Yes, the Cavaliers were thumped by the Detroit Pistons yesterday in Motown. Yes, LeBron James hurt his ankle in the defeat. Yes, Pistons’ forward Rasheed Wallace gestured at the Cavs’ bench after Anderson Varajao got in some retaliation for Wallace’s bloodying of Zydrunas Ilgauskas last month. However, the whole posturing by the media was overblown. The only message I took out of yesterday’s game was the Pistons are a much better basketball team than the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pistons have been to The Finals the past two seasons, winning the championship in 2003-04. They are a polished, veteran group and they have the best record in the NBA again this season. The two teams have played four games this year, and the wine and gold won once, about the same thing we could expect if the Cavs and Pistons met in the playoffs.
Since the Cavs don’t have much playoff experience on their roster, the whole process will be a lesson for them, and they will be better for it in future years. Mike Brown and his team will learn about the adjustments that will be made from game to game in a seven game series. They will learn how and when hard fouls must be given. They will learn the importance of a low post game. It isn’t anything they can simulate.
Varajao’s hard foul on Wallace was definitely needed. The Cavs’ players had to show that someone will step up when the Pistons were using the team as a door mat. It should have been done the next time the two teams played, not a month later. If the Cavs and Pistons do meet in the conference semi-finals, Detroit will try to intimidate again. Cleveland has to even the score right away.
The Cavalier players were probably down after being blown out, and as competitors they should be. But as fans, last night’s game was just a re-affirmation that the Pistons are the best team in the East. When the season ends, LeBron and company will look at Detroit as having something they want. Then they have to make the adjustments necessary to get it.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 