White Chocolate is their starter, I doubt Anderson will play signficant minutes. Snow has logged quite a few minutes in the series and I still think no other PG will give CB this much trouble.

Cavs aren't even in the same league as Miami.

I hope the team doesn't take Miami as lightly as some of our fans are.
Shaq being rested and rest for the injured Zo, Williams and Wade will only help them down the road. Last year if it wasn't for the injuries to Shaq and Wade we might not have made the finals.


Wade has not played well at all in either the Bulls or NJ series. Eventually he is going to wake up.

Anderson is not a PG, I think he is a swingman. But he is Pat Riley's poor man's Bruce Bowen. After this series, I can bet you that the best defenders get put on CB and not Rip. That's what I would do, and I am somehow related to Larry Brown if you go back 5 or 6,000 generations. Coaching is in my blood.

Sorry, if I meant to create the impression that Anderson is a PG, he is more in the mold of a SF with SG size. I was just making the point that Snow is a regular in the line-up who CB has a tough time with. No other starting line up has a PG that can consistently harass CB over 48 minutes. I wish we had a quick PG who would provide the change of pace at that position. CB provides the brawn, the sub creates mismatches when facing the bigger/stronger PG's.

Not a PG, but the Suns would probably put Raja Bell on CB. The Clips would use Quinton Ross. Spurs, Bowen.

Without the ball, the defense side coach chooses the inital matchups. There is no hard and fast rule that a PG has to guard a PG was my point.

I too wish we had a quick PG. Arroyo kinda waddled like his underwear was riding up or something and despite deceptive speed, was never going to burn anyone on straight blow by. I am a little worried that teams seem to be favoring these small guys like Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Jason Terry, Ben Gordon, Jameer Nelson. I'm not sure you can combat speed with wingspan.

__________________
Competition is merely the absence of oppression.
- Frédéric Bastiat

On the offensive side this series indicates that you take care of Chauncey you can quickly stagnate the offense. Bowen would be a %%%%%. Next season Joe needs to address that issue.

The Pistons and Flip never anticipated that the Cavs would play the grind it out style of the Pacers. This IMO caught them totally by surprise especially after the first two games and is a reason why they are 3-3 in the series. In hindsight this seems obvious that Brown would use this strategy. The last 2-3 minutes of Game 6 really showed the Pistons of old i.e. the nasty junk yard dog kind. This debacle will not happen with Miami as the Pistons will go into the series (jumping the gun) knowing the series will be hard fought.

I wish we had that quick PG also. Not only on defense but offense too. Those quick PG always give Detroit problems, and it would be nice to have one of our own.

The only way wingspan combats speed is too reach out and grab someone, which of course will not work.

@micro
don't you think that the Spurs wouzld put Bowen on Hamilton as they always did this far? Or do you think they'd learn from the Cavs and use him to take CB out of the game?

I think Popovich will adjust as he needs to.

It's become very obvious (per Anakin's post) that

1. Everything runs through Chauncey
2. We don't have an adequate backup

If I am Pop, on the road, by halftime of the first Finals game, Bowen is switching onto CB to remove his court vision. It's those kinds of change of pace moves that can steal a game.

Not to take further shots at Flip, but do we really think that he can outcoach Pop with SA making all the defensive adjustments?

Flip will have to mix it up. Maybe use TP as the ball handler (?) if CB is being shut down. The threat of a viable option has to be there. Someone else has to make the other team pay for that strategy.

Or CB has to take it on himself to get the ball out of his hands quickly (not shoot). Good ball movement will work too. Maybe even drive and kick it out. Again, the threat of a counter strategy is sufficient IMO.