Spurs gain edge quickly
Game 1 did not turn out the way the Cavaliers expected. Not because they lost the game, but because of the way they lost the game. I was watching the game Thursday night saying to myself, “What did the Cavaliers do with all of those extra days to study film and work on taking away the strengths of the Spurs?”
I was flabbergasted to see how Tony Parker just waltzed into the lane with not one hard foul. The Cavaliers defense looked like it would on a regular-season game in the first quarter. They played a basic defense by just doubling down on Tim Duncan and rotating out. The Spurs had to be surprised that not one wrinkle was employed to at least thwart their offense and force them to go to a second and third option.
Now this is only the first game, so I will not be extremely hard on the Cavaliers. This series is far from over, but the effort exerted in the first quarter by the Cavaliers was atrocious on the defensive end. The experience and the talent of Parker and Duncan were too much to overcome in Game 1. This can’t continue or this series will be over real fast. I will give a summary of each game in the series focusing on coaching, individual key players and what to expect in the next game.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich had to be smiling inside when to start the game the Cavaliers came out in a traditional double-down defense on Duncan. He basically ran the two-man game all night and kept his shooters spaced. And although the Spurs did not shoot the ball well outside the paint (12-28), they made up for it with by getting 34 attempts in the paint and making 22 shots. He also won the battle with his defensive scheme on LeBron James. I said it in my last article… If the Cavaliers run their offense through James at the top of the circle, he will struggle. The Spurs might be the best ever when all five players can see and load up on who they want to stop on defensive end of the court. They ran two and three players at James all night, but they are able to do it because Bruce Bowen is pressuring James to turn away from the defense and that split second sends a second and third defender to force James to pass to a three-point shooter and not a post player because Duncan is stationed in the paint. Popovich is fast becoming the next Phil Jackson in terms of the mental domination he exerts over opposing coaches.
Mike Brown has to be willing to take chances and last night he stayed basic and paid a price with the Game 1 loss. The Spurs were ripe to be beaten last night, but Brown’s lack of creativity on defense allowed the Spurs to gain confidence and get rhythm with 22 layups. Duncan mentioned after the game how surprised and thankful he was to get such easy opportunities early in the contest. Going into this series, even Brown said Tony Parker would be a major issue – especially with the injury to Larry Hughes – and yet he did nothing creative to at least to make him think.
I assume you might ask, “What you can do against the best player in the league at scoring in the paint off the dribble?” Well, let me think. Mike Brown, have you seen anything lately that you could try that might force Parker to give up the ball and force Finley, Ginobili and Horry to feed Duncan. Double-team him, take the ball out of his hands, do the same thing to him that you have seen done to LeBron James throughout the entire playoffs. Mike, you have no one on your roster that can guard him. Who cares if Bruce Bowen and company get wide-open three-point shots? That group shot a combined 12 for 35 that you might be worried about if you force Parker to give up the ball and thus not get into the lane for 9 layups. Parker meanwhile shot 3 for 9 outside the paint, in case you are worried about his outside game. Brown needs to realize he must take chances on his defensive philosophy because basic is what the Spurs are – and the Cavaliers will lose that game every time. Also, Brown has to give Daniel Gibson more minutes over Hughes because he is on fire. Who cares about his defensive liabilities with the bigger Spur guards? What about plus-minus? Gibson matched Ginobili’s 16 points in the same 28 minutes while Hughes had 2 points in 23 minutes.
PLAYERS
Tim Duncan is so boring and good that it is beyond description. I had Duncan No. 2 behind Karl Malone for best power forward ever, but he has moved past him with his dominance in this year’s playoffs. He took 17 shots and 13 were in the paint. Parker made life extremely easy for him offensively, but defensively he is the main reason LeBron struggled. LeBron can take Bowen off the dribble, but he couldn’t elevate in time to overcome Duncan’s defense.
Tony Parker is right now the best penetrating point guard I have ever seen for his height and weight. It’s one thing to get in the paint, but this guy can finish and not just on players his size but against taller players as well. I know his stature sometimes fool you, but he is fearless and will cut your heart out. That’s what he did Thursday night especially in the first quarter. Parker finished the game shooting 12 for 23, but when you look deeper you see the beauty of Parker. He shot 9 of 14 in the paint and 3 of 9 outside the paint. Parker can brag about his improved jump shot all he wants to, but the bottom line is he knows he must get layups to be successful and he almost wills himself to get to the rim. The Cavaliers have to finally start treating Parker like the Spurs treat LeBron because if they don’t, he will dominate the entire series.
Manu Ginobili was controlled for the most part, but he did hit two huge three-point shots that kept the Cavaliers at arms length at key moments of Game 1. The Cavaliers, we would assume, will try and negate Parker and Duncan in Game 2 thus allowing Ginobili to prosper. He really helped the Spurs attacking the defensive glass and grabbing 8 rebounds.
LeBron James must stop this process of getting everyone else involved in the game early and then deciding to jump in. He must be aggressive and score from the start because he will not get a ton of opportunities. He passed up at least five chances to attack early because he was deferring to teammates. I wrote an article about LeBron a few weeks ago and the King James worshippers attacked me with a vengeance. I wonder, “Are those same people starting to see what I was talking about?” LeBron should face facts in this series and that is he will not get many layups and I ask why? Because the Spurs do not think he will make a consistent jump shot to force them to extend their defense. Yes, he got hot one game against Detroit and it paid dividends. But in order to convince defenses to change, you have to be consistent and confident with that mid-range jumper. What’s a mid-range shot? It’s every shot outside the paint but inside the three-point line. James was 0 for 6 at that range. He made two layups and two three-point shots. That is exactly what Lebron can’t do in this series or the Cavaliers have no chance to win. He did do his usual good job on the glass, but that Spur defense forced 6 turnovers with only 4 assists.
Daniel Gibson is the real deal. You don’t perform on the stage he has in the last few weeks and regress. He has the confidence of a 10-year veteran right now and Mike Brown is the only one playing defense on him by still limiting his minutes. Gibson matched Ginobili’s numbers (16 points) in the same amount of minutes. He shot 7 for 9 and a number of them were created off the dribble.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot 1 for 8 and I will go on board and say 7 of those shots normally go in. Z just has to play more concentrated aggressive defense to allow Brown to keep him on the floor. He is the only big player other than Drew Gooden that can occupy Duncan defensively, so he will not focus solely on James. I said he must score 15 to 20 for the Cavaliers to have a chance in this series.
Sasha Pavlovic was active on both ends. I thought he did a very good job. He shot well and defended Ginobli, keeping him on the perimeter and only allowing the one layup in the half-court offense. I think he will play a huge role in the series as we move to Game 2.
GAME 2 STRATEGY
Look for the Spurs to try and get Michael Finley involved more offensively. Finley is their wildcard when one of the Big Three isre not having the usual good offensive game. He was 0 for 7 after making the first shot of the game. The Spurs also know the Cavaliers will do a better job of taking away layups and so they will have to shoot better from the perimeter- The Spurs were 12 for 28 outside the paint in Game 1 and that has to give the Cavaliers hope for Game 2.
Look for the Cavaliers to change their defense on Parker and maybe blitz and double team him every time the Spurs try and run a two-man game, especially with Duncan. The Cavaliers also have to work harder to free LeBron. Look for LeBron to play off the ball early in Game 2 to allow him to catch and go before the Spurs can load up their defense. The Cavaliers will also be extremely physical with whoever drives the lane in Game 2, thus elevating the tension of the series.
Joe Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
The article says this:
Popovich is fast becoming the next Phil Jackson in terms of the mental domination he exerts over opposing coaches.
How does the fact he happens to have the best team in the NBA under him make him a coach that exerts mental domination onto other coaches? Most decisions are made by the players on the floor. Anyone knows the way things are drawn up do not play out most of the time in the actual game. Any other coach with that team would be the greatest coach even when its far from the truth. Lets not give coaches to much blame or fame. Im sure though we will just because people like to have excuses.
Jeff from Phoenix Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
The supporting cast of Cleveland is just not on the same level as the Spurs. LeBron may be the next “King”, but it is Duncan’s Dynasty that rules this court. Another thing, if the media hadn’t played up the Phoenix Suns and whatever other team had the “best” record of the moment, instead of focusing more on the Spurs and their accomplishments (the winningest franchise in all of the major sports over the past ten years), then maybe the rating would be a little better. Boring or not, this team is the real deal and has the rings to prove it.
Onur Tuncaboylu Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
Eddie, I don’t agree with you risking the Spurs shooters to avoid Parker’s penetrations. They tried to did it in the 3 quarter (and the last Spurs possesion in 2nd quarter) and Bowen(2), Manu(3) and Horry(1) triples made the diffeence 18 points.
Bowen, Horry and Finley were pretty bad behind three point line in game one(All of them below .333), but they can shoot much better in Game 2.
Cavs can’t risk those guys to shoot. You said that Cavs shouldn’t double Duncan, because of Spurs shooters. That’s why they can’t give those guys open looks while trying to avoid Parker’s penetrations?
CurtMerzFan Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Excellent analysis! And thank you for focusing on the analysis part and not being just another talking head full of his own opinion and hot air. I’m and huge Spurs fan, but I totally agree with you this series is FAR from over. I thought from the beginning of the playoffs if the Spurs could get past the Suns they would win it all… As good as Dallas was this year - I just expected the Spurs would take them after last year’s fiasco, and I had a feeling the Pistons were ripe to be taken too… but didn’t expect it to happen when it did. After watching the way the Cavs adjusted against Detroit and beat them, that was the first time I felt like I’d seen a team young and athletic enough who played REAL defense who would have a shot against San Antonio. I completely agree with your analysis of game 1 with one caveat. I think it’s completely possible Mike Brown played the team the way he did just to demonstrate to the Cavs how the Spurs want to play them and that it would work for the Spurs. I think it’s possible Brown was having a hard time getting through to his guys because the Cavs swept the Spurs in the regular season. Now Mike knows that means nothing to the Spurs because he knows take absolutely NO risks with player health until the last 20 games of the regular season, at which point they start to amp up thier intensity and bring their A-game to the fore just in time for the playoffs. Another mark of a championship team who knows who they are and how to get back. They’ve ‘been there’. Also, I think Brown realized the Cavs were going to a new level of stage - the finals are another huge step up from the playoffs, and he might have wanted to keep it simple just so the Cavs could come out in game 2 with that same ‘been there’ knowledge. I’m not saying he was giving game one away… just that he was dancing with whut brung ‘em to the dance. I think game 2, and the rest of the series is going to be closer than anyone is saying. If the Cav’s can win game two, the finals will go 7 games, if the Spurs win game 2, I think it goes 6 games because I dont think the Cavs can beat them three straight even at home for games 3, 4 and 5. Anyone who says this is a boring series just isn’t paying attention. This is the best series since Spurs/Pistons, and it’s old school basketball being played on the biggest stage there is.
david Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
Eddie, this is your best (unbiased) article to date. You hit a major point that George Gervin told me about 3 years ago : the lack of a “mid range” game. He said he tried to work with Stephen Jackson (when he was here ) because all he wanted to shoot was 3’s. It seems that most players either want a lay up (or slam) or a 3 point shot.
Anyway, that was a nice read.
mtaigne1588 Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
Your comments about leBron’s mid-range shot are right on. It’s not that it doesn’t exist at all, but it doesn’t instill fear in opponents the way his dunking and passing abilities do. Remember too– that used to be the one knock on T Parker and now after lots of hard work, his mid-range is pretty nice.
Isn’t it funny though, how time changes everything? I’m old enough to remember many many sports commentators criticizing Jordan before he won his titles– they would say, yes he’s a great individual player but unlike magic and Bird, he doesn’t make the guys around him better! that was the conventional wisdom on MJ circa 1991. My bet is the Spurs win this thing, but regardless of the outcome, leBron is destined for greatness.
virgil mcguigan Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
I am a huge Spurs fan, originally from Philly, living in St. Louis. Drove down to San Antonio and saw a Spurs game a few months ago, highlight of my year. My only comment is that I hope Pop has lots of counter moves for whatever, Brown and James comes up with. I see this as a long chess game, with lots of time in between games for the inexperienced but obviously quick on the uptake Cavs to come up with a way to win. Spurs beware, James has probably been practicing the midrange jumper and will come out aggressive and hard from the beginning, and Pop will have to be ready to extend his defense. And to the idiot who said, the decisions are made by the players on the floor, probably only plays street ball and I’m sure glad he’s not coaching the Spurs!
EddieKnows Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
Eddie is 100% spot on, Spurs are not even CLOSE to being the most talented team in the NBA. They win games on teamwork and playing both ends of the floor, everybody knows their assignments and they’re clockwork. But as individual talents…most of the Spurs would struggle to start on most teams. Finley was waived by Dallas. Sonics wouldn’t sign Barry to even MLE. Manu & Bowen, 57th pick & undrafted, nuff said.
But as Greece showed the world against the multi billion dollar lineup of Team USA/Nike, teamwork wins games not individual talent (although individual talent does sell shoes).
Pops has brilliantly covered the Spurs 1 weakness, that they have absolutely no backup to Parker, by making Ginobili a 6th man and focusing the offense when needed.
A wise man wearing 23 once said: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
Eric T. Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Again, great analysis Eddie. Cleveland just came across a whole new ball of wax. For the Cavs to win the Finals, they will have to beat the Spurs in all facets of the game, unlike in the previous series with the Pistons. Cleveland didn’t so much as win the series as that Detroit just lost it. LeBron and the Cavs can set up for mid range shots, but all their shooters are spotting up behind the arc.
The Spurs have exposed James’ poor shooting ability by taking away the lane. Should San Antonio take a 2-0 lead into Cleveland, I see the Spurs coming back home with the title.
Jens from little Sweden Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Great analysis Eddie, really interesting stuff.
I just have to say to Joe in a previous comment about coaches’ impact on games; First of all, who decides wich players should be on the court? Probably the coach.
Who decides how rotations on D should work? Probably the coach.
Who sets up a plan for the game and so on and on..? Probably the coach..
Individually, alot of players are good, but if it wasn’t for the coach there would be no team. He gives everyone their purpose on the team. That means that even though you want to shoot more than defend, you have to concentrate on defending, ’cause there are already people shooting the ball. A good coach realises the strengths of each player and try to maximise them in a way that makes the team move forward.
Put the emphasis on TEAM, and you will be successful.
I read and hear that San Antonio are boring to watch…. I have NO IDEA what these people are talking about. That’s some of the most beautifully played basketball I have seen in years!
Horace Hill Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
No hard fouls on Parker, what game did you watch Thursday night. As for a comment about the Spurs not being the best team in the NBA & most of its players could not start on another NBA team. The last time I checked it was a TEAM game not who was individually the best. I think Kobe, Nash & Nowitzki are the best, they however are not in the NBA Finals. San Antonio & Cleveland are in the finals. There must be a reason, don’t you think?
1999 to 2007, 3 NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS & missed the finals in overtime against Dallas last year in game 7 and HOW MANY TIMES IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS????.
MUST BE A REASON.
Jardo Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
Great article!.
Its really incredible the way the Spurs play defense, rotating to every open man. Their second unit have the same kind of intensity.
JOEB Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
You hit it on the head Eddie. Brown was outcoached horribly. Why in the world did he have LeBron run the offense as a point guard should. He has some capable options to bring the ball up the court. And run plays. Until he gets some more ballhandlers to conserve The Kings energy, It will be a short series. I call the Spurs the “Mortitioners”.
Johnny Q Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
It’s funny how it’s become so fashionable to say the Spurs are boring. Guys I work with will talk about a hockey game that ends 3-2 as exciting, a 2-1 soccer match as tension-filled , a 5-3 baseball game as amazing, a 24-17 football game as a classic, but when the Spurs score 85 points and win, suddenly that’s *boring*! I don’t get it. Parker scores in the paint more than any other point guard in the league, Ginobili is non-stop energy , Duncan’s the best PF ever, Bowen is edward scissorhands (funny how Phil Jackson showed love for the angel named Dennis Rodman and the Suns fans show love for their choir boy Raja, but both are irritated by Bowen, who is essentially a clone of those two in terms of defensive irritation!), Popovich is a drill sargeant on the sidelines yelling at all of his players… saying the Spurs are boring is kind of like saying 7 scoops of ice cream ain’t enough for dessert– you need 9.
FalstafromSA Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
johnny q– truer words were never spoken. the boringest thing anyone can say in these finals is that duncan is boring. it’s like the day of the dead, a bunch of nuggets, suns, and jazz fans walking around like zombies saying duncan’s boring, duncan’s boring. boring is sitting in a fishing boat licking your wounds because Timmy the silent assassin knocked your ass out of the playoffs!
Keith Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
Joe, I don’t think the Spurs have the greatest players in the league. They do have the best team, and that’s because of the coach. Parker - 28th pick, Ginobili - 57th. There are some teams that have more talent than the Spurs (Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit), so you have to give the coach a lot of credit when he gets players to execute in conjunction with each other, rather than playing on instinct like in the playground.
Eddie Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
Onur i don’t know about you but in this game it’s about percentages and a lay-up is the highest percentage shot you get. the Spurs don’t win with three point shots. they win by attacking the basket.
Joe you probably never played or you just played for bad coaches, because they have a serious impact on the games. An excuse me at the college and NBA level we did run our plays. thats why wininng teams consistently win.
Johnny they are boring, but’s thats fine if you like that brand of ball. I loved watching Showtime and the Celtics because they played exciting.
The first game was the lowest rated tv opening ever for a finals so i guess other people feel the same way. Good thing Cleveland made it because i promise the halftime score of a Spur -Piston series would have been 28-25
Jamie Y. Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
Eddie,
I guess the Cavs will be setting more screens for James then, right?
Overall, I just can’t see the Cavs winning a game unless James catches on fire or if his shooters can spread the floor for him by knocking down 3’s.
Also, which favors which team the most? Would a low scoring game favor the Cavs or the Spurs more? or would a high scoring game favor one team more than the other? Or does it not really matter?
Oh yeah, one last question, is Donyell Marshall as good of a 3pt shooter as he thinks he is? I mean I know he shares the 3pters in a game record with Kobe, but I haven’t seen this guy knock a 3 down in a long time.
BRockin25 Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 11:19 pm
Manu wasn’t really controlled last night by anybody but Popovich. Popovich left a cold Finley on the floor bc they didnt really need Ginobili’s spurts, instead of in certain spurts. This is the one flaw is see with your “double Parker” strategy. The way I’d defend the Spurs is the same stuff I thought Phoenix should have tried…mix up your main defenders on Duncan (I think they should get Gooden more involved), and have doubles (even triples) come from different angles, and MUCH quicker. The double only hit Duncan when he got low in the post, giving Duncan time to hold the ball for a few seconds in the midpost, get set, and find the open guy to begin a series of ball movement, which gave Parker open driving lanes, or open corner jumpers to Finley/Bowen. They need to get the ball out of Duncan’s hands more than Parker’s, though they need to put a lot more pressure on Parker as well. I think that Gibson can limit Parker given more time, and if the Cavs are active on Duncan, it will make Parker less comfortable distributing the ball, and force him into more contested layups and pull up jumpers. A big reason he finished so well is because he had all the time in the world to hit Duncan off of bounce passes, and was pressured very little.
If Duncan is forced to give up the ball early, he will become deferential until crunch time, and by then it may be too late (if the Cavs play decent offense, which is another story, and is no guarantee). I’ve seen other teams employ this strategy w/ success against the Spurs (Denver and Dallas, etc.). If they force Duncan to be less aggressive offensively, I think they have a punchers chance, bc who knows when Lebron will get mad and catch fire. Lebron spent all of game 1 feeling the Spurs out, but has more in the tank for the rest of the series.
Jason Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 11:28 pm
You missed the hard foul Pavlovic inflicted on Parker early in the first quarter. The foul reportedly left Parker with a sore hip and back, but did not prevent him from getting up and driving to the basket again.
The kid is tough.
FalstafromSA Said,
June 9, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Eddie– you’ve just fallen victim to “boring” conventional wisdom. I suppose you think Britney Spears and N Sync are better than James Brown and the beatles too because, after all, they sold more records last year!
J Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 3:01 am
Eddie,who you think will cover the spread Spurs (-7.5) or Cavaliers (+7.5)?
Onur Tuncaboylu Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 3:59 am
Eddie, i think Spurs is showed as a big favorite by the bet sites and media. That’s why the people may thought that Spurs will win easily. I think this is the main factor of low ratings
Michael Bennett Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 8:16 am
I think you give too much credit to Z on both sides of the floor. Other than LeBron, he proved to be the biggest disappointment of Game 1. 1 for 8… and, you said “7 of those shots normally go in”… so, he woulda/shoulda/coulda gone 7 for 8 or 8 for 8??? The fact is that every shot he takes SHOULD go in because he’s 7′3″, in great position, and has arguably the best setup man in the sport throwing him the pass. But, he’s just not good. He’s too slow for the Spurs on offense and defense. He SHOULD be able to block everything that Tony Parker puts up after Parker drives past every Cavs defender… but he can’t recover in time for proper positioning. Like I wrote in Finals matchups post, the Cavs need to just get him out of the game. Limit his minutes before it’s too late.
I also think Drew Gooden’s game was very deceptive. People thought he had a good game because he shot well. But, he played poorly. I have a long running theory that NBA watchers love offense more than defense. It’s not really a theory. People focus more on offense - that’s that. So, when Gooden shoots 6-9, they think “Well, he had a good game.” But, that’s hardly the truth. He also had 4 total rebounds. Duncan had 5 offensive rebounds. If the Cavs are going to win, they need to NEVER give up second chance opportunities… especially, to Duncan. This should be Gooden’s main focus - get Duncan out of the paint. Get every rebound.
I will put a lot of… okay, most of the blame, also, on Mike Brown. His stale offense and quarter-too-late defense was the reason for the L in Game 1 (THAT and LeBron’s 4-16 performance). So, what should he do? First, I was watching ESPN Classic yesterday, and they were showing some clinching Finals games from the 90s - Game 6 Bulls vs. Suns, Game 7 Knicks vs. Rockets - and, I noticed that the 1993 Bulls team could be a model for this Cavs team. And, here are some suggestions:
- Every time LeBron James gets a defensive rebound, he should push it as hard as he can and get to the rim… no matter what. Trasition buckets!!! That’s LeBron’s/Cavs/any good team’s bread and butter. LeBron is faster than anyone in the open court (and in the NBA with the exception of Leandro Barbosa). So, before the defense gets set, drive that ball down the court and go to the basket, get fouled, get And 1s, get your shot going at the free throw line, get the home crowd excited (when you’re in Cleveland for Games 3, 4 and 5!!!), and establish Finals momentum, something they lacked dearly in G1.
- The wing/guards need to pass the ball into the post before they dribble. The shot clock hasn’t been the Cavs friend in the Playoffs this year (or, in the regular season). The days of dribbling down the shot clock are over for the Cavs. They have to realize San Antonio is too good - the Spurs need about one second of dribbling for the defense to get set, establish spacing, and have all eyes on the dribbler AND their man. Pass, pass, pass, pass… then, pass again… GET THE BALL MOVING.
- Single man coverage is the only way the Cavs have a chance on defense. They can’t double Duncan. Why did Robert Horry have 7 assists in G1?!? Because the bigs were leaving Duncan to help out on Robert Horry. I can’t belive I just typed that. It’s a shame.
- Where was Snow in G1? How many times did Mike Brown have to see Tony Parker blow past Larry Hughes to realize to make his 1st and second string players Daniel Gibson and Eric Snow??? Give up on Hughes. Bad signing, bad player, bad for your team in the Finals. Realize it now, and sit him for the remainder of the season, which will be five more games (and a ring) if you do.
Tonight won’t tell us everything. For the past two years, it seems like the Cavs take two games to warm up to every team they play in a series. Against a team like San Antonio, that’s one game too late.
PS - You have to be crazy to think coaches are a non-factor in the NBA/Finals, Joe. Coaches are everything. Does this really have to be said?
That pretty much takes us up to date. Good article, Eddie. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 8:27 am
Oh, and Mike Brown, watch how Detroit runs plays for Richard Hamilton and do the same thing for LeBron. Get him the ball on the move. But, wait… Who going to pass it to him when your best guard (Daniel Gibson) is on the bench?
AND
NO MORE HIGH SCREENS FOR LEBRON!!! He doesn’t need them. All they do is draw a double on LeBron before he’s moving (like Kenny and Charles suggested the Pistons do after LeBron’s G5 performance). Don’t let the Spurs get in the position they want to be in.
Popovich was asked at halftime (by Michelle Tafoya - like she said in the broadcast) what he’s doing defensively on LeBron to stop him. He said he wouldn’t tell. Well, he’s doubling (and tripling) before he makes his move, and he’s driving LeBron inside, rather than outside. Take this away by no more high screens!
jg2gbaby Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 11:20 am
lebron need this group to improve ,snow needs to play , lebron needs to catch fire if he does good night san antonio lebron needs a running mate watch pavlovic have a better game much love e.j. duncan is bluffing on the high screen and roll . z needs to show strong like he did against detroit .
Lars Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 9:17 pm
Michael Bennett and Eddie seems, like you two are cohorts in providing us with such comprehensive analysis of the Finals, not sure why the verbosity. There has really been nothing to analyze. Said it in the first post…. Bring out the Broom Kids.
This is over and if it is not please tell me where in the world will the adjustments come from? Look within the game.
Lars from the A
Lupe Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
I’m glad I had two t.v.s to watch the Sopranos & NBA Finals. After the Spurs, pulled away badly, I turned off the volume for the Finals to watch the Sopranos in peace. It was torture til the fourth, the Spurs lost focus, and the Cavs gained some. That’s when it got pretty entertaining.
I hate that Mike Brown is giving even 20 minutes to Larry Hughes. He is injured, when healthy he’s a good athletic defender. I have been saying since the moment he got injured shut him down for the season, and let Gibson start with Snow backing him up. I think Eddie is right about Lebron’s J, he took two wide open shots in the first half with no success. He must make that a priority this offseason. Also what has happened to Ilgauskas, I thought he was going to be a bigger factor, and he has dissappeared completely. LeBron needs help badly, he needs a Robin to his Batman. Sadly with nasty contracts to Eric Snow and Larry Hughes, they will need to draft/trade smart.
Even though Tony Parker is receiving so much attention, it all comes down to Tim Duncan. He was LeBron tonight, nearly pulling off a triple double tonight. I think a change of scenery is going to help the Cavs. They seemed rattled at times, and the Spurs have one of the best crowds in the league. They cheer whether they are down or up. Hopefully the Cavs at least win 2; that way I can buy tickets for game 6 in San Antonio.
lols@cavs again Said,
June 10, 2007 @ 11:38 pm
where’s Michael Bennett will you predict that the cavs can comeback and win 4 straight or maybe win in 7
Zane from London Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 9:08 am
It seems like everyone is writing off the Cavs after the first 2 games. Did we really expect the Cav’s to win either of these games away from home?
The crowd in Cleveland is going to be a huge factor, they were a big factor throughout the playoffs and they will get a big lift. Whether they can maintain it, and steal a game in SA is another story.
Whether they win the finals or not, it’s obvious they still need to make moves in the off-season though.
The pieces around Lebron don’t really seem to fit right even though they are in the Finals. Cavs should look at some trades while their values are at a high.
space Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 10:13 am
i am disappointed in the cavs coaching thus far. the offensive scheming is way too vanilla. defense as well. running lebron on parker is a good idea for stretches, but it makes the cavs number 1 scoring option work so hard on defense that he loses out on offense. on a side note, finley is waiting to explode. his missed shots are only coming from the cavs defense and sasha pavlovic. i wouldn’t intend to see that last all series.
the series is far from over, but i’m not sensing an intensity, or even aggressive mindset from the cavs to impose their will on any one game. championships aren’t just won, they are ‘taken’. here’s hoping that homecourt is the turnaround needed for the cavs to put the fight back into the series.
JOEB Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 11:00 am
Please read what I said before you judge my character. I am merely putting an observation out there. Please dont attack me based on an observation.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 11:08 am
CAVS STARTING LINEUP IN GAME 3 SHOULD BE:
PG - Daniel Gibson
SG - Sasha Pavlovic
SF - LeBron James
PF - Drew Gooden
C - Zydrunas Ilgauskus
and, Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall and Anderson Varejao should come in at 6 minutes in the 1st Quarter for Pavlovic, Gooden and Z. Then, they should rotate Gooden, Pavlovic and Snow back when needed and when the game calls for it. But, KEEP LARRY UNDERACHIEVER HUGHES OFF THE FLOOR. a) He’s injured. b) He can’t hit a shot (1-10 in the Finals). c) He can’t play defense on ANYONE. d) The Cavs never should have signed him in the first place. I don’t care what his number were two or three years ago. RIGHT NOW, he’s not even a top 50 SG in the league.
This is getting pretty ridiculous. LeBron sits for the whole 1st Quarter with 2 fouls?!? WHAT?!?
San Antonio is a really good team, but COME ON!!! The Cavs are losing because the players and coaches are making too many mistakes… and they’re unforced mistakes. They’re beating themselves and that’s a shame.
On that note, Ben Harper on slide playing/singing the National Anthem before G3 in Cleveland is a treat. After that, hopefully the Cavs can get it together (”Keep it together, keep it together, keep it together…”) and win to shift the series a little.
howard Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Hey, Eddie, what do you mean by Cleveland being outcoached. Don’t you remember what President Bush said:
“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
NOT!
I am sure Brown knows more about the Xs and Os of basketball than I will ever know, but he has come up with some hard to understand moves. The biggest of which is not putting his best players on the court. LeBron and Gibson should have been on the court much more in Game 2. Brown put Snow on Parker for about 3 or 4 minutes and I don’t believe Parker scored on him. Then Brown took Snow out inexplicably for the rest of the game.
Parker’s got magic in his fingers. One of his shots rolled half way off the rim before falling backwards into the basket. I’ve never seen a point guard who was a better attacker/finisher. Contrast him with Pavlovic who has attacked the rim hard too, but isn’t able to finish. Tony is a tiger on the court and right now, he’s playing GREAT! as the old cornflakes commercial used to go.
I am a big fan of Duncan. He does everything so well. If that’s boring, than so be it. Compared to a flashy sports car, a Rolls Royce may seem boring too, but a Rolls still sets the standard as far as automobiles go. Duncan is like a Rolls Royce. I heard on ESPN radio where Dave Robinson thinks Duncan is the best forward ever. I wonder where he came up with that notion. Eddie must have clued him in.
Manu is the man! He may do his occasional impression of a fish in a boat, but he usually puts up offensive numbers that nearly matches Duncan and Parker while playing about 10 less minutes per game. He does so many things well, offense, defense rebounding, free throws–11 for 11 last night. Plus every time an opposing team makes a run at the end of the game, Ginobili is the one who seemingly puts the dagger in their heart. He did it again less night.
It would be one of the biggest surprises in sports history if Cleveland came back and won this series. They looked totally outclassed for most of the game last night. The comments of the commentators last night indicated as much. I give Cleveland credit for never giving up and I think Gibson is showing clear signs of emerging as a star, but they don’t have enough to match the fire power of the Big 3, much less Horry, Oberto, and the rest of the Spurs–heck, even Barry made a big 3 last night.
The best comment on the telecast was made by Van Gundy who said something to the effect that less intelligent teams don’t know how to talk to each other on the court in critical times because they don’t know what to say.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
Tony Parker’s new nickname should be POUND FOR POUND… or, LE POUND FOR POUND…
Because that’s how he’s playing right now.
howard Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
One other comment: It may be true that S. A. does not have the most talented team in the NBA in terms of individual talent, but I think talent is only one part of the equation of greatness. In fact, I think it’s a bit over-rated. Intelligence, leadership, intensity, a commitment to hard work, the willingness of a player to sacrifice individual stats for the good of him team, these and other intangibles are also important factors in determining champions. This is what all the great teams have had–the great Celtics teams of the 1960s and 1970s, the 1990s Bulls, Showtime, and yes, those boring–beat you to a pulp–San Antonio Spurs.
Can I hear an amen, Eddie?
brain dead fool Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
I still agree with Mikey Bennett. Cavs in 6.
space Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
all props to tony for his great play [dunacan as well]. however, they have absolutely, positively NO ONE to be concerned about on the defensive end. there is no established post presence and no 20 point scorer that parker need be concerned about. no stress on their backs. they should be saying thank you cavaliers coaching staff for making this one so easy… its funny how fate changes a finals. were this the pistons instead of the cavs the entire sports world would have expected this series to be knotted up at 1-1. hhmmm…..
Matt Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 1:16 pm
suns vs. spurs was the championship, no doubt!!!
The Don Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
The Spurs are a great team no doubt but to a man; player to player level. Cleveland is just getting outplayed. Everyone needs to stop making excuses and blaming coaching and injuries and whatever. This is the same Cleveland squad that went thru the East the past few weeks. It’s the finals now and its about smart basketball and displaying the tenacity, heart and hustle.
Larry Hughes was running PT when they beat the Wizards, Big Z was at center when they beat the Nets and King James was being compared to Mike and Magic and Larry when they beat Detroit. Now all of a sudden it’s coaching and injuries. The coach didn’t tell Lebron to pick up early fouls. He can’t play defense!!! That’s what happens when you try to do something you normally can’t in a game.
Cleveland needs their star to step it up I think. Or then again maybe he just needs to make his teammates better… But how can they get better in a day or two?
LeBron needs to earn his money and his Title as King James. Now is the perfect time. I’m all for distributing the ball but at some point and time you need your big gun to make some noise step up and take responsiblity. Put the team on his shoulders and give them a lift.. Take the ball to the hole strong and finish LeBron!!! Not that coast to coast dunking crap cause you’ll definitely catch a charging call, but catch it in the paint and go strong to the hole If they foul you then you are on the line, if not 2 pts. As big as LeBron is he needs to have more of a post game. He’s out there trying to be Magic but i soomehow remember Magic having a post game, mid range game and added the 3 pt shot late in his career.
D-Wade took over last year, Kobe took over in the 4th when Shaq couldn’t get off the bench 3 yrs straight, Mike and Magic carried their teams. If he’s the heir apparent then I’m looking for 4 straight Cleveland wins to close it out in 6…
Go Bron Bron!!!!
howard Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
Space
You have a valid point.
But nobody in the league has an answer for Duncan. Correct me if I’m wrong somebody, but I haven’t seen any player be able to play Duncan with great success straight up. They usually are forced to double team him. The Z man is doing about as well on Duncan as can be expected. The V man is a hustler on the boards, but he presents little problem to Duncan in the post. But you’d have to bring back Bill Russell or Nate Thurman in their prime to slow Duncan down now.
I think it is true that Parker has scored more because Cleveland has either been unable or unwilling to contain him. Cleveland does not have a player who has the speed to guard Parker, and their team defense against Parker has broken down on many occasions, which has lead to some ridiculously easy shots. They tried to trap him once last night, and he gave it to Ginobili, who promptly attacked the basket. I think their best chance to slow Parker down is with Snow. He doesn’t have the speed, but he is smart and experienced. If Snow can’t do it, nobody can.
However, Tony’s been scoring at a good rate throughout the playoffs. He’s only had a couple of off games. And already in this series he has made more than his fair share of tough shots! Right now, he just seems to have the magic touch.
jg2gbaby Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
without intensity and good decision making cleveland is making it hard on themselves. take hughes out start with snow and pavlovic then slip in boobie ,gooden and varejao needs to rotate , play ira newble a little bit the cavs need to up the tempo and spark z / next year some trades need to happen /gasol would look nice in cleve as well a true point guard and a energy rebounder , a spot up shooter to complement james
Johnny Q Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:14 am
EddieKnows talked about teamwork and intelligence winning championships and I have to say this is something that should be emphasized much more than it is. The Spurs have an excess of both and that is why they are winners, and not just winners for this series, or this year, but continually for ten years.
#1– Coach Popovich. The guy demands basketball discipline. If a player puts up a bad shot, he’s most likely sitting after the next time out. If you’re not playing defense, you’re sitting. He may not be your best friend or the guy you want go drinking with, but he’s a genius of a coach.
#2– Tim Duncan. What modern day superstar in any sport has been problem-free on or off the court? You can count them on one hand. His quiet intensity is a perfect compliment to Pop’s fiery intensity. His intelligence and complete disinterest in stat stuffing lead him to make the best decisions of any big man in the NBA. He rarely gets in foul trouble because he makes good decisions on what to block and what to concede. Younger guys like S. Dalembert & A. Stoudamire would improve dramatically if they could imitate Duncan in this regard. Again, though, it’s brains not braun. No one wants to admit it, but opponents fear Duncan because he’s so smart. Big men fear him and settle for jumpers. Guards fear him and avoid the paint. There’s no stat for this, but it’s Duncan’s greatest contribution defensively.
#3– Bruce Bowen. Bowen gives you the same intensity and results as Artest & Rasheed Wallace– except he doesn’t cause his coach, his team-mates, and his fans constant anxiety for fear that he will explode at any minute and ruin the game plan. Again, intelligence.
#4–Parker and Ginobili. These guys represent the extreme intelligence of the San Antonio organization. They drafted and developed an All-Star backcourt with picks in the high 20s and high 50s. Along with drafting Duncan (remember, there were many sportswriters advocating for keith Van Horn to be #1 that year!), the Spurs have made more of their draft positions than any other team in the league.
#5– I gotta go to work so I’ll stop here. Intelligence wins championships– Bill Russell had it, Willis Reed had it, Magic, Bird, Hakeem, MJ…. more than highlight film appearances or razzle dazzle, intelligence makes you a winner.