td4mvp3
06-04-2007, 02:00 PM
Opinion: No way Cavs beat Spurs ... or can they?
Cleveland matches up well with San Antonio — and they've got LeBron
OPINION
By Sam Smith
Updated: 3:04 a.m. CT June 3, 2007
CLEVELAND - There was no way, no way, the Detroit Pistons could beat that Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame monolith in 2004. Right? There seemed little chance the Miami Heat would beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Finals, especially not the way the Mavericks knocked off the Spurs and Suns and then dominated the Heat in the first two games of the Finals.
Right?
But stuff happens in the NBA, so even if I’m picking the San Antonio Spurs to win their fourth NBA championship since 1999, I’m not exactly ready to head for Las Vegas.
Mainly because there was no way, I was sure, the Cavs could beat the Detroit Pistons in this Eastern Conference finals, and certainly not after the Pistons seemed to have unhinged LeBron James in those two, narrow opening wins in Auburn Hills.
“I always believed,” James said Saturday night after the Cavs stunning recovery from that 2-0 deficit to knock off the Pistons in six games and win the Eastern Conference championship.
You always see players chanting something when they break those huddles.
For James, it was “one, two, three, championship” all season, every time.
“I believe it is our time,” said James.
Hard to believe, especially in Cleveland, known in sports for failure like perhaps no other American city. They are the Cubs across the board: No Super Bowl champion, no NBA champion, this year’s Cavs’ the first ever even to the Finals, no baseball championship for almost 60 years.
But, disappointment, oh, they know that. They’re so frequent they name them. There was Michael Jordan’s shot in the 1989 playoffs, John Elway’s drive, Ernest Byner’s fumble, Jose Mesa’s blown save in the World Series.
So how is this community angst supposed to overcome the magic of the Spurs, likely the NBA’s best team for the last decade. The Lakers had three seasons; the Spurs have a decade.
But all season long in his locker stall in the Cavs’ arena, James has a picture of him dunking over Tim Duncan.
It comes from the Spurs opener way back in November when the Cavs won in San Antonio for the first time since 1988 with James opening the game with one of those thunderous dunks he is known for, and over Duncan. Though hardly an introduction to the Spurs as James scored 44 in a game against them last season, it was something of a symbolic gesture for James, taking one in over the most dependable player of this era and doing it where everyone said they couldn’t, in San Antonio in their home opener.
“I was 4 years old the last time we beat San Antonio (in the Spurs’ hometown),” James was quoted saying after that game. “I think for us to become one of the powerhouses which we’ve been preaching, we’ve got to go out there and walk the walk.”
Could they be despite all our doubts?
The Spurs seem to have everything going for them. They’ve had the long rest for their older players and there’s a two-day break after Game 1 of the Finals. They dominated a good Utah team and knocked off the Suns, even if that series was marred in controversy. They have a center tandem emerging with Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto and Manu Ginobili might be even a better flopper than Anderson Varejao.
But this Cavs team knows the Spurs better than any in the NBA. Cleveland coach Mike Brown was an assistant for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Cavs general manager Danny Ferry played three seasons with the Spurs before moving to the front office. The Cavaliers are 3-1 against the Spurs under Brown and this season ended a 16-game losing streak in San Antonio.
“They are a carbon copy of us,” Brent Barry said after the Jazz series ended. “People talk about them being the San Antonio of the East and they certainly know our staff well and the things we try to do.”
That’s because the Cavs, even with the electric James, continue to play slow, like the Spurs like to, depending on defense primarily. Getting caught up in that type of game leaves little margin for error, and the Cavs have the best finisher in James.
James showed that to the Pistons in Game 5, and the Pistons biggest problem in the series was not being able to score enough. Usually, the Pistons rely on wearing teams down and beating them in close games because they execute so well. But the Cavs turned the tables on them because they kept the games close and then the Pistons were forcing tight shots when the pressure turned on them.
The Cavs will play the Spurs the same way.
The fact is the Spurs flourished against the Suns the last two years and against the higher scoring Jazz because with Ginobili and Tony Parker they are able to match running teams and have players on the perimeter to get open and hit threes with the game scrambled. It’s more difficult in a tighter, slower game to get those shots.
Also, the Spurs’ renowned stopper, Bruce Bowen, has difficulty with James because of his quickness and size. Usually, Bowen is able to body players and bother them with his strength and relentless play. But James can shrug him off because he is so big and in two relatively low scoring games this season against Spurs, James averaged 27 points, almost a third of the Cavs’ points.
The Spurs don’t like to double team because they have Bowen and usually don’t have to. But it might be necessary the way James took off in the conference finals, and then those shooters can get open, like Daniel Gibson, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic.
The Spurs shot about 40 percent against the Cavs this season and averaged under 80 points, almost 20 below their season average.
Brown knows how the Spurs like to play and how Popovich thinks. And he’s got James. Is he the best player on the floor. Or is it Duncan. Perhaps James was making a statement about that way back in November.
Just before James left the media podium after the Game 6 win in Cleveland, he said it was time to get ready for “the big bad wolf of the West.”
But sometimes you can huff and puff all you want and if a house is constructed correctly and there is ample preparation, even the wolf can get a big surprise.
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i don't remember there being nearly this much hype with either the heat or pistons. they could kind of sneak in and blindside everyone. what's more, why does no one ever mention malone's injury in the pistons' victory?
Cleveland matches up well with San Antonio — and they've got LeBron
OPINION
By Sam Smith
Updated: 3:04 a.m. CT June 3, 2007
CLEVELAND - There was no way, no way, the Detroit Pistons could beat that Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame monolith in 2004. Right? There seemed little chance the Miami Heat would beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Finals, especially not the way the Mavericks knocked off the Spurs and Suns and then dominated the Heat in the first two games of the Finals.
Right?
But stuff happens in the NBA, so even if I’m picking the San Antonio Spurs to win their fourth NBA championship since 1999, I’m not exactly ready to head for Las Vegas.
Mainly because there was no way, I was sure, the Cavs could beat the Detroit Pistons in this Eastern Conference finals, and certainly not after the Pistons seemed to have unhinged LeBron James in those two, narrow opening wins in Auburn Hills.
“I always believed,” James said Saturday night after the Cavs stunning recovery from that 2-0 deficit to knock off the Pistons in six games and win the Eastern Conference championship.
You always see players chanting something when they break those huddles.
For James, it was “one, two, three, championship” all season, every time.
“I believe it is our time,” said James.
Hard to believe, especially in Cleveland, known in sports for failure like perhaps no other American city. They are the Cubs across the board: No Super Bowl champion, no NBA champion, this year’s Cavs’ the first ever even to the Finals, no baseball championship for almost 60 years.
But, disappointment, oh, they know that. They’re so frequent they name them. There was Michael Jordan’s shot in the 1989 playoffs, John Elway’s drive, Ernest Byner’s fumble, Jose Mesa’s blown save in the World Series.
So how is this community angst supposed to overcome the magic of the Spurs, likely the NBA’s best team for the last decade. The Lakers had three seasons; the Spurs have a decade.
But all season long in his locker stall in the Cavs’ arena, James has a picture of him dunking over Tim Duncan.
It comes from the Spurs opener way back in November when the Cavs won in San Antonio for the first time since 1988 with James opening the game with one of those thunderous dunks he is known for, and over Duncan. Though hardly an introduction to the Spurs as James scored 44 in a game against them last season, it was something of a symbolic gesture for James, taking one in over the most dependable player of this era and doing it where everyone said they couldn’t, in San Antonio in their home opener.
“I was 4 years old the last time we beat San Antonio (in the Spurs’ hometown),” James was quoted saying after that game. “I think for us to become one of the powerhouses which we’ve been preaching, we’ve got to go out there and walk the walk.”
Could they be despite all our doubts?
The Spurs seem to have everything going for them. They’ve had the long rest for their older players and there’s a two-day break after Game 1 of the Finals. They dominated a good Utah team and knocked off the Suns, even if that series was marred in controversy. They have a center tandem emerging with Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto and Manu Ginobili might be even a better flopper than Anderson Varejao.
But this Cavs team knows the Spurs better than any in the NBA. Cleveland coach Mike Brown was an assistant for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Cavs general manager Danny Ferry played three seasons with the Spurs before moving to the front office. The Cavaliers are 3-1 against the Spurs under Brown and this season ended a 16-game losing streak in San Antonio.
“They are a carbon copy of us,” Brent Barry said after the Jazz series ended. “People talk about them being the San Antonio of the East and they certainly know our staff well and the things we try to do.”
That’s because the Cavs, even with the electric James, continue to play slow, like the Spurs like to, depending on defense primarily. Getting caught up in that type of game leaves little margin for error, and the Cavs have the best finisher in James.
James showed that to the Pistons in Game 5, and the Pistons biggest problem in the series was not being able to score enough. Usually, the Pistons rely on wearing teams down and beating them in close games because they execute so well. But the Cavs turned the tables on them because they kept the games close and then the Pistons were forcing tight shots when the pressure turned on them.
The Cavs will play the Spurs the same way.
The fact is the Spurs flourished against the Suns the last two years and against the higher scoring Jazz because with Ginobili and Tony Parker they are able to match running teams and have players on the perimeter to get open and hit threes with the game scrambled. It’s more difficult in a tighter, slower game to get those shots.
Also, the Spurs’ renowned stopper, Bruce Bowen, has difficulty with James because of his quickness and size. Usually, Bowen is able to body players and bother them with his strength and relentless play. But James can shrug him off because he is so big and in two relatively low scoring games this season against Spurs, James averaged 27 points, almost a third of the Cavs’ points.
The Spurs don’t like to double team because they have Bowen and usually don’t have to. But it might be necessary the way James took off in the conference finals, and then those shooters can get open, like Daniel Gibson, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic.
The Spurs shot about 40 percent against the Cavs this season and averaged under 80 points, almost 20 below their season average.
Brown knows how the Spurs like to play and how Popovich thinks. And he’s got James. Is he the best player on the floor. Or is it Duncan. Perhaps James was making a statement about that way back in November.
Just before James left the media podium after the Game 6 win in Cleveland, he said it was time to get ready for “the big bad wolf of the West.”
But sometimes you can huff and puff all you want and if a house is constructed correctly and there is ample preparation, even the wolf can get a big surprise.
-----
i don't remember there being nearly this much hype with either the heat or pistons. they could kind of sneak in and blindside everyone. what's more, why does no one ever mention malone's injury in the pistons' victory?