All in the Family: The Cleveland Cavaliers
Tim and I oftentimes talk about the broader Spurs family. Kevin Pritchard. P.J. Carlesimo. Steve Kerr. Well beloved members of the Spurs community can be found on the coaching staffs and in the front offices of teams all over the league. Cleveland is no exception. In fact Mike Brown and Danny Ferry may have created the most fully fleshed-out reincarnation of Spurs basketball anywhere in the league.
Obviously, there are notable differences. Aside from the fact that Lebron James and Tim Duncan are both destined to go down in history as top ten all-time players, they have few similarities. But, beyond the psychological and stylistic distinctions between our superstars, these are surprisingly similar squads.
The defense is designed to force slashers to the baseline and into the waiting arms of shot blockers. Mid-range jumpers are a sign that the offensive scheme is ineffective or the players are being lazy. Consistent penetration is the key to producing three types of high percentage shots: layups, free throws, corner three-pointers.
Those sentences could easily describe either squad.
The other notable similarity between the two teams is the strategic unity they maintain, no matter who is on the floor. Over the last few seasons, the Cavaliers have mixed and matched all types of players and nothing about their style changes. As the players have grown more talented (consider the movement from Boobie Gibson to Delonte West to Mo Williams at point), the vision has borne greater fruit. But no matter who puts on the jersey, the plan stays the same.
For all these reasons and more, I love it when the Cavs come to town. Like anyone with a pulse, I enjoy watching LeBron James play, no matter what kind of game he is having. When he is dominating the floor, it is horrifyingly beautiful. When he struggles, as he did last night against the Rockets, it is deeply fascinating. I personally find the question “How do you stop LeBron James?” to be one of the more interesting tactical conundrums in the NBA.
The other reason I love playing the Cavs is the memories it evokes. As I watch those white and red jerseys dance in and out of one another, I can’t help but think of headier times. The 2007 NBA Finals were sublime. Never before and never since have I watched high-stakes basketball with such serenity. By the end of the first quarter of game one, I felt confident we would raise our fourth banner. When the final buzzer sounded in Cleveland on June 14th, I hardly said a word.
I had listened to game 3 of the Finals on a local radio station as we made our way through Ohio in the pouring rain. I had graduated from college a few days before and my buddies and I were driving from New York to Texas. We arrived in Austin the day of game 4. A few of my high school friends came over. We drank Shiner Bock, ate pizza, and didn’t say much for the duration of the game. I remember a brief moment in the second half where it looked like the Cavs might take control but a part of me knew our 4th title was coming that night.
As Duncan strolled onto the court with his arms raised high above his head and his lips revealing an enormous grin, we all left the room without much fuss and headed for the back porch. After big wins I’ve been known to slip into a state of frenzied joy but something about that title was calming, not energizing. I’ve never understood exactly why I reacted so quietly.
I’ll tell you one thing: If the Spurs aren’t in a position to win one-for-the-thumb come this June, I’ll be rooting for the Cavs. They’re part of the family.
The game starts at 9:30 Eastern/8:30 Central on ESPN. Go Spurs.
