[Eastern Conf Finals] Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

this deserves more credit...too funny.

 

That usher is either having a seizure or he's doing what the fans aren't supposed to do - wave to the camera.

 

Come on, give the guy a break. He's clearly getting up there in age and his memory has been somewhat failing him recently.

Still, the guy is in the same category as an Ali or a Jim Brown...he's a legend and a cultural icon that transcended his sport.

Russell's toenail >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Clyde 'BBQ' Drexler

 

i don't know if you ever watched Cheap Seats, but one episode they had one of those Battle of the Stars type things with athletes doing tug-o-war, swimming, etc and russell was one of the announcers, and incoherent mumbo jumbo was pretty much his forte.

 

the finals are going to be short, spurs in 5

 

A few things I learned tonight:

1) Lebron James is not the "next Jordan" but the "NEW JORDAN". His reign over the NBA has arrived and he is the real deal.

2) Detroit is mentally soft and really miss Larry Brown and his toughness from the sidelines. When LB left everyone assumed they were still better off with Flip Saunders but now after this collapse in a series where they did not play one single good game. Losing 4 in row and Rasheed blowing his head off with the game and series on the line. I feel that after LB left, everyone thought they were still a topnotch defensive team but over time they have lost that ability blowing back-to-back conference finals to Miami and Cleveland.

3) The East just got weaker with Detroit being a pretender and Cleveland being a Cinderella. No legit threat to the teams across the time zone. Like the West wasn't already tough, first Oden and Durant land in the Pacific Northwest and now this. Next years you have Spurs, Mavs, Suns and Jazz locked in and add improved teams like Warriors, Denver and if Lakers get Jermaine Oneal. Holy crap the West is gonna be loaded while the East is pretty much a cakewalk look at Cavs on cruise control against Wizards, Nets and blowing by old tired Pistons.

 

did i hear the crowd booin mike brown during the the trophy presentation? i felt like it went from cheers to boos

 

Unless you think T-Mac would've also pulled off the historic 1 against 5 demolition in game 5, this series would be tied 3-3 right now. So, no, that argument doesn't hold up.

 

What are you talking about. A couple shots from Head(or anybody else) and we're looking at the Spurs right now. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say if Head and Howard puts up their regular season average in the playoffs we'd still be playing.

 

Hiring Flip Saunders was probably one of the biggest blunders Joe Dumars has made during his tenure. Ranks right up there with the Darko draft.

Saunders is exactly why I’m not a fan of hiring retread head coaches, especially the kind that have proven time and time again that they can’t win the big one. When you’re choosing a new head coach, go for someone new or go for someone that has proven he can win championships. Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Gregg Popavich, and Rudy T were all 1st time head coaches when they won their first championships.

Twice now, the Rockets have gone after retreads (Gundy, Adelman), I just hope it doesn’t end up biting them in the ass again.

 

And hiring their previous retread coach (Larry Brown) was also a mistake?

 

Larry Brown had proven he can win a championship before in college, and that was one championship compared to the 16 or so championships Riley, Jackson, Popavich, and Rudy have won. Your odds of winning a championship with a retread are still significantly smaller.

 

Saunder's Pistons is very different from Brown's Pistons although the players are mostly the same (with a few tweaks)

Brown's Pistons were very disciplined in both offense and defense. At Brown's era, the Pistons' offense with more flow and motions. Rip always scored from curling around screens to catch and shoot. Ben Wallace was there to anchor the defense in the paint. The Wallace brothers were 2 good shoot blockers in the paint and the Pistons mostly played man-to-man defense.

Saunder's Pistons this years were not a cohesive unit. Saunder ran too many isos. Flip would isos everybody from Billups, Rips, Prince, ......the whole team. Rip curled out out screens was a rare scene. The Pistons offense was stagnant through out the whole series and had difficulties to score. On defense, Flip loved the 1-2-2 zone which he had some success in regular seasons. But Flip's inabilities to adjust during game 5 was glaring obvious. In game 6, his subsitutions was in a panicking mode, even Mohammad came in for a minute was a surprise (Mohammad fouled Gibson right the way on a 3 pt shoot ). To start the 4th quarter with 2 backups in the back court was a sin. Hey, at least have one of your starter out there to anchor your team. Flip Saunder is a long tenure coach in this league. But watching him coached the Pistons in the last year, it will leave you wonder Flip actually was part of the reasons Kevin Garnett couldnt get out of 1st round in 6/7(?) years. If Flip Saunder stays, God bless the Pistons.

 

congrat!

 

Thank you, sir!