Can Boston stop Big Shot 'Bron?
By Matt Friedman
After a month-long (or so it seemed) series of trash talk, hard fouls and Soulja Boy references, the Cleveland Cavaliers silenced the Washington Witnesses and are now facing a very interesting second round series with the Boston Celtics. Columbus division of the Boston fair-weather fans, dust off those jerseys.
Both teams are coming off a series that took longer to finish off than expected, but it leaves the same two contenders, nonetheless, and a made-for-ESPN/TNT match-up, pitting three All-Stars against a legend-in-the-making. I’m sure the Celtics will avoid trash-talking or calling LeBron overrated, because that only made him better in the opening round.
The best part is that it was coming from the Wizards, a team the Cavs have knocked out of the playoffs three straight seasons. Nobody cares what a bunch of whiners that can’t get past the first round have to say.
You had to love their fans’ constant booing of LeBron — I wasn’t sure if those “whiteout” materials the Washington fans wore were actually T-shirts or if they were oversized tissues.
The Cavs were certainly embarrassed by the Wizards in a game three blowout, and then by the close-out game five at home that they really had no excuse for losing. Still, they come in feeling better than the Celtics, who took all seven games to get past the 8th-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
That sets up this series between teams that split the regular season series two games apiece, all of them hotly contested. I have to admit, this series scared me as a Cavs fan entering the playoffs. After seeing how the Cavs and Celtics played in the first round, though, it is anybody’s series, and the Cavs have no reason to fear Boston. What teams show up will be a big factor.
The Cavs are a team that has struggled since their big February trade, and were still working out the kinks in the first round. Their margin for error will be much smaller in this series. The game six Cavs would be a great team to see every night: playing stellar defense, finding open shooters, playing as a team and knocking down shots. Then there are the ugly step-Cavs that stand around and watch LeBron as he forces up a shot.
For the Cavs to win, Daniel Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak (can I buy a vowel?) will need to continue hitting open threes as they did in game six, and the team needs to keep the turnovers low, as those resulted in losses to Washington. Anderson Varejao needs to be planted on the bench; he was appallingly horrible in round one. Your name isn’t LeBron; stop shooting the ball. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith will have to contain Kevin Garnett, and the Cavs can’t afford to leave Ray Allen open for threes.
Boston’s problem was that they simply couldn’t win on the road in their first round series, and that will be a difficult task to accomplish at The Gund, as well. (Oh, so it’s “the Q” now? And we have “Regressive Field” right next door.)
Speaking of corporate sponsorship, the Cavs will need to win at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston to win the series. I’m one of those believers that experiences wins in the playoffs. Doc Rivers’ Celtics don’t have much of that when it comes to getting far into the postseason. It is the playoff experience of the Cavs veterans and players who went to The Finals last year that will help them win at the Garden and steal home court advantage.
Then there is the whole superstar versus several stars debate. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are three fantastic players that you cannot possibly defend as much as you want to. It was their first year playing together, but that didn’t stop them from getting the top seed in the East.
It comes down to one question: Who do you want to see with the ball with the game on the line? The Boston trio wasn’t able to come up with the big shots when they mattered on the road in Atlanta. They also couldn’t stop Atlanta’s Joe Johnson at crucial moments; good luck stopping LeBron. James has proven in the playoffs that he can stick the dagger in the opponents, whether by shooting or passing to an open shooter. There are few players in this league that you would want with the ball late in a game more than LeBron James.
That’s basketball — every team makes their runs and it usually comes down to the final five minutes. Yes, Ray Allen can hit the big three, Pierce can create off the dribble, and KG can score in the paint. LeBron can do them all by himself, plus that whole passing thing. I’ve always said that if the game is close going into the fourth quarter, the Wine and Gold will win most of the time because they have the ultimate playmaker.
This series will be full of those last-minute decisions, and the Boston Celtics will be having nightmares of LeBron James all summer long. Cavaliers take the series in six games. Then everyone can go back to just wearing their Red Sox hats.
Originally Published: Issue 647 - May 7, 2008
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