I think Detroit on the other hand poses a much more interesting matchup for the C's though. The C's can handle the one dimensional Cavs with their team defense, but have much more trouble against a team like Detroit who move the ball and have multiple weapons that can hurt you.
Also, a Detroit Boston series is just more fun in general, because of the history between the two clubs (recent, and not so recent). There also are much more compelling matchups (Billups-Rondo, Prince-Pierce, Garnett-Wallace, etc.). But most importantly, I think there is genuine animosity between these two teams. They don't like each other, and a 7 game series will turn into an all-out war. I just can't see that happening with Cleveland, who are all about Lebron, and even when they do "mix it up" with other teams, it seems contrived.
Pistons-C's would be two teams led by genuinely insane players (Wallace and Garnett). To me, that is a fun time.
When I was answering to why I thought the Cavs were tougher I thought it best to also cover why I didn't think Detroit were as tough so I rolled back to this quote. Firstly Detroit are a good team and capable of beating the Celtics, I wouldn't write them off by any means. I just don't think they're as capable of beating us as Cleveland were before the trade. And I also think the C's should be heavily favoured in a matchup against them.
The three games we played against them were exactly how I picture a series being. They need a brilliant game, not just good, brilliant game from Billups and Rip in order to win. Otherwise the Celtics have more than them. Each of the three games was fairly close but the Celtics always had more and better weapon and it showed down the stretch. The only game it didn't was when Billups had an incredible fourth quarter and they could have won that game. Nothing in those games are that worrying, we're clearly ahead of them with some comfort.
The only guy that causes us serious problems is Billups. Rip and Ray cancel each other out. Rasheed and KG roughly cancel each other out. McDyess and Perkins, there's no important difference three. Billups clearly causes Rondo problems with his guile and strength. Rondo can take him any time he wants on the other end but he probably won't do so consistently in a playoff series.
Then there's Pierce and Tayshaun which is a huge advantage for the Celtics. Pierce has averaged 23ppg, 7.5rpg, 4.2apg on well over 50% shooting against Tayshaun over the two prior seasons. He had mediocre nights this season but I don't think it was because of Tay, he knows how to play against Tayshaun and normally kills him. Prince is an overrated defender and he's also a defender that does much better against perimeter players who shoot perimeter jumpers and go off the dribble, players where he can step back and use his length against. Guys like Pierce who drive bullishly into the paint and have excellent mid post games, not nearly as a effective against them. Tay has never done well against Pierce offensively, Pierce takes his post game away and his penetration away. Making him a set jump shooter that is reliant on his teammates creating for him (he averaged 5ppg this season, only 12ppg in two seasons prior against Pierce).
Coaching wise Flip Saunders has been terrible Detroit and done terrible thigns to Detroit
(For example, removing Rip as the go-to scorer, decling ppg average in postseason for 5 straight years, resulting in end of game struggles). This is a huge advantage for Boston. He's far worse than Doc. Flip's a nervous nellie and it gets to his team, even last night when they were pounding Phily early in the fourth, he just about lost his head on one bad shot. He has no composure against pressure and his team has been worse at this since he arrived and worse against pressure than normally by a Huge Margin since he's been there.
Detroit are a poor team in close games. They've been a poor team for awhile now. Billups is nowhere near as good as his reputation makes him out to be. They're offensive execution down the stretch stinks. Two years ago they started running iso plays for Tony Delk when playing Miami (again the job Flip has done there is terrible, Delk or Rip or even Chauncey down the stretch, who are you going to? A 5 year old could make that call). They couldn't score against Cleveland late in games last year in the playoffs. They're very stoppable.
Their bench is talented but the C's match up fine there. Maxiell's normal advantages are countered well by Powe/Davis. His energy, his rebounding they match up fine. Their best bench scorer is Jarvis Hayes, we're going to be sticking Posey on him. He did nothing against the Celtics in the regular season. He hasn't shown up for the playoffs this season or in the past because he doesn't play well against tough and focused defenses. He's gone, big loss for Detroit. There's nothing on that bench that really hurts us. Stuckey if he shows up and plays well could, that's it. Lindsey Hunters ball pressure for a 5 minute burst could too. It's not like we don't have other weapons either with Sam or Eddie or Tony. Powe and Glen have causede them problems on pick and rolls.
Detroit are weak on their backboards. I don't care what their regular season numbers indicate. They're weak. McDyess has done a great job here (is by far their best defensive rebounder) but they can be beaten on the boards like they were last season. Neither of their two young big men protect the defensive backboards, they're both offensive rebounders.
In this Sixers series we're seeing just how problematic and weak their offense is. Billups and Rip have to be dominant to even give them a chance to win. Rasheed has be good as well as them in order to beat top teams. KG, Pierce, and Ray can outscore them. They'll be working back up from their supporting cast. During the meetings this season their trio outscored ours 56ppg to 51ppg while Pierce averaged 15ppg on 30% shooting and Ray scored 12ppg on 40%. No way are those struggles are going to last.
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I just don't think much of them. Billups is the only guy that gives us problems on the whole team. We're fairly similar outside of that with one exception - our best players are better than their best players.
Their experience doesn't amount to anything because they don't execute well late in games anymore.
Just not worried about them. Detroit have nice storylines against us but they don't match up better with us than Cleveland did.
But LeBron with a supporting cast that actually does either matches up well with us or causes us problems? That's a lot to be concerned with.
Topic: Is anyone else pulling for the Sixers? (Read 7761 times)