Based on the first two games of the Pistons/Cavs series, I’m not sure anybody does.

The Pistons have a focus problem. They sleepwalk for stretches, figuring that they can turn it on whenever they want to. So far, it’s worked for them, but they easily could have lost one or both of the first two games.

The Cavs have an execution problem and that falls on Mike Brown’s shoulders. During last year’s playoffs, I pointed out how silly it is to ask LeBron to go one-on-one every time they need a bucket, especially considering the fact that, at times, he’s not that productive in that role.

They were down by one with 24 seconds to play and decided to go for the last shot. I hate that call. You should always run a play with a few different options and take the first available good shot. That way, if you miss it, you have time for an offensive rebound or to foul and extend the game. On that play, LeBron caught the ball right away and didn’t start attacking the rim until 12 seconds ran off the clock. That’s enough time for two or three more possessions. In the end, Larry Hughes missed a wide-open jumper that would have given his team the lead. After back-to-back turnovers earlier in the quarter, that Hughes signing a few years ago is just looking worse and worse.

Going back to the previous possession, LeBron threw the ball to Sasha Pavlovic in the corner and he was called for a walk. It’s true that you can’t leave your feet and change your mind and try to dribble, but that’s not what Pavlovic did. He did leave his feet for the jumpshot and change his mind, but he didn’t dribble – he threw the ball towards one of his teammates. The ref is used to calling that a walk because players usually try to dribble, not pass. He anticipated the travel and screwed the Cavs in the process. (By the way, I think the Cavs have in Pavlovic what they were looking for in Hughes.)

Much has been written about LeBron’s late game performances, and this was another fourth quarter that he’d probably like to forget. He’s only 22 and has a lot of basketball left to play, but right now I’m just not seeing that assassin’s mentality that can make a player “transcendent.” You know, that killer instinct that guys like MJ and Larry Bird had (and that Kobe and D-Wade have).

The Cavs are still very much in this series, but they need to execute better if they hope to stick around much longer.