I unfortunately did not get to watch all of yesterday's Cavs-Pistons game. But I have to ask the obvious question to start things off. Would the presence of a healthy, motivated Allen Iverson matter in this series?
During last year's play-offs, Detroit finally appeared to have compensated for a major weakness. I've stated for a long time that Detroit was most hampered by their lack of guards. Chauncey and Rip used to get worn down late in the play-offs, and this cost the Pistons several times. Finally, last year they had Rodney Stuckey starting to blossom in the play-offs.
However, Dumars saw fit to trade Chauncey away in the hopes of...well, I'm not sure, but I would guess salary cap flexibility and better developing Stuckey. Now, with AI's mysterious "back" ailment (or, perhaps more likely, lack of gastronomical fortitude and acute absence of his much ballyhooed heart, ahem), the Pistons are right back where they were in the last 5 years.
I look at that Pistons bench, and wonder where the scoring is going to come from now. Bynum, perhaps, but otherwise most of those bench players need help creating their shot. However, I'm not counting these Pistons out yet. Allen Iverson is a great player, but it seems like he disturbed that close-knit Pistons locker room. Sometimes teams will rally when they have fewer resources or have something to prove.
One more comment; WHAT HAPPENED TO TAYSHAUN?! Last year, he fell apart in the Boston series after two great series. He appears to be ready to repeat this year. He seems to have problems with physical scorers like James and Wade...that's to be expected when he's defending, but if he can't score either, the Pistons are in serious trouble.
Showing posts with label Cavaliers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cavaliers. Show all posts
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Lebron James Dunk Collection vs. the Toronto Raptors
Credit for these tasty Youtube treats goes to Hoop Heads North, which provides great NBA coverage from a Canadian perspective. If you like Toronto, you should subscribe to their Raptor-centric Youtube channel, from which these videos are embedded. Good work, guys.
Lebron's ability to steal the ball and get out quickly on the break has always been great, but in these videos from last night's Cavaliers-Raptors game, he takes things to another level.
Two back-to-back LBJ dunks to START the game. Yes, that preceding sentence is correct. Notice how Big Z smartly throws the pass ahead of Lebron to let him catch up to it.
Lebron cuts off the passing lane to Bosh and makes the guards attempting to get the ball look like junior high players. He finishes with a Karl Malone tribute move:
Lebron's ability to steal the ball and get out quickly on the break has always been great, but in these videos from last night's Cavaliers-Raptors game, he takes things to another level.
Two back-to-back LBJ dunks to START the game. Yes, that preceding sentence is correct. Notice how Big Z smartly throws the pass ahead of Lebron to let him catch up to it.
Lebron cuts off the passing lane to Bosh and makes the guards attempting to get the ball look like junior high players. He finishes with a Karl Malone tribute move:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Terry Porter's Attempt to Rescue the Sinking Suns
Before I start talking about the Suns, a little news about my favorite NBA team, the Cavaliers. One of the benefits of Thanksgiving break was some free time to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially the Cavs-Warriors game. Mo Williams and Delonte West are making a huge difference to the Cavs. Having extra ball-handlers and shooters frees up Lebron in ways that Eric Snow and Larry Hughes never could. I was also impressed by their unselfishness. When reputed gunners like Wally and Mo are willing to give up nearly open 3's just to pass to Lebron and Danny, respectively, for completely open 3's, something different is going on!
Your random photo accompaniment for today: Shaq figurines/cut-outs and the people who pose with them. Yes, there's a joke about Shaq looking a little stiff nowadays in there somewhere...and yes, even Shaq's cut-out gets more ladies than sports bloggers do, ha.
But I doubt you came here to be drenched with my Cavs-centric drool. In the last five games, the Warriors have scored 100, 111, 97, 125, and 129 points. Those numbers resemble the glory days of the Phoenix Suns, and sound great...except that the Warriors have gone 0-5 during that time span. It was a little sad to see the Warriors players against the Cavs. It was one dribble and shoot, one dribble and shoot, over and over again. Their running game was completely shut down, and so they were unable to execute in the half-court.
Watching the game convinced me that Terry Porter is doing the right thing to go away from the running game in Phoenix. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire have been complaining and sighing in the press about the demise of the 7 seconds or less offense. But they are wrong, and Terry Porter is right.
The Suns lack the athletes to run the 7-second-or-less offense anymore. They used to have clear athletic advantages at most positions (Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, even Steve Nash is more athletic than you think) over the average NBA team. Those players could run and play major minutes without getting tired. But now, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Shaq are old, and the bench is young. The running game isn't a good fit for what this team does best. The team instead has to rely on its new advantage: the big-man pairing of Shaq and Amare.
Shaq has had a disturbing tendency to drift early in the season. But with Terry Porter making him more of a focus offensively, Shaq has been forced to get in shape quickly. He's even doing yoga, of all things. An unhappy Shaq can be a destructive force on any team--just ask the Lakers and Heat. By getting Shaq on board early, Terry Porter is giving himself a better chance at success.
Plus, the Suns will need Shaq's post-up game in the playoffs. The running game is less successful in the playoffs, when no team is coming to Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back, and teams can focus their preparation on Phoenix. Oh, the Suns should still run when they can. But as I said above, their athletes no longer have the advantage over other teams as they once did.
I believe that Coach Porter will return to the running game more in the coming months. This will satisfy Steve and Amare and make it seem like he's an open-minded coach. But by forcing the Suns to include Shaq in the offense early, he's also made sure that he'll have a motivated, alert Shaq for the whole season. And come play-off time, when the Suns need to get baskets in the half-court, they can go to Shaq in the post. Or, if the Suns are really lucky, Robin Lopez will rapidly improve, leading to the Suns being able to run when Robin is in the game and then going more to a half-court offense when Shaq is in the game. That would be a difficult team to stop. Although I have no idea if Robin will become a decent NBA player, the pairing of Amare and Robin, with Robin playing the hard-working Robin to Amare's high-scoring Batman (sorry, couldn't resist), has a lot of potential.
However, I have to wonder if Terry Porter will have enough time to work his excellent plan of getting the young guys decent playing time and establishing Shaq. Come play-off time, those moves will pay off. But right now, Phoenix is coming off home losses to Miami and New Jersey. The perimeter players and Amare will complain. Shaq's passing will continue to need improvement, and Amare will struggle in the high post. I'm concerned that Terry Porter will be fired before he gets a chance to make his plan work. Is Steve Kerr willing to stand behind his choice? We'll see in the next two months.
By the way, the Suns are merely my team of choice to follow in the 2008-2009 season. For regular Suns content, see the following:
Bright Side of the Sun
Ben's Suns Blog
The Shaq figure pictures that didn't quite make the post.
Your random photo accompaniment for today: Shaq figurines/cut-outs and the people who pose with them. Yes, there's a joke about Shaq looking a little stiff nowadays in there somewhere...and yes, even Shaq's cut-out gets more ladies than sports bloggers do, ha.
But I doubt you came here to be drenched with my Cavs-centric drool. In the last five games, the Warriors have scored 100, 111, 97, 125, and 129 points. Those numbers resemble the glory days of the Phoenix Suns, and sound great...except that the Warriors have gone 0-5 during that time span. It was a little sad to see the Warriors players against the Cavs. It was one dribble and shoot, one dribble and shoot, over and over again. Their running game was completely shut down, and so they were unable to execute in the half-court.
Watching the game convinced me that Terry Porter is doing the right thing to go away from the running game in Phoenix. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire have been complaining and sighing in the press about the demise of the 7 seconds or less offense. But they are wrong, and Terry Porter is right.
The Suns lack the athletes to run the 7-second-or-less offense anymore. They used to have clear athletic advantages at most positions (Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, even Steve Nash is more athletic than you think) over the average NBA team. Those players could run and play major minutes without getting tired. But now, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Shaq are old, and the bench is young. The running game isn't a good fit for what this team does best. The team instead has to rely on its new advantage: the big-man pairing of Shaq and Amare.
Shaq has had a disturbing tendency to drift early in the season. But with Terry Porter making him more of a focus offensively, Shaq has been forced to get in shape quickly. He's even doing yoga, of all things. An unhappy Shaq can be a destructive force on any team--just ask the Lakers and Heat. By getting Shaq on board early, Terry Porter is giving himself a better chance at success.
Plus, the Suns will need Shaq's post-up game in the playoffs. The running game is less successful in the playoffs, when no team is coming to Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back, and teams can focus their preparation on Phoenix. Oh, the Suns should still run when they can. But as I said above, their athletes no longer have the advantage over other teams as they once did.
I believe that Coach Porter will return to the running game more in the coming months. This will satisfy Steve and Amare and make it seem like he's an open-minded coach. But by forcing the Suns to include Shaq in the offense early, he's also made sure that he'll have a motivated, alert Shaq for the whole season. And come play-off time, when the Suns need to get baskets in the half-court, they can go to Shaq in the post. Or, if the Suns are really lucky, Robin Lopez will rapidly improve, leading to the Suns being able to run when Robin is in the game and then going more to a half-court offense when Shaq is in the game. That would be a difficult team to stop. Although I have no idea if Robin will become a decent NBA player, the pairing of Amare and Robin, with Robin playing the hard-working Robin to Amare's high-scoring Batman (sorry, couldn't resist), has a lot of potential.
However, I have to wonder if Terry Porter will have enough time to work his excellent plan of getting the young guys decent playing time and establishing Shaq. Come play-off time, those moves will pay off. But right now, Phoenix is coming off home losses to Miami and New Jersey. The perimeter players and Amare will complain. Shaq's passing will continue to need improvement, and Amare will struggle in the high post. I'm concerned that Terry Porter will be fired before he gets a chance to make his plan work. Is Steve Kerr willing to stand behind his choice? We'll see in the next two months.
By the way, the Suns are merely my team of choice to follow in the 2008-2009 season. For regular Suns content, see the following:
Bright Side of the Sun
Ben's Suns Blog
The Shaq figure pictures that didn't quite make the post.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Lebron James 2010 Story Turns Ugly...in 2008.
Many of you have already seen the Deadspin story on Adrian Wojnarowski and Amar's argument. But I thought it was only fair to add some details that Deadspin wasn't able to cover. In the interests of full disclosure, yes, I am a Cavs fan, and yes, I have criticized Adrian before for his lack of integrity on covering the Lebron story. But no, I don't approve of the strong language Amar used, either.
First, as to the matter of Adrian's not being able to find Amar's e-mail address. I wanted to contact Amar this summer to ask him some questions about the Cavs. It's the first and last time I've talked to him. I was able to find his e-mail address via Google in 5 minutes. Apparently that makes me a better reporter than Adrian Wojnarowski! Seriously, Adrian gets paid to do reporting, and he can't find an e-mail address? The call to Amar's number was clearly meant to intimidate Amar right back. Did Adrian have a right to fight fire with fire? Sure. But don't pretend Adrian "couldn't find" Amar's e-mail address.
Second, Adrian has tried to twist every NBA trade story to be about Lebron. Please look at Adrian's archive. Since the start of the NBA season, he has written 13 NBA stories. Remember, Adrian's supposed to be a national columnist for Yahoo!, covering the NBA as a whole. How many of his stories do you think mention Lebron James leaving the Cavs? 5. That means that nearly 40% of Adrian Wojnarowski's stories on the NBA are devoted to suggesting that Lebron might leave the Cavaliers! No bias there, right? After losing his storyline that Lebron would surely go to the Nets, he now is plugging in any team with cap room as a possible destination for Lebron.
Now, I do believe the Knicks might be competitive for Lebron James. But Peter King had some good things to say about the future of the NBA in his column today:
And later:
If things are so ugly in 2008, what will the atmosphere be like in 2010? Please, just let me enjoy two more years of Lebron in peace, ok? After that, if he wants to leave, I am ok with that. He's a grown man, and I thank him for so many great years. But I've had enough with the biased coverage from so many columnists just looking to stir up their home fans. Again, I don't condone Amar's words, but I hope this post helped you understand why some of us Cleveland fans are angry at the Lebron 2010 coverage.
EDIT TO ORIGINAL at 3:15 EST: Just to make my views absolutely clear, physical threats against sports writers are always wrong. I think Amar went too far in that area. Perhaps he meant to joke, but it certainly didn't come across that way in the original post. END EDIT.
First, as to the matter of Adrian's not being able to find Amar's e-mail address. I wanted to contact Amar this summer to ask him some questions about the Cavs. It's the first and last time I've talked to him. I was able to find his e-mail address via Google in 5 minutes. Apparently that makes me a better reporter than Adrian Wojnarowski! Seriously, Adrian gets paid to do reporting, and he can't find an e-mail address? The call to Amar's number was clearly meant to intimidate Amar right back. Did Adrian have a right to fight fire with fire? Sure. But don't pretend Adrian "couldn't find" Amar's e-mail address.
Second, Adrian has tried to twist every NBA trade story to be about Lebron. Please look at Adrian's archive. Since the start of the NBA season, he has written 13 NBA stories. Remember, Adrian's supposed to be a national columnist for Yahoo!, covering the NBA as a whole. How many of his stories do you think mention Lebron James leaving the Cavs? 5. That means that nearly 40% of Adrian Wojnarowski's stories on the NBA are devoted to suggesting that Lebron might leave the Cavaliers! No bias there, right? After losing his storyline that Lebron would surely go to the Nets, he now is plugging in any team with cap room as a possible destination for Lebron.
Now, I do believe the Knicks might be competitive for Lebron James. But Peter King had some good things to say about the future of the NBA in his column today:
"a. If I read one more story about where LeBron James might play two years from now, I'm going to puke.
b. Really: In what other sport are the next two seasons rendered totally meaningless for a cornerstone-of-the-league franchise like the New York Knickerbockers?"
And later:
"What if LeBron James rips up his knee before then? What if Dwyane Wade, another prospective free-agent who turns 29 in the 2010-11 season, continues to have knee trouble? Here's my question for the NBA: Do you mean to tell me it's good for your game that a team is going to play the next 164 games with an eye not on the present, but on the future? And what about the Cavaliers? Why would their fans show any loyalty to James as he drops all these hints about playing out the string in Cleveland? It's an ugly, stupid, fan-abusing situation. Fans should rebel, not kneel and bow to Knick management and say, "Oh, we are not worthy!''"
If things are so ugly in 2008, what will the atmosphere be like in 2010? Please, just let me enjoy two more years of Lebron in peace, ok? After that, if he wants to leave, I am ok with that. He's a grown man, and I thank him for so many great years. But I've had enough with the biased coverage from so many columnists just looking to stir up their home fans. Again, I don't condone Amar's words, but I hope this post helped you understand why some of us Cleveland fans are angry at the Lebron 2010 coverage.
EDIT TO ORIGINAL at 3:15 EST: Just to make my views absolutely clear, physical threats against sports writers are always wrong. I think Amar went too far in that area. Perhaps he meant to joke, but it certainly didn't come across that way in the original post. END EDIT.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Casual Z, Baby
This picture of Zydrunas Ilguskas makes me smile (click for larger view)
To avoid an unfair hint of scandal (the caption for the photo said that the girl asked Z to take the picture with her), I blocked out the girl.
Now that the series is over, let's revisit my Finals Predictions:
1. Ginobili stinks in crunch time... Well, there was that awful Game 3. But if he doesn't make those free throws in Game 4, Damon Jones 3 ties or wins the game, perhaps. WRONG
2. Familiarity may cause scoring to be very low in this series... RIGHT
3. The Spurs are older than you think...IRRELEVANT I do think Duncan wore down some as the series wore on, but it didn't matter.
4. Lebron will wear Bowen down as the series goes on...WRONG
5. The Cavs's offense will have success luring Tim Duncan out of rebounding position with Z and/or Donyell...WRONG
6. Tony Parker will be able to penetrate at will, but Manu will not. RIGHT Manu didn't have a bad series, but Tony certainly had a great one.
7. Key players for the Spurs: Oberto. WRONG
8. Key players for the Cavs: Z. RIGHT Once Z started playing better at home, this became a series.
9. Prediction: Spurs in 6 (Winning Games 1,3,4, and 6)...ALMOST RIGHT There's that nagging Game 2, ha.
Oh, and hail to the champs: while not a Spurs fan, I do appreciate their skills, as I did here and here. But I maybe, just maybe, am bitter enough to post a picture of Tony Parker where he reminds me of Mr. Bean, ha:
To avoid an unfair hint of scandal (the caption for the photo said that the girl asked Z to take the picture with her), I blocked out the girl.
Now that the series is over, let's revisit my Finals Predictions:
1. Ginobili stinks in crunch time... Well, there was that awful Game 3. But if he doesn't make those free throws in Game 4, Damon Jones 3 ties or wins the game, perhaps. WRONG
2. Familiarity may cause scoring to be very low in this series... RIGHT
3. The Spurs are older than you think...IRRELEVANT I do think Duncan wore down some as the series wore on, but it didn't matter.
4. Lebron will wear Bowen down as the series goes on...WRONG
5. The Cavs's offense will have success luring Tim Duncan out of rebounding position with Z and/or Donyell...WRONG
6. Tony Parker will be able to penetrate at will, but Manu will not. RIGHT Manu didn't have a bad series, but Tony certainly had a great one.
7. Key players for the Spurs: Oberto. WRONG
8. Key players for the Cavs: Z. RIGHT Once Z started playing better at home, this became a series.
9. Prediction: Spurs in 6 (Winning Games 1,3,4, and 6)...ALMOST RIGHT There's that nagging Game 2, ha.
Oh, and hail to the champs: while not a Spurs fan, I do appreciate their skills, as I did here and here. But I maybe, just maybe, am bitter enough to post a picture of Tony Parker where he reminds me of Mr. Bean, ha:
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Cavs-Spurs, Game 4 Scouting Report: 2007 Cavs vs. 1991 Bulls
I'll be rolling out some interesting interviews over the next week, so check in. But first, an interesting observation for you (click for larger photo)
I realize this series is over for most people, but I wanted to defend the Cavs against the charge that they are one of the worst teams to ever make the Finals. I'll compare them to...the 1991 Bulls. Check the data for yourself here: Bulls and Cavs.
Top Players
Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg), Scottie Pippen (21.0, 7.7, 7.0) vs.
Lebron James (27.3, 6.7, 6), Larry Hughes (14.9, 3.8, 3.7). Clearly, the Bulls have the edge here, although Lebron is closer to MJ, already, than you think. The shocking stat for me is how little Larry Hughes contributes in terms of steals and blocks.
Edge: Bulls
Supporting Cast
Horace Grant (14.2, 10.0), Bill Cartwright (8.0,5.1), BJ Armstong (9.9, 3.2) vs. Sasha Pavlovic (9.0, 2.4), Drew Gooden (11.1,8.5), Zydrunas Ilguskas (11.9,7.7). Here, I think the Cavs at least draw even. BJ is slightly better than Sasha statistically, but Sasha has a height advantage on him. This was before Chicago had big guards; I think the Cavs would have a decent edge on that. Z is much better than Cartwright. Horace is better than Drew. As well, the Cavs have two half-decent scorers to the Bulls one scorer.
Edge: Cavs
Bench
Paxson (who was a starter, but I'm putting him on the bench for the sake of comparison) and Stacey King are the Bulls' first two players off the bench. Except for Paxson, no one on the Bulls bench would go on to have any additional play-off succes. The Cavs, on the other hand, actually have some play-off veterans (Eric Snow) and young talent (Anderson Varajeo, Daniel Gibson) on their bench.
Edge: Cavs
Coaches
In a matchup of 2-year coaches, Phil Jackson is shrewd enough to surround himself with veteran coaches (such as Tex Winter) while Mike Brown has few veteran coaches on staff.
Edge: Bulls
I believe the Bulls would win if they have home-court, but I just wanted to point out that even the 1991 Bulls may not be better than this Cavs team. Don't let the injury to Larry Hughes fool you. This is not in the top half of Finals teams, but look at some of the teams that have made it before. 2002 Nets? 2000 Pacers? You can't tell me that the Cavs aren't close to that level of talent.
I realize this series is over for most people, but I wanted to defend the Cavs against the charge that they are one of the worst teams to ever make the Finals. I'll compare them to...the 1991 Bulls. Check the data for yourself here: Bulls and Cavs.
Top Players
Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg), Scottie Pippen (21.0, 7.7, 7.0) vs.
Lebron James (27.3, 6.7, 6), Larry Hughes (14.9, 3.8, 3.7). Clearly, the Bulls have the edge here, although Lebron is closer to MJ, already, than you think. The shocking stat for me is how little Larry Hughes contributes in terms of steals and blocks.
Edge: Bulls
Supporting Cast
Horace Grant (14.2, 10.0), Bill Cartwright (8.0,5.1), BJ Armstong (9.9, 3.2) vs. Sasha Pavlovic (9.0, 2.4), Drew Gooden (11.1,8.5), Zydrunas Ilguskas (11.9,7.7). Here, I think the Cavs at least draw even. BJ is slightly better than Sasha statistically, but Sasha has a height advantage on him. This was before Chicago had big guards; I think the Cavs would have a decent edge on that. Z is much better than Cartwright. Horace is better than Drew. As well, the Cavs have two half-decent scorers to the Bulls one scorer.
Edge: Cavs
Bench
Paxson (who was a starter, but I'm putting him on the bench for the sake of comparison) and Stacey King are the Bulls' first two players off the bench. Except for Paxson, no one on the Bulls bench would go on to have any additional play-off succes. The Cavs, on the other hand, actually have some play-off veterans (Eric Snow) and young talent (Anderson Varajeo, Daniel Gibson) on their bench.
Edge: Cavs
Coaches
In a matchup of 2-year coaches, Phil Jackson is shrewd enough to surround himself with veteran coaches (such as Tex Winter) while Mike Brown has few veteran coaches on staff.
Edge: Bulls
I believe the Bulls would win if they have home-court, but I just wanted to point out that even the 1991 Bulls may not be better than this Cavs team. Don't let the injury to Larry Hughes fool you. This is not in the top half of Finals teams, but look at some of the teams that have made it before. 2002 Nets? 2000 Pacers? You can't tell me that the Cavs aren't close to that level of talent.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Cavs-Spurs, Game 3 Scouting Report
Sigh. Those were some brutal games. Makes me want to rant like a teenage girl. Since I am not, a substitute.
You tell them, Taylor! Let's see...nope, still not ready to type words.
Um...still no words. I would just remind you that Tony Parker has looked this good before in the first two games of a series; .4, anyone? Spurs fans don't need a reminder of what I'm talking about, do they? Hey, if you want to go to the Cavs Watch Party for Game 3 in Cleveland, send an e-mail to cavsparty@gmail.com for more info.
You tell them, Taylor! Let's see...nope, still not ready to type words.
Um...still no words. I would just remind you that Tony Parker has looked this good before in the first two games of a series; .4, anyone? Spurs fans don't need a reminder of what I'm talking about, do they? Hey, if you want to go to the Cavs Watch Party for Game 3 in Cleveland, send an e-mail to cavsparty@gmail.com for more info.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Quick Finals Prediction
It's still the second quarter of Game 1, so I suppose I'll squeeze out my predictions quickly here:
1. Ginobili stinks in crunch time. I base this on watching him single-handedly throw away a game a few years ago and last year's foul on Dirk. Quietly file away this fact when he throws away a game in the Finals.
2. Coach Mike still uses San Antonio play names for some of his team's plays. Familiarity may cause scoring to be very low in this series; neither team cracked 90 in the two games this year, I believe.
3. The Spurs are older than you think. After Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (and Oberto, I think), they rely on a veteran crew of 30+ types.
4. Lebron will wear Bowen down as the series goes on. Bowen has neither a height advantage or a strength advantage, and Lebron will attempt to be physical with him before Bruce can take out a knee or something.
5. The Cavs's offense will have success luring Tim Duncan out of rebounding position with Z and/or Donyell, and the Cavs are good rebounders. For once, the Cavs' lack of a low-post scoring option is not as damaging as it was in the Pistons' series.
6. Tony Parker will be able to penetrate at will, but Manu will not.
7. Key players for the Spurs: Oberto. Duncan needs help against the Cavaliers' versatile group of big men.
8. Key players for the Cavs: Z. I say the big men determine this series.
9. Prediction: Spurs in 6 (Winning Games 1,3,4, and 6), but this may be their last deep play-off run. I've been wrong in most of my predictions, and yes, I'm hoping to be wrong again.
1. Ginobili stinks in crunch time. I base this on watching him single-handedly throw away a game a few years ago and last year's foul on Dirk. Quietly file away this fact when he throws away a game in the Finals.
2. Coach Mike still uses San Antonio play names for some of his team's plays. Familiarity may cause scoring to be very low in this series; neither team cracked 90 in the two games this year, I believe.
3. The Spurs are older than you think. After Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (and Oberto, I think), they rely on a veteran crew of 30+ types.
4. Lebron will wear Bowen down as the series goes on. Bowen has neither a height advantage or a strength advantage, and Lebron will attempt to be physical with him before Bruce can take out a knee or something.
5. The Cavs's offense will have success luring Tim Duncan out of rebounding position with Z and/or Donyell, and the Cavs are good rebounders. For once, the Cavs' lack of a low-post scoring option is not as damaging as it was in the Pistons' series.
6. Tony Parker will be able to penetrate at will, but Manu will not.
7. Key players for the Spurs: Oberto. Duncan needs help against the Cavaliers' versatile group of big men.
8. Key players for the Cavs: Z. I say the big men determine this series.
9. Prediction: Spurs in 6 (Winning Games 1,3,4, and 6), but this may be their last deep play-off run. I've been wrong in most of my predictions, and yes, I'm hoping to be wrong again.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
NBA Finals: Yes, Pistons Fans, There Is a Conspiracy
I have been playing connect-the-dots ever since Coach Mike's odd press conference after Game 5. Here is what he said:
"Q. Did you say anything differently?
COACH BROWN: No. A good friend of mine told me, he said, "Tell your team to see if they can score three layups before the first time-out, and see if that would help." So I told the team that; I don't know if they did it or not, but that's the only thing new that I said to them, "Hey, guys, let's see if we can score three layups before the first timeout." I guess it worked. My friend might have a little bit of insight.
Q. Who was the friend?
COACH BROWN: I can't tell you."
Odd, but not that weird for the man who gives his offensive plays extra-long names so other teams can't recognize the same fake pick-and-roll on the 3rd time in a row it's called. (Oops, gave it away!) But who was that friend? Clearly, there must be a reason why Coach Mike concealed his identity. Was it someone no longer on the Cavs payroll? Or perhaps a veteran player like Eric Snow?
Whoever that friend was, it was great advice. All series long, Cleveland had been struggling against the Pistons in the 3rd quarter. Suddenly, in Games 5 and 6, Cleveland played Detroit even in both quarters (19-18 Cavs in their two point victory, 18-19 Detroit in the Game 6 victory.
Here, perhaps is a clue, courtesy of the NY Times:
“We have a great relationship,” Brown said, referring to Popovich, for whom he spent three years as an assistant, earning a championship ring in 2003. “We talk from time to time. He’ll call and check up on me, I’ll call and ask for advice. He’ll call to say ‘good win,’ and I’ll do the same."
That's something, but really, Brown wouldn't call Popovich for advice knowing that beating the Pistons meant facing the Spurs, right? Isn't that tampering by Popovich, because by helping Brown, he's influencing what team he'll play in the Finals? But you say there's no proof that Popovich was still advising Brown when they were going to soon oppose each other in the play-offs. Wrong!
Brian Windhorst finishes the story:
"Even during the Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons as the Spurs were fighting to eliminate the Utah Jazz, Popovich was serving as a mentor with routine phone calls."
I now am 90% sure that Coach Popovich was that friend. I'm not media, so I have no way of learning the final 10%. But it certainly appears as if Popovich would rather face the Cavaliers rather than the Pistons in the Finals. I'm a Cavs fan, but I still think that was wrong for Pop to help once the Spurs were clearly the Cavs next opponent if they won. I fear that much of the improvement to Coach Mike was also due to Pop's calls of advice, and that the Cavs are now doomed against the Spurs. PuppetMaster Popovich is on the other side now, and he'll give Coach Mike enough string to hang himself with, I'm sure. Anyone disagree?
"Q. Did you say anything differently?
COACH BROWN: No. A good friend of mine told me, he said, "Tell your team to see if they can score three layups before the first time-out, and see if that would help." So I told the team that; I don't know if they did it or not, but that's the only thing new that I said to them, "Hey, guys, let's see if we can score three layups before the first timeout." I guess it worked. My friend might have a little bit of insight.
Q. Who was the friend?
COACH BROWN: I can't tell you."
Odd, but not that weird for the man who gives his offensive plays extra-long names so other teams can't recognize the same fake pick-and-roll on the 3rd time in a row it's called. (Oops, gave it away!) But who was that friend? Clearly, there must be a reason why Coach Mike concealed his identity. Was it someone no longer on the Cavs payroll? Or perhaps a veteran player like Eric Snow?
Whoever that friend was, it was great advice. All series long, Cleveland had been struggling against the Pistons in the 3rd quarter. Suddenly, in Games 5 and 6, Cleveland played Detroit even in both quarters (19-18 Cavs in their two point victory, 18-19 Detroit in the Game 6 victory.
Here, perhaps is a clue, courtesy of the NY Times:
“We have a great relationship,” Brown said, referring to Popovich, for whom he spent three years as an assistant, earning a championship ring in 2003. “We talk from time to time. He’ll call and check up on me, I’ll call and ask for advice. He’ll call to say ‘good win,’ and I’ll do the same."
That's something, but really, Brown wouldn't call Popovich for advice knowing that beating the Pistons meant facing the Spurs, right? Isn't that tampering by Popovich, because by helping Brown, he's influencing what team he'll play in the Finals? But you say there's no proof that Popovich was still advising Brown when they were going to soon oppose each other in the play-offs. Wrong!
Brian Windhorst finishes the story:
"Even during the Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons as the Spurs were fighting to eliminate the Utah Jazz, Popovich was serving as a mentor with routine phone calls."
I now am 90% sure that Coach Popovich was that friend. I'm not media, so I have no way of learning the final 10%. But it certainly appears as if Popovich would rather face the Cavaliers rather than the Pistons in the Finals. I'm a Cavs fan, but I still think that was wrong for Pop to help once the Spurs were clearly the Cavs next opponent if they won. I fear that much of the improvement to Coach Mike was also due to Pop's calls of advice, and that the Cavs are now doomed against the Spurs. PuppetMaster Popovich is on the other side now, and he'll give Coach Mike enough string to hang himself with, I'm sure. Anyone disagree?
Monday, June 4, 2007
Coaching Postscript, Cavs-Pistons
I can't believe the Detroit Pistons double-teamed LBJ so much in Game 6, when he clearly left it all on the floor in Game 5. The Pistons actually should have stuck with single coverage on Lebron. I felt that too many of Flip's moves were those of a man protecting his job. Sure it looks good to double-team Lebron after Game 5's performance, and the talking heads were calling for that sort of thing. But it was the wrong move. I've actually started to wonder, though, if Flip playing his starters into the ground in Game 5 wasn't an intentional move of genius. Usually, if you're the veteran team, I would think that you would want to draw out the series, thinking that you have more practice in winning games when they matter. However, I think Flip knew that the Pistons could not afford a Game 7, even if experience and home-court should play in their favor.
Everyone keeps bashing the Cavs line-up, and I agree the starting five is weak. But what's great is that at nearly every position, there's a young and old player to balance each other out. Z and Anderson. Drew and Donyell. Eric and Daniel. The Sasha/Larry/Damon/Lebron mix as well. That's an underrated strength for a team to have, and it wore the Pistons down. If Mike Brown sticks with the hottest hand(s) for playing time in the Finals rather than resorting to veterans, this team could beat the Spurs. Also, Mike Brown's offense may be a mess, but would you look at that D?! No shot-blocker, little press (I'd love to see the Cavs take a page from the Bulls and press in the frontcourt with those big guards), and their best "name" defender may be the oft-injured Larry Hughes. The act may seem to be smoke and mirrors, but it's executed at a level that would impress Hollywood, Vegas, and Broadway.
Everyone keeps bashing the Cavs line-up, and I agree the starting five is weak. But what's great is that at nearly every position, there's a young and old player to balance each other out. Z and Anderson. Drew and Donyell. Eric and Daniel. The Sasha/Larry/Damon/Lebron mix as well. That's an underrated strength for a team to have, and it wore the Pistons down. If Mike Brown sticks with the hottest hand(s) for playing time in the Finals rather than resorting to veterans, this team could beat the Spurs. Also, Mike Brown's offense may be a mess, but would you look at that D?! No shot-blocker, little press (I'd love to see the Cavs take a page from the Bulls and press in the frontcourt with those big guards), and their best "name" defender may be the oft-injured Larry Hughes. The act may seem to be smoke and mirrors, but it's executed at a level that would impress Hollywood, Vegas, and Broadway.
Cavaliers-Pistons Scouting Report After Game 6
By now everyone knows what happened, and that I get to talk about the Cavs for another week at least. But while you're buyingtickets for the Finals, I want to revisit the Pistons.
Have you ever known someone who overcame great obstacles in life? They came to America with nearly nothing, and now they're making six figures...or they were addicted to smoking, and kicked the habit cold turkey by themselves...or they were 5'7" and slow and still started on a state championship basketball team? People put them down, said they would never amount to anything, and instead this person rose up and shut everyone down. Great story, right? But then, have you ever been there for the fall, when they threw it all away for no good reason at all and went back to the squalor and mediocrity of the bad old days? Not too many movies are made about the fall of a champion (although there are quite a few country songs, I'm sure!).
That's how I feel about the Pistons. In 2003-2005, a group of red-ticketed, discount players came together.
Chauncey wasn't supposed to ever become a point guard in the NBA.
Rip was too soft and couldn't play with Michael Jordan.
Ben was an undrafted offensive liability and had been tried at the #3, #4, and #5 spots without ever finding a true home.
Rasheed was a hothead whose tantrums would never allow him to be a part of a championship team.
Antonio's knees were shot, and he couldn't even help the Knicks.
Tayshaun was too skinny and weak to ever make a decent contribution to an NBA team.
They overcame these weaknesses, and quite frankly the 2004 and 2005 Pistons helped me to seriously care about the NBA again. I was tired of the years where the favorite at the beginning of the year always won at the end of the year. It was about time that some sort of upset occurred. The NBA season had become nothing more than a season-long coronation ceremony for the agreed-upon champion. Then the Pistons beat the Lakers, and I got more and more excited with every game of that series.
But now? Go back and read those descriptions I had for each of the players. Realize that in this series, EACH Piston reverted to the stereotype about him. It's so depressing. I am glad that the Cavaliers won, but I do feel bad for the Pistons. Where was the heart? How could Rasheed get himself thrown out like that? It was such a selfish act; it was almost like he wanted an excuse for losing, as if it doesn't count as a loss for him if he wasn't on the floor.
And Flip Saunders and Joe Dumars also failed the team in some ways. You're telling me Joe Dumars couldn't have dealt Nazr Muhammed for Steve Blake or some other back-up point guard? You're telling me that Flip Saunders couldn't find time for any substitutes off that bench? I still think Carlos Delfino, Flip Murray, and Jason Maxiell needed to play longer than they did, and that the older Detroit players got worn out way too quickly. Tayshaun looked bad in Game 1 and never improved, yet Delfino stayed nailed to that bench. I could say more, but Boney said it much better, several games before the series ended.
One last comment. Did anyone else realize during that 20-minute scoreboard delay that the shot for Larry Hughes' foot was wearing off? That 20-minute delay was a gift for the Pistons, as it shut up the home crowd as well. That makes the Piston collapse all the more surprising to me.
Have you ever known someone who overcame great obstacles in life? They came to America with nearly nothing, and now they're making six figures...or they were addicted to smoking, and kicked the habit cold turkey by themselves...or they were 5'7" and slow and still started on a state championship basketball team? People put them down, said they would never amount to anything, and instead this person rose up and shut everyone down. Great story, right? But then, have you ever been there for the fall, when they threw it all away for no good reason at all and went back to the squalor and mediocrity of the bad old days? Not too many movies are made about the fall of a champion (although there are quite a few country songs, I'm sure!).
That's how I feel about the Pistons. In 2003-2005, a group of red-ticketed, discount players came together.
Chauncey wasn't supposed to ever become a point guard in the NBA.
Rip was too soft and couldn't play with Michael Jordan.
Ben was an undrafted offensive liability and had been tried at the #3, #4, and #5 spots without ever finding a true home.
Rasheed was a hothead whose tantrums would never allow him to be a part of a championship team.
Antonio's knees were shot, and he couldn't even help the Knicks.
Tayshaun was too skinny and weak to ever make a decent contribution to an NBA team.
They overcame these weaknesses, and quite frankly the 2004 and 2005 Pistons helped me to seriously care about the NBA again. I was tired of the years where the favorite at the beginning of the year always won at the end of the year. It was about time that some sort of upset occurred. The NBA season had become nothing more than a season-long coronation ceremony for the agreed-upon champion. Then the Pistons beat the Lakers, and I got more and more excited with every game of that series.
But now? Go back and read those descriptions I had for each of the players. Realize that in this series, EACH Piston reverted to the stereotype about him. It's so depressing. I am glad that the Cavaliers won, but I do feel bad for the Pistons. Where was the heart? How could Rasheed get himself thrown out like that? It was such a selfish act; it was almost like he wanted an excuse for losing, as if it doesn't count as a loss for him if he wasn't on the floor.
And Flip Saunders and Joe Dumars also failed the team in some ways. You're telling me Joe Dumars couldn't have dealt Nazr Muhammed for Steve Blake or some other back-up point guard? You're telling me that Flip Saunders couldn't find time for any substitutes off that bench? I still think Carlos Delfino, Flip Murray, and Jason Maxiell needed to play longer than they did, and that the older Detroit players got worn out way too quickly. Tayshaun looked bad in Game 1 and never improved, yet Delfino stayed nailed to that bench. I could say more, but Boney said it much better, several games before the series ended.
One last comment. Did anyone else realize during that 20-minute scoreboard delay that the shot for Larry Hughes' foot was wearing off? That 20-minute delay was a gift for the Pistons, as it shut up the home crowd as well. That makes the Piston collapse all the more surprising to me.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Cavaliers-Pistons Scouting Report After Game 5
A picture is worth a 1000 words...I do believe the Cavs will close out the Pistons in Cleveland on Saturday. The Pistons made the classic mistake of building their squad to stop one team (Miami, more specifically Shaq) and are paying dearly for their lack of backcourt bench support.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Drew Gooden is Making it Rain
After the game, Drew Gooden was asked what he says when he shoots foul shots, and he said "Make it rain!" Drew also told the crowd he loved them to death, and finished his little interview with a scream, Howard Dean style. Please please please someone have the video of this.
I've been riding Drew Gooden pretty hard, but the man stood up for himself tonight against Rasheed and found his game. Love it when a man decides he won't take it anymore. That "Property of Rasheed Wallace" t-shirt I've been joking that he is wearing was ripped to shreds tonight; not even enough scraps left to make a title belt out of. Also, Daniel Gibson: 12-12 from the free throw line. 12-12! Unbelievable. Both those guys certainly surprised me and made my analysis look bad.
And Larry Hughes, often mocked for being soft, limped his way onto the court for 16 minutes: again, these players have something to prove. Finally, Donyell Marshall gave the Cavs 7 points on >50% shooting; very important. I've been harping on the need for Donyell to have good games, and he had a decent one.
All this said, though, I still have doubts that the Cavs can win this series. The Cavs are asking Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson to outscore Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. That makes me nervous.
However, I would add that Detroit's veteran team is breaking down and getting tired! Perhaps the reason the Pistons come out so strong at the beginning of games and in the 3rd quarter because they get a chance to rest? It kind of makes sense to me.
Three starters over 40 minutes again for Detroit. Flip has to play Flip Murray and Jason Maxiell more, and I still am lobbying for Carlos Delfino.
Anyway, I'll cease my bias long enough to tell you that you need to read a new blog covering this series, http://mindofboney.wordpress.com. "Boney" is a Pistons fan and an acid-tongued, witty commenter on Yaysports who finally decided to give us some blog posts too. Naturally, Cavs fans are hoping that he and erstwhile Nets blogger Becky are stuck consoling each other after their teams have both lost to the Cavs, ha.
I've been riding Drew Gooden pretty hard, but the man stood up for himself tonight against Rasheed and found his game. Love it when a man decides he won't take it anymore. That "Property of Rasheed Wallace" t-shirt I've been joking that he is wearing was ripped to shreds tonight; not even enough scraps left to make a title belt out of. Also, Daniel Gibson: 12-12 from the free throw line. 12-12! Unbelievable. Both those guys certainly surprised me and made my analysis look bad.
And Larry Hughes, often mocked for being soft, limped his way onto the court for 16 minutes: again, these players have something to prove. Finally, Donyell Marshall gave the Cavs 7 points on >50% shooting; very important. I've been harping on the need for Donyell to have good games, and he had a decent one.
All this said, though, I still have doubts that the Cavs can win this series. The Cavs are asking Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson to outscore Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. That makes me nervous.
However, I would add that Detroit's veteran team is breaking down and getting tired! Perhaps the reason the Pistons come out so strong at the beginning of games and in the 3rd quarter because they get a chance to rest? It kind of makes sense to me.
Three starters over 40 minutes again for Detroit. Flip has to play Flip Murray and Jason Maxiell more, and I still am lobbying for Carlos Delfino.
Anyway, I'll cease my bias long enough to tell you that you need to read a new blog covering this series, http://mindofboney.wordpress.com. "Boney" is a Pistons fan and an acid-tongued, witty commenter on Yaysports who finally decided to give us some blog posts too. Naturally, Cavs fans are hoping that he and erstwhile Nets blogger Becky are stuck consoling each other after their teams have both lost to the Cavs, ha.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Larry Hughes Tests Ewing Theory Plus Bench Bullets
With Larry Hughes being injured for Game 4 and perhaps out the entire series, I believe that the Cavaliers may actually be improved. As weird as it sounds, this reminds me of Patrick Ewing against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals a decade ago. The Knicks actually matched up better against the Pacers without Ewing, and the Cavs may match up better against the Pistons without Larry Hughes. Last year, the Cavs had their best performances against the Pistons when Larry was out for his brother’s funeral.
Another intriguing storyline for me in Conference and NBA Finals is how substitutes can sway a game for one team or another. I first saw this as an NBA fan when Raja Bell came off the bench for the 76’ers in the last two games to help them beat out the Bucks in 2001. The Pistons have experienced some success with Dale Davis (Game 1), Jason Maxiell (Game 2) and Flip Murray (Game 3), while the Cavs have used Anderson Varajeo (Games 1-2) and Daniel Gibson (Game 3) well. How many bullets does each team still have to fire off the bench?
I think that the Pistons can get away with using Maxiell and Murray again to give them a boost. The Pistons desperately need quickness to deal with the length of the Cavs, and Maxiell and Murray provide those attributes. Frankly, I would be very tempted to go so far as to bench Billups and Webber for Maxiell and Murray, were it not for the fall-off in passing without Webber. Dale Davis and Antonio McDyess, though, may not be of any use in this series.
The Pistons still have one unused bullet off the bench: Carlos Delfino. Don’t laugh. He matches up better with Lebron than you think, and the Cavs don’t know as much about him as they do the other Pistons. They need to give Tayshaun some rest, and I think Game 4 is a perfect spot to use Carlos. If the Pistons lose, so what? But if he gives them a spark to win Game 4, then they just have to win one of three games.
The Cavs have a dilemma with Anderson Varajeo. He’s so out-of-control sometimes on defense, but the Pistons have problems keeping him off the offensive glass. I think he still needs some minutes. The low minute total in Game 3 was a surprise. I’m still wary of Daniel Gibson over Eric Snow. It’s dangerous to fall in love with a rookie after one good game. The Pistons will be better prepared to deal with Daniel Gibson in Game 4.
I know I’m crazy, but I think that the Cavs have a potential weapon in…Scot Pollard. I’m not even sure Scot is on the play-off roster right now. If he is, the Cavs should sneak him onto the floor in the third quarter, which the Pistons have been winning anyway. Here’s why; the Cavs have been unable to find a defender who can shut down Wallace in the post. Pollard at least has the body to contend with Wallace down low, and Wallace may get off to a poor shooting start if forced outside to start the second half. Pollard may also be able to set better picks for Lebron. At least he won’t take 18-footers off faked pick-and-rolls (ahem, Drew Gooden). The Cavs have been hurt by slow-developing plays all series long against the Pistons. But I worry about the drop in offensive production. Same problem with Ira Newble.
Another intriguing storyline for me in Conference and NBA Finals is how substitutes can sway a game for one team or another. I first saw this as an NBA fan when Raja Bell came off the bench for the 76’ers in the last two games to help them beat out the Bucks in 2001. The Pistons have experienced some success with Dale Davis (Game 1), Jason Maxiell (Game 2) and Flip Murray (Game 3), while the Cavs have used Anderson Varajeo (Games 1-2) and Daniel Gibson (Game 3) well. How many bullets does each team still have to fire off the bench?
I think that the Pistons can get away with using Maxiell and Murray again to give them a boost. The Pistons desperately need quickness to deal with the length of the Cavs, and Maxiell and Murray provide those attributes. Frankly, I would be very tempted to go so far as to bench Billups and Webber for Maxiell and Murray, were it not for the fall-off in passing without Webber. Dale Davis and Antonio McDyess, though, may not be of any use in this series.
The Pistons still have one unused bullet off the bench: Carlos Delfino. Don’t laugh. He matches up better with Lebron than you think, and the Cavs don’t know as much about him as they do the other Pistons. They need to give Tayshaun some rest, and I think Game 4 is a perfect spot to use Carlos. If the Pistons lose, so what? But if he gives them a spark to win Game 4, then they just have to win one of three games.
The Cavs have a dilemma with Anderson Varajeo. He’s so out-of-control sometimes on defense, but the Pistons have problems keeping him off the offensive glass. I think he still needs some minutes. The low minute total in Game 3 was a surprise. I’m still wary of Daniel Gibson over Eric Snow. It’s dangerous to fall in love with a rookie after one good game. The Pistons will be better prepared to deal with Daniel Gibson in Game 4.
I know I’m crazy, but I think that the Cavs have a potential weapon in…Scot Pollard. I’m not even sure Scot is on the play-off roster right now. If he is, the Cavs should sneak him onto the floor in the third quarter, which the Pistons have been winning anyway. Here’s why; the Cavs have been unable to find a defender who can shut down Wallace in the post. Pollard at least has the body to contend with Wallace down low, and Wallace may get off to a poor shooting start if forced outside to start the second half. Pollard may also be able to set better picks for Lebron. At least he won’t take 18-footers off faked pick-and-rolls (ahem, Drew Gooden). The Cavs have been hurt by slow-developing plays all series long against the Pistons. But I worry about the drop in offensive production. Same problem with Ira Newble.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Rasheed Wallace's Brush with Goathood
I watched the ending of Game 2 several times now, and am amazed at how close Rasheed Wallace came to being the goat of both Games 1 and 2.
First, in Game 1, he left Donyell for the sake of a useless double team, the very mistake that cost the Pistons Game 5 (and, really, the entire series) of the Finals in 2005.
Second, in Game 2, he somehow failed to hang on to that rebound and thus gave Larry Hughes a high-percentage opportunity to win the game.
However, I don't believe he fouled Anderson Varajeo; he clearly had the position on Anderson, and Anderson was flailingly trying to get it back. If Anderson had the position and Rasheed was trying to elbow in, it would be a different story.
In the end, Rasheed was the hero of both games. That's why I don't like getting too caught up on final results; it's such a coin-flip when you get into the final minute of a closely-contested game. Of course, this gives me yet another excuse to trot out my Rasheed Wallace video. I need to make another one of these sometime. Any ideas as to which NBA player you'd like to see, and which song you want to accompany their pictures?
First, in Game 1, he left Donyell for the sake of a useless double team, the very mistake that cost the Pistons Game 5 (and, really, the entire series) of the Finals in 2005.
Second, in Game 2, he somehow failed to hang on to that rebound and thus gave Larry Hughes a high-percentage opportunity to win the game.
However, I don't believe he fouled Anderson Varajeo; he clearly had the position on Anderson, and Anderson was flailingly trying to get it back. If Anderson had the position and Rasheed was trying to elbow in, it would be a different story.
In the end, Rasheed was the hero of both games. That's why I don't like getting too caught up on final results; it's such a coin-flip when you get into the final minute of a closely-contested game. Of course, this gives me yet another excuse to trot out my Rasheed Wallace video. I need to make another one of these sometime. Any ideas as to which NBA player you'd like to see, and which song you want to accompany their pictures?
Cavaliers-Pistons Scouting Report After Game 2
There were a lot of similarities with the analysis from Game 1.
Is Eric Snow still going to be a liability in this series? Yes.
Are Chauncy and Tayshaun still looking scared and not playing that well? Yes. Don't be fooled by Chauncy's decent shooting percentage; he's still 4 points below his season average and has more turnovers than assists in this series.
Do the Cavs still desperately need a decent game from Donyell Marshall? Yes.
Are the Pistons big men (except for Rasheed) still mostly too old and slow, which is why Maxiell got so many Game 2 minutes? Yes.
Is Drew Gooden still wearing his Property of Rasheed Wallace T-shirt? Probably.
So I have nothing else to say right now, until the series further develops.
Is Eric Snow still going to be a liability in this series? Yes.
Are Chauncy and Tayshaun still looking scared and not playing that well? Yes. Don't be fooled by Chauncy's decent shooting percentage; he's still 4 points below his season average and has more turnovers than assists in this series.
Do the Cavs still desperately need a decent game from Donyell Marshall? Yes.
Are the Pistons big men (except for Rasheed) still mostly too old and slow, which is why Maxiell got so many Game 2 minutes? Yes.
Is Drew Gooden still wearing his Property of Rasheed Wallace T-shirt? Probably.
So I have nothing else to say right now, until the series further develops.
An Offering to the Basketball Gods
Dear Basketball Gods,
Although in real life I hold to the tenets of monotheism, tonight I acknowledge you as slightly more than phantasmagorical beings and ask you to have pity on the Cleveland Cavaliers. To remind you of your previous punishment of the oppressed Cleveland peoples, I have enclosed a video clip of the 1993 NBA Playoff series, Game 4. You owe Lebron at least one cheap victory to make up for all the breaks you gave to your previous favorite #23. Signed, MCBias.
Note: I posted this Thursday around 8:05 PM; just making it Friday so that it shows up first on the post list.
Although in real life I hold to the tenets of monotheism, tonight I acknowledge you as slightly more than phantasmagorical beings and ask you to have pity on the Cleveland Cavaliers. To remind you of your previous punishment of the oppressed Cleveland peoples, I have enclosed a video clip of the 1993 NBA Playoff series, Game 4. You owe Lebron at least one cheap victory to make up for all the breaks you gave to your previous favorite #23. Signed, MCBias.
Note: I posted this Thursday around 8:05 PM; just making it Friday so that it shows up first on the post list.
Drew Gooden Loves Lady Jews and Borat
EDITED TEXT:
Elie Seckbach can have dumb questions sometimes, but these Cavs remind me that most NBA players did not have an anguished decision between going to med school or playing basketball.
END EDIT.
This is one day where my Cavs fandom is more of a scarlet letter C rather than a red badge of courage. (Ducks rotten vegetables from English majors for the misuse of the classics).
Yes, I'm still most shocked that Senor Ducktail has lady friends. What, you think I'm shocked that Damon Jones is a publicity hound and self-obsessed? Not so much.
Oh, and because I am an adolescent at heart: BLOG FIGHT! (language warning). Do we get to choose sides? I want all sides to be assured that for the right price, err, righteous principles, I am available.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Cavs-Pistons Scouting Report After Game 1
I'm notorious for starting these things and not finishing, so please don't be shocked if there is no Game 2-7 recap. But for once, I watched an entire play-off game (yeah!) so I can give you a decent scouting take on the series. First, for no good reason at all, a video of a Cleveland reporter being scratched by an unhappy kitty.
And some good blogs that will be much more regular in their series coverage include detroitbadboys.com, needforsheed.com, yaysports.com, and fearthesword.com.
That said, let's talk about Cleveland's pain:
Cavaliers:
Eric Snowwon't be the Billups-stopper this year that he was last year. Flip Saunders and staff realized that Snow is strong enough to handle Billups in a way that few point guards can. So they added a Billups/Prince pick-and-roll play. Because the Cavaliers switch, this would leave 6'5" Snow on 6'9" Prince and definitely give the Pistons an advantage.
Drew Gooden has serious problems handling Rasheed Wallace on either end of the floor. I don't know how they can hide him, though, as Marshall isn't getting many minutes either.
Donyell Marshall may be the most important player in this series. Against Detroit's 3-2 zone, Marshall's corner 3's are a perfect fit.
Lebron James realized this on the final play, and also realized that (1) the refs hadn't been calling fouls all game, (2) Rasheed already had 7 blocks for the game and (3) his shot hadn't been falling all game. However, Lebron and the Cavs have to realize that Lebron won't get good looks from the corners of the court. They need to get him isolated up top or posted up down low.
Zydrunas Ilguskas is a good jump-shooter; I loved how he was obviously trying to put extra arc on the last shot, knowing that he was tired and needed more strength. Sadly, it was still short. However, his shooting only served to emphasize Cleveland's lack of a low post option. When your best low post option is an Anderson Varejeo hook, the type I use on the playground...you have problems.
High posts by the Cavs feed into Detroit's hands, unless they are set up with cross-court passes. Then that 3-2 won't be able to adjust in time.
The Pistons big men were clearly trying to bully and body Anderson Varejeo as soon as he got into the game. The refs were surprisingly aware of this and gave him the calls. It was a lucky break for a young player to get so much respect, and freed Anderson to put on a strong 13 point performance off the bench.
The speed of Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes is good enough to outweigh their lack of strength. This is the series where the Pistons will miss Ben Wallace. If the Cavs can put Donyell and Z on the floor at the same time and force Rasheed out of the middle, the Pistons have no shotblocker. Although the Cavs may have lost the game, I like the confidence boost this game gives to two guys who at times have lacked it.
As for victorious Detroit:
Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups looked scared. There's no nice way to sugarcoat it. Tayshaun fell down at least 3 times when trying to drive to the hole and went 1-13 from the field. Chauncey was completely befuddled by the Cleveland double-teams and dribbled the ball off his foot a time or two. Seven turnovers! However, as always, when the Pistons need to put a team away, the Chauncey Three struck again. It should be trademarked; he does it every time. Still, Detroit is thin at the guards, and Cleveland actually has more options off the bench than Detroit for the "1" and "2" spots.
Rip Hamilton is a beast. He looked like he was doing a basketball drill; no more than 2 dribbles, and then shoot or pass.
Chris Webber, Dale Davis, and Antonio McDyess are all as elderly as I thought. The vaunted Detroit front court has name cachet, but most of it is based on 1990's All-Star appearances. Still, for not being able to jump, Chris Webber is a snake in the pivot.
Rasheed Wallace has just as much to prove as Zydrunas, as Rasheed's mouth woke up Cleveland last year. It's not surprising both came out with big games.
And some good blogs that will be much more regular in their series coverage include detroitbadboys.com, needforsheed.com, yaysports.com, and fearthesword.com.
That said, let's talk about Cleveland's pain:
Cavaliers:
Eric Snowwon't be the Billups-stopper this year that he was last year. Flip Saunders and staff realized that Snow is strong enough to handle Billups in a way that few point guards can. So they added a Billups/Prince pick-and-roll play. Because the Cavaliers switch, this would leave 6'5" Snow on 6'9" Prince and definitely give the Pistons an advantage.
Drew Gooden has serious problems handling Rasheed Wallace on either end of the floor. I don't know how they can hide him, though, as Marshall isn't getting many minutes either.
Donyell Marshall may be the most important player in this series. Against Detroit's 3-2 zone, Marshall's corner 3's are a perfect fit.
Lebron James realized this on the final play, and also realized that (1) the refs hadn't been calling fouls all game, (2) Rasheed already had 7 blocks for the game and (3) his shot hadn't been falling all game. However, Lebron and the Cavs have to realize that Lebron won't get good looks from the corners of the court. They need to get him isolated up top or posted up down low.
Zydrunas Ilguskas is a good jump-shooter; I loved how he was obviously trying to put extra arc on the last shot, knowing that he was tired and needed more strength. Sadly, it was still short. However, his shooting only served to emphasize Cleveland's lack of a low post option. When your best low post option is an Anderson Varejeo hook, the type I use on the playground...you have problems.
High posts by the Cavs feed into Detroit's hands, unless they are set up with cross-court passes. Then that 3-2 won't be able to adjust in time.
The Pistons big men were clearly trying to bully and body Anderson Varejeo as soon as he got into the game. The refs were surprisingly aware of this and gave him the calls. It was a lucky break for a young player to get so much respect, and freed Anderson to put on a strong 13 point performance off the bench.
The speed of Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes is good enough to outweigh their lack of strength. This is the series where the Pistons will miss Ben Wallace. If the Cavs can put Donyell and Z on the floor at the same time and force Rasheed out of the middle, the Pistons have no shotblocker. Although the Cavs may have lost the game, I like the confidence boost this game gives to two guys who at times have lacked it.
As for victorious Detroit:
Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups looked scared. There's no nice way to sugarcoat it. Tayshaun fell down at least 3 times when trying to drive to the hole and went 1-13 from the field. Chauncey was completely befuddled by the Cleveland double-teams and dribbled the ball off his foot a time or two. Seven turnovers! However, as always, when the Pistons need to put a team away, the Chauncey Three struck again. It should be trademarked; he does it every time. Still, Detroit is thin at the guards, and Cleveland actually has more options off the bench than Detroit for the "1" and "2" spots.
Rip Hamilton is a beast. He looked like he was doing a basketball drill; no more than 2 dribbles, and then shoot or pass.
Chris Webber, Dale Davis, and Antonio McDyess are all as elderly as I thought. The vaunted Detroit front court has name cachet, but most of it is based on 1990's All-Star appearances. Still, for not being able to jump, Chris Webber is a snake in the pivot.
Rasheed Wallace has just as much to prove as Zydrunas, as Rasheed's mouth woke up Cleveland last year. It's not surprising both came out with big games.
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