Doing things the hard way
Posted May 25th, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
Auburn Hills, Mich. — The difference between the Cavs and the Pistons in this series so far is very thin. But there’s no doubt Detroit has more moxie. They play with more poise and confidence and they are a more complete team and it shows up in the final score. For the Cavs, they are just a very tough team to beat. That would not have changed had the Cavs won Game 2, beating Detroit four times in seven games is just as daunting as beating them four in five in all honesty.
As I’ve said before and will say again, all this pressure and failure will only help the Cavs. That may be hard to see if you are a fan now, and it sure is for the Cavs players I can tell you. But last year the Cavs came here and got blown off the floor in the first two games. The gap is closing, even if it doesn’t seem that way.
Let’s break it down…
–There is really no use talking about those calls at the end. It did appear to me that LeBron James was fouled but he also was searching and looking for a foul there. If Andy Varejao flopped on Rasheed Wallace, it looked convincing to me but I understand why he didn’t get the call. Sheed still made a completely amazing shot there with LeBron right in his face. He earned it. Plus some calls went the Cavs way, especially the goaltending on Antonio McDyees with 2:30 left.
–Nonetheless, it was a positive for LeBron to take the shot. He knew he had to. It was not successful but he will learn to get a better shot. He’s growing in front of our eyes.
–Overall, I thought LeBron played great for much of the game. It is hard to attack the Pistons, they can so easily frustrate you. He was effective in creating stuff for his teammates a lot of the game. More importantly, I thought his defense was exceptional especially in the fourth quarter. He was very active and made three or four huge plays. He had three steals and got a bunch of other loose balls. The two problems I had with his play were the six turnovers and that he didn’t force the issue during the Pistons third quarter run. He took the first shot of the second half and didn’t take another one in the quarter.
–Larry Hughes’ poor offensive play is hurting the team deeply right now. On defense, he’s done a quality job dealing with Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, but never has it been more obvious he is not a point guard. Not only did he miss that eight-footer that might have won the game, which is probably the Cavs biggest choke of the postseason quite frankly, but when he came in the game in the fourth quarter he immediately turned the ball over twice. He has simply been unable to aid LeBron is in dire time of need and that’s what the Cavs are paying him so much money for.
–My guess is when Mike Brown next talks to Gregg Popovich he’ll get a profanity-laced lecture about showing more poise. He was going crazy on the sidelines in the fourth quarter, demonstratively reacting to calls and toweling himself off. Getting the technical foul late was pointless, especially if he wasn’t going to back it up by calling out the refs in the postgame. He’s learning a great deal, too. He was just throwing lineups out there in the second half searching for something that would work. Going small worked but he seemed to struggle in managing it because he doesn’t have a lot of experience deploying those guys. Which, of course, is why it isn’t good to be inconsistent and experimenting in the postseason. As a defender of his all season, I believe Mike has a great future ahead of him but he’s got to have these growing pains, too. This games will benefit him down the line, even though I know that’s not what many of you want to hear.
–The third quarter problem is pretty much unacceptable at this point. It isn’t just the coach, the players’ intensity is letting down as well. As I wrote on ESPN, maybe they need to practice halftime. I am only half joking, here. This is an old school solution, take a 15-minute break in the locker room, and go practice again. Plus I have no idea what is being said in the timeouts Mike takes in bunches in there, because very little seems to be getting done in there.
–I found out before the game that the NBA decided LeBron a flagrant foul-2 for this play in Game 1 after reviewing film. With that ruling he could’ve been suspended for Game 2. As is policy, the NBA didn’t make an announcement about it. Believe it or not, LeBron might have benefited from all that talk about his pass in Game 1. Had everyone been discussing the hit on Chris Webber, the league may have felt pressure to act considering the play sure looked like what Kobe Bryant got suspended for twice. The NBA was probably glad it didn’t have any more suspension attention in this round.
–This guy is funny and good with photoshop.
May 25th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Plain and simple larry, larry, blew the game, all the other stuff before larry missed the shot does not mean anything because he had a chance to earn his 60million dollar on that play. rasheed foul on andy was obvious and blatant, you could see him swing his arms, bad missed call by the ref. But larry, blew it. I say brown put gibson and dj in the game when they need a last second shot. as funny as it may sound this series is not over, we could beat this team just have to make the big shots. I still feel we will win in 7 games.
May 25th, 2007 at 12:37 am
where the hell was drew gooden in the 2nd half?! he played his ass off and mike brown refuses to put him and varejao on the floor at the same time? UNREAL… and mike brown should have AT LEAST gotten tossed after the no-call on LeBron… isn’t this guy supposed to be the best player in the league and he can’t get a call after he is absolutely mugged?! Try to tell me Kobe or Dwyane doesn’t get that call and I will call you a liar
Donyell Marshall is fucking useless unless he hits some 3’s but my god did he give up some easy buckets
And tell the Cavs big men that all they have to do is *bump* Hamilton, not guard him off screens, this guy is killing us by not even touching the ball!!!!
Jason Maxiell is a guy… just another guy in the league, a poor-man’s Varejao, if you will, and yet, he is able to eat us alive because we have no idea how to defend
May 25th, 2007 at 1:10 am
We have plenty of ideas how to defend - the defense has been a strength. If Maxiel goes off and you contain everyone but Rasheed, that’s a pretty good game. Holding the Pistons under 80 twice in a row on the road - I can live with that, too. Gooden had no clue on defense several times and got yanked early; it seems like he’s on one of his disappearing cruises.
I’m with Brian on the fact that the Cavs are still experimenting at a point in the season where they should know what other options they have. Trusting Gibson to play 20 mins (and play them well) is not something we got consistently in the regular season. But for Brown and everyone else, it’s a learning curve.
Can the Cavs learn quickly enough to take game 3, and then tie the series? Well, I sure hope so. But they will need the fans to make a difference and to not cave into pressure when it comes. We’ll see on Sunday.
What is a bit surprising to me is that our veterans are not coming through. Drew absent for 2 games, Z absent for one. Hughes absent on offense for both. Marshall misses a potential game-winner, Hughes misses a potential game-winner. We were fortunate to get good production from many of the youngsters tonight. Just not enough to get us over the hump.
If Rasheed can hit that contested baseline jumper, Hughes has got to hit the answer. Bottom line. LeBron’s drive was not a thing of beauty, partly due to contact, but when the ball rolls to you like that - nail the shot and go home tied.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:01 am
The Refs clovered the Cavs.I hope, Next year the rule should be change. Either the coach or the player can contest the call during the last 2-3 minutes of the game.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:02 am
The Refs clovered the Cavs.I hope, Next year the rule should be changed. Either the coach or the player can contest the call during the last 2-3 minutes of the game.
May 25th, 2007 at 4:25 am
Well, the Pistons pretty much blew out Chicago, and have just barely squeeked by the Cavs. So lets hope the Cavs take 2 games here in Cleveland. They need to close out these games though…2 games in a row they have choked at the end.
I think the deciding factor in this series, with all the low scoring games, may be the team that can hit the key shots down the stretch. So far, the Pistons are huge at the end of the game…and the Cavs are terrible.
May 25th, 2007 at 5:56 am
Alrighty. Another missed opportunity in Detroit, but they have been in the ECF 5 striaght years.
I personally thought LeBron should have taken the shot at the end of game 1, but I can’t fault him for the wide open pass. I did fault him for not being agressive the rest of game 1.
Game 2 last night he obviously played better. He got some support from the rest of the team, but again they let a game they had in hand slip away in the 3rd quarter.
For whatever it is worth, I really like the way Gibson plays, he still needs experience, but he at least looks like he is into playoff basketball.
I wonder if perhaps the Cavs are trying to be too even keel. IMO, they need to get fired up, pissed off, take some fines from David Stern. Put Pollard on the floor to plant someone.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:01 am
How can the insanely-overpaid veterans Hughes and Marshall even look at themselves in the mirror? They are useless pieces of crap. Seriously, Dru Joyce is more reliable with his jumper.
In the NBA, it’s all about BEING ABLE TO HIT AN OPEN SHOT. That’s why Jordan and the Bulls knew a good thing when they had Steve Kerr (not good enough for the Cavs?), BJ Armstrong and John Paxson. Please show me ONE, just ONE, reliable option LeBron has to pass to—who has even a 50% chance of nailing a jump shot?
May 25th, 2007 at 6:23 am
So help me, if the Cavs have Larry Hughes next season, I won’t watch one single game. This guy is pitiful.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:28 am
Please put Scott Pollard in to knock Hamilton to the floor. Please.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:44 am
Think Mark Price has 10 minutes a game in him still?
May 25th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Did Sasha land before he got rid of the ball? Because I couldn’t see his feet - but it looked like he got rid of it before he landed.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Larry Hughes….ugh. It’s almost as if he’s too scared out there and would rather have Gibson play. This guy just needs to get outta here next year.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:44 am
I thought the Pistons were the ones that were going to make us want to throw things at the TV, not the officials.
May 25th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Don’t blame the refs. The Cavaliers suck. After four years in the league, Lebron still doesn’t have a jumper and still can’t hit a mid-range shot. After four years in the league that idiot still hasn’t learned how to win games. And that nasty habit of biting his finger nails has to stop. Lebron is simlply a cowardly fraud. TRADE HIM FOR ODEN NOW!
May 25th, 2007 at 8:46 am
The reason LeBron isnt scoring as much in this series has little to do with him not being aggressive or unwilling to take big shots. It has a lot more to do with Mike Brown’s offense. I cant believe im saying this, but, Barklet is right when he says LeBron shouldnt be the point forward. Its painfully obvious in this series. When he is playing the point the defense can set up for him. 5 sets of eyes on him at all times, sagging off of their primary guys waiting for Lebron to move. If he moves left, they all rotate left.. If we had a player who could create, it would drastically help LeBron out. That way he could play off the ball, meaning everyone on defense cant just sit and watch LeBron (they’d have to watch the ball first), and slash and cut his way to 30+ point games. Notice a lot of Bron’s buckets came on quick hits (like off an inbounds play) or when someone else fed him the ball INSIDE the 3 point line. This is because the defense did not have time to set up and focus all of their energy and stopping Lebron
May 25th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Hughes is an open sore on this team. We need to get rid of him, somehow, as soon as we can. It’s not his personality or anything, he just sucks on the offensive end. He’s like a walking turnover out there.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Larry Hughes is a joke. Contract or not, he needs to be gone next year. Hopefully Mike Brown will bench him. He is hurting us big time. Why did Hughes not shot a simple bank shot from 8 feet away? My 11 year old daughter hits that shot about 90% of the time. Pitiful!
May 25th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Another tough lose, to be sure, but like B-W said before the series started, every weakness the Cavaliers have is being exposed and should give Danny Ferry a pretty specific blueprint for the off-season.
I am keeping the faith, and hey, like some say, a seires really doesn’t start until a road team wins. At least that is what we need to cling to!
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
May 25th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Sorry about all the fat-fingered gramatical errors…
We need some spell-check around here!!
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
May 25th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Why is Larry Hughes still playing? He needs to be glued to the bench, and his minutes given to someone who doesn’t CHOKE CONSTANTLY!!!!!
May 25th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Brian -
Thanks for bringing up Mike Brown’s inconsistent behavior. I think he should have been fired up and gotten the T. But he should have backed it up in the press conference. Did you see the press conference…just hearing it does little justice. Brown is almost literally biting his tongue and lips…he is restraining so much anger. But I don’t know why. This is the perfect time for gamesmanship. This is what Eddie Jordan does so well. Make the no-call a news-worthy thing and the refs, who are human after all, will notice…even if they don’t want to…they will notice.
Also - any comments on wasting the 24 seconds…there could have been multiple possessions at the end of the game. And don’t we “win on defense”? I guess part of the problem was having no timeouts to advance the ball….but again…wasting them early is another coaching blunder.
Next year - same core team - Rick Carlisle leads us to Finals.
Thanks,
Lorenzo
May 25th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I’m oddly conflicted about the Cavs. These two games show the gap between the Pistons isn’t much. We’re only a few parts away from being the best team in the East.
But the parts we have and need are at complete odds. We’re playing our best basketball when we have shooters on the court - Gibson, Jones, Marshall and Pavs - and more athletic bigs: Gooden and Varejao.
With those guys and LeBron on the floor we blew out the Nets in Game 6 and blew out the Pistons in the 2nd quarter of Game 2.
Then last night Brown stupidly, stubbornly goes back to the starters in the 3rd quarter - forcing the ball down low to Z, which absolutely makes our offense plodding, predictable and ineffective - and the 12 point lead is gone.
Bottom line. We’re trying to win the 1994 NBA title when Hakeem and Ewing led their teams in games that looked like prison ball. We’re paying two guys - Hughes and Z - $10 million a year and we’re a better team when they’re on the bench. Um, not good. Unless we move one of them, if not both, those two will be the reason why the Cavs don’t win a title.
May 25th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
excellent post nate, Mike do need to keep the best players out there. I agree dan gibson and dj need to be out there more esp. for a final shot, they spread the floor which allows lebron a lane to drive thru. any way this is for little lorenzo, before the press conf. after the game coach mike was huddle up with dferry and dgilbert, my guess is they were telling him not to be harsh on the officaials, anything that would cost the team a fine. im starting to like coach mike, he is going to be alright, he just need some good players to make it work. grant it some of his coaching dec. has not been good this year, but look he is once again taking the pistons to the brink. I DO BELIEVE THEY WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. THE PISTONS ARE BEATABLE.
May 25th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
It seems everyone is overlooking the fact that King James is averaging a blistering 14.5 per game after the first two. He looks scared and confused. Ginobli comes off the bench for the Spurs and averages more than James. James may be the reason we got this far, but he’s also the reason we won’t make it past Detroit, he has not yet proven he can handle the pressure.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
LeBron, and all the attention he draws, is the reason the Cavs were two wide open shots away from being up 2-0 in this series.
Coach Brown did the right thing, in regard to the refs. He let them know they botched it, but at a time when a technical foul was pretty much moot. Not calling the refs out at the press conference was also the right thing to do.
But he should have stuck with Gibson down the stretch. During three straight Detroit possessions, Gibson makes a steal then blocks two Billups shots. Next thing, Brown brings in Hughes.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Unless Gilbert’s investors were secretly intending to pay Brown’s fat fine, I think it’s a reasonable assumption to believe that $$$ had more than a little something to do with his reluctance to open his mouth at a press conference. Seemed pointless, anyway.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Hey, Fear the Sword. There’s nothing wrong with your blog, really, there isn’t. But do you have to be repeatedly advertising it here, and then adding a link? I mean, I have a pair of mint-condition classic Cerwin Vega D-9 speakers I want to sell, but I’m not posting it on a Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer’s blog and advertising it with a link.
Monster speakers weighing 85 pounds each. HUGE 15″ woofers to go along with two 6″ mid-ranges and a 1″ tweeter. Solid cherry wood cabinets, outstanding condition. THESE SPEAKERS WILL ROCK YOUR HOUSE DOWN. I’ve kept these babies in climate-controlled storage for over 20 years. It’s like opening up a time capsule and finding a 1957 Thunderbird in mint condition. Look at the reviews for the D-9s. The reviews are consistently terrific. They originally retailed for $525 each/$1,050 pair. I’ll negotiate, but I’m certainly not giving them away.
http://www.audioreview.com/mfr/cerwin-vega/floorstanding-speakers/PRD_119318_1594crx.aspx
May 26th, 2007 at 7:21 am
rashard lewis now a free agent. Put some socks on boatshoes. Start calling his agent NOW.
May 26th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Good luck ever getting boatshoes to wear socks–though he could borrow some panty hose from Hughes. As for any fine Brown would have incurred for making comments during the postgame conference about the refs–hell, he can afford it. The guy is making millions off of his royalties for every Mr. Potato Head sold by Hasbro.
May 26th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
And offer Lewis’ agent what, doc? A midlevel exception? It’s Steve Blake or bust. Which would have gotten a HUGE laugh at the recent Friars Club Roast of Danny Ferry, if not for the fact it was absolutely true. That damn Gilbert Gottfried couldn’t even get a Ferry joke right.
May 26th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Ever since Hasbro went all PC and took away Mr. Potato’s Head’s pipe, which, in my opinion, was the very best part of Mr. Potato Head, Brown’s royalties have trickled down to almost nothing. People should respect his fiscal decision to keep his spuds shut.
May 26th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Mike Brown doesn’t need royalties from Mr. Potato Head. He’s got plenty of supplmental income from his lucrative acting career.
http://www.officialbillduke.com/
May 26th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
lmao, lmao, terry p hair that was funny!!! oh yeah, by the way terry’s hair what were you doing on bill duke website?, so my next question is, is terrys hair an afro, or jeri curl, no wait locks.
May 26th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I do believe this series is going to go the same way it went last year, this time the outcome will be different. by golly we could beat this team.
May 26th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Terry Pluto’s Hair, that writing style the rest of your body uses…what is it called? I once found the name of it and saved it, but the hard drive on an old computer crashed and I lost the file containing it. I’m talking about the specific name of the writing style of repeated usage of one line paragraphs, that sort of thing. There’s a certain name for it, and it’s been driving me crazy for months trying to remember it.
May 27th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Tucker, I don’t know the fancy literary word for it, but I think you’re referring to the combination of “repetitive” and “crap.”
Crapetitive.
May 27th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
was bill duke the black dude in predator?
May 27th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Yes, doc, he was. However, my favorite Bill Duke role was in “Payback,” when he played a corrupt cop. He wore spectacles and a suit and never resembled Mike Brown more.
May 27th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Terry Pluto’s Hair, “crapetitive” may indeed be a slang term for it, but there is also a real word for it, and it’s been driving me bonkers since my hard drive containing the word went up in smoke. Somebody on this blog must know it.
May 27th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I miss Joe Hoops slamming Alan Tuker. This blog has become boring and off-topic. Bring back Joe Hoops!!!!!!!
I think if the Cavs win tonight, Joe Hoops should be welcomed back. And Alan Tucker banned.
May 27th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Thanks, “ak.” And speaking of boring and off-topic comments, not to mention Terry Pluto’s Hair’s coinage of the writing style known as “crapetitive,” your opinion regarding me is highly-valued. When I eventually go up to heaven or go down to hell, if I don’t see similarly creative ak and JoeHoops posts in God’s own Heaven and Hell Blog, I’ll be extremely disappointed.
I only skimmed the last few posts, but did I read them correctly???…Mike Brown was in “Predator?” I did not know that.
May 27th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I agree with ak. This blog has become stagnant. I used to like reading Joe and Alans back and forth banter, but now its a one sided sausage fest with Alan Tucker. Bring back JOE so somebody will put Alan in his place once and for all!!
May 27th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
OK…
If the Cavs score MORE than 20 pts in the 3rd quarter, Joe Hoops is permitted to post again.
If the Cavs score LESS than 20 pts in the 3rd quarter, Alan Tucker is banned for one week.
May 27th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
OK, looks like we all came out winners on this one. Cavs only scored 16 pts in the 3rd (surprise surprise), so Joe Hoops is still not to post here, and Alan Tucker is banned for one week.
May 27th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
CAVVVVVVVVVVVVSSSSSSSSSSSS WINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 27th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
haha JoeHoops, you’ve now taken to posting as me? come on, what happened to ak and ka, they were so strikingly dissimilar to the point of view voiced by JoeHoops!
May 27th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
1 down 3 to go. the decision not to play larry a lot of mins and snow at all had to come from boat shoes or dgilbert I can not see coach brown with big enough balls to make the decision, any way it was the right move, Im telling you guys we could beat this team and we will, mark my post. barkley had an attitude during the post game show because a fan held up a sign that said that sir charles had no rings a a #of bar fights he called the guy an idiot and was unfocus during the post game comments, even kenny notice it and was laughing and gave reggie the nod to notice it. well we will win tue. its going 6 or 7 games but we will come out on top
June 7th, 2007 at 6:43 am
This is it for San Antonio, LeBron is just unstopable, he is the new MJ. The Spurs will be unable to stop the Cavs. LeBron never gets injured, and if he does he will still be unstopable, Gibson, well he will be playing in front of his crown, UT Austin is only about 1and a half hours away. I have put a lot of money on the Cavs to win the finals. That is how confident i am…Nothing is going to stop LeBron. Spurs experience means nothing…Cant wait to collect. Oh yea rememer SA and Dallas? Yes Spurs lost it at the end againts the Mavs, but Avery Johnson had the Spurs number. So will Mike Brown.
June 15th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
“This is it for San Antonio, LeBron is just unstopable, he is the new MJ. The Spurs will be unable to stop the Cavs. LeBron never gets injured, and if he does he will still be unstopable, Gibson, well he will be playing in front of his crown, UT Austin is only about 1and a half hours away. I have put a lot of money on the Cavs to win the finals. That is how confident i am…Nothing is going to stop LeBron. Spurs experience means nothing…Cant wait to collect. Oh yea rememer SA and Dallas? Yes Spurs lost it at the end againts the Mavs, but Avery Johnson had the Spurs number. So will Mike Brown.”
…………hmmmm…….I can’t fault you for your confidence but it was misplaced. I guess you couldn’t see reality through your LeBron shaped glasses. Oh well. Maybe LeBron will win a championship someday….with another team.