The Cavs and Mavs are going on the road
Published by The Cavalier May 20th, 2006 in LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs
Here are our thoughts after a night of not sleeping much. When we did manage, we were having dreams about Paris Hilton being our girlfriend. There was no sex or anything - we were like really in love.
Don’t know what that means. Anyway:
1) It sure seemed like the Cavaliers were set up for another dramatically positive finish…then they allowed four offensive rebounds in 50 seconds??? Credit to the Pistons for going nuts on the glass.
2) Horrible mismanagement of the game at the end. The players have to know to call a time-out there. That aside, LeBron screwed up - yeah, Flip was open, but Flip hasn’t made a shot in 6 games. (By the way, if you’ve been reading awhile, you know that we’ve said it since we got him - Flip is the poor man’s Ricky Davis.) Mike Brown took the blame, but this is on the players - as the ABJ’s Tom Reed says, they lost their poise, or brains, or however you want to put it.
3) Pretty much the whole fourth quarter was just bad. For some reason Z was sitting, and we went away from what had worked in the first half. The “have LeBron go 1-on-1 from 25 feet away” offense was reinstalled, the Pistons were all over it, and it was a series of turnovers.
(One of the first plays of the game, Drew Gooden cut down the middle of the key without the ball for like the first time all season. Dunk. God, we can’t wait until next season when there’s a key assistant coach installed who’s an offensive guru. Can you imagine LeBron playing in a system where people regularly move without the ball?)
4) We thought the game was over with the 2-handed LeBron dunk over the entire Pistons team.
5) Cleveland fans are doing the typical over-reaction, screaming that the entire team needs to be torn apart, and whining Shot/Fumble/Drive. This wasn’t one of those games, c’mon.
First of all, this isn’t over yet, although we fully expect the Cavaliers will be given a 0% chance by everyone tomorrow. Secondly, this wasn’t some “shock ending”. It was a hard-fought game by both teams, and the Pistons won. They made some tough shots and worked the glass at the end. Ball bounced their way this time, just like it bounced the Cavaliers’ way in the previous three games.
Game 7 should be a war, and it somehow seems fitting that if the Cavs are going to do this, they do it in that fashion. That’s about it - it was a tough loss, but it is what it is. Both teams worked hard, both made some key plays, and both made some mistakes. That’s what the playoffs are.
6) Since this is probably the only post we’ll do today…the Mavs. We pointed out the similarities in these two series yesterday, and it looks like they really are the same. Dallas mismanaged their game in the last ten seconds and took a tough loss at home.
That’s three Game 7s for Round Two! Fun for fan, okay! Yes, a-number one! Blue jeans!
I want to add - where they lost this game is when they didn’t double Sheed in the post. They did a few times, and every time he’d pass it back outside and the Pistons’ offense would scramble and break down.
That and they didn’t call a time-out!!!
I had a feeling that this game would turn out like this when every single person on Sportscenter was lauding about how good LeBron is. Including Scottie Pippen saying he would take LeBron over Michael. That’s just a silly recipe for disaster.
That’s not to say that LeBron isn’t good. But by the way they were talking, you could feel a game 7 loss coming.
To be fair he said Year 3 LeBron over Year 3 Jordan.
Wow tarheel, easy with the Jordan comparisons.
First, there will never be another Jordan. The NBA logo should be Jordan’s silhouette. Lebron is playing in the league that Jordan built.
Second, as good as Lebron is, he still has to show a lot to be in the same category of player as Jordan. He is an amazing player, but has he scored 45 while barely able to walk due to the flue? Has he single-handedly destroyed a teams chances at ever getting a NBA championship(Jazz)? Has he patented the tongue out, fist pumping(stupid Kobe stole that one), celebration?
Lebron…is absolutely amazing. Especially for such a young player, I’m in awe. However, he’s not, and never will be, Jordan.
Charlie I think the Tar Heel was agreeing with everything you’re saying…?
LeBron has a lot to prove, and I have yet to find anyone who has said definitively that LeBron is better than Jordan, including me.
What’s a valid comparison is saying “here’s what LBJ has done through 3 years vs what MJ did through 3.” What’s wrong with that?
I do think it’s funny you hold it against LeBron that he’s never played with the flu, though.
Cav, you’re right about what Tarheel said. My bad, I see LBJ and MJ in the same sentence and I automatically overreact!
LBJ has had a better start to his career than MJ, and at a younger age. I just get sensitive about MJ when I think people are trivializing what he’s done for the game. His stats were great, but MJ is so much bigger than just his stats.
The flu game…that was just an example of MJ’s greatness. I’m pretty sure that LBJ will have his share of “You’re A Fucking God” moments before his career is over. That’s just one that I’ll always remember.
Yeah I agree - people forget just how great Jordan was and what an impact he had on and off the court.
LeBron has a long way to go - especially on the defensive end. I actually feel he gets shortchanged, as much as he’s praised and talked about.
He’s often criticized for not having done this or that or whatever - the dude’s only been around for three years - how many truely, remember-it-forever iconic moments does a player have in a career? Jordan had more than anyone, and it’s what - eight maybe? Less than that?
LeBron’s young - people expect him to have had 15 years worth of highlights and accomplishments already.
Personally I am sick of all of the comparisons. Lebron is Lebron. Furthermore, our good friend Scotty doesn’t know is a** from a hole in the ground. If I recall on a sportscenter near the end of the year (which I decided to keep on my DVR) Mr. Pippen was saying that Lebron wasn’t good enough to get past the first round this year. Just my $.02
“what an impact he had on and off the court.”
What impact did Jordan have off of the court, other than creating a perceived need in the eye of the consumer for sports drinks and $150 sneakers?
Oh jeeze. Alex, I hope you’re just trying to play devils advocate or something. I don’t even want to respond to that because I’ll end up spending all day writing on the greatness of MJ.
Enforcer, I agree completely.
“What impact did Jordan have off of the court, other than creating a perceived need in the eye of the consumer for sports drinks and $150 sneakers?”
And the problem with this is…?
I’ve always liked that perceived need, personally.
The man changed the entire landscape of sports marketing and endorsements. Whether that “matters” as much as rainforests or whatever is irrelevent - dude had a huge impact.
The Jordan V. Bron comparisons are bad because they don’t play the same game. If anything, Bron needs to be compared to Oscar Robinson and Earvin Johnson.
Yeah, but neither LBJ or MJ could beat Avian Flu however. To accomplish that you would need a great TEAM effort. Like from the Pistons!
First 2x cancer, now bird flu? This is awful.
My read of the internet says both team’s fans are unsure what to think. Concur or no?
“And the problem with this is…?”
No problem. If you think that shilling for fast-food, highly-sugared “sports drinks”, and sweatshop-produced sneakers is “making an impact off the court”, go for it.
Jordan’s impact on the court is undeniable. But acting like he contributed to anything off the court that wasn’t financially motivated is stupid.
I think one thing that might work to our advantage is that the Pistons may have regained the arrogance that served them so well in games 3, 4 and 5.
Cav - Z was sitting in the 4th because that’s the formula that worked in the other 3 wins.
Note to LeBron: That spin and dribble at the bottom of the circle is good for a Piston steal every time. I don’t want to see it again.
“I just get sensitive about MJ when I think people are trivializing what he’s done for the game.”
Thank God someone is finally, finally, standing up and defending Jordan’s career. He was really under-represented: the 78 DVDs (well, videotapes, I’m assuming they’re on DVD now), the 98 SI covers, the 105 books about him, the fact no shooting guard can shoot a fadeaway and pump his fist without being accused of trying to be too much like Jordan or being compared to him (because MJ was the first person on a basketball court to pump his fist. Shouldn’t LeBron be accused of stealing from Magic whenever he smiles, because Magic patented the smile-during-the-game?).
Throw in the fact that he’s generally considered the greatest ever (and if you talk about Wilt, Russell, Magic, Bird, Oscar, etc.,) you’re basically dismissed, not to mention he’s credited - along with Magic and Bird -for saving the NBA from a hopeless existence, and it’s clear his accomplishments are being trivialized by fans everywhere.
But acting like he contributed to anything off the court that wasn’t financially motivated is stupid.
What’s wrong with being motivated by money? If all anyone did was try to save third world orphans, the world would be in big trouble.
MJ wouldn’t keep turning it over in the 4th quarter, and MJ knew how to call timeouts.
no one ever talks about the rainforests anymore, that was so early 90’s
Mike Brown said that he told LeBron to move the ball up court. Don’t blame LeBron. I don’t know if that’s Mike Brown taking heat, but I’ll trust him for now.
rebound! can the cavs grab a rebound? someone? anyone?
coach brown is to blame for the defeat . brown’s poor substitution cost the cavs the win. brown shd have a better end of game play .
brown shd. go back to fema !
funny thing about games like this one - right now people are ready to tear apart the team and start over, but Cleveland had simply gotten one of those rebounds and ended up winning, Mike Brown, LeBron, and the rest of them would be gods on Earth.
Same with the Pistons and the three losses. Everyone wanted Flip’s head after Game 5. Now? Aw…it was just a lull in concentration. No biggie.
I saw “Marc Duncan” sitting on top of the backboard in the 4th quarter, swatting the errant shots into the hands of the waiting Pistons.
Even as a Cavs fan, I found it disconcerting yesterday as Hubie fawned all over LeBron and the Cavs, while the Pistons had the lead. Anyone else a little bugged by this?
I don’t remember anyone skeeting up there, either.
I hate how the Pistons play “smart” basketball and when they know someone is disrupting their rhythm (Varejao) and is in foul trouble, every possession they barrel right at him to foul him out. They weren’t even trying to sink shots. Just looking for the call is some hoe shit when you do it possession after possession.
Of course I have to rebut Lucas (My Favorite thing to do). But that is not hoe shit. That is actually smart basketball. When someone is in foul trouble you go at him, right? That’s like saying it’s hoe-ish for one to run the clock out at the end of the game when you have a lead. Object of the game is to win, and to win within the rules.
Thank you for saying that JONESONTHENBA: You saved my time.
Lebron dunked on the whole detroit team while the whole detroit team was about as set as it possibly could be to detroit him.
I’ve seen Iverson actually drive all the way to the hoop against a set defense, but even he threw up a fallaway layup. And also the set defense was tim hardaway.
But lebron DUNKED on the set Detroit defense. That’s the best defense there is. I was just shocked when he did it.
Kobe couldn’t have done that. The only person that I can think of that could have pulled that off is jordan… probably…
Oof
he did dunk on the whole team. it was S I C K!!!
sheesh.
That’s because LeBron has the body of a Power Forward not a razor thin guard like MJ, Kobe, and AI. Bron, Bron is a beast!