Analysis

Here's Erick's breakdown on the Pistons-Cavs game from Sunday

Both Cleveland and Detroit view themselves as worthy challengers for the Eastern Conference crown. After identifying each team’s needs and weaknesses, I’ve determined the one key player on each squad vital to fulfilling their team’s ultimate aspirations.

For the Cavs, their mismatched roster is too Lebron-centric for them to overcome more than the weakest patsies the Eastern Conference has to offer. Only if a second player steps his game up to compliment LeBron can the Cavs entertain the faintest visions of postseason glory. That player is the underwhelming Larry Hughes.

Detroit has just the opposite problem. Their team is balanced and proven. But only if a superstar catalyst is added to the Pistons engines can Detroit fire on cylinders.

Sunday’s Pistons-Cavs game was a great barometer for fans to watch just how close each was to playing championship basketball. Lets see just what Rasheed Wallace and Larry Hughes did, and how their play affected their teams in Detroit’s 90-78 victory.

M FG 3FG FT REB AST TO STL BLK PTS
Rasheed Wallace: 37 6-15 1-3 2-2 13 1 0 1 1 15
Larry Hughes: 38 7-13 0-1 0-0 2 3 1 0 0 14


Rasheed Wallace:

1st half:

Minuses:

· Missed a short jump shot over Drew Gooden early in the 1st half.
· Got out of position defending Gooden, allowing Gooden to cut to the basket and record an easy layup.
· Passively attempted to rebound a missed shot, allowing Drew Gooden to grab an easy rebound.
· Was passive defending a LeBron/Ilgauskas pick-and-roll, allowing LeBron to blow past him for a layup. Rasheed also fouled LeBron on the play but the subsequent free throw was missed.
· Late in the first, Sheed lost Donyell Marshall in transition allowing an uncontested 3-point field goal.
· In the second quarter, Rasheed didn’t hustle for a loose ball allowing LeBron to gather in an offensive rebound.
· Was constantly out-hustled by Drew Gooden.
· Only wallowed outside the 3-point line in the 2nd quarter.
· Recorded his first rebound at the 4:07 mark in the 2nd quarter (meaning Detroit’s starting center went almost 20 minutes without a rebound. A terrible number).
· Recorded only 1 rebound, and one tip out which resulted in a rebound for Detroit. Another pathetic statistic).

Neutral Plays:

· On one possession, Drew Gooden beat him off the dribble but Rasheed showed quick hands to poke the ball away.
· While Rasheed rested early in the second quarter, Detroit had no way to stop Sasha Pavlovic from having his way on drives to the basket.

Plusses:

· Used his long arms to contest a Daniel Gibson 3-ball resulting in a miss.
· Set a solid screen allowing Tayshaun Prince an open jumper.
· Generally set solid screens on offense.
· Aggressively tipped out an offensive rebound over Zydrunas Ilgauskus.
· Ended up being defended by Daniel Gibson in the post. Rasheed waited for the double and made the correct pass to an open teammate, but the jumper was missed.
· Played outstanding help defense when LeBron James tried to find a path to the basket. In fact, Sheed’s help defense was instrumental in holding LeBron to 9-22 shooting for the game.
· Forced a steal when Drew Gooden tried to take him off the dribble.
· When guarded by Donyell Marshall on two possessions, Wallace dominated Marshall in the post for two layup attempts. One was good, the other missed, but the collapsing Defense was out of position for Chris Webber to tip in the miss.
· Forced LeBron James to attempt a difficult shot moving away from the basket on a drive (though LeBron mage the shot).
· Knocked down a wide open 3.
· Moved the ball on a pick-and-roll, finding a wide-open Carlos Delfino in the corner, but Delfino traveled trying to drive past a closing Zydrunas Ilgauskas.


Rasheed started off the game very sluggishly, especially on defense, and on the glass. Maybe he thought the game started at 3:30 instead of 2:30. His lackadaisical start made things easier for Cleveland to shoot 50% from the field. What Rasheed did show was a penchant for playing outstanding help defense on LeBron James. He also played solid individual defense on Drew Gooden in the 2nd quarter. Also, too many times Sheed hung around the perimeter uninvolved in the offense. Only when inept post defenders (Daniel Gibson and Donyell Marshall) were on Rasheed did he look completely involved in the offense.


Larry Hughes:

1st Half:

Minuses:

· Forced a drive and missed a jump shot late in the first half.
· Never caught the ball in motion (Blame Mike Brown for that).

Neutral Plays:

· Generally stayed out of the way on offense.
· Turned his head, allowing Rip Hamilton to cut to the basket, but Hughes’ hand just barely snuck in and deflected the entry pass, preventing a layup.
· Missed a desperation 3 to close out the first quarter
· Fought through screens on defense forcing Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups to drive to the basket, but Cleveland’s bigs couldn’t prevent Hamilton and Billups from getting shots around the basket, or dishing off assists down low to Chris Webber.

Plusses:

· Used a Drew Gooden screen to knock down his first perimeter jumper.
· Forced a carry by Rip Hamilton.
· Received another screen and knocked down another semi-contested jumper.
· Hit a third jumper over Chauncey Billups.
· Was able to play the point and bring up the ball when Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, or Damon Jones sat on the bench.
· Got past Billups and hit a nice floater in the lane.
· Played adequate defense on Chauncey Billups on a couple of Billups isolations.


Hughes started off the game on fire, hitting five of his first six shot attempts. He also played surprisingly well on defense, probably because he was feeling frisky after knocking down jumpers early. In the second half though, things started to change for Wallace and Hughes. Their performances are the reasons why Detroit will challenge in the East, and Cleveland will have trouble escaping the first round.


Rasheed Wallace:

3rd Quarter:

Minuses:

· Didn’t box out Drew Gooden allowing an offensive rebound and two free throws by Drew Gooden.
· Missed a turnaround jumper over Drew Gooden in the post.
· Had a shot attempt poked away by Daniel Gibson.

Plusses:

· Had a spectacular sequence early in the third quarter, tipping up an offensive rebound over Ilgauskas, missing the tap, then leaping over Ilgauskas again for a right-handed tip-jam, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas stood land-locked in awe underneath Rasheed.
· Hit a turnaround jumper over Gooden in the post.
· Stayed at home on Drew Gooden forcing a missed jumper.
· In the span of a minute grabbed three rebounds in traffic.
· Got fouled on a jump shot attempt.


Larry Hughes:

3rd Quarter:

Minuses:

· Missed a wide open 3.
· Turned his head allowing a Tayshaun Prince layup attempt, which Prince botched.
· Made a careless lob pass to a wing-stationed Zydrunas Ilgauskas, which was nearly picked off.
· Forced a jump shot over Chauncey Billups, which clanged off the rim.

Plusses:
· Took on four Pistons defenders on a drive to the hoop for a nifty layup.
· Forced a turnover guarding Prince in the post.
· Chased down a long offensive rebound
· Drove past Billups for a nice layup.



Over the third quarter, the minuses for Rasheed Wallace turned to plusses, as he asserted himself more on the offensive glass. His defense stayed solid, and he ventured in the post a few times on offense hitting a turnaround jumper. Meanwhile, Larry Hughes started registering more entries on the negative side of the ledger, forcing shots, turning his head, and not knocking down his jumpers with the regularity he showed in the opening half.
The fourth quarter is the real indicator of why Detroit is the real beast in the East, and Cleveland is a pretender.

Rasheed Wallace:

4th Quarter:

Minuses:

· Missed a 3 over Pavlovic

Plusses:

· Dominated Drew Gooden on the glass. In the 2nd half, Rasheed notched 11 total rebounds, a very impressive number.
· Continued to provide help down low, forcing LeBron James into innumerable difficult shots.
· Forced Zydrunas Ilgauskas into an awkward right handed hook, which was way off.
· Notched a second tip-jam on an offensive rebound.
· Nailed an open jumper a step inside the arc.
· Played like a superstar, at least on the glass, and the defensive end.

Larry Hughes:

4th Quarter:

Minuses:

· Overdribbled on one possession, going from the right baseline to the top of the key, and then missing a forced jumper.
· Badly bricked an open 3 with 6 minutes left to go.
· Clanked a step in jumper as Detroit was pulling away.
· Failed to step up in any way, shape, or form once Detroit stepped up their defensive intensity

Plusses:

· Not a single one.


If the Rasheed Wallace of the 2nd half shows up for Detroit down the stretch, then Detroit will be a contender against any Eastern Conference foe. However, Rasheed’s unwillingness to play in the post, and draw fouls (only 2 attempts) means that he can’t be the dynamic offensive star Detroit needs to win a championship. As for Cleveland, Hughes is too soft of a player (mentally and physically) for the Cavs to think that he’ll be a key contributor to an elite team. If Danny Ferry wants to sniff the Finals, he’ll be wise to apply dynamite to the currently constructed Cavalier roster.