The Cleveland Cavaliers have been unceremoniously deemed a "regular season team" and nothing more after years of playoff blunders.
That negative connotation is now rearing its ugly head on the Detroit Pistons after an embarrassing game one defeat leaves the Eastern Conference's top-seeded team down 0-1 against a struggling Orlando Magic squad. Orlando's regular season was entagled with numerous injuries to star players, poor efficiency from former first-overall pick Paolo Banchero and serious questions about the future of the franchise's core.
Not only did the Magic overcome the Pistons to debut the first round matchup, but they never surrendered the lead to the home team for even one possession. From the opening tip, Orlando controlled the pace, physicality and rhythm of the night. Detroit had no choice but to go into a full hero-ball system, pleading for Cade Cunningham to will the team to victory.
Detroit's offense was predictable and could not make the most of the opportunities Orlando offered. The Pistons could not find any scoring help for Cunningham anywhere. When the starters plateaud, head coach JB Bickerstaff turned to the reserves, only to accumulate a dismal 20 bench points all game.
Cunningham and veteran forward Tobias Harris were the only Pistons to reach 10 or more points in the contest, neither of whom did so necessarily efficiently. Harris shot one-of-seven from deep, and Cunningham shot 13-of-27 from the field. The duo were the only Detroit players to reach 10 or more field goals, as well.
The lesson for Detroit was obvious. If you cannot draw the absolute best production out of every individual, you are set up for ultimate disappointment. Regular season tactics only win in the regular season.
That same lesson is what forced the Cavaliers to seek a complete coaching staff change. Bickerstaff's Cavs tenure was met with continuous regular season success and praise, often ending the year as a Coach of the Year finalist. That same story is now taking place in Detroit with painfully identical results.
Bickerstaff is not a Playoffs coach
At some point, the label sticks until you force people to change their mind. The Cavs have earned that monicker and have been battling to shift that perspective, making immediate changes to the core and supporting cast with a clear focus on the NBA Finals rather than regular season wins.
The Pistons had a great regular season. Bickerstaff transformed a historically bad team into the top seed out East. Their defense was suffocating, and many young players showed a lot of promise. One thing stayed true all year, however, and that was poor offensive versatility.
Detroit's offense is shallow. The three-point arc is effectively their limit. Few players on the roster can be trusted to deliever from deep, and none of the core stars are members of that list. Cunningham often had to pursue heroic one-man comeback efforts to keep Detroit in that top spot, a recipe for postseason disaster.
Cunningham is a talented but inefficient scorer, and none of his teammates were given breathing room enough to develop into legitimate second or third options. Jalen Duren is a physical menace, but his limited offensive arsenal is allowing the Magic to crowd the paint and seal him out of the offense.
Cleveland saw the same problems in the two Playoff runs with Bickerstaff. High pick-and-rolls seemed to be the only playcall in the book. If it did not lead to an immediate dump off pass to a big, clean lane to the hoop for the ball handler or an open three-pointer, it was simply a rinse and repeat.
Great defense wins a lot of games in the regular season, but in a seven-game series, every team is going to elevate on defense. Orlando is an especially poor matchup for the Pistons, as their defensive strengths are perfectly suited to punish Detroit's offensive shortcomings.
When you have to rely on gritty, tough-nosed offense to get the win, it's rarely going to pan out when the rival coaching staff has time to gameplan for every single element of your squad. Three-point shooting is paramount in the modern Association, but the Pistons are not committed to developing that skill set across the roster.
Additionally, Bickerstaff rarely makes quick in-game adjustments, allowing offensive mistakes to compound into insurmountable leads late in the game. Detroit stuck to stubborn, repetitive means of fighting back. Daniss Jenkins dribbled the air out of the ball only to chuck a poor shot or make a frantic pass on a failed drive. Bickerstaff did not draw up a play to get early buckets and regain momentum.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had little reason to regret the Bickerstaff years, but it was obvious that winning the Playoffs would require a change in leadership. The Pistons ignored the problems that Cleveland faced but might learn it soon if Detroit cannot get in front of the Magic.
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