and it’s certainly one Miami’s Erik Spoelstra or Boston’s Doc Rivers won’t have to make anytime soon. But Scott’s objective is more complex, his balancing act more delicate than many of his peers this season.

The Cavaliers coach is simultaneously trying to win games and develop youngsters. Sometimes, those desires intersect to form peculiar moments like the one Monday night at The Q as Ramon Session, the game’s leading scorer, was subbed out for 19-year-old Kyrie Irving, who had hit 1-of-8 shots to that point.

It wasn’t an exhibition or a meaningless late-season game, but the opener in front of a sellout crowd. Scott said he’s sure some fans second-guessed the move in the Cavaliers’ 104-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

But it’s one the coach made after mulling it for more than two minutes.

“It’s a developmental thing right now,” Scott said. “I’ve got to get this young man (Irving) used to closing out games and I have to find out what he has, what he’s made of when the games are on the line in situations like that.”

In his 12th season as an NBA coach, Scott estimates it’s just the third or fourth time he’s replaced a hot hand – Session had 18 points and six assists – in favor of a player on the learning curve. It’s one thing for coaches to say they want to cultivate rookies. It’s another to do it with a game on the line a season removed from a league-record 26-game losing streak.

Of course, Irving isn’t some kid fresh from the NBA Development League. He’s the top pick in the June draft, and one of the Cavaliers’ future cornerstones. Irving finished the night with six points on 2-of-12 shooting, while adding seven assists.

“I can sit here and put two minutes on the clock (at practice) and say we’re down four,” Scott said. “It still doesn’t simulate what you are going to go through when the game is on the line and you’ve got 17,000 people in the stands as well. As many times as he can be put in that situation the better off he will be.”

How will it play with season-ticket holders or the veterans who hear the horn and see Irving or Tristan Thompson, 20, trotting onto the floor? Some wondered how Baron Davis would react to such a scenario. The injured point guard was waived two weeks ago and signed by the New York Knicks.

Sessions, who’s spent much of his four seasons as a reserve, said he understands what the Cavaliers are doing. He offered no objection Tuesday to Scott’s late-game decision.

“That’s what the Young Fella is here for,” Sessions said. “He started the game and he is going to finish it. The Young Fella is really talented. You guys have seen that. That’s his job.”

Almost immediately after entering the game with 5:28 left Irving launched a long jumper his coach termed a “rookie mistake.” Nevertheless, Scott liked that the point guard wanted the ball and wasn’t afraid of the moment.

Irving converted 1-of-4 shots down the stretch along with three assists, a turnover and a steal. After the game, he appreciated the coach’s show of faith and his teammates’ support. Session reminded him of his 7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and that 65 games remain.

Scott said once Irving gets accustomed to playing with the starters he and Sessions could see time in the same backcourt.

Irving wasn’t made available to the media Tuesday following a flurry of interviews the past few days. After patiently answering every question Monday night, he tweeted: “Learning process . . .”

His coach figures to give him many opportunities to learn on the court – sometimes at the expense of others.

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