Cavaliers VS Pistons (Game 1)

Cavs Lead Series 1-0

Stan Van Gundy and his team fought. They fought hard. For a good amount of the 4th quarter, it looked like they had the game, then the pressure got to them. They just couldn't close it out. Reggie Jackson lost his composure, they just couldn't finish it. But they sure put up a fight and made this series interesting for sure.

The Pistons really fought hard. The Cavs were very focused on stopping the Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond pick and roll. However, they left Detroit's shooters wide open. The Pistons took advantage of these kick-outs as they made 15 threes and shot 51.7% from deep. Their efficiency from the 3-point line really kept them in the game.

I was very impressed with Cleveland. They finished the night with only 4 turnovers. All of those turnovers were off of steals too. You could tell just how disciplined this Cavs team was on offense. I was also shocked with their ability to move the ball. They rarely went into isolation and LeBron seemed to always make the extra pass. This ball movement and so little turnovers is really what kept them in this game. However, the Cavs really need to step up their defense on getting out on the shooters if they are to really pull away in this series.

The Cavs did a great job on the boards. They limited Drummond to 11 boards which is well below his average and they actually won the rebounding battle against a team that is well known for its rebounding.

The Pistons had a big lift from their bench. Stanly Johnson and Steve Blake played a big part in this game. They did a great job defending and Steve Blake always found the open guy. Those guys were great defensively. However, all of the Cavs big 3 had over 20 points. They dominated on the floor together.

I am concerned for the Cavs on how LeBron is going to hold up through this. He was the only player in this game to have at least 40 minutes and he was getting tired. You could tell too. He had the worst speed average, worse than Aron Baynes speed. He isn't keeping up with the other players and it's from fatigue. As the playoffs go on, can he keep this up? 40 minutes on the court is a long time. I don't if he can keep logging that many minutes a night.

Pistons Have Talent

I think it's pretty obvious, the Detroit Pistons have talent. After trading off Singler for Jackson, Jackson has been amazing.This is a team that consists of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond in the post, and when Jennings is back, they will have Jennings and Jackson in the back-court.

Monroe can leave this upcoming off-season. Pistons have to keep Monroe. He is a dominant post player along-side Drummond. Is Monroe content with loosing and is in it for the money, or is he sick of loosing and wants to join a winning team.

Detroit has a first round draft pick coming up that could be useful in their playoff hopes in year to come. With all this talent, how come they haven't been able to win. Coaching is most likely a part of it. I think that Stan Van Gundy isn't a great match for this team. Injury has been another part. Before Reggie Jackson came, Brandon Jennings, the main point guard, went down with injury. Jennings is the main part of the team. Without him, the offense can't function. But, expect him to be back next year, and expect the Pistons to have a great season. For that to happen though, I put together a list of what the Pistons have to do in order to have a great next season.

1.   Re-sign Greg Monroe
2.   Keep Brandon Jennings healthy and have him controlling the offense
3.   Sign a veteran or two in free agency
4.   Scout and pick their draft picks carefully
5.   Find a new head coach for the Pistons

 If they can accomplish these tasks, I think they will have a great season next year.