# Pistons vs Cavs Random thoughts thread



## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Head says Pistons will win this in 6
Heart says we can pull this off in 7

On paper Lebron just pretty much has to own Prince for us to have a chance.

Mike Brown better have noticed what effect having shooter in the game has for our offense.

I'll actually go out on a limb and say we should really consider replacing Hughes with Boobie in the starting lineup. Hughes is a horrific 4 out of 21 from the field the last 2 games. At the very least he has to get Boobie more minutes and it shouldnt be Sasha's: Snow's and Hughes minutes need to come down.

I don't expect Marshall to play like he did in Nets game 6 till another game 6 if we're lucky

Drew got to continue playing well

AV started coming on strong and appears healthy again


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## delfino (May 19, 2007)

Disclaimer: Pistons fan.

Pistons in 7. 

I'm guessing this will be fairly similar to last year's series. The Pistons will come out focused with plenty of energy and take the first two at home. Lebron should push the Cavs to keep home court. Then it'll turn into a 3 game series. I'm not sure about the order, but I think Pistons will take the two needed to win.

The Cavs can win imo, but it would take solid performances from everyone on the team and I don't think that's happening in 4 games. But with Lebron, you never know when it's going to be some monumental heroic performance that'll turn everything around. He's due for one of those 45/10/10 type games.


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## LostInGeorgia (Jun 29, 2006)

Pioneer10 said:


> I'll actually go out on a limb and say we should really consider replacing Hughes with Boobie in the starting lineup. Hughes is a horrific 4 out of 21 from the field the last 2 games. At the very least he has to get Boobie more minutes and it shouldnt be Sasha's: Snow's and Hughes minutes need to come down.



i would actually take sasha out, he has shown before that he can be effective when being the one coming off the bench to spell hughes and lebron...he can be the attacker on the second unit to keep the intensity and aggressiveness up


on a side note, i must say that i was impressed by snow overall in the nets series, he seemed to be playing at a different level than he had all regular season, a very valuable guy in the playoffs


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Pioneer10 said:


> Head says Pistons will win this in 6
> Heart says we can pull this off in 7


That was exactly what my prediction was going to be. Verbatim.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

LostInGeorgia said:


> i would actually take sasha out, he has shown before that he can be effective when being the one coming off the bench to spell hughes and lebron...he can be the attacker on the second unit to keep the intensity and aggressiveness up
> 
> 
> on a side note, i must say that i was impressed by snow overall in the nets series, he seemed to be playing at a different level than he had all regular season, a very valuable guy in the playoffs


I want NO part of Larry Hughes. His miserable shooting is one thing but add on his miserable shot selection equals needing to be benched


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## reives21 (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm a Knicks fan and on paper it looks like Detroit will take this series w/ their gritty defense but I hope Lebron James can bring it to the next level and outperform the whole Piston team. I am sick of the Pistons and I would LOVE to see Cavs vs. Jazz w/ the Cavs winning it all. Good Luck and hopefully the Cavs make their fans Super Proud


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## LOYALTY (May 23, 2003)

Tayshaun Prince has probably been the MVP of the NBA playoffs so far. He has done everything. The Cavaliers will have to BRING IT from the 1st man to the 8th or 9th man in order to win this series. I hope that Hughes has an epiphany after reviewing how he played in most of that NJ series. HE will have to step up his game and Sasha will as well. If the big men play strong and don't get intimidated, the Cavaliers have a shot.

But it will be very difficult.


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

pistons in 6.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

If Lebron plays like he did in that overtime the last time we played the Pistons, I don't think they will be able to deny the Cavs.

I think the Cavs will do it this year. To say the entire season for the team has been building to playing the Pistons in the playoffs, would be an understatement. This is what they've been building for. If they lose to the Pistons again, then the Season should rightfully be judged a failure. If the team has progressed at all, if Lebron has progressed at all, then this is where it will show and where their metal will be proved.

Surely Lebron realizes just how close the Cavs are now. He should go full boar. All that coasting he has done in the regular season and parts of the playoffs, should have left him with just enough to push the Cavs over.

Just like I did last year, I'm picking the Cavs in 6. And like last year it comes down to we have Lebron James, and the Pistons do not. The Pistons are not invincible. Though they may think they are.


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

The only problem that I'm concerned with is that the Pistons took us lightly last year. This year, they hate us. And they remember last year. They seem more focused, and they are much more offensively capable with Webber instead of Wallace. 

I'm not scared of them. We can definitely beat them. But our players will have to be on. The way Larry has turned into a massive pile of **** in these playoffs, I see them winning in 6.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Our defense really shut down the Pistons because the Cavs basically gave the blueprint to the Heat to completely ignore Ben Wallace on offense. The only time Cleveland looked his direction was boxing him out. This year with Webber that won't happen


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

One thing in our favor this year with AV and Pavs seeing PT we don't take crap this year. Last year we seemed a little soft particularly against the Pistons after Sheed's hit on Z. I don't think anyone can call the Cavs soft anymore


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Lots of random thoughts today for me 

Brown might want to consider actually replacing the entire starting frontcourt (if not the actual starting spots then in terms of time) with Snow and Boobie. Boobie may have a hard time with Billups strengths but his quickness and length seem tailor made to run through screens to bother Rip and Snow does the best job on the Cavs with Billups.


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

Pistons have the best zone defense in the league. Brown will have to adjust and play guys who can spread the floor or we will be in trouble. 

I think Lebron wants this series. He needs to get his jumper on track, but from an energy/effort standpoint I think he will come out ready to play. The Pistons will be heavily favored, and our team seems to do well when they don't get any respect.

Also we've shown the capability to win some big road games this year, so i'm confident we can steal one of the 1st 2 games in Det.


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## Astral (Apr 23, 2007)

OT: Benedict, in your quote, isn't AV's last name spelled "Varejao"?


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

cavs in 6 . Lebron needs to carry the team like last year or we will suck. consider this, if god gave us a rebound last year we would've possibly beaten the pistons.


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## UrFavTeamSux (Jan 17, 2007)

I have faith, I can't pick against the Cavs in this series, but I can envision Pistons stealing it away in 7. 

But if LeBron is going to take an opportunity to win it all, I think the next 2 possible matchups would be ideal.


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

Astral said:


> OT: Benedict, in your quote, isn't AV's last name spelled "Varejao"?


Yeah, but the meaning of the quote is still clear. Blame Future :biggrin:


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## notting_hill (Dec 18, 2005)

We will go through the finals, I believe in this. That is all matters for me now. Either way, we will do it.

As it is stated in my sig, we will be again witnesses.


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## cima (Nov 6, 2003)

cavs are better than they were last year. last year they went to 7 games against the pistons, essentially without larry hughes. this year we have larry hughes (even though his offense is disappointing, his defense will be a tremendous help). i do not believe that replacing ben wallace with chris webber makes the pistons that much better. the cavs were one rebound away from winning the series last year. i believe lebron will turn it on like we've never seen before.

cavs in 6.


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

Good lord, I'm amazed that nobody outside of this forum seems to think we have a chance in this series.


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## Larry Hughes for Retirement (Jul 5, 2004)

cima said:


> cavs are better than they were last year. last year they went to 7 games against the pistons, essentially without larry hughes. this year we have larry hughes (even though his offense is disappointing, his defense will be a tremendous help). i do not believe that replacing ben wallace with chris webber makes the pistons that much better. the cavs were one rebound away from winning the series last year. i believe lebron will turn it on like we've never seen before.
> 
> cavs in 6.



I was going to say everything you just said, except the series going to 7 games and we take it this time. The only other point to make is that last years playoffs Z was no where to be found. And in the first two series he was a big factor in our success. We have cut Damon basically out of the roll and added a player in Gibson/Sasha which was not there last year vs the Pistons.

I think Webber with his shooting and passing skills will cause us trouble, but I can not see him keeping up with our post players in the paint. 

We have to set the tone in tonights game. I hope Mike Brown will go with a group to spread the floor and let Lebron create (gibson/sasha/marshall/av) for a bit.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Are the Pistons really playing the "Lebron is overhyped, we get no respect card...", again? On ESPN that's how they were presenting the series. Which is irritating. Surely the Pistons know by now that Lebron lives up to the billing, that's why they have to organize their entire defense around stopping him.

One thing in our favor that no one has really talked about, one of the things the Detroit offense forces is teams to double, and because everyone can score, they can generally knock out points on open jumpers. The Cavs really though, can defend everyone man to man. We shouldn't have to double team anyone really. Rasheed is the only one we'd worry about. But so long as he stays out of the post and chucks 3's we'll be fine.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

^ I agree about the need to spread the floor. W/o Ben Wallace the Pistons interior D isn't as good but to exploit that we're going to have to prevent them from sagging into the pain.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Would like to go inside a lot this series. Webber isn't the best defender in the world, I think Gooden can make him work. And Z vs. Sheed should be good. 

I also think Varejao can wreck havok because he with Maxiel is probably the quickest big man of either team.


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

Brandname said:


> Good lord, I'm amazed that nobody outside of this forum seems to think we have a chance in this series.


Well when your picking the pistons in 6 :-/ and you're supposedly our mod.. I mean have your opinion thats fine, but you seem so unpassionate as a cavs fan. Oh well, old schoolers like remy and future who have been here since the days of 04' smell blood this series!


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

SamTheMan67 said:


> Well when your picking the pistons in 6 :-/ and you're supposedly our mod..


First, I'm not a Cavs mod.

Second, I definitely think we can win this series. But my pick (what I think is the most probable outcome) is Pistons in 6.


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

I edited my post, and excuse me I've lost track of who mods these forums. I mean its either your a fan or you are not. You are more of an announcer than a person with an opinion from the posts i see. I guess im too ra ra as a fan


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

SamTheMan67 said:


> I edited my post, and excuse me I've lost track of who mods these forums. I mean its either your a fan or you are not. You are more of an announcer than a person with an opinion from the posts i see. I guess im too ra ra as a fan


I don't like cheerleading in NBA Playoff forum threads, particularly since I'm supposed to be moderating them. 

But I assure you, I'm just as much of a fan as you are. And don't worry, I have no shortage of opinions about my team. I don't have to insult the other team or their players to be a fan.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

SamTheMan67 said:


> I edited my post, and excuse me I've lost track of who mods these forums. I mean its either your a fan or you are not. You are more of an announcer than a person with an opinion from the posts i see. I guess im too ra ra as a fan


I stated I thought the Pistons are more likely to win as well. I definitely think we have a shot particularly if Brown won't be stubborn with his rotations but I'm not going to be betting money on the Cavs


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

SamTheMan67 said:


> Oh well, old schoolers like remy and future who have been here since the days of 04' smell blood this series!


Yeah. Remember last year when we were supposed to be swept out, and blown out in every game? Then when we won a game, it was the only game we were going to win. Then a second. Then a third. Then the heartbreak in game 6.

Sometimes it's like none of that ever happened. Or it happened in a vaccuum. I have yet to hear any major TV personality acknowledge that we played the Pistons and played them well last year.

They keep blasting our experience, but what was last year? Not only do we have experience. We have experience against this particular team.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

A little taste?

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b8kwNcEKtK0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b8kwNcEKtK0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

> Auburn Hills, Mich. -- You need to prepare your living room. Move the valuable glass stuff, put the remote on a short leash so it can't hit the screen, send the dogs and cats out of the room. If you're a Cavs fan, the Pistons are going to make you yell and steam about your team. Take it like an educated fan.
> Let's all be honest here, the Pistons are better than the Cavs. They are more experienced than the Cavs. They are tougher than the Cavs. They should win the Eastern Conference Finals. That doesn't mean they will, but you can bet they will spend a lot of time making the Cavs look like a flawed contender. It's OK, they are a flawed contender. But don't make the mistake of thinking this is meaningless.
> As I wrote about for the paper today, this series is all about the Cavs cutting their teeth. As Henry Hill said in _Goodfellas_: "The way I see it, everyone's gotta take a beating sometime." This is the next step on the road the Cavs believe will lead to a championship. For the Pistons, this very well may been their last gasp at one and the difference in the desperation will show. Last year the Cavs finished 14 games behind the Pistons. This year they finished three. The Pistons' core, with the exception of Tayshaun Prince, are reaching the end of their primes and two starters are free agents. The trend is obvious, but this is the present, not the future.
> So the Cavs are going to look ugly in this series, the Pistons will make their lack of a true point guard and their offensive schematic issues a pinch point. Zydrunas Ilgauskas will at times look weak, Drew Gooden look spacey, LeBron James look passive, Larry Hughes look way too brazen, Sasha Pavlovic look foolhardy, Anderson Varejao look like he's never played the game before, Eric Snow look like a shot putter, and Daniel Gibson look like a rookie. And they'll do it with Mace cackling away on the P.A. and Rasheed Wallace skipping and doing his antics while Charles Barkley rips away at halftime.
> ...


http://blogs.ohio.com/cavaliers_blog/


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

The best way to gain respect is win this series.Winning will make everyone forget whatever. Luckily with the Internet what people said is easily searchable and bumpable after all :wink:


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Haha. If we win this series somehow, it will just be another two weeks of how we are going to get swept by whoever comes out of the west.

The only way we will get respect is if we walk away from the playoffs with a championship. That is undeniable and something they can't take away.


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## Astral (Apr 23, 2007)

futuristxen said:


> Haha. If we win this series somehow, it will just be another two weeks of how we are going to get swept by whoever comes out of the west.
> 
> The only way we will get respect is if we walk away from the playoffs with a championship. That is undeniable and something they can't take away.


You make it sound as if Cavs are special. This scenario is true for every team except for teams that won a ring in the last 5 years.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Astral said:


> You make it sound as if Cavs are special. This scenario is true for every team except for teams that won a ring in the last 5 years.



The Cavs are special. :yay:


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## Astral (Apr 23, 2007)

futuristxen said:


> The Cavs are special. :yay:


:biggrin:


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

I would put money we will win this series. (too bad in vegas im only 18)


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

SamTheMan67 said:


> Well when your picking the pistons in 6 :-/ and you're supposedly our mod.. I mean have your opinion thats fine, but you seem so unpassionate as a cavs fan. Oh well, old schoolers like remy and future who have been here since the days of 04' smell blood this series!


Oh, and I assure you, I was a Cavs fan long before I signed up here, before the Cavs were blessed with the '03 lottery. I know how close we were last year, and there's no reason to believe we can't do the same thing or even more this year.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

> *Put it this way: For the Cavs to beat the Pistons, it nearly has to be All LeBron All The Time.*
> *In the Cavs' four victories, James has averaged nearly 48 minutes. The Cavs have scored 87 points per game, James supplying 29 of them -- 33 percent of the offense. The exact numbers in the four victories were 29 points, 7.5.rebounds, 8.0 assists and 46 percent shooting.*
> *If that's what it's going to take to beat the Pistons in the playoffs -- guess what?*
> *The Cavs will lose.*
> ...


http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/columnists/terry_pluto/17263564.htm


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