Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Defeating The Detroit Pistons

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Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives to the basket as center Tristan Thompson (13) sets a pick during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Speeding Up Kyrie Irving

Tyronn Lue wants the Cleveland Cavaliers to play fast. With that being said, it’s usually LeBron James and not Kyrie Irving who pushes the pace with the ball. Lue, the Cavs and others have seen how the offense looks when James pushes the pace. Teams reach out towards James’ hulking frame in dismay as he flies past them for an easy dunk or layup attempt. That quick-strike attack will serve them well against a Pistons team that doesn’t have the fastest or most athletic players.

Yet, with Irving, Lue has a different beast and the change-up between James and Irving is similar to NFL teams that run a two-back (runningback-by committee) system. A team will have a one-cut downhill runner that steamrolls through the middle of the line. That’s James. They’ll also have a quick and shifty runner whose job is to break defenders down in the open field. That’s Irving. Typically, a shifty runner does a lot of east-to-west movement before accelerating towards the line scrimmage. That’s also Irving’s problem, as he’ll often try to cross over a defender on the perimeter before going towards the lane. While his ball-handling ability is what helps make him great, it also holds him back from operating at Lue’s pace. Irving seems like he’s trying put on a show nearly every time he touches the ball and that’s part of the reason he slows down the Cavaliers pace. When Irving stops trying to take every defender’s ankles and learns that a quick pass and ball movement can be as good as a crossover attempt, the team will play faster.