Air Booby

The more we put him out there, the more it seemed like his composure was off the charts for a young guy because he's not a four-year rookie from college. Every time we put him on the floor, he showed that. He has been no different in the playoffs.
-Coach Mike Brown, on Daniel "Booby" Gibson


Wow. That pretty much sums it up for me, just wow. Daniel Gibson came out in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals like a man with a vendetta to pay. I knew he was fully capable of filling in for Hughes at point guard, but nobody expected him to explode like that, in what was essentially a must-win for the Cavs. Over 35 minutes (only Sasha and LeBron played more), Gibson posted 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 21 points on 4-7 shooting, while going a perfect 12-12 on free throws.

Booby transcended his former role as a three-point shooter by playing stellar defense (against his idol, Billups, no less) and clutch, physical basketball. Despite his lack of size on the floor, Gibson threw himself in the middle of the rebounding scrums and hounded the Pistons offense every chance he got. As his confidence grew, Gibson started to catch the Pistons off-guard by driving straight into the teeth of the defense. While not able to finish like LeBron, Gibson compensated by drawing frequent fouls driving through the lane. The Pistons had no answer for Booby as he racked up 12 points on fouls alone. He might not have sniffed a double-double, but watching him hustle like a maniac and constantly disrupt or create plays, I came away very, very impressed.

I really think Coach Brown made the right decision in riding Gibson to a win, while resting Hughes. Hughes started to show some wear as early as the first quarter and would have been limited in how he could contribute to the team. Did Hughes' injury change the outcome of the game? Maybe. Coach Brown certainly didn't make his decision blind; Gibson has shown maturity and skill all season, but Brown was also forced to play his hand with a hobbled Hughes. This time, it worked out for the better, even if there was a risk going in (as always, hindsight is 20-20). The Cavs are in a fortunate situation, in that the starting point guard is healthy enough to step in for a few minutes to provide a veteran presence, but just injured enough that Gibson will see significant minutes in the games ahead. As harsh as it may sound, I think Hughes resting is a case of addition by subtraction.

The glaring roadblock for the Cavs this series has been the 3rd quarter. If you subtract the 3rd quarter from each game so far, the Cavs would have swept the series by now. Detroit has outscored the Cavs 87-58 in the 3rd quarter through their four games, a 33% differential. I'm hesitant to say that the coaching staff has pin-pointed the issue, otherwise it wouldn't have happened in four straight games, but if the team wants any chance at all of winning in Detroit, they will have to play a complete game. All James had to say after yet another collapse in Game 4 was "we need to clean it up." Coach Brown is going to have to find a way to get across to his players that they need to maintain their intensity level leaving the locker room at half time or they will never command a game in the playoffs.

It's all or nothing at this point. In order for us to win, I have to play this way. I have to be aggressive.
-LeBron James, following the Cavs Game 3 win over Detroit

When I read the above quote in the Plain Dealer after Game 3, I knew LeBron was ready. Ready to lead, ready to tear through the defense, ready to electrify the Q, ready to quiet the critics, and ready to win. Hearing LeBron endorse an aggressive style of play again was almost as encouraging as actually winning Game 3. The Cavaliers are 10-0 in the playoffs when James scores at least 21 points and his lack of production against Detroit was sinking the Cavs late in games. James has stepped up his game, scoring 12 and 13 points in the 4th quarter of Games 3 and 4, respectively. James raised his production against Detroit from 29 points in Games 1 and 2 combined to 32 in Game 3 and 25 tonight. He accomplished this by doing what he does best; driving to the hoop and playing aggressive basketball.

James' commanding style of play has a psychological impact on the game as well. The Cavs seem to ebb and flow along with James' energy level. The team seems to play with an extra boost of energy after LeBron jams one home after a breakaway. The bench rises up with the crowd and the opponent's armor is breached, if only for a moment. On the road, there is nothing more deflating for a raucous crowd than a slam dunk by the visitors to regain the lead. Game 4 is a perfect example of how basketball can be both beautiful and frustrating, all in a span of three minutes. The game is constantly flowing, each team surging towards the finish like a tidal wave. Momentum can be stolen in an instant, changing dead silence to a booming chant of Lets Go, Cavs!

Defense Impressive, but Offense Chokes

The game was won, all they had to do was hold on. All they needed were a few stops and a few inside feeds to the big guys who had been producing all game. That's it. But of course, things are never that easy and the Cavs lost a game, at Detroit, that will likely come back to haunt them.

Two things led to the downfall of the Cavs: the first was Lebron being held to only 10 points on 5-15 shooting. In an otherwise solid performance (11 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl), Lebron couldn't give the team the extra points it so desperately needed. Detroit's defense hounded James every time he got the ball, making it especially difficult for him to penetrate inside without getting several hands on the ball on the way there. The result was many broken plays that would have resulted in easy layups or turn-around jumpers against a lesser defense.

The second was the poor shooting percentages both at the line and in play. The most maddening, inexcusable, despicable part of losing a close game like this, is that nagging chink in the Cavalier's armor: free throws. Yes, the one shot you would hope a professional basketball player would be able to make nearly every time he's at the line had a fair hand in the Cavs loss tonight. The Cavs offense was anemic in general with 37.2% shooting, but only 64.7% of free throws made as a team.

Down by two, Cleveland missed their first shot in the last seconds of the game, but got the offensive rebound and a second chance to tie it up. Rather than go for a high percentage shot and force overtime, Lebron kicked it out to an open Donyell Marshall who missed the three and essentially ended the game. I'm guessing the team's poor free throw shooting had something to do with the decision not to drive to the basket and face an almost certain foul by Detroit. This is one of those hindsight calls that fans will be second guessing for the rest of the playoffs and then some.

There were some positive signs, despite the crushing manner in which the Cavs erased all their hard work. The Cavs had the right idea from the start and gave Big Z and Wild Thing plenty of opportunities on offense. The two big men took advantage of their time with the ball, finishing with 22 and 13 points respectively (the top two scorers on the team). Ilgauskas looked as sharp as he has been in the playoffs, racking up 13 rebounds, tipping in shots at the rim, and setting the net on fire late in the game. Likewise, Varejeo created havoc on the floor, playing 27 minutes and hustling every one of them. It seemed like every time there was a play for a rebound or a turnover, Varejeo was in on the play. If Z and Varejeo can combine their high level of play with a "normal" performance from Lebron, the Cavs have a very good chance of winning the next game.

Game 1 of the Conference Finals is the best I've seen the defense play in any playoff game this year. There was no quit in the Cavs tonight, but unfortunately their lack of a consistent offense and Lebron's inability to raise his game in the face of a tough opponent resulted in a loss.