The Pistons' latest offensive meltdown in Cleveland
Wednesday night was a continuation of what we've seen
in the last two playoff series against the Cavs.
Cleveland's halfcourt defense is solid and the Pistons
are reduced to taking jump shots late in the shot clock.
Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince offered solutions
after the 89-73 debacle that make sense. First, the
Pistons have to speed up the tempo. The best way to do
that is to press and trap defensively, which gets the
other team scrambling a bit. That leads to turnovers
or bad shots, which in turn leads to transition
baskets.
Another thing the Pistons must do if they play
Cleveland in the playoffs again is drive more often to
the basket. They shot just seven free throws
Wednesday, a clear sign that no one is being
aggressive by driving or drawing coverage in the post.