NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Deja Vu All 'Round

While the West has seen its #1 seed fall to an #8 for the first time ever in a seven game series and then watched the drama of the Phoenix/San Antonio matchup, the East has quietly done what it's supposed to do. We're left with the #1 seed facing the #2 seed for the right to go to the NBA Finals and take on whoever comes out of that mess that is the West.

The games that decide whether Cleveland or Detroit will be playing extra games on ABC won't be games in the vein of Phoenix and San Antonio, or Dallas and Golden State before that. How you like your basketball is a completely subjective matter, but there is definitely merit to be found in watching two defensive teams manipulate each other for 48 minutes. That's what we'll get with the Pistons and the Cavs, and the end result might be a better series than some are predicting.

At first glance, this series looks to be about LeBron James trying to singlehandedly offset the rest of his mates in the starting lineup's shortcomings. Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, Drew Gooden, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas as a whole aren't as impressive as Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, an under control Rasheed Wallace, and Chris Webber. Similarly, yet another comparison has been drawn between LeBron James and this other player you might have heard of named Jordan - both are familiar with the Pistons being an obstacle to the NBA finals. So, as is appropriate for any superstar, LeBron James is getting the majority of the attention from the media. The Pistons too, if Flip Saunders et al. really mean what they say.

It may be James who hits a legendary shot in game seven to win the series and send Cleveland to the finals, and he would receive all the glory for it that he would deserve, but he won't decide the series. his series is about Cleveland finding someone, anyone, to step up and provide enough of an accompaniment for James to do his work. Saunders and most basketball enthusiasts have noted how much damage James can do if he is able to get to the hoop and either finish strong or dish out to a player benefiting from all the defensive attention that James himself is hoarding. But another player, Larry Hughes, needs to be taking the LeBron James approach around the hoop.

Article Author: Jared Wright

Jared is a vibrant, outspoken, extroverted, opinionated, and enthusiastic college student from central Indiana. He is extremely passionate about music and is an active musician specializing in drums and percussion. …

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