Jun
13
Here Are the Keys for the Cleveland Cavaliers Cutting Their NBA Finals’ Deficit against the Spurs in Half!
Should we be surprised that the Cleveland Cavaliers are down two games to none to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals? No, we shouldn’t. The Cavs aren’t a good team to begin with, and outside of veteran Eric Snow, have no experience in the NBA Finals. With that said, Game Three is it for the Cavs if they want any hope of not winning this series but at least making it interesting. Here’s what the Cavaliers must do to get Game Three.
? Emphasize the Need for Lebron James to Attack the Hole: Lebron has looked flustered thus far in this series. A lot of this has to do with the Spurs’ playing an aggressive trapping defense, and a lot of it has to do with James, who is being too patient and letting the Spurs trap him rather than attacking the hole. James needs to come out from the tip-off looking to dominate. He can’t just turn it on whenever he wants, especially against San Antonio. James needs to go strong to the rack and get to the line early. Also by doing so, he will give the Cavs’ a better opportunity of getting Spurs’ star Tim Duncan in foul trouble. By attacking and getting some easy lay ups, dunks and free throws (well those haven’t been too easy for James as he has an air ball at the line this series), Lebron will be able to open up jumpers for not only his teammates but also himself.
? A New Defense: Mike Brown has been praised in this series for getting the Cavs and James to buy in on playing defense. With that said, the Spurs and point guard Tony Duncan have done whatever they wanted to this series. It’s time for Cleveland to try something new and get the ball out of Parker’s hands. I say a full-court or three-quarters court press, with Drew Gooden or James serving as the roamer. Make the Spurs expend some time getting the ball past half court and make sure that Parker does not have the ball so that San Antonio can run the pick and roll. And when the Spurs do get in the pick and roll game, go under the screens and let Parker hit jumpers on the road. If Parkers gets into the lane, put him on the ground and to the line.
? Play More of Gooden and Daniel Gibson: OK. Mike Brown. It’s time to start Gibson (averaging 15.5 points per game in this series) for the ineffective Larry Hughes (two points in two games) and give Gooden more time. Gooden has been getting around 24 minutes per game this series and has not been in serious foul trouble. When on the court, he has been aggressive and hitting the medium-range shot. For some reason, though, Brown has been yanking him for most of the second and fourth quarters. Brown should play Gooden and Anderson Varejao (both energy guys) at the same time and relegate Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the bench if the big guy comes out doing nothing. Cleveland will need James to have a big game (close to or above 30 points) and will also need at least one more player (more likely two Cavs) to be big tonight. I’m looking at Gibson, Gooden or Sasha Pavlovic here.
? Play off the Crowd and Get out to a Fast Start: This is the first NBA Finals game to ever take place in Cleveland, and the crowd should be very loud. Cleveland needs to come out with great energy and get the crowd on their feet like Utah was able to do against the Spurs in the second half of Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. An early 10-point lead would be nice for the Cavs.
? Hope Mike Brown Does Something: A lot of this game is on Cleveland’s Brown, who must realize that he’s in the NBA Finals and needs to give his team the best chance to win. Enough of Hughes and Big Z. Utilize Gibson and Gooden with Varejao. Get James’ attacking. Do something here for God’s sake. Take your hands out of your pocket and get into the game.
Game Three Prediction: I think Cleveland gets Game Three. The Spurs are due for a letdown and will not get a sweep. Cleveland has a history of starting series bumpy on the road and then finding themselves in Game Three at Quicken Loans Arena. With that said, I expect the same to happen tonight. The Cavs get Game Three by around six points, lose Game Four, win Game Five and then lose the series in Game Six in San Antonio.
Related Posts
- NO SHOCKER HERE! GAME ONE FINALS RATINGS STUNK LIKE THE GAME ITSELF!
- FIRST HALF IMPRESSIONS OF GAME THREE OF THE 2007 NBA FINALS!
- 2007 NBA FINALS PREVIEW: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
- 2007 NBA FINALS: THE POINT OF ATTACK
- HAVING PROBLEMS SLEEPING?