Giant Cav dwarfing over Warriors' bigs
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 11 Jun 2015
CLEVELAND -- Even when sitting down, 7-foot-1 Timofey Mozgov is tall, almost as tall as myself, who is an inglorious 5-foot-nothing.
Extra large guys such as the 250-pound Mozgov are usually slow as a moron's IQ. But this 28-year old Russian is an exception. Mozgov moves faster than Western Union.
LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova are two of the biggest reasons why the Cavaliers are up 2-1 over the Golden State Warriors in these NBA Finals. But Mozgov is right up there, too, draping his fingerprints all over the Larry O'Brien trophy that is just a mere two games away from Cleveland's to claim.
Through 3 Finals games, Mozgov has piled up 39 points on 13 of 24 shooting. He has grabbed 23 rebounds and is a proven defensive force in the middle, blocking and altering Warriors shots in the paint.
Mozgov has thoroughly outplayed Warriors center Andrew Bogut, who only has 10 points and 23 boards. The 7-foot Bogut hasn't been much of a rim protector thus far and he isn't a meaningful part of the offense either, shooting just 4-of-9 from the field.
In fairness to Bogut, he isn't the only Warriors big that has demonstrably shrunk under the Finals' bright lights.
Draymond Green has notched 29 points, but he clanked 22 of his 30 shots while Harrison Barnes had gone 9 of 27 from the field for 22 points. The Warriors should ask the FBI to help locate Green's and Barnes' shooting accuracy.
Mozgov made himself available to the media after practice early today and he proved to be quite a pleasant interview, answering reporters questions bluntly while injecting some humor along the way.
Asked if he prepares differently during these Finals, he replied "no." He explained that every member of the Cavaliers knows the job they have to do. "At the end of the day, it's just a basketball game." said the blond, blue-eyed Russian.
Asked if he feels whether the 30-year old Bogut is frustrated about how he has been outplayed, Mozgov, a 5-year NBA veteran, quipped: "You ask him (Bogut). I don't read his mind."
I'm know psychic, either, but this much I know: Mozgov is an under-rated under-appreciated giant who is earning every dollar of his $4.5 million paycheck.
With a $12.9 million salary, Bogut makes early thrice as much as Mozgoz. But unlike Timofey, Andrew has yet to prove his weight in gold at these NBA Finals. (HDS)
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Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
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