CLEVELAND VS DETROIT! BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES! COMMENTS (SPEAK OUT)

[alvingo]

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Breaking down the series:Â* Â*

Â* VSÂ* Â*

May 6, 2006

A capsule look at a second-round matchup in the NBA playoffs:
Pistons (1) vs. Cavaliers (4)

Regular season: The Cavaliers won the teams' first meeting on New Year's Eve, but the Pistons demolished Cleveland in three games after that, winning by an average score of 15.7 points.

Storyline: OK, we all remember Rasheed Wallace knocking Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the noggin with an elbow that made Ilgauskas bleed like a pickled beet. And, of course, it was the clutch 3 of former Piston Damon Jones that put the Cavs into the second round. Distant, distant history. This series is about one thing: the development of LeBron James, who was stellar in Round 1 against Washington.

It's fitting that the Pistons -- the same team that taught Michael Jordan how to deal with real defense -- will be the team that, over the next few years, shows James what it's like to play a smart, swarming, suffocating, five-man club. James was able to read the second tier of the Wizards' defense relatively easily in Round 1. He won't have that luxury in Round 2, but the important thing is, he will spend a few games learning how an elite defensive team can stop him. That will be enormous in terms of his development.

Stars: James did what was expected of him in his first playoff showing -- he raised his game, took (and made) clutch shots, got away with traveling (hey, a big part of the game rests with what you can get away with) and wound up averaging 35.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He proved to be a much better shooter here on the bigger stage, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from the 3-point line and 74.6 percent from the foul line, all considerably better numbers than James posted during the season.

Oh, and we should acknowledge that there is another team participating in this series (what, aren't we all just witnesses?). But for the Pistons, the team is the star, the five-man vortex that operated with precision all season and through the five-game first round series against the Bucks.

Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton are combining to average 43.6 points this postseason, but the fella to watch for in this series is Rasheed Wallace. He likes playing the Cavaliers, because their power forwards, Anderson Varejao, Donyell Marshall and Drew Gooden are utterly incapable of guarding his 3-point shots.

Watch out for the pick-and-pop play, Cavs fans, where Wallace sets the pick for Billups, then instead of rolling to the basket, pops out to the 3-point line. Wallace attempted 27 3-pointers, making 10, against the Cavs this season, the most he shot against any team.

The bad news for the Cavs is that 'Sheed is red-hot from the arc, going 13-for-24 in the first round.

Learn his name: Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He just has not played like the big-money, All-Star center Cleveland signed him to be last summer. Ilgauskas averaged just 10 points and 42.2 percent shooting in the first round of the playoffs, was weak on the boards (6.4 per game) and a bummer at the free-throw line (68.2 percent). His best performance was Game 4, a Cleveland loss, in which he had 13 points, four blocks and six rebounds, though he added five turnovers and was just 3-for-6 at the free-throw line. They paid $70 million over six years for this? Z needs to turn it around in Round 2.

X-factor: Turn to the sixth men here. While Antonio McDyess has been the model of consistency off the bench for the Pistons, Donyell Marshall has been all over the stat sheet. Look at McDyess' five scoring outputs in the playoffs: nine, 13, 13, 11 and 11. And his rebounding: 10, 7, 8, 11 and 6. Oh, and he shot 63 percent.

Marshall? He started with 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting in Game 1, then combined to go 5-for-20 in the next four games, averaging 4 points. But, in Game 6, it was 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting. In 16 minutes!

The Cavaliers are a very, very dangerous team when Marshall is hitting his shots, but the difference between these two teams is pretty well summarized in the play of McDyess vs. Marshall. Where McDyess will give you something reliable but not flashy every night, Marshall is all fire-and-ice.

Prediction: Detroit in 5. The Pistons are killers. The only way to rattle them is to attack Ben Wallace in the middle, make him tentative and hope the rest of the defense gets tentative, too. But if Detroit plays a tentative game, they're usually all the more gutsy the next game, which makes them so tough in the playoffs.

It will be fun to watch what the Pistons do to slow James -- how much they play him man-to-man with Tayshaun Prince, how much they use smaller guys on him, how much they turn to junk defenses. And it will be fun to watch James' reaction. But there won't be a lot of tension in this series -- the Cavs are just not developed enough as a team to topple the Pistons.

[ocelot]

first of all, detroit is one of the best, if not the best defensive team in the league. although lebron hit some big shots in crunch time against washington like in game 5. but remember it was a layup, you don't give the best player on the opposing team an easy layup with 4 seconds to left. they gave him the baseline and did not trap him on the corner. detroit is not going to give lebron those type of shots.

this series is going to be a tough challenge for lebron. detroit plays physical and they got tyshaun prince to guard him plus he's got 2 excellent shot blockers watching his back.

although cleveland is a good team, but detroit is just a couple of levels above them. i'd say detoit in 5

[alvingo]

I think lebron would not be alone in this game im sure his team mates will back him up :mrgreen:Â* Rasheed wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas will have a big brawl match up! Those two hate each otherÂ* If this series will reach game 7! One thing for sure James will surely have a championship ring in the future

[cool]

good defense ang pistons pila kay highscore sa clevaland ani nga series.

[alvingo]

maybe 80 below hehehe

[lunateec22]

@alvingo:

I didn't read much anything on your first post, it's kind of too long. All i can understand about it is the question:

"Will the Pistons grab this one?"

Of course they will... I'd like to express my p.o.v. with Detroit coach Flip Saunders' defensive tactic against the Cavs.

Ilgauskas - The Wallaces will hold him out... pwede si Elden Campbell or Dale Davis (mga solid ug lawas!!!)
Gooden - 'Sheed can take him; 'Sheed will eat him alive
Lebron James - Prince... need to say more?
Flip Murray - Hamilton, i'd say they'll be shoving each other, they're both skinny
Hughes - the veteran tactics of Chauncey will dictate the whole series, no question about his defense

prediction (here we go again): Pistons in 5, 6 if Damon Jones hits that dagger again.

[alvingo]

if Damon Jones hits that dagger again

Another 14 seconds of celebrity!Â* Lol

Will the pistons grab this one?

well hehe! Yes they would The Pistons are killers in short


what would you say about lebron defended by tyshun?Â* Share!! heeheh

[lunateec22]

if Damon Jones hits that dagger again

Another 14 seconds of celebrity!Â* Lol

Will the pistons grab this one?

well hehe! Yes they would The Pistons are killers in shortÂ*


what would you say about lebron defended by tyshun?Â* Share!! heeheh

Well, first of all Prince has the arm diameter, the quick feet and the mental strategy to match that up with Lebron. I'm not looking at THe KING scoring below 25-below points. He can still score 30+, but hard earned points...and enough work to send Prince into foul trouble. Lebron has been playing spectacular... but i dont like his beard. It's plainly hideous for me.

If Prince gets into foul trouble, Flip can always send in the hardly-used Jason Maxiell or Amir Johnson to fill in Prince's shoes. But the most important thing is, shutting the other players around Lebron, because the Pistons are experts when it comes to defense and converting To's into fastbreak points. They know how to slow things down too.

[alvingo]

I think lebron is going shine in this match up Hopefully! I Agree with you, his going to earn the Hardest points in his life!

[king_mark]

maybe a sweep for the pistons? the cavs even struggled against the wizards. most of their wins were just by a point, not really convincing one. james will really be having a hard time against the pistons