Nets at Cavs
Regular Season Numbers
Defensive Field Goal Percentage
Cleveland – 44.79% (8th)
New Jersey – 44.95% (9th)
Rebound Differential
Cleveland – +3.65 (4th)
New Jersey – -.56 (17th)
Shooting
Cleveland – 44.73% (24th)
New Jersey – 45.67% (18th)
3-Point Shooting
Cleveland – 35.2% (18th)
New Jersey – 36.3% (8th)
Free Throw Shooting
Cleveland – 69.54% (29th)
New Jersey – 72.74% (25th)
Turnovers
Cleveland – 14.35 (7th)
New Jersey – 14.78 (12th)
Fouls
Cleveland – 21.72 (11th)
New Jersey – 22.79 (19th)
Pace Factor
Cleveland – 93.2 (18th)
New Jersey – 93.6 (16th)
Individual Matchups
Point Guard
Larry Hughes & Eric Snow v Jason Kidd & Marcus Williams – With Kidd performing as well as ever coming off a series where he just averaged a triple-double, keeping him in check has to be a high priority. The good news for the Cavaliers is that Hughes is well equipped to do so. Larry has the length, quickness and defensive ability to makes things difficult for Jason. On offense Hughes needs to have a good mix of driving and hitting open shots to keep Kidd from roaming.
Williams has looked very shaky and somewhat lost in the post season. So even with his offensive limitations, the bench matchup goes to Snow because of experience and defense.
Shooting Guard
Sasha Pavlovic & Daniel Gibson v Vince Carter & Antoine Wright – There’s no doubt that this matchup heavily favors the Nets. It goes without saying that Carter can do so much more offensively than Pavlovic. But keep in mind that Sasha earned his starting spot by playing good solid defense above all else. Now he can’t stop Vince, but Pavlovic’s tenacity could frustrate VC as the series wears on. Sasha is another one that must make open shots, especially from three, to keep Carter honest.
Wright is a guy that has never come close to realizing his potential and is probably lucky to be in the NBA at this point. Rookie Gibson has been ever so slowly regaining the form that made him a starter mid-season before he got hurt (left big toe). “Boobie” could be the x-factor off the bench for the Cavs with his ability to penetrate and knock down open jumpers.
Small Forward
LeBron James & Ira Newble v Richard Jefferson & Boki Nachbar – This is the main event pitting two super-athletic players against one another. Jefferson has been showing signs recently of coming around from the right ankle injury that derailed his season. While RJ will still be a threat offensively, I expect him to focus mainly on defending King James. Bron will have to do what he normally does on offense, but he’s also going to have to step up on defense and check either Richard or Vince during crunch time on big possessions.
Nachbar has become increasingly important for NJ as their sixth man and one reliable spot up 3-point shooter. While Boki will never be mistaken for a great defender, he can occasionally put the ball on the floor and get the hoop and also has a nice touch from mid-range. Newble hasn’t played much most of the season, but he will see time in this series strictly as a defensive stopper.
Power Forward
Drew Gooden & Donyell Marshall v Mikki Moore & Cliff Robinson – Gooden has got to be one of the most underappreciated players in the entire NBA. True, he’s a bit of a card (notice his “ducktail” hairdo), but athletic 6'10 guys that can get you 15 points and 10 rebounds a night while shooting above 50% don’t grow on trees. Moore’s defense, energy and interior presence after Nenad Krstic was lost for the season (left knee) pretty much saved the Nets. Mikki isn’t a threat offensively, but he’s a high percentage shooter that can finish around the rim when he gets the opportunity. Look for the battle between these two to be very entertaining.
Marshall and Robinson are both veteran big men that like to hang out on the perimeter and fire threes. Coincidentally, neither plays very much anymore. While both Donyell and Uncle Cliffy are still capable of having a big game, I don’t look for either of them to see many minutes.
Center
Zydrunas Ilgauskas & Anderson Varejao v Jason Collins & Josh Boone – Big Z picked the right time of year to step up his game, and he did it against two pretty solid defenders in Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood. Now “Twin” is a cut above those two when it comes to post defense, but Ilgauskas still has three inches on him, which is more than enough for Zydrunas to get his hook shot off. Big Z is too plodding to be a great defender, but it won’t matter against Collins who brings absolutely nothing to the table offensively.
Varejao is Cleveland’s sixth man and comes with energy, enthusiasm and toughness every single night. “Sideshow Bob” is a classic instigator, great at taking charges and a decent rebounder. Rookie Boone started to come on late in the season for NJ. Josh has good hands and a knack for finishing in traffic, but his inexperience and lack of defensive intensity make him somewhat of a liability.
Coach
Mike Brown v Lawrence Frank – While Brown has done a marvelous job getting the Cavs to play defense and rebound, his offense is…shall we say...less than imaginative. Mike’s designed plays after timeouts are regularly bad and his in game adjusting is poor at best. Conversely, Frank is a true student of the game whose work ethic when it comes to preparation is unmatched. Lawrence is also one of the better guys when it comes to adjusting in game and game-to-game.
Overall
These squads are very evenly matched when it comes to style of play, depth and defense. Each is a half court club that will run occasionally and relies heavily on their top six players. The differences as I see them are the Nets experience and the Cavs size inside. While NJ has been here more, this Cleveland group is also familiar with big post season stage themselves. What I don’t see is how the Nets are going to compete with the Cavs on the backboards.
NJ definitely has a chance here because they have three of the best four players in the series. I foresee many close contests that are decided over the last couple of possessions. This would seem to favor the Nets as well, until you take into account one Mr. LeBron James. I’m of the mind that the best of Bron is yet to come. I mean, he had to be dogging it for the majority of the season for a reason, right? I also don’t like counting on Vince Carter to come up big consistently when the pressure is on down the stretch.
Prediction: I’m not picking against the competitive fire and greatness of James with home court advantage. Cleveland in 7.
Defensive Field Goal Percentage
Cleveland – 44.79% (8th)
New Jersey – 44.95% (9th)
Rebound Differential
Cleveland – +3.65 (4th)
New Jersey – -.56 (17th)
Shooting
Cleveland – 44.73% (24th)
New Jersey – 45.67% (18th)
3-Point Shooting
Cleveland – 35.2% (18th)
New Jersey – 36.3% (8th)
Free Throw Shooting
Cleveland – 69.54% (29th)
New Jersey – 72.74% (25th)
Turnovers
Cleveland – 14.35 (7th)
New Jersey – 14.78 (12th)
Fouls
Cleveland – 21.72 (11th)
New Jersey – 22.79 (19th)
Pace Factor
Cleveland – 93.2 (18th)
New Jersey – 93.6 (16th)
Individual Matchups
Point Guard
Larry Hughes & Eric Snow v Jason Kidd & Marcus Williams – With Kidd performing as well as ever coming off a series where he just averaged a triple-double, keeping him in check has to be a high priority. The good news for the Cavaliers is that Hughes is well equipped to do so. Larry has the length, quickness and defensive ability to makes things difficult for Jason. On offense Hughes needs to have a good mix of driving and hitting open shots to keep Kidd from roaming.
Williams has looked very shaky and somewhat lost in the post season. So even with his offensive limitations, the bench matchup goes to Snow because of experience and defense.
Shooting Guard
Sasha Pavlovic & Daniel Gibson v Vince Carter & Antoine Wright – There’s no doubt that this matchup heavily favors the Nets. It goes without saying that Carter can do so much more offensively than Pavlovic. But keep in mind that Sasha earned his starting spot by playing good solid defense above all else. Now he can’t stop Vince, but Pavlovic’s tenacity could frustrate VC as the series wears on. Sasha is another one that must make open shots, especially from three, to keep Carter honest.
Wright is a guy that has never come close to realizing his potential and is probably lucky to be in the NBA at this point. Rookie Gibson has been ever so slowly regaining the form that made him a starter mid-season before he got hurt (left big toe). “Boobie” could be the x-factor off the bench for the Cavs with his ability to penetrate and knock down open jumpers.
Small Forward
LeBron James & Ira Newble v Richard Jefferson & Boki Nachbar – This is the main event pitting two super-athletic players against one another. Jefferson has been showing signs recently of coming around from the right ankle injury that derailed his season. While RJ will still be a threat offensively, I expect him to focus mainly on defending King James. Bron will have to do what he normally does on offense, but he’s also going to have to step up on defense and check either Richard or Vince during crunch time on big possessions.
Nachbar has become increasingly important for NJ as their sixth man and one reliable spot up 3-point shooter. While Boki will never be mistaken for a great defender, he can occasionally put the ball on the floor and get the hoop and also has a nice touch from mid-range. Newble hasn’t played much most of the season, but he will see time in this series strictly as a defensive stopper.
Power Forward
Drew Gooden & Donyell Marshall v Mikki Moore & Cliff Robinson – Gooden has got to be one of the most underappreciated players in the entire NBA. True, he’s a bit of a card (notice his “ducktail” hairdo), but athletic 6'10 guys that can get you 15 points and 10 rebounds a night while shooting above 50% don’t grow on trees. Moore’s defense, energy and interior presence after Nenad Krstic was lost for the season (left knee) pretty much saved the Nets. Mikki isn’t a threat offensively, but he’s a high percentage shooter that can finish around the rim when he gets the opportunity. Look for the battle between these two to be very entertaining.
Marshall and Robinson are both veteran big men that like to hang out on the perimeter and fire threes. Coincidentally, neither plays very much anymore. While both Donyell and Uncle Cliffy are still capable of having a big game, I don’t look for either of them to see many minutes.
Center
Zydrunas Ilgauskas & Anderson Varejao v Jason Collins & Josh Boone – Big Z picked the right time of year to step up his game, and he did it against two pretty solid defenders in Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood. Now “Twin” is a cut above those two when it comes to post defense, but Ilgauskas still has three inches on him, which is more than enough for Zydrunas to get his hook shot off. Big Z is too plodding to be a great defender, but it won’t matter against Collins who brings absolutely nothing to the table offensively.
Varejao is Cleveland’s sixth man and comes with energy, enthusiasm and toughness every single night. “Sideshow Bob” is a classic instigator, great at taking charges and a decent rebounder. Rookie Boone started to come on late in the season for NJ. Josh has good hands and a knack for finishing in traffic, but his inexperience and lack of defensive intensity make him somewhat of a liability.
Coach
Mike Brown v Lawrence Frank – While Brown has done a marvelous job getting the Cavs to play defense and rebound, his offense is…shall we say...less than imaginative. Mike’s designed plays after timeouts are regularly bad and his in game adjusting is poor at best. Conversely, Frank is a true student of the game whose work ethic when it comes to preparation is unmatched. Lawrence is also one of the better guys when it comes to adjusting in game and game-to-game.
Overall
These squads are very evenly matched when it comes to style of play, depth and defense. Each is a half court club that will run occasionally and relies heavily on their top six players. The differences as I see them are the Nets experience and the Cavs size inside. While NJ has been here more, this Cleveland group is also familiar with big post season stage themselves. What I don’t see is how the Nets are going to compete with the Cavs on the backboards.
NJ definitely has a chance here because they have three of the best four players in the series. I foresee many close contests that are decided over the last couple of possessions. This would seem to favor the Nets as well, until you take into account one Mr. LeBron James. I’m of the mind that the best of Bron is yet to come. I mean, he had to be dogging it for the majority of the season for a reason, right? I also don’t like counting on Vince Carter to come up big consistently when the pressure is on down the stretch.
Prediction: I’m not picking against the competitive fire and greatness of James with home court advantage. Cleveland in 7.
posted by D$ at 9:40 AM
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