I don't know if the Cleveland Cavaliers, top to bottom, is a better team than the Detroit Pistons. They are, at this point however, hungrier.
They're working harder on each possession, making more hustle plays, and forcing many of Detroit's finest into an uncharacteristically poor series. After the Cavs' 91-87 winin Game 4, noone can consider Detroit's lackluster showing merely a product of coincidence. Just like I don’t think they can consider this series the snoozer many people thought it could have been.
The final score, the series' highest total offensive output thus far, is actually a red herring for where the credit needs to go. Cleveland did do an excellent job running their offense and hitting big shots, but defense continues to be Cleveland's bread and butter. Defensive efficiency becomes even more paramount when one sees how poorly Cleveland did rebounding the ball off the offensive glass. This is one of Cleveland's strongest areas normally (their lowest offensive rebound total in the regular season was 6), and they only pulled 3 offensive boards down tonight.
Fewer second chance points meant that Cleveland had to do even better back on defense. The Cavs shot only 44.1% from the floor, so it’s not as if their usual opportunities for offensive rebounds weren’t there because they, as a team, were putting every shot in the bucket. They just weren’t getting those rebounds as they typically do and had to rely on their defense to pick up the slack. Which the defense did. Detroit shot only 41.3% from the floor and 3-of-17 from behind the arc. Put this alongside Billups’ puzzling stat line (more on that in a bit), and it’s obvious that Cleveland’s defense is due a good helping of props.
Of particular note is Coach Mike Brown's defensive move in the fourth quarter. With about 7 minutes left in the game, LeBron James switched from guarding Tayshaun Prince to Billups. This allowed rookie Daniel Gibson to move over to guarding Prince. it was hardly a favorable match up for Gibson, and Prince got his for the first time this series including some points in the fourth quarter at Gibson’s expense. But Billups was essentially taken out of the game once James drew him defensively.
Billups struggles are worth expounding on a bit, since Cleveland is doing things to him I don't think any other team has managed to do in some time throughout the course of a series. He handed out only 2 assists, poor enough on its own for a point guard of his repute. He also turned the ball over 5 times, now putting him at 21 turnovers to 16 assists in the series.
Article comments
1 - RJ
Great post.
I have nothing else to say, because I'm about to read your recap of the Game FIVE debacle (for Detroit).