<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> The disappointment and anger associated with the Cavaliers' humiliating loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals was so severe that Donyell Marshall took the blame. "I was [ticked] off because we were so close," Marshall said. "I played well throughout the playoffs, and then in Game 7, I didn't do anything. I went into the off-season trying to get better." Indeed. Certainly, the sting of last year's playoff elimination loss to the Pistons has provided the Cavaliers with motivation entering this season. The Pistons had the best regular-season record last year, and before the Miami Heat eliminated the Pistons in the conference finals, the Cavaliers took the Pistons to the brink. Just missing out on the conference semifinals with the chance of playing in the finals was on Marshall's mind throughout the off-season. "After we lost to the Pistons in Game 7, [General Manager] Danny [Ferry] and [coach] Mike [Brown] told the whole team that it was a great year but we weren't satisfied, and Donyell -- like a lot of guys on the team -- took it to heart," assistant coach Mike Malone said. "What Donyell did this summer is how you make those steps." Those steps included a commitment to strength and conditioning. Marshall spent hours lifting weights and running. He also worked on his game. Marshall was on the perimeter too much last season. This season calls from him to return to an inside/outside game, like during the 1999-2000 season when he averaged a double-double while playing for Golden State. Last season, Marshall's 9.3 scoring average was his lowest since he averaged 7.3 during the 1996-97 season. His rebounding average of 6.1 was his lowest in nine years. "During [pick-up games], I went back to my old self of posting up smaller players," Marshall said. "I don't want to stand behind the 3-point arc the whole time. I want to get back to the Donyell in Utah, who was running the floor and posting up smaller players. That will force the other team to decide who to put on me. If they put a small guy [on me], I'm going inside. If it's a big guy, I'm taking him outside." Marshall worked so hard and was so busy during the summer that LeBron James wondered when Marshall found time to rest. "He didn't take much time off before he got back to the gym," James said. "You could see how disappointed he was when our season ended last year, and he's motivated." </div> Source
