CLEVELAND - Memories of NBA playoffs circa 2006 and 2007 came to my mind as I watched the current Cleveland Cavaliers dismantle the once-great Detroit Pistons.Times have certainly changed.
Led by the incomparable LeBron James, the Cavs completed a highly expected 4-0 sweep of their Motown rivals yesterday by earning a 99-78 victory in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The victory made Cleveland the first team to advance to the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs and sent an emphatic statement to the Pistons and the rest of the league that this is a whole new era in pro hoops.
During the 2006 postseason, a very cocky and arrogant Detroit team was given a much tougher semifinal series with Cleveland than it expected. After a rousing 64-win season that year, they expected easy pickings with the upstart Cavs. Surprisingly, the '06 series stood at a 3-3 tie going into game 7 in Detroit. In that series ending game, the Pistons shackled James and marched to a 79-61 pasting of the Northeastern Ohioans.
The Cavs actually beat the Pistons in '07, thanks largely to the legendary game 5 performance of LeBron, who scored 29 of the team's final 30 en route to 48 for the game. Even still, the Cavs lost the first two games of that series and James was vilified in the media for passing up a shot late in game 2 and instead passing to Donyell Marshall, who subsequently missed a three-pointer near the end of the game.
This 2009 series was drastically different. Even though Detroit no longer has Chauncey Billups or current Cavalier Ben Wallace, the gap is still stunning given their pedigree and remaining talent. The most sizable gap these days between the two teams may be in confidence level.
Detroit's former irascible swagger is currently non-existent and the cockiest of all, Rasheed Wallace was all but a hood ornament in this series. Cleveland however, has exuded a super coolness all season that belies their searing intensity and humble self-assuredness. Maybe Detroit has good reason to be more mice than men these days. Their '08-'09 acquisition Allen Iverson was done for the season before the regular season ended, Tayshaun Prince's trademark defensive tenacity and Richard Hamilton's feathery jumper were all A.W.O.L.
Of course, those of us in Cavs country have zero sympathy for these guys. LeBron's dazzling series performance 32, 11, 7 per game was a startling reminder that he is on an historic path towards basketball immortality and at age 24 is maybe the best player in all of sports, not just basketball.
I really feel bad for their next victim, er ... opponent.
No comments:
Post a Comment