Spurs vs Cavs - Breakdown

[MI21]

Point Guard - Tony Parker vs Larry Hughes

The PG position is going to go a long way to determining who wins this series. For the Spurs, Parker has grown throughout this postseason, and has been at least as good during the playoffs as he was during the season, which has been the big knock on him over the years. Defensively, he has been incredible in the postseason doing a very good job on a lot of good players such as Iverson, Nash and Barbosa. His jumpshot has been steady throughout, and he has made several timely 4th quarter baskets to stop opposition momentum, and to help steady the Spurs.

All this adds up to a big problem for the Cavs, even if Hughes was 100% fit. As it is, Hughes is playing with a hurt foot which limits his mobility and quickness. He is going to have a very hard time staying in front of Parker, which opens up not only Parkers penetration for inside baskets, but also forces the defense to collapse opening up the passing lanes to outside shooters for the Spurs. If Parker can capitalise on those opportunities, the Cavs will be in trouble. Offensively, Hughes isn’t a pure PG, and I’d like to see the Spurs pressure him full court on occasion. The defense will be instructed to back off of Hughes and force him to make jumpshots, which for the majority of the playoffs, Hughes has struggled with. He is a very streaky shooter, who is much more suited slashing to the hoop and getting out on the break. With the Spurs great transition D, those opportunities will be limited. With Duncan at the hoop and the Spurs good perimeter defense, Hughes jumpshot better be on otherwise he will struggle to score efficiently. The Cavs will be hoping that his length can bother Parker, but Parker has dealt with rangy, taller players on him before, and I really can’t see Hughes bothering him to much this series. In the end, I see this match up as…

Advantage - Spurs

Shooting Guard - Michael Finley vs Sasha Pavlovic

Both of these players have had some nice moments in the playoffs so far. Since being pushed into the starting lineup, both Finley and Pavlovic have been good surprises for each team. Pavlovic has really excelled defensively throughout the playoffs, and has had to defend some top notch swingmen, including Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Richard Hamilton, and has done an admirable job. He has good size, is strong and deceptively athletic. He had a game saving blocked shot on Jason Kidd that was reminiscent of Tayshaun Prince on Reggie Miller a few years back, so he has speed as well. Offensively, he is a nice spot up 3pt shooter, but I’ve yet to see him be able to consistently stick a jumpshot off the dribble. He drives to the hoop well, and has some nice moves as well, but sometimes struggles at the hoop despite being athletic and having nice hops. He is a work in progress offensively, but I think the Spurs would be best served running out at him when he catches the ball off of kick outs, and relying on there team rotation to cover the hoop. Pavlovic isn’t consistent enough with his decision making to repeatedly hurt the Spurs if they defend him as such.

As for Finley, all he has to do is find the right spots on the court, and stick his jumpshots. He might get a few plays ran for him at times off of small curls for midrange jumpers, but other than that he will rely on Tim Duncan drawing doubles, and Parker and Ginobili’s penetrations to get himself going with open shots. Throughout the playoffs Finley has had no problems serving that role, and has consistently made the open J. His FT shooting has been a big plus as well, and it seems he is designated FT shooter for the Spurs at the end of games. Defensively, Finley has been a nice surprise. He did a respectable job on Carmelo Anthony, Shawn Marion and Andrei Kirilenko amongst others, and will probably see some time on LeBron in this series, which is scary. But if he can be as effective against LeBron as he was against Melo, then that will be a huge bonus for the Spurs. Basically, in this series, a lot of what Finley does will be reliant on how Tim, TP and Manu are playing. If they are getting into the teeth of the D, Cleveland will collapse and force the Spurs to knock down shots. If Finley knocks these shots down, things will be looking good for San Antonio.

Advantage – Spurs

Small Forward - Bruce Bowen vs LeBron James

Here is the Cavs big chance. LeBron has been spectacular during the playoffs, particularly Games 3, 4 and 5 against Detroit. For the playoffs, he is averaging near a triple double, and this deep into the postseason, that is amazing. His combination of speed, size, height, strength and skills is too much for any one defender to completely negate. The only hope is to back off of him and hope his jumpshot isn’t falling. The Cavs whole offense revolves around LeBron, and the ball is in his hands every possession. The big difference with him in comparison to his other big name scorers is that he prefers to pass, prefers to get his team mates involved. That is when he gets even more dangerous, because opposition defenses need to respect his team mates, which opens up driving lanes to the hoop where LeBron is unmatched in terms of finishing above, around and through people.

The Spurs will throw the best defender in the NBA (Camby? Pfft) on him though, so all hope isn’t lost. Bowen will be fighting out of his weight division, standing a good 3 inches shorter than LeBron, and probably 50 pounds lighter not to mention the big difference in athleticism. But all this doesn’t matter, because no one has quicker feet, quicker hands and better body positioning and control on defense than Bruce Bowen. Bowen will look to frustrate LeBron , make him look for his own shot first, force the issue and generally just keep him out of his comfort spots on the court. LeBron is going to get his and there is going to be times where LeBron scores a whole bunch just by overpowering LeBron, but that’s ok, as long as Bowen can slow him down, and stop the late game heroics, the Spurs can live with LeBron getting his 25-30ppg. On offense, anything from Bowen is gravy. If he can hit his corner 3’s, that will help the Spurs, but really, with such a big job on the defensive end, expecting anything out of Bowen on offense is a big ask.

Advantage – Cavs

Power Forward - Tim Duncan vs Drew Gooden

As with LeBron for the Cavs, Duncan is the big advantage for San Antonio. Healthy in the playoffs and operating almost predominately in the post, Duncan has been the best player in the postseason. No health problems really make a difference for Timmy. Defensively, he has been amazing. He is going to cause Cleveland trouble around the hoop on defense, which is just what San Antonio needs because the Cavs rely on interior points as they are a shaky outside shooting team. On offense, Cleveland really has no answer for him. Gooden isn’t strong enough or good enough defensively. Ilgauskas is foul prone and to slow. Varejao will bite on fakes and isn’t strong enough either, though he does have the potential to get Tim in foul trouble with a few nicely timed flops. I expect low post domination from Tim, even if the PPG numbers don’t show it. The Cavs whole defense will be focused on Tim, and the outcome of the series heavily relies on how he handles it. Scoring when he needs to, kicking it out to shooters, being a decoy, offensive rebounding etc is all expected from Tim and I can’t see anyone on the Cavs stopping him from doing that.

As for Gooden, he is a solid player. Cleveland won’t run any plays for him but he will look to score and is a little bit of a black hole. He crashes the offensive boards well due to his decent athleticism and sizes and has a pretty good midrange jumpshot. The Spurs will have to keep an eye out for him and box him out, because those 2nd chance opportunities can really kill a team. Gooden can also be a bit of a hot head, and is easily taken out of the game by the referees. Expect him and Varejao to share the minutes defending Duncan, with heavy doses of double teaming and collapsing from the guards. If the Spurs can box him out on the boards, and watch his midrange jumpshot, he really shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Advantage – Spurs

Center - Fabricio Oberto vs Zydrunas Ilgauskas

I’m not sure what to make of this match up. Oberto has been amazing these playoffs without the numbers to back it up. He makes smart cuts, smart passes, smart defensive plays and combined with his solid defense and knack for tapping out offensive rebounds it makes him a good, safe player. It all makes up for his lack of speed, height and athleticism. Before the series against Utah, I was worried about his rebounding because the Jazz were such a great rebounding team. But he proved me wrong. I’m having the same thoughts before this series because the Cavs are a great rebounding team as well, but I have faith that Fabs will be able to replicate or come close to his production against Utah. He will be asked by the Spurs to do the same things he has been doing all playoffs, and I have a feeling he will get under the guard of the Cavs and produce.

Big Z has been going well for the Cavs in the playoffs too. He is a big threat in the low post with his rolling hook to the middle and his fadeaway to the baseline. He will be able to get those shots all day against Oberto due to his 5 inch height advantage. He will also be dangerous out to 18-20ft off of pick n pops, and broken plays. He really has great touch for a big man. I don’t mind the Spurs giving that up though, because it means he isn’t near the hoop getting tip ins with his long arms and height. Cleveland tends to forget about him on offense as well, evidenced by the fact he only gets 10FGA per game. He also tends to throw up some ill advised shots at times, and is foul and turnover prone. Key to stopping him for Fabricio is not biting on his fakes, not letting him establish good low position and challenging his jumpshots. It’d be nice if Fab could run him down the court as well, as he did with a much more fleet footed Boozer in the WCF. The Cavs are really going to need a big series out of Z if they are going to upset the Spurs, and with Tim Duncan waiting to be switched onto him if he starts heating up, it’s going to be a big challenge for Z.

Advantage – Cavs


Bench – Spurs: Ginobili, Horry, Barry, Elson, Vaughn, Bonner, Udrih
Cavs: Gibson, Varejao, Marshall, Snow, Jones, Pollard, Newble

The Spurs have the best bench player in the league in Ginobili (Barbosa deserved his award, Manu is a better player) and that automatically gives them the advantage. Expect to see large doses of Ginobili and Horry for the Spurs, with spot minutes to Barry, Elson and Vaughn. For the Cavs, Varejao is a nice backup big who will get 20+ MPG. Gibson was amazing against the Pistons, but is he just a flash in the pan? Snow and Marshall will probably get spot minutes, and perhaps Damon Jones.

The Spurs need to watch out for the outside shooting of Gibson and Marshall. Much like Bowen, Marshall camps in the corners and bombs away. Whilst he hasn’t been great in the playoffs, he has been a matchup problem for the Spurs in the past. Gibson is more of an unknown. He is a heady player for a rookie, and is a sticky defender who did a respectable job on Billups. You would expect the moment to get to him, but he has proven he can handle the big stage. It’s a big risk for the Cavs to rely on him though, as marginal players tend to be figured out by the Spurs pretty quickly. I can’t see him dropping 31 in a game against the Spurs, he may not even score 31 for the whole series. Varejao will get heavy minutes and provide hustle, energy, defense and flopping. He is capable of picking up quick fouls which can work in the Spurs favour, getting the Cavs into the penalty early in quarters. Snow may get some minutes on Parker or Ginobili, but it really is a give and take thing with Snow for the Cavs. The Spurs will double off of him down the other end, making LeBron’s job that much harder. It will be interesting to see if Mike Brown will be willing to sacrifice some offensive balance and spacing in return for better perimeter defense with Snow. We won’t really know until the series starts.

As for the Spurs, Ginobili and Horry are key off of the bench. Horry needs to be active on defense and the boards, and Ginobili needs to stay his aggressive self and not revert back to the ‘pumpfake 3 times, step back, launch 3 Ginobili’ we saw earlier in the playoffs. The Spurs will have the utmost confidence in Ginobili & Horry to perform in the finals because of the history they have of doing just that. It would be nice to see Horry contribute on the offensive end as well, but it isn’t necessarily vital if Oberto is providing some offense. The Cavs really have no answer for Ginobili, and I expect him to give them fits the whole series. Vaughn needs to just come in and not stuff up. Barry and Elson need to minimise mistakes, and contribute in regards to there respective specialties. Overall, the Spurs have the best bench player (perhaps the best 2) and in the finals, rotations tend to shrink to 6 or 7 players getting meaningful minutes. The Spurs have more depth, and better, more proven players off the bench. This could be a big advantage for the Spurs in this series.

Advantage – Spurs

Coaching – Gregg Popovich vs Mike Brown

A former Coach of the Year, 3 Time Championship winning coach and the best defensive coach in recent history versus a guy that learned everything he knows off of him. Popovich has a huge advantage in experience here, but as last season showed us, that doesn’t always translate into success. But that said, I think it will this time. Mike Brown has had some horrible moments, particularly with time management and play calling. I’d like to see more of the offense go to Ilgauskas, and play LeBron off the ball a little bit more. Also, the Cavs could really put LeBron in some better positions to score. Some of the Iso’s they run really allow the defense you basically zone against LeBron. They need to get more early offense and easy baskets.

As for Popovich, he has been pretty damn good through the playoffs. I haven’t agreed on his use of Bowen throughout, particularly against Nash and Deron Williams, but other than that he has been good. Keeping Ginobili coming off of the bench, starting Oberto were both very smart moves that have paid off big time. If he sticks to his principles and doesn’t try get to fancy with his lineups, I expect his coaching to provide the Spurs with a big advantage.

Advantage – Spurs

RESULT

Cleveland will defiantly push the Spurs in this series. I’m not sure they are actually a better team than any of Denver, Phoenix or Utah, but they are the type of team that can give the Spurs trouble. They are big and athletic, rebound extremely well, are good defensively and have an absolute megastar. That said, Cleveland are just not consistent enough offensively and don’t have answers defensively for the Spurs best 3 players to beat them in a 7 game series. I think the format will allow they to win 2 games at home, but in the end, the Spurs are a better team, have a better coach, are better both offensively and defensively, and I just don’t see LeBron being enough to stop that. Tim Duncan for Finals MVP!

SPURS IN 6

[Mr. Body]

One thing Detroit failed to do was run Ilgauskas up and down the court. We might see some small ball sets while Z is on the floor to see if Brown will leave him in. In this case, Elson could get some minutes.

[Supergirl]

This article also fails to mention Oberto's defense, which will prove key in keeping Z from getting many easy looks at the basket, and in the Spurs transition and help-defense, which will make things hard for Lebron.

[MI21]

This article also fails to mention Oberto's defense, which will prove key in keeping Z from getting many easy looks at the basket, and in the Spurs transition and help-defense, which will make things hard for Lebron.

This isn't an article. I wrote it myself, I'm sick as a dog, and was bored.

I don't think Oberto can effect Z much defensively... all he can do is stop Z getting good position, but Z can get any look he wants against Oberto.

[stretch]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

[ducks]

good post mI21

[Mr. Body]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

You're absolutely right. Eric Snow's extreme advantage in quickness will sour Parker's drives to the hole, as well.

[NoMoneyDown]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

:lol

[Martin R]

lol. these cav fans are just hilarious!!! they think ONE Man can beat a whole team. lol.

[peskypesky]

lol. these cav fans are just hilarious!!! they think ONE Man can beat a whole team. lol.

They'll be bitch-slapped back into reality. Basketball is a team sport, and people whose brains have been dulled by "superstar" hype have trouble understanding that simple fact.

Superstars CAN and WILL be beat by superior teams....just look at the last Olympic basketball competition.

[peskypesky]

This article also fails to mention Oberto's defense, which will prove key in keeping Z from getting many easy looks at the basket, and in the Spurs transition and help-defense, which will make things hard for Lebron.

Hopefully, Oberto will be able to use positioning to make up for his height disadvantage, but I have a feeling we're going to be seeing more of Elson and more minutes for Horry. I like the idea of Duncan and Horry in at the same time, with Horry guarding Gooden and Duncan on Z.

Z is just too long for Oberto, I fear.

[NoMoneyDown]

Z is just too long for Oberto, I fear.

Yes, but Oberto is too mobile for Z.

[MisterWhodat]

Good breakdown MI21

[stretch]

lol. these cav fans are just hilarious!!! they think ONE Man can beat a whole team. lol.
It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

[cherylsteele]

Yes, but Oberto is too mobile for Z.
Peter Gudmundsson is quicker than "Z".

[cherylsteele]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.
Ahem...sorry to burst your little bubble but.........MJ did have help......remember Pippen plus a solid supporting cast? Selective amnesia?

[Mr. Body]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

Stupidest thing I've ever read. Jordan's Bulls were extremely good all around with an excellent coach and management.

[ShoogarBear]

Nice article, MI2I.

The more I think about it, the more I can see Mike Brown putting Z on Duncan, at least on occasion but maybe for long stretches, and Gooden on Oberto. Yes, Z is slow but he's big, and big in the past has given Duncan problems.

Of course, if this happens, then Oberto should have lots of opportunities cutting to the basket as he did when Boozer was guarding him.

[Bruno]

Hopefully, Oberto will be able to use positioning to make up for his height disadvantage, but I have a feeling we're going to be seeing more of Elson and more minutes for Horry. I like the idea of Duncan and Horry in at the same time, with Horry guarding Gooden and Duncan on Z.

Z is just too long for Oberto, I fear.

I think Pop will put Oberto on Gooden and Duncan on Z.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

:clap

Very nice work MI21!

You could write for espn.com except your article is far too unbiased and well-written.





I'm actually hoping Pop throws several different people at Lebron. I wouldn't be surprised if they let Lebron get his 40 a night and just shut everyone else down (ala Amare in the 2005 Phoenix series). I'd like to see Bowen cover whoever else has the hot hand and switch him on Lebron late in the games to throw him off.

[michaelwcho]

It will be interesting to see how much physicality the Cavs get away with in the post. Denver and Utah really bothered Timmie at times, much more so than flavor-of-the-month Kurt Thomas. The double and triple teams, the reaches that miraculously never seem to touch his arms, at times negated his offense and caused turnover after turnover. If Timmie can get his like in Phoenix, this series will be over quickly. Unfortunately, I don't see it. I think we need to hope that our shooters don't pull a Turkoglu, and can rain down open 3's.

No one is stopping Parker, Marion came close for awhile. I could see LeBron doing a little of the same, but do they want to risk the fouls and use so much energy chasing a waterbug? The Cavs have to hope he makes bad decisions in the paint, we have to hope he makes good ones.

I have not watched a lot of Cleveland, but when I did, Z was hitting the boards hard. He has long-ass arms and amazing agility for someone his age and size. Oberto has his work cut out....he may need to face-guard. I think Z could really hurt us with his offensive boards when LeBron and his boys are throwing up bricks.

It's hard to say from the outside, but I think some of Brown's offensive sets have been abominable. It was obvious at times what Detroit was doing defensively, and he just didn't have an answer. I don't think that will play against SA, a superior defensive team to this year's diminished Pistons.

[SpursIndonesia]

IMHO, in the Cavs starting line up, Pavlovic is the wild card for them. For the Spurs, Tony would be our joker. Ofcourse, we have a second joker off the bench fortunately, and unlike Gibson, he's a proven playoff final player.

[FromWayDowntown]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

I'm not sure why Brown would go away from Hughes -- he's been starting an injured Hughes for the last week.

It makes sense to me that Brown might start the Finals using Gibson in the latter minutes of games. I don't know, though, that examining Gibson's effectiveness against Billups and extrapolating to a matchup against Parker is a particularly sound analysis. In the first place, Billups and Parker are very different kinds of point guards. Chauncey is uber physical and not particularly quick; Parker is much more of a finesse player (though hardly a soft player) and lightning fast. While I think that there are some weaknesses in Parker's defense, I think that on the whole, Parker is a pretty good defender at the point guard position. In these playoffs, he's been an effective defender against Iverson, Nash, and Deron Williams. Pop has used Bowen on the latter two more than he used Parker, but when Parker played against those guys, he did an acceptable job.

I don't see Daniel Gibson having the sort of all-around offensive games that any of those guys have. I'm not saying that Parker can shut Gibson down in 4th quarters; but I do think that Parker's quickness as a defender can pose some problems to any thoughts Gibson might have about penetrating.

The bigger question regarding that matchup will be whether Gibson tries to check Parker late in games or whether Brown moves Lebron over to Parker. If you put Lebron on Parker, you take away the opportunity for Lebron to be the guy bringing the double on Duncan -- Cleveland can't just leave Parker alone and hope that rotations will limit his offense. Plus, putting Lebron on Parker puts a lesser defender like Pavlovic or Gibson on a guy like Ginobili, who tends to be at his best in 4th quarters of big games. If I'm Cleveland, I'd be more worried about trying to stop Ginobili than I would be concerned with Parker -- though it's definitely a pick your poison situation.

I think Cleveland also has a defensive issue with using Ilgauskas effectively late in games. If he can't defend anyone, he might not play, and I'm not sure who he will defend late. I like the idea of the Spurs playing with some relatively small lineups to really try to run Ilgauskas from end to end. I think the Spurs will be able to find some relatively easy baskets if they can be effective on the defensive glass and commit themselves to running in transition.

Good job by MI21! Hope you feel better soon.

[SpursIndonesia]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

Scotty Pippen is better than the whole Cavs starting line up outside James, especially on defense. Please Mavs fans, it wouldn't hurt to use brain once in a while -ofcourse, the concept of defense importance isn't exactly a strong suite for them. :lol

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

It will be interesting to see how much physicality the Cavs get away with in the post. Denver and Utah really bothered Timmie at times, much more so than flavor-of-the-month Kurt Thomas. The double and triple teams, the reaches that miraculously never seem to touch his arms, at times negated his offense and caused turnover after turnover. If Timmie can get his like in Phoenix, this series will be over quickly. Unfortunately, I don't see it. I think we need to hope that our shooters don't pull a Turkoglu, and can rain down open 3's.

No one is stopping Parker, Marion came close for awhile. I could see LeBron doing a little of the same, but do they want to risk the fouls and use so much energy chasing a waterbug? The Cavs have to hope he makes bad decisions in the paint, we have to hope he makes good ones.

I have not watched a lot of Cleveland, but when I did, Z was hitting the boards hard. He has long-ass arms and amazing agility for someone his age and size. Oberto has his work cut out....he may need to face-guard. I think Z could really hurt us with his offensive boards when LeBron and his boys are throwing up bricks.

It's hard to say from the outside, but I think some of Brown's offensive sets have been abominable. It was obvious at times what Detroit was doing defensively, and he just didn't have an answer. I don't think that will play against SA, a superior defensive team to this year's diminished Pistons.


I don't think Cleveland is as tough in the post as Denver. Thank goodness for Timmy we're not playing Detroit. Detroit has six semi-legitimate post players they could have thrown at Duncan. Cleveland has no one who I feel matches up well with him.

[Martin R]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

Michael Jordan had a quite interesting crew with him. Somebody called Scottie Pippen for instance.
Same goes for Magic Johnson Lakers.

Who is Lebron's Pippen? Sasha Pavlovic?

give me a break

[Mr. Body]

I think Cleveland also has a defensive issue with using Ilgauskas effectively late in games. If he can't defend anyone, he might not play, and I'm not sure who he will defend late. I like the idea of the Spurs playing with some relatively small lineups to really try to run Ilgauskas from end to end. I think the Spurs will be able to find some relatively easy baskets if they can be effective on the defensive glass and commit themselves to running in transition.

YES.

:clap

[BWJACKETS]

Michael Jordan had a quite interesting crew with him. Somebody called Scottie Pippen for instance.
Same goes for Magic Johnson Lakers.

Who is Lebron's Pippen? Sasha Pavlovic?

give me a break

Right now, Lebron's Pippen would have to be Daniel Gibson, in case you didn't watch he scored 31 points shooting 5/5 from 3-pt range and was 12/15 from the ft line. However, once again what we have right here is somebody trying to compare Lebron to Michael. That is an unfair comparison to everybody involved, let's just let Michael be Michael, Lebron be Lebron, fair enough?

And just to clarify, Lebron may not need a Scottie, he may be good enough to win the Finals of the NBA "all by himself" (and when I say "all by himself", I don't actually mean that, I actually am implying that the Cavs are better than anybody is willing to give them credit for as a team, and it isn't just one player at all.) Just give him a team that plays great defense and rebounds and he'll figure out how to score enough points to get the win.

[SpursIndonesia]

One thing that shouldn't be overlooked, while the Cavs are a excellent rebounding team with plenty of size & athleticism, and more than average defensively, IMHO their passing game is horrendous, their offense is monotone & stagnant, and truly inconsistent from outside, especially their guards midrange game.

I watched 2 games aired in my country out of ECF series, and those were my thoughts out of them.

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm surprised that in bashing Parker, stretch didn't go to the usual "Parker has sucked in previous Finals" card.

[FromWayDowntown]

YES.

:clap

I can't take credit for that.

I think Spurminator offered the idea in another thread. I was just intrigued by the idea.

[SpursIndonesia]

Right now, Lebron's Pippen would have to be Daniel Gibson, in case you didn't watch he scored 31 points shooting 5/5 from 3-pt range and was 12/15 from the ft line. However, once again what we have right here is somebody trying to compare Lebron to Michael. That is an unfair comparison to everybody involved, let's just let Michael be Michael, Lebron be Lebron, fair enough?

And just to clarify, Lebron may not need a Scottie, he may be good enough to win the Finals of the NBA "all by himself" (and when I say "all by himself", I don't actually mean that, I actually am implying that the Cavs are better than anybody is willing to give them credit for as a team, and it isn't just one player at all.) Just give him a team that plays great defense and rebounds and he'll figure out how to score enough points to get the win.

Jarren Jackson was hot for almost the whole playoff in the Spurs '99 championship run, not just a series not to mention a single game. Was he an equivalent of Scotty Pippen ?
:donkey

Yes, indeed that a single superstar team can win it all, it has happened in the past. We'll see whether LeBron could reply what Hakeem had done in '94, and whether his teammates could step up like what Horry, Smith, Cassel Co did back then. I'm not that optimistic though, especially since TD has plenty of helps in this Spurs team, unlike what DRob ever had as a no 1 guy.

[Spurminator]

LeBron is Gibson's Pippen. Reckinize.

[michaelwcho]

Michael Jordan had a quite interesting crew with him. Somebody called Scottie Pippen for instance.
Same goes for Magic Johnson Lakers.

Who is Lebron's Pippen? Sasha Pavlovic?

give me a break
HoGrant was also a freakish athlete, with unmatched speed at his position, good boarding and D, and a deadly midrange shot. Once Paxson and Kerr became integrated into the team, they because killers, too. Longley, while a stiff, could play some D with the rules and matchups of the time. The Bulls were a much stronger team than Cleveland.

Also, I don't think we need to get on the Boobwagon yet. I remember a guy named Kareem Rush who looked like the second coming of Ray Allen for a couple of games. Where is he now?

[Spurminator]

I can't take credit for that.

I think Spurminator offered the idea in another thread. I was just intrigued by the idea.


Don't think it was me but I'm on board with the idea.

[Mr. Body]

I can't take credit for that.

I think Spurminator offered the idea in another thread. I was just intrigued by the idea.

Well, I came up with it, too, but it was a good idea Detroit never blundered into. Running Ilgauskas around is a swell idea. You can run small-ball with Duncan, forcing Ilgauskas to guard him and pick up fouls. I'm wondering if Elson might be some value here. I can't say I know much about Cleveland's transition defense. It might be pretty good, descended from Pop.

[Darkwaters]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

I guess you're right. How about we just add another asterisk to that season. Would that make you feel better?

[Mr. Body]

HoGrant was also a freakish athlete, with unmatched speed at his position, good boarding and D, and a deadly midrange shot. Once Paxson and Kerr became integrated into the team, they because killers, too. Longley, while a stiff, could play some D with the rules and matchups of the time. The Bulls were a much stronger team than Cleveland.


Christ. Why do we even have to say this shit?

[Spurminator]

I guess you're right. How about we just add another asterisk to that season. Would that make you feel better?


It's already there, I looked it up... At last count we're up to nine.

1999 Champions: San Antonio Spurs *********

* Shortened Season
* Beat an 8th seed in the Finals
* Didn't have to face the Jazz
* Didn't have to face the Heat
* Fluke performances by Jaren Jackson
* MJ Retired
* Phil Jackson Retired
* Shaq unmotivated
* LeBron only 15 years old at the time, ineligible for the NBA

[CantTouchOurBoobie]

Haha, Sasha is a turnover waiting to happen. He has poor handles, a decent shot, decent defense, and makes a lot of poor decisions. I don't rate him too highly. The refs also seem to have something against him, because though he should be called for a lot of offensive fouls, a lot of times blocks should be called and he gets called for charges instead. He's also a player, like Drew, who relies a lot on a good start to get rolling and if he starts off slow he's normally useless.

[stretch]

Scotty Pippen is better than the whole Cavs starting line up outside James, especially on defense. Please Mavs fans, it wouldn't hurt to use brain once in a while -ofcourse, the concept of defense importance isn't exactly a strong suite for them. :lol
Let me ask you (and all spurs fans that disagree with the fact that the Bulls were primarily a 1 man team) a question. Without Jordan, is Pippen a top 50 player of all time? Is he even a top 100? If you say yes, please do yourself a favor, slap yourself in the face, and shut the fuck up.

[CantTouchOurBoobie]

Oh, also, if you guys go small Brown will put Andy and Donyell or Gooden in. He doesn't hesitate to remove Z normally. It'll be something like Boobie(Or Larry), Sasha(Or Djones), LeBron, Donyell, Andy. Lots of pick n roll with Andy and LeBron then. Or LeBron will drive and look for DJones, Boobie, or Donyell in the corners. Which sometimes works great and sometimes is horrible.

[stretch]

It's already there, I looked it up... At last count we're up to nine.

1999 Champions: San Antonio Spurs *********

* Shortened Season
* Beat an 8th seed in the Finals
* Didn't have to face the Jazz
* Didn't have to face the Heat
* Fluke performances by Jaren Jackson
* MJ Retired
* Phil Jackson Retired
* Shaq unmotivated
* LeBron only 15 years old at the time, ineligible for the NBA
Looks good to me. Why don't you add that Magic, Bird, Kareem, Russel, Wilt, and Zeke were all retired as well?

[SpursIndonesia]

Let me ask you (and all spurs fans that disagree with the fact that the Bulls were primarily a 1 man team) a question. Without Jordan, is Pippen a top 50 player of all time? Is he even a top 100? If you say yes, please do yourself a favor, slap yourself in the face, and shut the fuck up.

'94 Bulls were led by Pippen into the playoff. That team was even nicknamed Scotty & the Pips.

NEXT ! :donkey

[coopdogg3]

Excellent article, I thought I was reading a professional. Gave Cleveland their due, and it was fair to both sides. I think Spurs in 5, but I can't really disagree with anything that you wrote.

[coopdogg3]

'94 Bulls were led by Pippen into the playoff. That team was even nicknamed Scotty & the Pips.

NEXT ! :donkey

Yeah, Scotty took those Jordanless Bulls to ECF where they lost in a tough 7-game series to the NYK. But I guess Mav fans only started watching basketball 5-6 years ago - so we shouldn't be too tough on them.

[Solid D]

Excellent work, MI21!!!

The Spurs were beaten during the regular season by the Cavs' perimeter players on offense and the Cavs length and active hands defensively. The Cavs know the Spurs plays and will therefore have enough anticipation of the passes to the wings and Timmy's post moves to keep the assists to a minimum. The cure: Ball fakes, reversals, skips and patience. If the Spurs can get over 20 assists per game against this bunch, then the Spurs should be successful. If not, then the Spurs had better be hitting their shots.

Brent Barry will be a huge liability defensively against the Cavs. I think a 9-man rotation of Oberto, Duncan, Bowen, Finley, Parker, Ginobili, Elson, Vaughn and Horry is the way to go. 9 because of fouls that will be called. It's a good thing Larry Hughes is hobbled. He and Damon Jones took Brent to raise in their meeting in January. If the Spurs can somehow keep LeBron out of rhythm, run the other perimeter players off of the arc and then really step up the scoring when LeBron rests, it will be Spurs in 6 games.

[florige]

Haha, Sasha is a turnover waiting to happen. He has poor handles, a decent shot, decent defense, and makes a lot of poor decisions. I don't rate him too highly. The refs also seem to have something against him, because though he should be called for a lot of offensive fouls, a lot of times blocks should be called and he gets called for charges instead. He's also a player, like Drew, who relies a lot on a good start to get rolling and if he starts off slow he's normally useless.


I think a big key for you guys as well I think is Hughes. He is HIGHLY inconsistent at times, but can be a pest of defense against Parker. Lets see how his ankle is in game one.

[BreezeHillBill]

Right now, Lebron's Pippen would have to be Daniel Gibson, in case you didn't watch he scored 31 points shooting 5/5 from 3-pt range and was 12/15 from the ft line. However, once again what we have right here is somebody trying to compare Lebron to Michael. That is an unfair comparison to everybody involved, let's just let Michael be Michael, Lebron be Lebron, fair enough?

And just to clarify, Lebron may not need a Scottie, he may be good enough to win the Finals of the NBA "all by himself" (and when I say "all by himself", I don't actually mean that, I actually am implying that the Cavs are better than anybody is willing to give them credit for as a team, and it isn't just one player at all.) Just give him a team that plays great defense and rebounds and he'll figure out how to score enough points to get the win.
You contradict yourself in the same sentence, paragraph 2, line 1. And how do you give him the team he needs, take them away from Timmy? :nope

[alamo50]

Am I the only one calling a sweep?
Seriously, it's obvious.
LeBron will average 30+, but our team D will shut down everything else.
We all know LeBron can't win it by himself......playing vs. world's best D.

Write it down now: Spurs sweep the Cavs.

[coopdogg3]

Am I the only one calling a sweep?
Seriously, it's obvious.
LeBron will average 30+, but our team D will shut down everything else.
We all know LeBron can't win it by himself......playing vs. world's best D.

Write it down now: Spurs sweep the Cavs.


I think it SHOULD be a sweep. But I think the Spurs get caught napping for 1 game, probably game 3 (leading to a lot of lunacy from the media, who will quickly jump on the bandwagon of giving the Cavs a chance (by comparing this series to the Pistons)). Spurs then mop up in game 4 and 5.

[MI21]

It's already there, I looked it up... At last count we're up to nine.

1999 Champions: San Antonio Spurs *********

* Shortened Season
* Beat an 8th seed in the Finals
* Didn't have to face the Jazz
* Didn't have to face the Heat
* Fluke performances by Jaren Jackson
* MJ Retired
* Phil Jackson Retired
* Shaq unmotivated
* LeBron only 15 years old at the time, ineligible for the NBA

:lol

[Marcus Bryant]

TP, Manu, TD > Gibson, Hughes, James

Spurs in 6.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It happened 6 times in the 90's. Could have happened more if that ONE man didnt retire twice. Hell, the Spurs have one of their rings because that ONE man retired.

Scotty Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwringth, Derek Harper, Steve kerr, Dennis Rodman all say hello.

[MI21]

Am I the only one calling a sweep?
Seriously, it's obvious.
LeBron will average 30+, but our team D will shut down everything else.
We all know LeBron can't win it by himself......playing vs. world's best D.

Write it down now: Spurs sweep the Cavs.

I just don't see the Cavs losing 2 home games in a row. I think it's imperative the Spurs win the first 2 games, not only to put doubt in the mind of the Cavs, but because of the next 3 games being in Cleveland, I don't see the Spurs winning more than 1 of them. Coming back to SA down 3-2 and facing a confident Cleveland would be a big task.

[VinnyTestesVerde]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

I think we call that prediction a uh..um...STRETCH. :lol

[BeerIsGood!]

I just don't see the Cavs losing 2 home games in a row. I think it's imperative the Spurs win the first 2 games, not only to put doubt in the mind of the Cavs, but because of the next 3 games being in Cleveland, I don't see the Spurs winning more than 1 of them. Coming back to SA down 3-2 and facing a confident Cleveland would be a big task.

I don't think the Spurs lose 2 in Cleveland, and unless everyone not named James finds a way to do anything on the road for a change - this one's over in 5.

[VinnyTestesVerde]

It's already there, I looked it up... At last count we're up to nine.

1999 Champions: San Antonio Spurs *********

* Shortened Season
* Beat an 8th seed in the Finals
* Didn't have to face the Jazz
* Didn't have to face the Heat
* Fluke performances by Jaren Jackson
* MJ Retired
* Phil Jackson Retired
* Shaq unmotivated
* LeBron only 15 years old at the time, ineligible for the NBA

:lmao

[MI21]

I don't think the Spurs lose 2 in Cleveland, and unless everyone not named James finds a way to do anything on the road for a change - this one's over in 5.


Well I guess we will see. Cleveland are a very good home team and play much better offensively at home from what I've seen. They lose games when they can't score, and they score more easily at home than on the road. It's tough to beat them at 'The Q'.

[Dirk Nowitzki]

Memo to Cav fans: you arent winning the title. Enjoy your little weak ass ECF trophy! Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go! :clap :clap

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Let me ask you (and all spurs fans that disagree with the fact that the Bulls were primarily a 1 man team) a question. Without Jordan, is Pippen a top 50 player of all time? Is he even a top 100? If you say yes, please do yourself a favor, slap yourself in the face, and shut the fuck up.


see: 1994 NBA season where Pippen won an all star MVP without Jordan. Granted, all star games might be meaningless in the long run but clearly Pippen was an extraordinary talent even without Jordan

Check out his numbers without Jordan I might add from the 1994 season as well as the fact that he played some of the 1995 season without MJ as well

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/scottie_pippen/index.html

also note that he took the bulls to a 55 win season without MJ which was no easy task. I mean if the bulls truly were a one man team then basically a bunch of scrubs got lucky......55 times


so do me a favor.

slap yourself in the face

and shut the fuck up

[MI21]

Not to mention Scottie Pippen is perhaps the best perimeter defender ever...

[SAGambler]

I dont think Hughes will be starting at PG. That is going to be either Gibson or Snow. Gibson completely thrashed Billups. If he could do that, he will make Parker look absolutely clueless out there. And Snow's defense is pretty good and physical as well, which we all know Parker can't take. Just watch.

Cavs in 6.

Huh? Apparently you haven't seen Tony play much this year.....Especially in the playoffs.

Physical no longer bothers Tony. He just gets up off the floor, makes a couple of free throws, and hustles back on defense.

Tony will school the rook if they put him out there. Tonys speed makes Billups look like he is trying to finish a marathon, not a sprint.

And then what do you do when Tony and Manu are on the floor together. Put in both Snow and Gibson to try and slow them down?

[thousandth]

I think Pop will put Oberto on Gooden and Duncan on Z.

Exactly :clap . Playing the game whit Oberto on Gooden and Duncan on Z is a definite advantage for Spurs.

[J.T.]

Memo to Cav fans: you arent winning the title. Enjoy your little weak ass ECF trophy! Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go! :clap :clap

Tell me I didn't just see Dirk Nowitzki start rooting for us after bandwagoning onto our last two opponents didn't seem to work for him. Huh.

All this pre-Finals smack is beginning to remind me a lot of the Chicago Bears smack before this year's Super Bowl. The Colts were playing D at an incredible level, scoring is never a problem for Manning, and Indy was the runaway favorite to totally own Chicago and that's exactly what happened.

Despite playing in the inferior conference and shittiest division in the NFL, the Bears thought their D could carry them to the Super Bowl trophy, because they too had been shutting up the naysayers who wrote them off in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. Chicago wanted respect and was going to earn it by crushing Indy.

See a pattern?

Didn't happen for Chicago. Turns out Grossman hit his period at halftime and choked in the 2nd half.

So I guess the moral of the story is, when a good majority of knowledgeable people predict that your team will get owned, they're probably right.

Spurs in 5.

[klx23]

Am I the only one calling a sweep?
Seriously, it's obvious.
LeBron will average 30+, but our team D will shut down everything else.
We all know LeBron can't win it by himself......playing vs. world's best D.

Write it down now: Spurs sweep the Cavs.

You wish the Spurs would sweep the Cavs. This series will go 6 or 7 games because of the format. If it were 2-2-1-1-1, then I can see a 5 game series with the Spurs winning. However, those 3 straight home games are very important and as good as the Spurs are, they won't win all three. Even if they do win one, it sure won't be a sweep. You act like the Cavs are just going to lay down and die. It's not going to be easy. Believe or not, I really don't care.

[BWJACKETS]

I know you can't count it for everything, but Mike Brown used to be with the Spurs, he knows their playbook inside and out, since he has been the coach of the Cavs they've been 3-1 vs. SA and in one of those games Lebron only scored 19 pts and they still won. Cleveland beating San Antonio is not that much of a stretch.

[J.T.]

You wish the Spurs would sweep the Cavs. This series will go 6 or 7 games because of the format. If it were 2-2-1-1-1, then I can see a 5 game series with the Spurs winning. However, those 3 straight home games are very important and as good as the Spurs are, they won't win all three. Even if they do win one, it sure won't be a sweep. You act like the Cavs are just going to lay down and die. It's not going to be easy. Believe or not, I really don't care.

The format doesn't mean shit. The Spurs are a great road team, and this playoffs they beat Phoenix twice on the road and ended Utah's 7-0 win streak at home. Not to mention the crouds in Phoenix and Utah were as rough as it gets.

The lower seed has swept their 3 home games only two times in the history of the 2-3-2 format. Those games are not automatic locks for the Cavs to win. I'm sure the Spurs would prefer to win the championship in San Antonio, but I don't think they'd throw games just for that.

[alamo50]

Bruce's birthday will be a very special one this year.

[timvp]

Nice job, MI21.

I think the Cavs are going to put LeBron on Parker early to see how that pans out. If that matchup occurs, then Parker really has to attack LeBron and try to tire him out.

I highly doubt the Cavs put LeBron on Ginobili. Defending Ginobili with a bigger player bigger has never worked. 6'3 to 6'6 and thick is the body type to defend Ginobili. I think the Cavs best matchup for Ginobili is Eric Snow.

And if Duncan is iso'd on Big Z, Duncan should attack. I watched Chris Webber destroy Z almost every time he posted him up in that Detroit series. The Cavs best defender on Duncan will probably be a flopping Varejao.

[ShoogarBear]

Defending Ginobili with a bigger player bigger has never worked.Uh, beg to differ.


http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/artest_ronCP060424.jpg

[tlongII]

The Cavs will win this series primarily because of two things. LeBron James and rebounding. Cleveland is one of the best rebounding teams in the league and that is a weakness of the Spurs.

[timvp]

Uh, beg to differ.


http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/artest_ronCP060424.jpg

Read the next line:


6'3 to 6'6 and thick is the body type to defend Ginobili.

Artest is 6'5 and change with no shoes on and 260 pounds. Artest and Ruben Patterson are the guys who give Manu the most problems.

[Marcus Bryant]

I know you can't count it for everything, but Mike Brown used to be with the Spurs, he knows their playbook inside and out, since he has been the coach of the Cavs they've been 3-1 vs. SA and in one of those games Lebron only scored 19 pts and they still won. Cleveland beating San Antonio is not that much of a stretch.

As long as Beno Udrih and Matt Bonner are seeing court time you might have a point.

[td4mvp21]

The Cavs will win this series primarily because of two things. LeBron James and rebounding. Cleveland is one of the best rebounding teams in the league and that is a weakness of the Spurs.

Uh, we just played two of the best rebounding teams in the league on our way to the Finals and we did fine.

[ShoogarBear]

*shrug* Artest is listed at 6'7", LeBron is listed at 6'8". I'll have to take your word for it on his actual height.

But Manu will kill Eric Snow, unless he's Passive Manu.

[Marcus Bryant]

Again, have the Cavs faced as good of an offensive team as the Spurs in this postseason?

[ducks]

The Cavs will win this series primarily because of two things. LeBron James and rebounding. Cleveland is one of the best rebounding teams in the league and that is a weakness of the Spurs.
jazz were better rebounding then spurs

[timvp]

*shrug* Artest is listed at 6'7", LeBron is listed at 6'8". I'll have to take your word for it on his actual height.

But Manu will kill Eric Snow, unless he's Passive Manu.

Pavlovic, Hughes and Snow are the Cavs three best options on Manu. If Manu is attacking, I don't think anybody on that team can stop him. Snow might have the best shot because he can harass ball handlers and Manu gets a little loose with his dribble sometimes.

I highly doubt LeBron will be matched up on Manu at any point. I've never seen Mike Brown put him on a shooting guard who can attack off the dribble. Against the Nets, he actually put Snow on Vince Carter rather than to have LeBron guard him.

LeBron has become a much better defender since last year but I'd be shocked to see him on Manu. However, I do expect to see him on Parker in a Shawn Marion type role.

If Parker is playing well, I don't think Snow is a viable option against him. There is too much of a speed mismatch. I could only see it as a possibility in a one possession half court situation. Even then, Pop would probably try to exploit that matchup.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yes, the Spurs' O will decide this series.

[timvp]

I wonder who the second defender will be on LeBron. LeBron will probably play more minutes than Bowen, so someone else has to step up to the challenge.

I kinda like the idea of throwing Manu at him for a couple possessions as long as LeBron isn't on the post. Manu can be a pest defensively even against a player like LeBron.

Finley seems like the more logical answer but I think Manu has the better chance of throwing LeBron off of his rhythm for a couple possessions while Bowen rests.

[tlongII]

LeBron will cover Bowen. That gives him more opportunities to play the passing lanes.

[timvp]

Yes, the Spurs' O will decide this series.

The Spurs' best shot against the Cavs is to make this a high scoring series. The Cavs like to slow it down to the point that it's close at the end so that LeBron can then try to win it.

If the Spurs can make them run and get the score into triple digits, that'd be huge.

[ducks]

I wonder who the second defender will be on LeBron. LeBron will probably play more minutes than Bowen, so someone else has to step up to the challenge.

I kinda like the idea of throwing Manu at him for a couple possessions as long as LeBron isn't on the post. Manu can be a pest defensively even against a player like LeBron.

Finley seems like the more logical answer but I think Manu has the better chance of throwing LeBron off of his rhythm for a couple possessions while Bowen rests.
mike finley
not manu
manu would get to tired on the d end

[ducks]

LeBron will cover Bowen. That gives him more opportunities to play the passing lanes.
who guards tp

[ShoogarBear]

Pavlovic, Hughes and Snow are the Cavs three best options on Manu. If Manu is attacking, I don't think anybody on that team can stop him. Snow might have the best shot because he can harass ball handlers and Manu gets a little loose with his dribble sometimes.I think when healthy, Hughes makes the most sense on Manu, precisely because he's a ball hawk (although vastly overrated as a defender). However, it's a dice roll. He could either force Manu into 7 turnovers, or he could get a couple a steals but let Manu light him up for 30.

Of course, Hughes probably won't be healthy.

The one thing you have to give Brown (or Egan) credit for is that they've fashioned a damn solid defensive team from a bunch of mediocre-to-weak individual defenders. I mean, Ilgaukas, LeBron, and Gooden aren't making anyone's All-Defense team anytime soon.



I highly doubt LeBron will be matched up on Manu at any point. I've never seen Mike Brown put him on a shooting guard who can attack off the dribble. Against the Nets, he actually put Snow on Vince Carter rather than to have LeBron guard him.

LeBron has become a much better defender since last year but I'd be shocked to see him on Manu. However, I do expect to see him on Parker in a Shawn Marion type role.
Some of that is that he has to protect LBJ from foul trouble.

True, he doesn't get the calls that Manu does, but you don't think of Parker as someone who can attack off the dribble?



If Parker is playing well, I don't think Snow is a viable option against him. There is too much of a speed mismatch. I could only see it as a possibility in a one possession half court situation. Even then, Pop would probably try to exploit that matchup.I expect Parker to see more different looks than anyone on the Spurs, including Duncan. They'll have to put Snow on him for at least short stretches, along with Gibson, Hughes, and maybe LeBron.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs' best shot against the Cavs is to make this a high scoring series. The Cavs like to slow it down to the point that it's close at the end so that LeBron can then try to win it.

If the Spurs can make them run and get the score into triple digits, that'd be huge.

The Cavs suck in FG% (24th overall) and FT% (29th). They've made up for that with extra possessions (or extended possessions) due to rebounding. Still, the only team to beat the Spurs in a playoff series in the last 3 seasons (in 7 games no less) was among the league leaders in FG% and FT% in that season.

I'd also posit that the Cavs' D probably isn't so great in transition or against a team with the best low post threat in the game, two perimeter threats to drive, and a top 5 group of outside shooters in the league that can play just as well in the open court or the half court.

[timvp]

I think when healthy, Hughes makes the most sense on Manu, precisely because he's a ball hawk (although vastly overrated as a defender). However, it's a dice roll. He could either force Manu into 7 turnovers, or he could get a couple a steals but let Manu light him up for 30.

Of course, Hughes probably won't be healthy.

Yeah, plus Hughes has had some big games against the Spurs in his career.

But if Hughes is limping, there's no reason for Manu not to destroy him.


The one thing you have to give Brown (or Egan) credit for is that they've fashioned a damn solid defensive team from a bunch of mediocre-to-weak individual defenders. I mean, Ilgaukas, LeBron, and Gooden aren't making anyone's All-Defense team anytime soon.

Yeah, it's pretty amazing actually. Outside of Snow, none of the players on that team were regarded as good defenders before Brown got there. Gooden, Z, LeBron, Hughes and Pavlovic were some of the worst defenders in the league.

Now that team is up there with the Spurs defensively.


Some of that is that he has to protect LBJ from foul trouble.

True, he doesn't get the calls that Manu does, but you don't think of Parker as someone who can attack off the dribble?

Yeah but Parker rarely gets calls. And when he does, it's almost always the bigman rotating over.

Against Marion, I can only remember a couple times Marion got called for the foul guarding a penetrating Parker.


I expect Parker to see more different looks than anyone on the Spurs, including Duncan. They'll have to put Snow on him for at least short stretches, along with Gibson, Hughes, and maybe LeBron.

I think that there's a chance LeBron sees the most time on him. Unless Parker just dominates LeBron, I actually think that'll be Brown's go to look.

To close a game, I can see Mike Brown going to:

Parker guarded by LeBron
Ginobili guarded by Pavlovic/Snow
Bowen guarded by Gibson
Duncan guarded by Varejao
Horry/Oberto guarded by Gooden

[Marcus Bryant]

Also, the only team that beat the Spurs in the last 3 seasons forced the Spurs to make a lineup change, thereby weakening the Spurs' defense so that their well executing offense could take advantage of that. The Cavs won't be able to pull that off.

[tlongII]

who guards tp

Snow or Gibson

[Marcus Bryant]

Snow or Gibson

rofl

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Spurs in 5. Kick the crap out of the brons.

[ShoogarBear]

Gooden, Z, LeBron, Hughes and Pavlovic were some of the worst defenders in the league.
:wtf

Larry Hughes, Washington Wizards, 2004-2005 All NBA Defensive First Team

[ShoogarBear]

Larry Hughes, Washington Wizards, 2004-2005 All NBA Defensive First Team:lmao

[Kiss ma Grits]

Not if you guys play us one on one San Antonio, just ask the whining Piston fans. Bowen can't handle Bron. Bron loves physical play. He won't shy away from it like Nash or Okur did...

[timvp]

A lineup that worked against the Pistons that I don't think will work against the Spurs was:

Damon Jones
Daniel Gibson
LeBron James
Donyell Marshall
Big Z/Varajao/Gooden

If Gibson or DJones are ever guarding someone not named Bruce, you isolate them immediately. Gibson miiiiiiight be able to guard Parker but honestly, who was the last skinny PG able to guard Parker successfully?

[tlongII]

Parker is not that tough of a cover as long as you don't try to help on other guys like Duncan or Ginobili. You just play off of him and give him the jumper which he will miss more often than not.

[Marcus Bryant]

Not if you guys play us one on one San Antonio, just ask the whining Piston fans. Bowen can't handle Bron. Bron loves physical play. He won't shy away from it like Nash or Okur did...

Right, two better offensive teams than the Cavs. Where are they now?

[timvp]

:wtf

Larry Hughes, Washington Wizards, 2004-2005 All NBA Defensive First Team

:lol

Forgot about that. The ol' "He led the league in steals he must be a good defender" vote. Hughes and Iverson have to be the two most overrated perimeter defenders of this generation.

Or at least until Hughes played for Mike Brown.

[ShoogarBear]

Gibson miiiiiiight be able to guard Parker but honestly, who was the last skinny PG able to guard Parker successfully?Devin Harris?

But Gibson doesn't have that speed.

[Marcus Bryant]

Parker is not that tough of a cover as long as you don't try to help on other guys like Duncan or Ginobili. You just play off of him and give him the jumper which he will miss more often than not.

Right, because going under on the screen roll up top has been such a great move against the Spurs in this postseason.

[ShoogarBear]

Forgot about that. The ol' "He led the league in steals he must be a good defender" vote. Second only to the ol' "He led the league in blocked shots, he must be the DPOY" vote.

[Marcus Bryant]

Take away the open looks for Gibson beyond the arc and maybe the Cavs break 80 in a game...once.

[tlongII]

Right, because going under on the screen roll up top has been such a great move against the Spurs in this postseason.

It will be now.

[Marcus Bryant]

It will be now.

rofl

[timvp]

Devin Harris?

But Gibson doesn't have that speed.

Or the athleticism. Harris couldn't stop an injured Parker from scoring last year in the playoffs. But yeah, as far as skinny point guards go, Harris is the closest we've seen to actually effecting Parker. Teams either have to use bulk or height against Parker to slow him down.

But to Gibson's credit, he's been proving doubters wrong at an alarming pace.

[klx23]

But to Gibson's credit, he's been proving doubters wrong at an alarming pace.

Yes, but only at home. He needs to prove himself on the road, which will be a huge task. Hopefully he plays well against Tony, but the inexperience will definitely be a factor. It will be a factor for all our guys, especially with guys like Boobie and Pavlovic. We have a few veterans, but only Snow really knows what it's like to play on such a big stage. Our leader is a 22-year-old who didn't go to college. Despite this, he has shown that he can be a good leader both on and off the court.

[timvp]

Pop's small ball trigger finger is a little rusty after playing Utah but I'm sure we'll see it at some point this series. If Finley can do a decent job against Gooden and Marshall, that could force Brown's hand to adjust accordingly.

I don't love the idea of small ball but if the Cavs defense is making it tough for the Big 3 to operate, I can see Pop going to it to spread the court.

[Marcus Bryant]

Pop's small ball trigger finger is a little rusty after playing Utah but I'm sure we'll see it at some point this series. If Finley can do a decent job against Gooden and Marshall, that could force Brown's hand to adjust accordingly.

I don't love the idea of small ball but if the Cavs defense is making it tough for the Big 3 to operate, I can see Pop going to it to spread the court.

There goes the Cavs' defensive prowess.

[timvp]

If Varejao is being a pest and his energy is hurting the Spurs, Pop may elect to fight fire with fire.













http://z.about.com/d/sanantonio/1/0/l/A/-/-/spurs07bonner.jpg

:smokin

[ShoogarBear]

Might as well break Bonner out, seeing as how we didn't need his Dirk-stopper powers this year.

[timvp]

Speaking of Dirk stoppers (:drunk), this is Elson's chance to become a hero. If he can guard Z and then use his speed to beat him up and down the court, he could be a valuable member of the rotation.

Hmmm ... Elson coming over weakside to contest a LeBron shot might not be half bad.

[ShoogarBear]

Elson running Z up and down the court wouldn't be bad either.

[Marcus Bryant]

Elson running Z up and down the court wouldn't be bad either.

Oberto can outrun Z. So can 47 year old DRob in his Bruno Maglis.

[timvp]

Speaking of players who make Spurs fans cringe when they check into the game, perhaps Vaughn won't be a liability this series. There isn't a devastating point guard for him to get burned by (See: AI, Nash, Deron).

Then again, Vaughn will probably find a way to be Vaughn.

[Xolotl]

Nice writeup

[Marcus Bryant]

Speaking of players who make Spurs fans cringe when they check into the game, perhaps Vaughn won't be a liability this series. There isn't a devastating point guard for him to get burned by (AI, Nash, Deron).

Then again, Vaughn will probably find a way to be Vaughn.

He still won't be the Beno the Cavs saw in the games 5+ months ago that now mean so much...

[ShoogarBear]

That should be a vBookie: who will hit their jumper first, Vaughn or Snow?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Yes, but only at home. He needs to prove himself on the road, which will be a huge task. Hopefully he plays well against Tony, but the inexperience will definitely be a factor. It will be a factor for all our guys, especially with guys like Boobie and Pavlovic. We have a few veterans, but only Snow really knows what it's like to play on such a big stage. Our leader is a 22-year-old who didn't go to college. Despite this, he has shown that he can be a good leader both on and off the court.

Im not just talking shit because Gibson kicked some serious ass in the ECF but he needs to prove he can do it against a defense other than a Detroit defense that didn't seem to care.

[Mr. Body]

Hmmm ... Elson coming over weakside to contest a LeBron shot might not be half bad.

I just heard the elbow cracking the head.

[timvp]

In Game 1, I expect this play to be run 30 times:

LeBron gets a pick from the bigman who isn't being guarded by Duncan. LeBron drives down the lane. LeBron jumps into Duncan to try to draw a foul.

That'll be their bread and butter and I can't say I blame them. It worked for the Mavs at times last year.

[klx23]

Im not just talking shit because Gibson kicked some serious ass in the ECF but he needs to prove he can do it against a defense other than a Detroit defense that didn't seem to care.

lol, I didn't say you were talking shit. Is it possible that a Cavs fan and a Spurs fan actually agree on something? I think so.

[Marcus Bryant]

In Game 1, I expect this play to be run 30 times:

LeBron gets a pick from the bigman who isn't being guarded by Duncan. LeBron drives down the lane. LeBron jumps into Duncan to try to draw a foul.

That'll be their bread and butter and I can't say I blame them. It worked for the Mavs at times last year.

Difference is the Mavs actually had more than one player who could drive or pull up and hit the 23 footer. Plus the Mavs managed to force the other Spurs' big off the court.

[BeerIsGood!]

Chance of zone looks throughout the series?

[timvp]

Chance of zone looks throughout the series?

Before Gibson destroyed the Pistons' zone I would have said yes. After that, I think you can only zone it up sporadically.

[Marcus Bryant]

No need. Shut down the supporting cast, make LeBron work for his, and take care of the defensive glass.

[BeerIsGood!]

Before Gibson destroyed the Pistons' zone I would have said yes. After that, I think you can only zone it up sporadically.
I was impressed with Gibson, but his Longhorn history shows that if you even get a remotely close challenge on his shots he's trash.

Maybe a little zone if Snow is on for Gibson, or the rare box and 1 zoning the middle and covering the shooter.

Nah, too fancy and probably won't be needed. I'm sure the Spurs aren't used to those sets anyway.

[Mr. Body]

Zone is effective for teams with sophisticated offenses; it's designed for overthinking and fouling them up. Cleveland has far from a sophisticated offense and would be doing the same thing regardless of the defense - give it to LeBron, sort of screen for him, stand around for a shot.

Where zone hurts is in defensive rotations in case LeBron makes it in the lane. I don't anticipate much zone.

[MI21]

One thing I was thinking about today is that the Cavs haven't really seen anyone similar to the players in our big 3.

Washington, New Jersey and Detroit have nothing like Tony Parker. Sure they have Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups, who are great PG's, but Parker brings a scoring mentality and incredible speed in which Cleveland haven't seen this playoffs. Also, he is a one man fast break who will score on you. Kidd is no longer a threat to score like that, Cleveland are going to be in for a rude surprise with Parker. Hughes is injured and to slow. Gibson is to small and doesn't have the strength or athleticism to make up for it. Snow is to slow. Parker could score 22-24ppg this series.

They also haven't faced a premier bigman like Duncan. Obviously the Wizards and Nets have nothing even close. Detroit had Sheed, but he hardly operates down low these days. Ginobili is a unique player who since his shaky start has been relentless. The only slasher Cleveland have really had to worry about these playoffs is Richard Jefferson and to a lesser extent Rip Hamilton and Vince Carter. But even those last 2 are mainly jumpshooters these days.

Some might say the Spurs haven't seen anything like LeBron, but we have seen a bully of a perimeter player in Carmelo. Melo can be just as unstoppable LeBron on offense when it comes to pure scoring, and is probably just as strong with a much more refined game down low. It's nice to know the Spurs have seen a whole lot of different players and offenses coming into the Finals, the Cavs, I'm not so sure about.

[MI21]

Watching bits and peices of a few of the ECF finals games, I picked up a few things.

- Cavs look vulnerable in the 3rd quarters. For some reason they don't come out of the locker room to well, and LeBron tends to get passive. Could be a good time for the Spurs to really attack them.

- They don't go to Z enough. Spurs can probably get away with Elson on him for stretches just due to the fact they don't go to him. Elson could run him as well, and perhaps even Oberto. We saw Oberto run Boozer a few times, if he can do that, he can definitely run Z.

- LeBron is uncomfortable shooting from a stand still. If he is wide open receiving a kickout pass, I would like the Spurs to close out on him passively. He shoots far better off a dribble or a couple of dribbles. Also shoots a lot better on the move, fading or after making a step back. Seems to prefer one dribble to the left and jumpshot.

- Detroit were effective when they moved the ball. I saw far to much dribbling out top and letting the Cavs set there defense up. I want the Spurs to move the ball like they have been all playoffs, and I think it could expose the Cavs D a little.

[Testing]

As a Spurs fan shouldnt ur biggest obstacle or worry be keeping duncan outof foul trouble? see game 3 vs jazz. Verejo is a flopper who can get offensive fouls called on Duncan, add to it Lebron and his need to drive to the basket and create contact....could mean frustration/trouble for duncan...

[Obstructed_View]

see game 3 vs jazz.
If everyone not named Tony Parker fails to show up like in game 3 the Spurs have other shit to worry about.

[MI21]

As a Spurs fan shouldnt ur biggest obstacle or worry be keeping duncan outof foul trouble? see game 3 vs jazz. Verejo is a flopper who can get offensive fouls called on Duncan, add to it Lebron and his need to drive to the basket and create contact....could mean frustration/trouble for duncan...

Duncan is a smart player, he won't let himself be taken out of the finals by foul trouble.

[timvp]

- LeBron is uncomfortable shooting from a stand still. If he is wide open receiving a kickout pass, I would like the Spurs to close out on him passively. He shoots far better off a dribble or a couple of dribbles. Also shoots a lot better on the move, fading or after making a step back. Seems to prefer one dribble to the left and jumpshot.

Yeah, it's weird how LeBron doesn't shoot when he's in a catch-and-shoot situation. Even if he's wide open, he'll either drive or pass the ball. He rarely hits jumpers that are created for him. The threes and long jumpers he hits are almost always fading away off the dribble.

It's a odd quirk but hopefully the Spurs can use it to their advantage. Bowen could play off him when he doesn't have the ball and try to force him to make a couple wide open jumpers.

[JoeTait75]

One area you guys can exploit is the habit of our big men showing hard. Z is basically running through quicksand at this point (after about a thousand foot surgeries), and has a very difficult time getting back to the basket after he shows. Add Drew Gooden's habitual slowness on rotations and it can create wide-open opportunities for your secondary post players. Detroit wasn't able to take advantage of this, but New Jersey was- Jason Kidd made Mikki Moore look like an All-Star time and time again when Z showed, Drew was late, and Moore was all by his lonesome under the hoop for the catch.

[ShoogarBear]

Yeah, it's weird how LeBron doesn't shoot when he's in a catch-and-shoot situation. Even if he's wide open, he'll either drive or pass the ball. He rarely hits jumpers that are created for him. The threes and long jumpers he hits are almost always fading away off the dribble.http://br.geocities.com/astrosestrelas/Robert_Redford.bmp.jpg

"I'm better when I move."

[ShoogarBear]

Add Drew Gooden's habitual slowness on rotations and it can create wide-open opportunities for your secondary post players. Detroit wasn't able to take advantage of this, but New Jersey was- Jason Kidd made Mikki Moore look like an All-Star time and time again when Z showed, Drew was late, and Moore was all by his lonesome under the hoop for the catch.Did you see Oberto in the Jazz series? He killed Boozer doing this. Hopefully he'll be able to get 10+ pts a game on 70% shooting again.

[Mr. Body]

I love Oberto hitting those seams. He's a brilliant basketball mind.

[timvp]

If Oberto can guard Big Z, that'd be huge. Duncan on Gooden or Varejao would probably help him stay out of foul trouble. Oberto might be too small to guard but I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

:smokin

[Testing]

Do you think that if Pop had decided to play oberto last season against the Mavs, it would have made a difference? Seeing as how much of an impact he's been in this years rotations.....and how successful he's been esp when he plays with ginobili....

[timvp]

Do you think that if Pop had decided to play oberto last season against the Mavs, it would have made a difference? Seeing as how much of an impact he's been in this years rotations.....and how successful he's been esp when he plays with ginobili....

Maybe but Oberto needed time to learn the system. He had points during the regular season this year when he sucked. Plus he isn't that good of a matchup against Dirk.

[JoeTait75]

If Oberto can guard Big Z, that'd be huge. Duncan on Gooden or Varejao would probably help him stay out of foul trouble. Oberto might be too small to guard but I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

:smokin

How is Oberto away from the basket? He'll spend quite a bit of time out there if he's guarding Z. Aside from put-backs, the bulk of Z's points come from the elbow 15-18 feet from the basket.

[timvp]

How is Oberto away from the basket? He'll spend quite a bit of time out there if he's guarding Z. Aside from put-backs, the bulk of Z's points come from the elbow 15-18 feet from the basket.

Oberto is mobile. He's closer to 6-foot-8 than he is to 6-foot-11 so that's why I worry about Big Z posting him up. On the perimeter, Oberto can move his feet. Pop even put him on Shawn Marion for stints.

[ShoogarBear]

If the Spurs put Oberto on Z, the Cavs would be insane if they didn't post Z on the blocks and just feed it to him every time. Staying on the perimeter would play right into the Spurs' hands.

[BeerIsGood!]

If the Spurs put Oberto on Z, the Cavs would be insane if they didn't post Z on the blocks and just feed it to him every time. Staying on the perimeter would play right into the Spurs' hands.

You know as well as I do that there is no way that team with Lebron on the floor posts Z more than a couple of times a quarter, it doesn't matter if Tony Parker is guarding him. Whether the thinking is flawed or not, Lebron and especially Brown are not going to put their championship hopes in the hands of Z.

[Obstructed_View]

Do you think that if Pop had decided to play oberto last season against the Mavs, it would have made a difference? Seeing as how much of an impact he's been in this years rotations.....and how successful he's been esp when he plays with ginobili....
If Pop had decided to play Nazr and Rasho last season it would have made a difference. They already knew the system.

[JoeTait75]

If the Spurs put Oberto on Z, the Cavs would be insane if they didn't post Z on the blocks and just feed it to him every time. Staying on the perimeter would play right into the Spurs' hands.

Z just isn't a really effective low-post player, no matter who guards him. He's an excellent offensive rebounder, has a nice soft touch on the jump shot, but he just isn't a banger. His low-post scoring ability went out the window when he suffered his foot injuries.

[MI21]

One area you guys can exploit is the habit of our big men showing hard. Z is basically running through quicksand at this point (after about a thousand foot surgeries), and has a very difficult time getting back to the basket after he shows. Add Drew Gooden's habitual slowness on rotations and it can create wide-open opportunities for your secondary post players. Detroit wasn't able to take advantage of this, but New Jersey was- Jason Kidd made Mikki Moore look like an All-Star time and time again when Z showed, Drew was late, and Moore was all by his lonesome under the hoop for the catch.

Yeah this is what I was talking about earlier in regards to the movement of the Spurs and catching the Cavs out with slow rotations. They have a very good team defense, but it is liable to collapse at times because there is a few average defensive players who sometimes lapse and ruin the whole team D concept. As long as when Z is showing on the PnR the guard throws it low and fast to our bigman, which is fine because Timmy, Oberto and Horry have great hands, they should be right. I'll throw something at the screen the first time I see one of our guards try lob over Z :lol

[MI21]

Watched some more of the ECF... Cleveland hardly trailed throughout the series. Through the first 4 games the most that Cleveland trailed by was something like 7pts. It will be interesting to see how they respond to being down 15+ because against the Spurs that is going to happen.

[BeerIsGood!]

Cleveland isn't built to come back from large double digit point deficits. If the Spurs can jump on them early and make them press the Cavs will struggle to score and likely force things with James.

[thousandth]

Maybe but Oberto needed time to learn the system. He had points during the regular season this year when he sucked. Plus he isn't that good of a matchup against Dirk.

I don't know. Oberto played very well against Dallas in this regular season like game 2 (01-24-07) and 3 (03-05-07). Points, rebounds, good stuff and hard job.

But, tonight is "the night". :lol

[MI21]

Cleveland isn't built to come back from large double digit point deficits. If the Spurs can jump on them early and make them press the Cavs will struggle to score and likely force things with James.

That is pretty much what I was thinking. If Cleveland fall behind I can see them forcing the ball to LeBron, and the Spurs will recognise and load there defense up to stop him which will make the rest of the Cavs have to make shots to catch up.

[JoeTait75]

- Cavs look vulnerable in the 3rd quarters. For some reason they don't come out of the locker room to well, and LeBron tends to get passive. Could be a good time for the Spurs to really attack them.

That's been a problem for the Cavaliers going back to the Washington series. Some of it is just a malaise coming out of the locker room; part of it is, they've generally come out with Hughes running the point and not enough shooters on the floor, allowing opponents to pack the lane and force Cleveland to knock down jump shots, which they haven't done. In the last couple of games of the Detroit series, however, the Cavaliers were able to spread the floor more effectively in the third.

Story- between Games 4 and 5 against Detroit, coach Brown was asked about the third quarter, and he said "a friend" told him to set a goal for his team of three layups/dunks to get them out of their stagnation. He didn't say who the "friend" was, but everyone's best guess is that he's a fellow head coach, his first name ends in two "g's", and his nickname is the term we in Ohio use for "soda".

[timvp]

The Spurs weren't a great third quarter team versus the Jazz either. If it's close at halftime, I expect it to remain close going into the fourth. The Spurs usually play best in the second and fourth quarters.

[MI21]

Bump so I an read everyone's opinions on the match ups and then what actually happened.

Would just like to say the Spurs owned this game in the 3rd just like a few of us suggested would happen. Cavs have to fix this trend, because they are not going to win 4 out of 6 against San Antonio with 3rd quarter efforts like that.

[davidpuddy1]

- Cavs look vulnerable in the 3rd quarters. For some reason they don't come out of the locker room to well, and LeBron tends to get passive. Could be a good time for the Spurs to really attack them.

That's been a problem for the Cavaliers going back to the Washington series. Some of it is just a malaise coming out of the locker room; part of it is, they've generally come out with Hughes running the point and not enough shooters on the floor, allowing opponents to pack the lane and force Cleveland to knock down jump shots, which they haven't done. In the last couple of games of the Detroit series, however, the Cavaliers were able to spread the floor more effectively in the third.

Story- between Games 4 and 5 against Detroit, coach Brown was asked about the third quarter, and he said "a friend" told him to set a goal for his team of three layups/dunks to get them out of their stagnation. He didn't say who the "friend" was, but everyone's best guess is that he's a fellow head coach, his first name ends in two "g's", and his nickname is the term we in Ohio use for "soda".


That's been a problem all YEAR. They certainly cannot afford that against the Spurs. I said the same thing during the Pistons series and they somehow won two games while having that awful 3rd quarter, but the Spurs are just a lot better. The Cavs can't coun't on any of the Spurs players bitching at the refs and each other like Sheed, Prince, Rip, and Billups. It just won't happen.