We haven't solved the problem

[coco]

Although the addition of MMoore and SMarbury were nice and helpful, to get passed the Cavs we need two things.  1)Length 2)big wing.  We got one(Length).  We haven’t solved the second one.  TA was supposed to be the solution there but he has been a bit of a disappointment and now that he is injured, you would expect to see BWalker getting some mins – if anything else to give PP and breather.  Fourty mins plus on average for PP?  Are you kidding me?  Fourty-eight mins against Detroit?

The point is that we still have not solved the problem.  PP can’t be your best scorer and your best defender in a series against Cleveland.  LeBron has 2inches and 30lbs on him.  Simply put, LeBron is heavier, faster, taller….and younger.

In a 7 games series, LeBron will were you down…and this time
the Cavs have reliable shooting, deeper bench and better playmaking than years past.

Here is to hoping Doc sees the light and start giving our backup wings some run before the playoffs.  If Doc wasn’t going to trust the rookies, then why did we let Darius go? He sure would be handy against the Cavs, sparing PP for a few mins here-and-there.  At least he is taller than TA.

What's your opinion?

[BudweiserCeltic]

In my opinion we're fine with our SF situation. Health is a valid concern though, but I think between Pierce, Ray, and the rookies we can deal with it as a worst case scenario.

As for Darius, well he was not going to be of much use for us as a SF this year. I would've liked him as a PF though, but seeing as Scal was playing PF this year with this group, he really wouldn't have made much of a difference.

[Roy Hobbs]

I agree that Doc should play the rookies.

However, there's no chance that Bill Walker can contain Lebron in the playoffs.  Lebron abuses starting small forwards.  I doubt very much that he'd be even slowed by Walker.

To beat Cleveland in the playoffs, we're going to need to play Pierce heavy minutes, to both contain Lebron and to score on the offensive end.  For him to be effective in those minutes, he needs rest now.  The key to giving him that rest is to find more time for the rookies.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I agree that Doc should play the rookies.

However, there's no chance that Bill Walker can contain Lebron in the playoffs.  Lebron abuses starting small forwards.  I doubt very much that he'd be even slowed by Walker.

To beat Cleveland in the playoffs, we're going to need to play Pierce heavy minutes, to both contain Lebron and to score on the offensive end.  For him to be effective in those minutes, he needs rest now.  The key to giving him that rest is to find more time for the rookies.

What is missing is this analysis, is that the main reason we did so well against LeBron during the playoffs last year was mainly due to our big men rotation. We often put 3 bodies between LeBron and the basket, often with KG and Perk.

Containing LeBron for a full series is really tough, but our main success against him started with our bigs, not our man defense on him.

[Kwhit10]

To stop LeBron we have to make sure our team defense is top notch, making sure we give his defender tons of help especially when he tries to drive the lane.  If we can keep him out of the lane, but clogging it and helping a lot when he makes a move, we can try to keep him as a jump shooter.  He is not as dangerous a shooter as when he is getting his way to the basket an getting foul calls.  That's the best chance we have, and we have done it before.

**BudweiserCeltic, beat me to it.

[Roy Hobbs]

I agree that Doc should play the rookies.

However, there's no chance that Bill Walker can contain Lebron in the playoffs.  Lebron abuses starting small forwards.  I doubt very much that he'd be even slowed by Walker.

To beat Cleveland in the playoffs, we're going to need to play Pierce heavy minutes, to both contain Lebron and to score on the offensive end.  For him to be effective in those minutes, he needs rest now.  The key to giving him that rest is to find more time for the rookies.

What is missing is this analysis, is that the main reason we did so well against LeBron during the playoffs last year was mainly due to our big men rotation. We often put 3 bodies between LeBron and the basket, often with KG and Perk.

Containing LeBron for a full series is really tough, but our main success against him started with our bigs, not our man defense on him.

Put Walker on Lebron, and see what happens.  When you're releasing Lebron with a full head of steam towards the basket, he's either going to score or pick up a foul, I don't care how good your bigs are.  The guy playing man defense on Lebron needs to have the strength, skills, and experience to guide Lebron to the right spots, and to slow him down on his drives.  Pierce did that masterfully last year in the playoffs, especially in the first two games.

It's not like Walker is a good physical matchup for Lebron.  He's somewhere between 6'4" and 6'5", and weighs around 220.  Lebron is at least 6'9", and weighs well over 250.  Lebron is bigger, faster, and stronger.  I doubt he even slows Lebron down at this stage of their respective careers.

[Quinn]

pierce has to be the man on lebron
he may be slower, shorter, and lighter; but physically he's still the closest we have to him.
what we have to do is let pierce rest when lebron does.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I agree that Doc should play the rookies.

However, there's no chance that Bill Walker can contain Lebron in the playoffs.  Lebron abuses starting small forwards.  I doubt very much that he'd be even slowed by Walker.

To beat Cleveland in the playoffs, we're going to need to play Pierce heavy minutes, to both contain Lebron and to score on the offensive end.  For him to be effective in those minutes, he needs rest now.  The key to giving him that rest is to find more time for the rookies.

What is missing is this analysis, is that the main reason we did so well against LeBron during the playoffs last year was mainly due to our big men rotation. We often put 3 bodies between LeBron and the basket, often with KG and Perk.

Containing LeBron for a full series is really tough, but our main success against him started with our bigs, not our man defense on him.

Put Walker on Lebron, and see what happens.  When you're releasing Lebron with a full head of steam towards the basket, he's either going to score or pick up a foul, I don't care how good your bigs are.  The guy playing man defense on Lebron needs to have the strength, skills, and experience to guide Lebron to the right spots, and to slow him down on his drives.  Pierce did that masterfully last year in the playoffs, especially in the first two games.

It's not like Walker is a good physical matchup for Lebron.  He's somewhere between 6'4" and 6'5", and weighs around 220.  Lebron is at least 6'9", and weighs well over 250.  Lebron is bigger, faster, and stronger.  I doubt he even slows Lebron down at this stage of their respective careers.

Yeah, we'll see... though I like Giddens more myself. Though the way LeBron plays the game, I think there's a bit of an exaggeration of having a less physical/tall player on him. This would be more of an issue if he started posting up, until then... someone that can help keep him away from the basket, with people behind him helping him, is really all you can hope for and can expect many times to have success against LeBron doing this.

But you know, this is really around our worst case scenario (assuming Pierce is healthy). I'd take it.

[Bankshot]

I think we might be ok once Scal and Tony come back.  Not the ideal situation, but good enough (I hope).

[2short]

We added length and a big who can shoot the j for sure.  Also a hustle banger who can stick with  clevelands bigs.  Marbury don't like never had but he will help more than sam did last year without a doubt.
Anyone remember walker guarding mcgrady in preseason?  I know completely different scene/player but he did a nice job to the point mcwhiney was getting chippy.  Play walker, he's physical let him use some fouls and get up close to lebron and make him work.  Walker thinks enough of his own game to take it to the whole and make lebron work on that end and maybe pick up a foul.  Whereas TA is shorter and scal is a jump shooter.  The key to "controlling"  (not stopping) him is team defense and him shooting jumpers.  We need PP rested for the season (and ray & kg).  Come playoffs let him get the minutes.  I'd say at sf we are fine if we have everyone healthy. Pierce, Walker, Allen, Scal.

[Eeyore III]

Jackie Manuel?  Brendan Wallace?  David Thirdkill?

We'll probably end up resorting to the rationale "Let LBJ get his, but keep everyone else on the Cavs from beating you" and hoping for the best.

If all 5 starters and Starbury are playing their best, we have a fighting chance; otherwise ...

[MMacOH]

Pierce did an excellent job on Lebron last year and he is the ONLY player on the C's this year that can guard him.  Lebron will abuse anyone else that tries to man up on him. 

[TheReaLPuba]

PP did do a good job on LeBron but at what cost?

He had a great Game 7 but overall his offensive numbers could have been better.

This year LeBron is playing at another level...Pierce will give it his best effort but he can't hold James down all by himself. He will need help and I don't see anyone on our bench that can give PP a breather.

[angryguy77]

I understand that Cleveland is a very strong team, but I sense from reading this board that most are afraid of them. Its almost like we are expecting to lose. To me this team if it deserves to win the title this year will play better ball come playoff time. Our stats might be close to last years but the intangibles are not like defensive intensity. This is where I believe the biggest let  downs have come this year. They start playing the D we know they can and you can wipe that fear away. This team should be able to turn it up come playoff time and it is cleveland who should be worried. Yes we should respect them but this vibe comming from the people here is really starting to be a drag. Could we lose? yes. Should we? No. They may have added a few guys, but the story is still the same with them that they cannot beat you if Lebron is contained(last year anyone). Sure they are better, but so are we and we wont have the road woes this year like last. Our starting five is better except for one and I will bet the house that #8 is going to give us the scoring we need off the bench. When we do meet, I belive we will know by the end of game 2 as to how that series is going to go. I'll put my $ on our guys because we know what they can do, thye just have to execut and play their ball and we will be their for #18.

[vjcsmoke]

This is where we miss having a guy like Posey who can defend the 3/4 position.  And how long is Tony Allen going to stay hurt?  He does this every year.  We should have given up on him from the start and gotten a real SF backup instead.