Category: NBA (Page 504 of 595)

For most of Game 1, I was rather impressed with the Cavs and how they were able to control the boards. The Pistons didn’t play very well and still managed to win the game, which doesn’t bode well for Cleveland.

The Cavs are running Hughes at the point, which seems to help his activity. Defensively, he did a nice job limiting Chauncey Billups’ attempts, but Billups was still able to have an impact on the game. Aleksandar Pavlovic and Hughes combined for 8 for 27 shooting, which isn’t going to get it done. The Pistons did a great job of harrassing LeBron, but I thought that there were a few plays where he was fouled but didn’t get the call. He’s a lot stronger than Tayshaun Prince. I think the Cavs need to get him the ball on the block and let him operate from there. Then, he can either go up for the quick shot or pass out of the double-team. Instead, they’re asking him to attack Prince on the perimeter, where he is one of the league’s most effective defenders.

From the Pistons’ point of view, they have to be very happy to get a win even though they sleepwalked for most of the game. Rip Hamilton played terrific, carrying his team into the fourth quarter. It’s clear that neither the team nor its fans are taking the Cavs very seriously, and it almost came back to bite them last night.

I really thought that Tim Duncan would be matched up with Carlos Boozer, but the Spurs used Fabricio Oberto and Francisco Elson to cover Boozer for much of Game 1. If these guys are covering Boozer in Game 2, give him the ball in the post every chance you get. Tell Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur to spot up and Andrei Kirilenko to cut down the lane to keep his man engaged. Duncan and Parker won’t be able to double because they’ll have to stay with Okur and Williams on the perimeter. Mix in a little pick-and-roll and you should be golden.

Once Boozer starts having success, the Spurs will have no choice but to put Duncan on him. Then you can run a series of block to block screens to keep Tim moving and potentially get him into foul trouble.

Jerry, I’ve heard you’re kind of a hard ass, but I think you’re the league’s most underrated coach and I’d love to see you win a title. But you have to ride Boozer until you can’t ride him anymore.

Pistons/Cavs (Pistons –320)

LeBron and Co. took the Pistons to seven games last year, but Cavs really aren’t playing as well in these playoffs. They did take a step forward by making it to the East Finals, but as a whole the conference isn’t as strong as last year and Cleveland certainly hasn’t looked very sharp thus far. The Cavs do have the luxury of having the most talented player in the series, and that gives them a shot.

Detroit faltered a bit after looking pretty sharp in the first three games in the series against the Bulls. They look like the best team in the East, but they’re certainly beatable. The series price (-320) looks about right, considering that the Pistons are better at every position except for small forward. If Drew Gooden is able to outplay Chris Webber, or if Larry Hughes is able to outplay Rip Hamilton, the series could go a long way. In the end, I think Detroit has the experience to get past the Cavs (and home court in Game 7 doesn’t hurt either). Regardless, this is an opportunity for LeBron to start his legacy. Detroit is certainly beatable. Can LeBron carry his team to the Finals?

Spurs/Jazz (Spurs -480)

The line on this series is a little surprising. Sure, the Spurs are the best team remaining in these playoffs, but aren’t the Jazz the second-best? Utah and San Antonio split the season series, 2-2, and the Jazz are very adept at playing the Spurs’ grind-it-out game. San Antonio wins a lot of games by out-executing their opponents, but it won’t be easy to out-execute the Jazz.

The series features some great matchups. Deron Williams and Tony Parker are two of the best young point guards in the game and a potential Tim Duncan/Carlos Boozer matchup is tantalizing. I’m guessing we’ll see a lot of Andrei Kirilenko on Manu Ginobili, since the Jazz really need to contain him in order to get past the Spurs. San Antonio does have the edge in the series, but if I were a betting man, I’d say that the Jazz at +380 is a wager that has some value.

Ultimately, I think we’ll see a Spurs/Pistons rematch of the 2005 Finals, which was a well-played, competitive series. But I’d sure like to see some new blood in there.