GT: Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Detroit Pistons

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This season’s Eastern Conference Finals sees the second seed Cleveland Cavaliers take on the first seed Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have the home court advantage, and will therefore play the seventh and final game at home if necessary. The schedule for the series is as follows:
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Game #<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Date<font color="#F9FAFA">-----------</font>Location<font color="#F9FAFA">----</font>Time<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>TV<font color="#F9FAFA">------</font>CLE<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>DET
Game 1<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Mon May 21<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Detroit<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>8<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>76<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>79
Game 2<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Thu May 24<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Detroit<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>8<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>76<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>79
Game 3<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Sun May 27<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Cleveland<font color="#F9FAFA">---</font>8:30<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>88<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>82
Game 4<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Tue May 29<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Cleveland<font color="#F9FAFA">---</font>8<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>91<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>87
Game 5<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Thu May 31<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Detroit<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>8<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>109<font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>107<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>2OT
Game 6<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Sat June 2<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Cleveland<font color="#F9FAFA">---</font>8:30<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>98<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>82
Game 7<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Mon June 4<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>Detroit<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>8<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font>TNT<font color="#F9FAFA">-----</font><font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>N/A<font color="#F9FAFA">-</font>-<font color="#F9FAFA">--</font>N/A
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The Cavaliers have come through a pair of solid series so far in this postseason; a series sweep over the Arena-less Wizards and a 6 game win over New Jersey in Round 2. Last season the Cavs barely lost to the Pistons and, had their rebounding been better in the latter stages of Game 6, they may well have won the game. The hopes of all Cleveland fans lay firmly on the shoulders of the huge LeBron James. Let’s hope he will RISE UP.



PG – Larry Hughes


Hughes will likely be given the task of guarding Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups and, arguably, has the most important job of the Cavs on defense. Oh, and he has to step up on offense too. If he can hold Billups to around 15 points and 5 assists, as is most certainly possible, the Cavaliers will stand an almighty chance of reaching the promised land; the NBA Finals. If, however, Billups scores around his average or higher (20-7), the Cavaliers will be in trouble, as he will set the tone for the entire Pistons squad to get going.

SG – Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Pavlovic


Pavlovic is most certainly an X Factor for the Cavaliers. He is a streaky scorer who can totally transform a game with his lethal shooting. On an off-night, however, he can be dead weight to the Cavaliers, and they cannot afford that in such an important series. He will likely have the task of guarding Rip Hamilton, which he should be able to do adequately. Not shut him down, but prevent him from taking over a game or, in fact, the entire series.





SF – LeBron James


James is quite simply the Phenom of the basketball world. He has power, he has agility, he has aggression, he has court-vision. He has even managed to sort out his free throw woes from the season. Simply put, he is the man who could win the Conference, if not the NBA, Championship for the Cavaliers. His task will be to guard Tayshaun Prince and his ungainly wingspan. However, he should be able to counter Tayshaun’s wingspan with his own ridiculous agility and power. In short, the King will play above the Prince.

PF – Drew Gooden


Gooden has a very difficult task of matching up with either Rasheed Wallace or Chris Webber. Both players have played fantastic basketball in Detroit, winning games with their all-round abilities. However, Drew Gooden has also had a solid season, attributing to the number one offensive rebounding team in the League, averaging 3.3 per game. He is capable of landing a double-double on any given night, and can shoot from mid-range with ease. If he can safely play to his strengths, the Cavaliers will be rewarded with crucial, momentum-shifting plays from Gooden.


C – Zydrunas Ilgauskas


Like Gooden, Ilgauskas will be faced with the task of guarding either Wallace or Webber, but should cope quite well with the matchup, such is his size and overall style of play. He is often a key man for the Cavs, especially as they attempt to get their game going early on in the game. His pinpoint hook shots and demonic mid range shots allow the Cavaliers to build up momentum whilst scoring through Z. What’s more, the seven-foot Lithuanian averages 9.8 rebounds, which is likely to be a crucial point to the series.


Key Bench Player – Anderson Varejao


Varejao injects passion and energy into the Cavaliers when he is on the court. In last season’s 7 game series against the Pistons, his per 48 minutes averages were 22.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. All three of the Cavaliers wins came in games where Varejao played at least 19 minutes, solidifying his status as a key player. In addition, it is his eccentricity that energises the players and the fans, allowing for streaky scoring and solid defense. Invariably, when Varejao plays well, the Cavaliers win. That is precisely what they need from the Brazilian Forward.




Cavaliers’ Keys to winning the game
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[*]Get LeBron James going at all available times. When the Cavaliers have LeBron James firing on all cylinders, they are usually in with a huge chance of winning the game, or series as the case may be. To be blunt, the Cavaliers need a startling performance from LeBron if they are to stand a chance of making the NBA Finals.
[*]Win the Battle of the Boards. These are two fantastic rebounding teams, and the battle of the boards, especially in the clutch, could be a defining point in the series, as it was in Game 6 last season.
[*]Shut down Chauncey Billups. Billups is Detroit’s playmaker and, at times, they look shaky when he doesn’t play well. If Larry Hughes can play defense like we all know he can, he may be able to shut down Billups, and therefore the majority of the Pistons’ offense.
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The Pistons are playing in their fifth consecutive Conference Finals, just the fifth team to do so in the last three decades. They have done so by sweeping the Orlando Magic in Round 1, then disposing of Big Ben Wallace and his Bulls in 6 games in Round 2. Last season they played a Cavaliers team in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, and barely scraped through Game 6, before coasting to victory in Game 7. Hopefully, we will be in for another classic series and for that, the Pistons will have to be firing on all cylinders.

PG – Chauncey Billups


Billups is averaging a cool 20 points and 7 assists in the Playoffs so far, but it is his clutch play and incredible court vision that means so much to the Pistons. Known as ‘Mr. Big Shot’, Billups is more than capable of stepping up in the clutch to get the Pistons through close games. It must be known that when Billups is on fire, the rest of the squad are given easy opportunities by their playmaker and it is then that the Pistons are almost impossible to stop.


SG – Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton


Hamilton is one of those players who just frustrates opposing teams. He is arguably the best off the ball player in the League, as he is brilliant at spotting open lanes and opportunities for screens. On top of that, he is a tenacious attacker of the rim, capable of penetrating through most defenses. His own personal defense may need work, but it is not awful – he can hold his own against the likes of Larry Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic. He will no doubt be a key player for the Pistons, as he can put up 20 on any given night, and can be the difference between a losing Pistons team and a Pistons team coasting to victory.

SF – Tayshaun Prince


Prince has the most difficult job of all the Pistons. The Prince must overthrow the King. If his defense is fantastic throughout the series, there is no way that the Cavaliers will win, as their leader will find it difficult to score. If, however, Tayshaun’s defense is weak, LeBron James will take full advantage and breeze past him for bucket after bucket after bucket, and possibly win after win after win. Prince’s job is that simple, and so crucial: if he plays well, the Pistons will win. If he doesn’t, they probably won’t.

PF – Rasheed Wallace


Rasheed Wallace is a player who is almost impossible to stop. He can hit three-point jumpshots. He can post up. He can rebound. He can attack the rim, to a certain degree. And, importantly, he can block shots. All this amounts to a fantastic player who the combination of Ilgauskas and Gooden will find it very difficult to break through. His advantage is that he can switch from a post player to a perimeter player whenever necessary. And he is capable of dominating defenders at either. He was a crucial player last year and will no doubt be just as crucial this year.

C – Chris Webber


Webber is in his first season at his hometown club the Detroit Pistons. He is a threat in all areas, except outside shooting. He can post up well, rebound and pass out of double teams, and is no slouch on defense either. When Ben Wallace left the Pistons in the Summer, it was questioned who would take over at the Center position. Nazr Mohammed tried, but when Webber came to the team from the 76ers, there was no question: they had found their man. Webber was tearing it up and has managed to keep it up ever since.

Key Bench Player – Antonio McDyess


McDyess is a player capable of starting for most NBA teams. Except the Pistons. The flaw in his game, however, is an inability to remain healthy, thus teams are afraid of signing him to be their starting Forward. He seems, however, to have found his home in Detroit, as a Sixth Man, entering the game and grabbing a good number of rebounds (averaging 8.4), playing good defense (a steal and a block per game) all in just a little over 20 minutes. He could play a big role in the Pistons’ hopes, covering for the two starting post players and preventing Ilgauskas from scoring when Wallace and Webber are off the court.

Pistons’ Keys to winning the game
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[*]Stop LeBron James. This goes almost without saying. LeBron is one of, perhaps the best player in the League, and probably the best remaining in this season’s Playoffs. Without him, the Cavs struggle greatly and if he is stopped, the Cavs’ chance will go from slim to none.
[*]Play the Detroit way. The Pistons were only beaten last season when they were forced to play Cavalier basketball. If they can keep to their own style of basketball, they will be virtually unstoppable.
[*]Ensure Chauncey Billups plays to the top of his game. When Billups plays well, he does not only score, but he spreads the floor for his team-mates to score too. When this happens, it is almost impossible to defeat the Pistons.
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<u>Prediction</u>
Since LeBron James entered the League in 2003, the Cavs and Pistons have met an almighty 23 times. The Cavaliers have won 9, averaging 82.7 points per game, whilst the Pistons have won 14, averaging 87.0 points. LeBron James and Chauncey Billups are, in my opinion, the key men in this series, and the likelihood is that whichever player performs best will set their team up to win the series. However, Billups has a stronger cavalry than the King and for this reason, I see the Pistons scraping through in what could be a classic 7 game series.

<font color="#B94056">3</font> - <font color="#006BB7">4</font>

 

Now completed. Let's go Cavs!

 

Nice writeup chingy

As I said in our forum, I think this game will go to 6-7 games at least, its going to be a good series, I know that much.

 

Dang man. They are down by 2 with 2.8 seconds left. They had a good look on the three pointer from Donyell Marshall. He was wide open and he missed for the game winner.

 

Why did LeBron kick it out again when his team really needed him? Mike Brown just commentated saying that it was his choice to wether he wanted to put it up or kick it over to Donyell Marshall. It looked like a good opportunity to tie the game and/or possibly get a foul called.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Will637 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Why did LeBron kick it out again when his team really needed him? Mike Brown just commentated saying that it was his choice to wether he wanted to put it up or kick it over to Donyell Marshall. It looked like a good opportunity to tie the game and/or possibly get a foul called.</div>

Donyell had an open three point look and he was 6-10 the game before.

I wouldn't give LeBron too much heat for that (Bron almost had a triple double in an incredibly slow-paced game).

 

I guess it is hard to say which is the right thing to do, pass it or shoot it. It is a tough loss but who cares? They already showed us that they can beat the Pistons. Just focus on game 2 now.

 

We fought hard against Detroit, and this game showed promise. My key mistake of the game was Varejao moving back from Billups as he received the ball to leave him wide open. LeBron could have taken it himself but think: he would most likely have been fouled and he isn't exactly the best clutch free throw shooter ever, is he? The decision to kick it out to Donyell was, in theory, good, he is a strong three point shooter, and happened to miss this time.

Like I said, this game shows promise, it shows we are capable of taking Detroit all the way and more. RISE UP.

 

That was a smart decision for passing to Marshall. If he would of took the shot and missed (more then likely would of happened) you'd all be complaining that hes selfish and should of gave the rock to Marshall for the win.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Will637 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Why did LeBron kick it out again when his team really needed him? Mike Brown just commentated saying that it was his choice to wether he wanted to put it up or kick it over to Donyell Marshall. It looked like a good opportunity to tie the game and/or possibly get a foul called.</div>

They were doubling up on Lebron, and even if he drove in, he wasn't getting most of his calls. Donyell Marshall was wide open. It was a good look, but too bad he missed it.

 

The scary thing is Lebron scored 10 points and they only lost by 3...

 

Great write up chingy, GO CAVS!!!

 

<div class="quote_poster">huevonkiller Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Donyell had an open three point look and he was 6-10 the game before.

I wouldn't give LeBron too much heat for that (Bron almost had a triple double in an incredibly slow-paced game).</div>

what does 6 - 10 the game before have any relevance to the game at hand?

 

<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">what does 6 - 10 the game before have any relevance to the game at hand?</div>
Confidence.

 

<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">what does 6 - 10 the game before have any relevance to the game at hand?</div>

It was an open three point look, what is so hard to understand about that? Drew Gooden wasn't out on the Perimeter, it was a good 3-Point shooter. LeBron James messed up in other moments of game one, not on the last possession with Donyell.

 

Yeah, that wasn't my question.

Luckily Detroit Madness read it and understood it.

 

<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, that wasn't my question.

Luckily Detroit Madness read it and understood it.</div>

So you weren't implying that LeBron made the wrong decision then? I thought you made a rhetorical question to be honest, so it did not matter imo, that I carefully read and understand your previous question.

If you didn't imply that LeBron made the incorrect choice, then why the hell are you wasting your time telling me how 6-10 is irrelevant to Game 1? No duh guy, but players can be in shooting slumps or highs throughout a string of games which is why I mentioned it (eg a macrocosm would be Kobe's string of 50 point games).

Donyell's confidence must have been high after that night, I simply didn't feel like repeating Detroit Madness' point since he got to that fact first.

 

<div class="quote_poster">huevonkiller Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">So you weren't implying that LeBron made the wrong decision then? I thought you made a rhetorical question to be honest, so it did not matter imo, that I carefully read and understand your previous question.</div>

I actually haven't seen the game so I wasn't implying anything.

 

Great result for the Cavs last night, if they can repeat it in Game 4, they will tie the series and put Detroit under great pressure back at the Palace. Let's Go Cavs. RISE UP.

 

<div class="quote_poster">chingy0007 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Great result for the Cavs last night, if they can repeat it in Game 4, they will tie the series</div>

With great analysis like that you should work for ESPN