layupdrill
03-09-2009, 05:27 PM
Four Reasons Why The Cavs Will Not Win it All
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive
There are a number or analysts, so-called experts, and prognasticators that will tell you all the reasons why ____fill in NBA contender here___ can win the NBA title. Here at LayupDrill.com, we like to tell our readers the facts, and never sugarcoat them. We all can agree on the half a dozen legitimate title contenders out there. Each one of those teams have many strengths, and if the chips fall their way, you could see any of them hoisting the NBA Championship in June. However, we want to take time out to break down the top four reasons why each team will not win it all as well. We start this special series with the current best record in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At the time of this story, Cleveland sits on top of the very competitive Eastern Conference, at 49-13. With the Celtics injury problems and the Orlando Magic streaky play of late, Cleveland’s margin of error to gain homecourt advantage in the playoffs may be a little bigger than the 1 1/2 game lead in the standings. Whether the Cavs have homecourt or not, there are definitive reasons why they will not become the NBA champions this spring.
1. Lack of a true low post scoring threat.
With the pick up of Joe Smith, The Cavs filled the void opened by the injury of Ben Wallace, however Smith does not command double teams or make teammates better by getting them open shots. The Celtics and Magic both can continue to double team or play a soft zone on Lebron James, and take the chances that Mo Williams has a career series and beats them himself. The Celtics big men combination of Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Kendrick Perkins trumps any Cleveland Combination. Meanwhile, the Cavs also have no answer for Dwight Howard of the Magic, which may also be a reason they were flirting with bringing in Shaq before the All-Star break.
2. Too much on the shoulders of number 23.
The 2008-09 Cavs remind me a lot of the Chicago Bulls the season before they broke through and captured their first NBA title during the Jordan era. The 1989-90 Bulls had their toughest adversary in their hated rival, the world champion Detroit Pistons. Chicago finished the regular season at 55-27, and breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs with relative ease, setting up the showdown against Detroit. The 7 game series taught the Bulls what they were lacking, and allowed them to eventually overcome Chicago the following year. The combination of talented three point specialists(John Paxon, Craig Hodges), rugged front court players(Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant) and an able sidekick(Scottie Pippen) gave the Bulls plenty of reason for hope during much of the season, however in key moments of the Pistons series, Chicago had to rely too much on Mike.
Fast forward to today’s Cavs. A combination of long distance shooters(Daniel Gibson, Delonte West) veteran forwards(Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith, Ben Wallace), and an able swingman(Mo Williams) should have no problems getting to at least the East Finals. However, whether if they wind up seeing the Celtics again, the scenerio of nearly 20 years ago could play out again.
3. The potential Western Conference NBA Finals Matchup.
If Cleveland is able to break through and make it to the NBA Finals for a second time this decade, their potential match up from the West would likely be favored. The Lakers match up very well with Cleveland, and if Kobe Bryant and company were to hold home court overall throughout the playoffs, game seven could be the deciding factor. The Spurs, who defeated the Cavs in a sweep a few short seasons ago, have been to the dance many times before, and I would place my bets on Tim Duncan to give one more timeless performance for his fifth ring in that match up. Perhaps the most interesting matchup would be the Utah Jazz, where Lebron James would likely spend some time guarding Deron Williams, and the powerful front court of Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap could cause all types of problems for the Cavs
4. Will the Cavs coaching staff fold under the pressure?
When the Cavs broke through to make it to the NBA Finals a few seasons back, it was a nice story, and many did not expect it. After last season’s seven game classic series against the Celtics, many expected this year to be the year the Cavs took the next step. Knowing that Lebron James, who is everything for the franchise, could potentially change the shift of the entire league by leaving Cleveland after next season, Cleveland head coach Mike Brown and company know that they need to win, and right now. Anything less than a birth in the NBA Finals would be looked upon as a disappointing season to the Cavs, and if there was ever a year they could break through, this year is now.
That being said, the NBA playoffs is all about surviving and advancing, and entire series can be shifted on one single play. Teams are so even in the East, that a bounce of a ball in one direction or another can change the course of a teams fate. Doc Rivers took a huge step last season in proving why he is a big time coach by keeping his group of veteran superstars poised and hungry the entire year, and when they faced adversity in the playoffs, they did not fold. The Celtics last year could have crumbled in game seven in either first or second round, as well as in game four of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, but they did not. If the Cavs find themselves in similar positions this year, will they be able to withstand the pressure of the moment?
http://layupdrill.com/2009/03/four-reasons-why-the-cavs-wont-win-it-all/
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive
There are a number or analysts, so-called experts, and prognasticators that will tell you all the reasons why ____fill in NBA contender here___ can win the NBA title. Here at LayupDrill.com, we like to tell our readers the facts, and never sugarcoat them. We all can agree on the half a dozen legitimate title contenders out there. Each one of those teams have many strengths, and if the chips fall their way, you could see any of them hoisting the NBA Championship in June. However, we want to take time out to break down the top four reasons why each team will not win it all as well. We start this special series with the current best record in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At the time of this story, Cleveland sits on top of the very competitive Eastern Conference, at 49-13. With the Celtics injury problems and the Orlando Magic streaky play of late, Cleveland’s margin of error to gain homecourt advantage in the playoffs may be a little bigger than the 1 1/2 game lead in the standings. Whether the Cavs have homecourt or not, there are definitive reasons why they will not become the NBA champions this spring.
1. Lack of a true low post scoring threat.
With the pick up of Joe Smith, The Cavs filled the void opened by the injury of Ben Wallace, however Smith does not command double teams or make teammates better by getting them open shots. The Celtics and Magic both can continue to double team or play a soft zone on Lebron James, and take the chances that Mo Williams has a career series and beats them himself. The Celtics big men combination of Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Kendrick Perkins trumps any Cleveland Combination. Meanwhile, the Cavs also have no answer for Dwight Howard of the Magic, which may also be a reason they were flirting with bringing in Shaq before the All-Star break.
2. Too much on the shoulders of number 23.
The 2008-09 Cavs remind me a lot of the Chicago Bulls the season before they broke through and captured their first NBA title during the Jordan era. The 1989-90 Bulls had their toughest adversary in their hated rival, the world champion Detroit Pistons. Chicago finished the regular season at 55-27, and breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs with relative ease, setting up the showdown against Detroit. The 7 game series taught the Bulls what they were lacking, and allowed them to eventually overcome Chicago the following year. The combination of talented three point specialists(John Paxon, Craig Hodges), rugged front court players(Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant) and an able sidekick(Scottie Pippen) gave the Bulls plenty of reason for hope during much of the season, however in key moments of the Pistons series, Chicago had to rely too much on Mike.
Fast forward to today’s Cavs. A combination of long distance shooters(Daniel Gibson, Delonte West) veteran forwards(Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith, Ben Wallace), and an able swingman(Mo Williams) should have no problems getting to at least the East Finals. However, whether if they wind up seeing the Celtics again, the scenerio of nearly 20 years ago could play out again.
3. The potential Western Conference NBA Finals Matchup.
If Cleveland is able to break through and make it to the NBA Finals for a second time this decade, their potential match up from the West would likely be favored. The Lakers match up very well with Cleveland, and if Kobe Bryant and company were to hold home court overall throughout the playoffs, game seven could be the deciding factor. The Spurs, who defeated the Cavs in a sweep a few short seasons ago, have been to the dance many times before, and I would place my bets on Tim Duncan to give one more timeless performance for his fifth ring in that match up. Perhaps the most interesting matchup would be the Utah Jazz, where Lebron James would likely spend some time guarding Deron Williams, and the powerful front court of Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap could cause all types of problems for the Cavs
4. Will the Cavs coaching staff fold under the pressure?
When the Cavs broke through to make it to the NBA Finals a few seasons back, it was a nice story, and many did not expect it. After last season’s seven game classic series against the Celtics, many expected this year to be the year the Cavs took the next step. Knowing that Lebron James, who is everything for the franchise, could potentially change the shift of the entire league by leaving Cleveland after next season, Cleveland head coach Mike Brown and company know that they need to win, and right now. Anything less than a birth in the NBA Finals would be looked upon as a disappointing season to the Cavs, and if there was ever a year they could break through, this year is now.
That being said, the NBA playoffs is all about surviving and advancing, and entire series can be shifted on one single play. Teams are so even in the East, that a bounce of a ball in one direction or another can change the course of a teams fate. Doc Rivers took a huge step last season in proving why he is a big time coach by keeping his group of veteran superstars poised and hungry the entire year, and when they faced adversity in the playoffs, they did not fold. The Celtics last year could have crumbled in game seven in either first or second round, as well as in game four of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, but they did not. If the Cavs find themselves in similar positions this year, will they be able to withstand the pressure of the moment?
http://layupdrill.com/2009/03/four-reasons-why-the-cavs-wont-win-it-all/