Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Game Breakdown

*Special Situations*

• Watching an NBA player (Mitchell) make the mistake of saving the ball under the other teams basket makes me realize I should be a little easier on my 10 year old son for doing it (haha)

• They are only down 11 here early in the 3rd quarter but this seems like one of the more disappoint performances recently AND if Cavaliers were make their 3PAs at all (1st in the NBA) it would be a blowout

• They try to make a push at the end of the 3rd quarter but Cleveland finally makes some 3PAs to keep the extended lead

• The word all year has been “respond” and this seems like a performance where they will respond in the next outing

  • Will be a tough game to do it against the Pacers

Pistons

• Cade, THJ, Ausar, Harris, Duren

  • OFFENSE

    • Immediately hunt Garland with Cade which we have consistently seen this team do recently against players they think they can attack

    • Continue to see some these spacing concerns with Ausar-Duren AND it doesn’t help that Harris cuts into the lane also….in this lineup him and THJ HAVE to provide gravity and floor spacing

    

    • The offensive flow is NON existent in the 1st quarter

      • Seems like the ball is sticking, not a lot of movement and action and passes just aren’t crisp and often off target

    • Think about the difference in passing in this game between Stew/Duren compared to Mobley/Allen

      • Stew and Duren have both thrown a pass into the stands in the first 15 minutes of the game vs Mobley and Allen who have both made perfect weakside passes to Merrill for open C&S 3PAs

      • Stew and Duren had 2 assists and 6 TOs (Ausar 2 and 1) vs Mobley and Allen had 7 assists and 2 TOs

    • Cade in the middle of zone is something I am definitely here for

    • Cade to Duren lob has so much chemistry and trust, this one is pretty open but look how early Cade is getting the ball out of his hands

  • DEFENSE

    • EARLY zone possession ATO in the 1st quarter

      • Want to watch how they handle ball screens at the top of the zone moving forward

    • Feels like they are getting destroyed on the OREBs in the 1st half and the Cavs are 20th in OREB%

      • We have seen them have trouble against ELITE OREB teams but that’s not Cleveland (even though they do have that size up front)

      • Cut the lead to 12 on a Sasser bucket and foul, nice defensive possession forcing a miss but give up OREB!!! to Mobley and Mitchell hits 3P

      • Only gave up 12 for the game so just seemed like more than what it actually was

• AUSAR has strung together some big time defensive games but you see an example here where he still has room to grow off the ball

  • Also has a possession early where he doubles the ball in transition for no reason and results in a wide open 3PA

  • Not his best half of basketball so far

    • Defensive impact hasn’t been as felt AND missed some shots around the rim AND loose handle has shown up

  • I thought the jumper had looked a little better when he first returned but the two attempts here in the 3rd quarter were pretty rough

• CADE has made a couple extremely difficult mid range jumpers to start the game

  • EXTREMELY aggressive looking to score in the 1st half

  • Love how much we have seen him split the ball screen defenders recently

  • Don’t love seeing this

• DUREN with a nice, extended hook, over Mobley here early in the game

  • These are the types of finishes I am interested to see if he can continue to improve on

  • The passing continues to not progress in the way I thought when he was coming out of college

    • Has made two or three decisions that were about 1% chance of success (two passes and one shot attempt)

  • Continues to be a monster on the OREBs though AND has had some nice rotation rim protection

• THJ with a rough 1st quarter so far

  • Couple attempts that you wish he would be willing to turn down and as always, the point of attack defense is just a struggle

  • Not a fan of the shot diet tonight

• FONTECCHIO has put together some really nice point of attack defensive possessions this year

  • This is an awesome job picking up at HC and navigating over the ball screen and then contesting without fouling

  • Got to start making 3P shots at a more consistent rate though

  • BUT it still needs to be C&S first, second and third before putting it on the deck

• BEASLEY being asked to do too much with the ball in his hands and creating his own shot

  • And not talking about the shot fake and one side dribble attempts

  • The movement shooting is ridiculous

• STEW is just so physical and never gives ground

  • Watching Mobley play through contact in the paint vs other defenders compared to against him is night and day

  • He HAS to hold this “highway screen” and it’s a clean path to the rim for Cade

• SASSER with ELITE off ball relocation

  • This is kind of what I envision for him where he breaks down the defense but does so to kick and then becomes an elite C&S guy

• HARRIS……PLEASE MISS SHOTS ANY WAY OTHER THAN SHORT AND FLAT

Cavs

• Mitchell, Garland, Strus, Mobley, Allen

  • REALLY poorly defended by Detroit but I love this opening action from the Cavs to get Mobley a touch in the middle of the lane to start the game

    • They run it again at the end of the 1st half and Mobley scores off the bounce

  • Their “non defenders” flat out get after it in terms of energy

    • Examples from Niang, Jerome and multiple from Garland just in the 1st quarter

    • Merrill here in the 2nd quarter

  • Man, the ball really moves and pops for them on some possessions

    • And they all move so well off the ball….relocation and proper spacing

  • They are SOOOO good setting the weakside flare or pin in screen

• MOBLEY ability to play through contact in the paint has really stood out in the last couple of games I have watched

  • Not so much against Stewart

  • So impactful as an off the ball help defender/disruptor

• GARLAND off the ball relocation is ELITE!! (see above clip in Ausar section)

  • Getting hunted defensively but has at least forced Cade into two extremely difficult mid range jumpers

  • The on and off ball talent is so impressive

  • The handle is crafty, knows how to operate a ball screen and a really high level passer

  • Watch how he manipulates Duren with the ball fake to get his hands up so he can throw the bounce pass to Allen

    • Also, great job by Allen to flip sides of the screen and surprise the on ball defender

• MITCHELL goes to that rip over the top of primary, or secondary, defender more than any player in the league

  • It is truly amazing how he is able to balance and square himself for all of these attempts off the dribble

• JEROME with such a unique pace he plays with, almost awkward, but it throws off the defense and he is able to convert

  • Couple real crafty finishes already

  • Nice with that floater

  • Plays angles and the backdoor so well

• ALLEN is just so solid in everything he does

  • Defends, screens, rebounds, makes solid passes and can even hit the short roll floater

• STRUS has had some really nice passes and hustle plays

  • Good off the ball cutter and makes 3P

• MERRILL gets that thing in and out of his hands so quick on the C&S jumper