The Celtics and
Cavaliers split their season series 2-2.
Both LeBron James and
Kevin Garnett missed one of those games to injury.
James averaged 32
points per game in the three contests he played in. The Cavaliers won two of
those three games.
In Boston's lone
regular season victory over the James led Cavaliers, the Cetlics held LeBron to
26 points on 7-for-26 shooting. The Celtics won that game 92-87 on
February 27th.
Keys for Boston
1. Stop LeBron
James
The San Antonio Spurs
held LeBron to 22 points per game and 36% from the field in their NBA Finals
sweep over James' Cavaliers last season.
How did they do
it?
By making him a
jumpshooter.
Bruce Bowen and Co.
kept him out of the paint and shut down Daniel Gibson's catch-and-shoot 3-point
opportunities.
The Celtics had the
best defense in the league this season. Boston led the NBA in virtually every
defensive category and were second in the league in points allowed. Even
more impressive is the fact that they accomplished all of that without the
luxury of a lock-down defender on the perimeter.
That may came back to
haunt them versus LeBron.
James led the league
in scoring this season by averaging 30 points per game. LeBron also led in 4th
quarter scoring (9.1 pts) and the Cavs had seventeen 4th quarter comebacks.
The Celtics don't have
anyone on the perimeter to defend him one-on-one.
But they do
have Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett.
If I was Doc Rivers, I
would place KG on LeBron for key stretches in this series. Garnett doesn't have
LeBron's explosiveness but he can afford to play a step off because James won't
beat the Celtics with his jumpshot.
James outweighes
Garnett by twenty pounds but gives up 3 inches to the 9-time All-NBA
defender.
KG's long arms and
great hands could disrupt many of James' forays into the paint.
Is this strategy
uncoventional?
Of course.
And KG might be better
suited to roam the paint and contest LeBron's penetration from the weakside.
It's not as if he'll have to worry about Anderson Varejao or Ben Wallace scoring
a ton of points off of LeBron's drive-and-dish skills.
But if LeBron starts
to takeover like he did against Detroit in last year's playoffs, why not place
the best defensive player in the game on the "chosen one?"
Stopping LeBron James
is key to Boston's chances of advancing out of the second round, it's the only key.
I think the best "there can only be one" commercial was the very first one that came out, the one with Kobe and Shaq.
As far as the CLE-BOS series, I won't be surprised if Boston stays at home with Lebron and they funnel him straight into Boston's bigs, KG and Perkins.
Pierce is good enough to stay with Lebron one-on-one and the best way to frustrate James is to come at him with double teams when he least expects it. If you double him everytime, Lebron will be able to read the defense, adjust, and react.
As long as Boston can keep guys like Ilgauskas, Sczcerbiak, Gibson, and Brown from being effective, they should dispatch CLE in six. You can't stop James regardless of what you do. He will get his 40pts. But if you limit everyone else, Boston has enough firepower to overcome Lebron's offensive output.
This is the series where BEN WALLACE needs to earn his money. Wallace-KG matchup is big-time.
The only way Lebron beats Boston by himself is if he averages 50 pts in the series.
I think it is impossible to predict the outcome of the Cavs / Celtics with any sort of accuracy.
The Cavs are the NBA's version of Jekyll and Hyde. They can go from champs to chumps in no time and back to champs. They are so wildly inconsistent. If their outside shooters are hitting they can beat anyone because teams have to pick their poison against the best playmaker in the NBA. If they aren't hitting jumpers, they would lose to the Sonics in a 7 game series.
The Celtics play great defense, have an unbelievably deep bench with the additions of Brown and Gollem, and have a surreal home court advantage.
So conventional wisdom (and money) goes to the Celtics in 5 or 7.
But there is only 1 player in the NBA that can score 25 of his team's last 26 points against a good defensive team. That was LeBron in game 5 last year. he's capable of doing that, although unlikely since his 3 point shooting is still spotty. But if his somehow he's in the zone from beyond the Arc, the 1992 dream team can't stop him.
I don't think this is the Cavs year, but I'm excited about this series. There is hope in Cleveland.
I agree that throwing a whole bunch of different looks at LBJ will help Boston. They just can't leave the roleplayers open. If someone like Gibson gets hot from the perimeter, it could make for an interesting series.
I like the Celtics to win it, however at +600, I'd have to bet the Cavs moneyline... 'cause that's how I roll.
the cavs are playing much better now than they were at the end of the regular season. the celts looked real human against the hawks. they wont be able to depend on homecourt advantage against lebron
I didn't say LeBron couldn't be stopped. I said it remains to be seen whether he can be, he was definitely 'stopped' by the Spurs last year.
Look, basketball is a team game. Always has been, always will be but it's also a game where one player can make a HUGE impact. More so than in baseball or football.
James is capable of winning this series by himself, the Celtics are going to have to stop him from doing so.
HOFFMAN: You're right, the Celtics will have to stop him from doing so and the best way to do that is to make him work even harder to get his points.
There's a huge difference between Lebron getting 40 on easy drives, easy layups, open threes and Lebron getting 40 on difficult attempts and hard-earned shots. You can't stop him, but you can contain him and the impact he makes.
How? By making it tough on him. Because when you make it tough on Lebron and his teammates are noticing, the role players will start to consciously believe that if its tough for the King, it will be tougher for us.
In the playoffs, there is a huge psychological factor involved. If Lebron is having his way, the Cavs have a strong chance especially if the role players have their way too. But if the Big Three are all having their way, I'll take that over one Lebron.
this game was butt ugly. niether team ever got into any kind of offensive flow. tons of turnovers and sloppy play. Lebron was shut down but Ray Allen was held scoreless. Thank God for the Big Ticket although he still made a few irratating passes when he shouid have taken the shot though.
Last edited by 54fulltiltfulltime on May 6th at 8:18 PM.
1. Cleveland's offensive sets are horrible and have been for the past few years. Kenny, Charles, and C-Webb are discussing that fact right now. My solution is to give Mike Brown his walking papers and hire Jeff Van Gundy.
2. Boston's defense was stifling.
3. LeBron continues to struggle against team's that take away his penetration and make him a jumpshooter. Granted, those teams are few and far between but James hasn't learned how to attack them.
Last year it was San Antonio. It looks as if it will be Boston this year.
4. KG stepped up HUGE in crunch time. Something he hasn't been known for throughout his career.
5. How big was Sam Cassell in this one? Pure and simple, the guy is a winner.
6. James almost had a quadruble-double but it wouldn't have been the good kind. LeBron had 12 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds, and 10 turnovers. Ouch.
7. What's with Ray Allen?
8. I'll admit I'm partial to the triangle offense but I think LBJ has the skills to be a DOMINANT low-post player in the triangle. I wish Brown would run some sets that begin with James in the post.
Ok, last night's game was painful, yet it was the stereotype(sony, jvc, yahama?) of East ball.
How did Boston NOT lose the game! Here's why. LeBron couldn't find water if he fell out of a boat last night. The Cavs played a one dimensional game. All Boston needs to do is consistently double LeBron.
Making a few shots would help Boston, too.
We won't even discuss the last 30 seconds and the last foul on LeBron that wasn't, with the missed layup. Ugly game, man.
As an MVP candidate, how can you not take advantage of Big Z's big game and find a way to win a sluggish contest when 2 of your opponents' Big Three are having their worst games?
Lebron's failure to complement Ilgauskas proves how far away he is to having championship mentality.
Boston didn't stop Lebron last night. He got the looks and the opportunities, he just couldn't convert as Barkley said on Inside the NBA. Lebron stopped himself.
Expect the Celtics to blow out Cleveland in game two because even if Lebron scores 35, Pierce and Allen will probably combine for 50.
Out house big house call it what you will. But KG Bron' Bron' are playing for all the marbles now. And at the end of the day it's not just going to be about bragging rights. But also as to who's top draw amongst 'em.
Never mind the fact the winner may well end up being the East's representative in the Finals. Though that it's not necessarily meant as a slight to the Pistons or Magic. But in all honesty the Magic are all but a spent force. And the Pistons may well be riding on fumes.
The winners of the series more likely than not will be in the NBA Finals as the representatives of the Eastern Conference. So let's just watch this particular contest unfold as it ought to be fun watching.
I'm so disappointed in the playoffs until i'm sick to my #### stomach. These guys make millions of dollars a year and they cannot put on a better display of #### basketball than this is ridiculus. Big 3 my ####. Military members give their lives for pennies to protect them as well and the so call superstars for example (paul pierce of the celtics is very disappointing to watch). He is a so call franchise player but has not showed me #### this entire playoff. Kevin Garnett has carried his #### the entire playoffs. It just #### me off to see these guys not put in the hard and dedicated work that Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did during playoff games. They were entertaining and dedicated players. It's as if these 2000 players know they have guaranteed paychecks regardless of how they perform every night. Do they not realize the public is a big part of their #### paycheck. This has been the worse eastern playoffs i have seen.
I love basketball. While many basketball fans enjoy the month of March, I prefer the months of April, May, and June. I look forward to productive chats, heated debates, and honest opinions.
