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Cavs-Pistons Second Round Playoff Series

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ABJ

5/9/06

Cavs show LeBron franchise can win if he stays

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->The Cavaliers' victory over the Washington Wizards in the first round of the playoffs could be the final piece of evidence needed to convince LeBron James to sign a contract extension with the team this summer.
James has never said much about his future plans, other than he likes playing here and has expressed little interest in leaving.
The bottom line will be this question: Can the Cavaliers seriously contend -- and eventually win a title? Do they have the ownership and front office to make it happen?
What James experienced this season is a taste of what should be good things to come. That should help him decide to sign an extension this summer when the Cavs finally are permitted to offer it. NBA rules on what is called a ``maximum'' contract would make it in the five-year, $75 million range.
James can't go to another NBA team until the summer of 2008. Nor can any other team offer more years or more money than the Cavs.
That's why Tim Duncan has stayed in San Antonio, Kevin Garnett in Minnesota and other stars with their original teams. When it comes to keeping James, the Cavs have the home-court advantage -- assuming the home court is a place James believes he can win.
Positive steps
There are good signs.
Rookie coach Mike Brown has had his ups and downs, but found a way to guide the Cavs to a 50-32 record -- despite prized free agent Larry Hughes missing 45 games to injuries.
Fifty victories is a special number in basketball, like 90 wins in baseball or 10 in pro football. It means you are a playoff contender most seasons, and it shows your team has some depth.
This was only the fourth time the Cavs have won 50 games. That should have told James something.
The playoffs should say even more, regardless of the outcome of this second-round matchup with the Detroit Pistons.
The Cavs didn't just beat Washington in six games, they did it in memorable fashion. Three victories were by a single point. Two were in overtime. Two were on the road.
In every victory, James had at least one teammate coming up with a huge performance -- from Donyell Marshall (Games 1 and 6) to Hughes (Games 3 and 5) to Eric Snow (Game 5) to Damon Jones supplying the winning shot in Game 6.
James averaged a stunning 36 points in the playoffs, and found himself at the center of the NBA universe while playing in Cleveland. The Cavs games were the most hyped and exposed on national TV.
The message should be clear: If the Cavaliers can win, all that James can possibly want is here.
A feel-good place
That's especially true because the Akron native considers Northeast Ohio a comfort zone. He has been at center stage since he was 16 and on the cover of Sports Illustrated. If anything, James wants a little more peace, not more exposure.
The NBA and Nike star machinery cranks out enough of that already.
James prefers to be close to his family and friends.
He understands there are reasons some teams consistently contend -- with Detroit and San Antonio being among the elite.
He also knows the Cavs have never been to the NBA Finals; that Brown is their seventh coach in seven years; that Dan Gilbert came in as a rookie owner and Danny Ferry a rookie general manager.
A star athlete in any sport wonders if his team's front office can assemble enough talent to help him win. Do they have the money and the brains?
No one questions Gilbert's resources. He's loaded and he's willing to spend. The good news for Cavs fans is Gilbert turned the team over to Ferry, and the former Cavs forward had an impressive first year in acquiring talent.
Some credit must be given to former General Manager Jim Paxson, who cleared lots of room on the salary cap with his deals for Shawn Kemp and others. When Carlos Boozer bolted, Paxson also made a shrewd deal for Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao.
Paxson's record was mixed. He did some things right -- and was very lucky in the 2003 lottery when James became a Cavalier.
Assembling the roster
Ferry had a strong offseason with the signings of free agents Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jones, Marshall and Hughes. Individually, you can debate their performances. As a group, they supplied a major talent infusion.
More importantly, Ferry pulled off the heist of Flip Murray from the Seattle SuperSonics at midseason, when the Cavs were slumping and in danger of falling out of the playoff picture. Murray might end up being only a short-term fix because he's a free agent this summer.
But when the Cavs needed an athletic wing player to take some pressure off James while Hughes was hurt, Ferry found Murray. That should speak loudly to James that the front office wants to give him help.
Gilbert has supplied a luxury locker room for the players. A new team plane and a new plush practice facility are on the way. In many ways, the players are treated like princes as Gilbert wants to make his franchise attractive not only to James, but around the league.
Ferry knows he has to find more talent to help James. He's not close to being content, although he's rightly pleased with the progress made in 2005-06.
It took Michael Jordan four years and three coaches to do what James did last week -- win a round in the playoffs. Cavs fans may remember something about ``The Shot,'' which involved defender Craig Ehlo at the old Richfield Coliseum.
James already is making his own history. He has won two playoff games with shots. His team won 50 games, had the home court for the first round of the playoffs and beat Washington.
That really is progress, and it should be enough to show James that better things are to come if he sticks around.
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ABJ

5/9/06

Plan of attack

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->AUBURN HILLS, MICH. - The sucker bet is sitting right in front of the Cavaliers, and the Detroit Pistons already have pulled the sleight of hand.
Dazzled by the Pistons' offensive display in Game 1 on Sunday, when they had three quarters of masterful shooting and broke a handful of records, the Cavs easily could fall into a trap of making that their primary concern.
Taking the ball out of the basket 12 times after the first 13 3-pointers you see will do that to you.
The Pistons' numbers look sexy: a 108-point average and 40 percent shooting thus far in six playoff games. They have proven that they can win with offense.
That's not how they've won championships, though -- or will win one this year, a message the Cavs repeated to themselves at practice Monday. To have any chance in this series, the Cavs still must be cautious and active on offense against the Pistons' truly great weapon: defense.
The Cavs can't beat the Pistons if they make 15-of-22 3-pointers and shoot 60 percent, as happened during the guts of the 113-86 loss Sunday. Drastically changing their game plan due to one magical shooting game, however, would be falling into the Pistons' trap.
``They shot the ball well and they did great, but their staple is defense and that's how we're going to win games,'' Cavs guard Eric Snow said. ``They can say all they want about offense and guys shooting and scoring, but as you progress in each round, their defensive intensity picks up.''
After watching film, the Cavs maintain they stuck to their basic defensive principals while the Pistons were nailing all those 3-pointers. They were erring on the side of protecting against penetration to the middle and getting caught in rotation. The Pistons settled for low-percentage shots -- and made an overwhelming percentage of them.
The Cavs will look to contest more outside shots, indeed, but they're not going to junk the strategy. They were more worried about giving up 12 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points and allowing the Pistons to score in transition with long shots at the end of the shot clock and turnovers.
``When they're a good defensive team and they score 100 points on you, you have to get better on that end,'' Donyell Marshall said. ``If you look at the way we played offensively, nine times out of 10 we're going to win.''
In the first half, the Cavs shot 50 percent and scored 48 points, numbers they felt would hold up against any team in the NBA. The game didn't truly get out of reach until the third quarter, when the Pistons' defense created easy baskets as opposed to the long jumpers they made in the first half. The Cavs shot 35 percent in that period and gave up five layups.
Those stretches are where the series will be decided. The Cavs chances aren't good, of course, but they'll be reduced to nil if they try to play like they did in the first round against the Washington Wizards.
``You have to pay attention to the game plan defensively,'' Snow said. ``When they score, their defense picks up. Next thing you know you are down 20 points. But they're not going to just try to outscore us to beat us.''
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ABJ

5/9/06

Big Ben big obstacle for Cavs

By Tom Reed

<!-- begin body-content -->AUBURN HILLS, MICH. - Ben Wallace is the face of menace.
The Detroit Pistons center could stare down Marvin Hagler. He could outscowl Bill Cowher.
Having Wallace within a 15-foot radius is enough incentive for some NBA gunslingers to put their jump shots back in their holsters. The agile and relentless All-Star has made parking in downtown Detroit a safer proposition than driving the lane in suburban Auburn Hills.
The Cavaliers found that to be true again Sunday as Wallace blocked four shots and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Pistons' 113-86 series-opening win at the Palace.
``You have to be aggressive when you go to the hole because he's capable of blocking your shot or stripping you,'' Cavaliers star LeBron James said of Wallace.
``He is the key to this train they've got going, especially defensively.... He is the best defender in the league.''
Wallace, 31, is the best defender of his generation.
He is quick, strong, versatile, active and intimidating.
He isn't a threat to score, yet creates more matchup problems than anyone else in the Pistons' lineup.
Wallace can guard a Shaquille O'Neal or a LeBron James.
It doesn't matter.
When NBA fans discuss adding defensive presence to their favorite team, they often mention acquiring a ``Ben Wallace-type'' player.
It's pure folly.
There is only one.
Nobody does more on the defensive end than Wallace, who played a season at Cuyahoga Community College.
``I don't know if there are too many players like a Ben Wallace,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ``He is similar to LeBron (in that) he's as quick as any guard and as strong as any big guy.''
The muscular 6-foot-9, 240-pound Wallace was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time in the last five seasons Monday. ESPN didn't require file footage for its segment. Producers simply spliced highlights from Sunday's game.
No play better illustrates his value than his first-quarter block on Drew Gooden.
The Cavs' power forward took a crisp diagonal pass from James and thought he had an uncontested dunk. Wallace, who had been supplying weak-side help, used a brilliant burst of propulsion to launch himself across the lane at Gooden.
Not only did Wallace reject the dunk attempt, but the ball caromed off Gooden and out of bounds. It was part of a 19-4 run the Pistons used to close the quarter and bury the Cavs.
``There is not a player in our era who has had an impact on the game defensively like Ben,'' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.
That's not just a coach talking nice about someone who's an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
Forget it Cavs fans: The Pistons are expected to offer Wallace a maximum contract. He and power forward Rasheed Wallace give them the NBA's best interior defensive tandem.
Detroit would rather part with the Lions than Big Ben. The city loves Wallace's work ethic, his raw edge, the way he treats his hair like a convertible. Sometimes, he rolls with afro up, sometimes, he flies with the top down.
It's all part of Wallace's imposing persona. The Pistons don't have a dominant star, but his is the face of the franchise.
``The guy is the anchor to what we do,'' Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars said.
Why have the Pistons made back-to-back NBA Finals appearances? They defend first -- and nobody does it more tenaciously or completely than Wallace.
He rebounds. He blocks shots. He makes steals. He defends centers, power forwards and swingmen. If a teammate gets beaten off the dribble, Wallace often is there to contest the shot.
Dennis Rodman was not as well-rounded. Neither is Dikembe Mutombo nor Alonzo Mourning.
Wallace might be the best overall defender since Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics legend who will present him with his award prior to tonight's game.
``(Russell) told me that he enjoys watching my game, and he has told me to continue working hard,'' said Wallace, the only player to rank among the NBA's top 10 in rebounds, blocks and steals this season.
Does Wallace see himself as a modern-era Russell?
``Nah, he's got too many championship rings and I don't have enough,'' Wallace said.
The fact Wallace has fired his agent probably means he will re-sign with the Pistons. Of course, if he's looking to relocate, James has a city in mind.
``It's only 25 (minutes) by plane,'' James said. ``He can come with us.''
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Dispatch

5/9/06

Cavaliers grateful that loss counts as only one

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The theme coming from the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday was that it was just one game.
It was one ugly game, though, in a series against a Detroit Pistons team that never lets up.
"A loss is a loss is a loss," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said at practice. "Whether you lose by one or you lose by 20, it still hurts and you’ve got to figure out a way to get a win in the next game.
"The good thing about it is it’s one game and they’re not going to determine the winner on point differential."
The differential on Sunday was 27 — a 113-86 loss to start the second-round series — and Cleveland has lost four straight games to Detroit by an average of 18.5. The last time the Cavaliers beat the Pistons was Dec. 31, so a strong showing tonight in Game 2 might do as much for their psyche as it would to make this an entertaining series.
"You can’t come into any series thinking that you might win," Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden said. "You’ve got to approach this series to take each game one by one and try to win each game."
The Cavaliers will try to play more aggressive defense, with the goal of opening the transition game for LeBron James. James had 22 points — all in the first half — and played just 36 minutes in Game 1.
Cleveland was coming off an emotional series against Washington. Detroit, meanwhile, had four days of rest and was waiting to make a statement early in the new series.
The statement came in the form of a team-record 15 threepoint baskets, which led to one of the worst losses in playoff history for Cleveland.
But Cleveland can even the series with a victory tonight. The Cavaliers have proved they can win on the road, taking two games in Washington, but the Pistons are 4-0 at home in the playoffs this season.
Detroit, the 2004 NBA champion and Eastern Conference winner last year, is also much more experienced. Four of the team’s starters have been playing together since 2003.
The last time Cleveland played in the second round (1993), James was 8 years old.
Simply winning a game or two, home or away, could be considered an accomplishment.
"To become the best, you got to beat the best," James said. "It might not happen in the first year or the second year or the third year. You’ve got to just keep working at it and hopefully you can get over that hump."
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BCSBust said:
Wow. This just comes to show how uneven the play in the NBA is nowadays. The Pistons have some of the best team chemistry I have seen in quite awhile.
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This team is an anomaly. Put together of cast offs (Ben Wallace, Billups, Rasheed Wallace, McDyess, Hamilton [to a lesser extent]) and late 1st round pick (Prince). Normally the play would be closer due to the way the league is set up, but the Pistons were able to put together a team of players no one wanted and make them winners. That won't normally happen. Joe Dumars should be the GM of the year every year (minus the Darko pick).
 
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scott91575 said:
This team is an anomaly. Put together of cast offs (Ben Wallace, Billups, Rasheed Wallace, McDyess, Hamilton [to a lesser extent]) and late 1st round pick (Prince). Normally the play would be closer due to the way the league is set up, but the Pistons were able to put together a team of players no one wanted and make them winners. That won't normally happen. Joe Dumars should be the GM of the year every year (minus the Darko pick).
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I wouldn't exactly call Rasheed Wallace a castoff...
 
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The thing that most surprises me is how horrible we're playing on offense. While I realize that the Pistons are known for playing great defense, I see a lot of unforced turnovers, missed wide open shots, and missed free throws on our part. I think we seem to be beating ourselves for the most part. I still think it would be difficult to win against the Pistons on the road, but if we play even a decent game by our standards, I think we'd only be down by 6-8 instead of about 20.
 
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