#Pistons vs Cleveland #Cavaliers (Game 5) open.substack.com/pub/motorcit... Pages and pages of instant notes and analysis of #DetroitBasketball OT loss at LCA in a game they led by 7 (with the ball) with 2:30 left in the 4th quarter

#Pistons vs Cleveland #Cavaliers (Game 5) open.substack.com/pub/motorcit... Pages and pages of instant notes and analysis of #DetroitBasketball OT loss at LCA in a game they led by 7 (with the ball) with 2:30 left in the 4th quarter

Young players.......FREE THROW CHECK OUTS MATTER!!! I will never let an #NBA scout tell me again how over rated rebounding is (from any player/position) #Pistons #Cavaliers

A lot of attention will go towards the Paul Reed minutes (rightfully so) and how Cade Cunningham is shooting the ball right now BUT IMO, this game swung back towards the #Pistons with Ausar Thompson defensive impact You HAVE to keep him on the court in "Clutch Time"

Sensational close to the 3rd quarter offensively by Evan Mobley for the #Cavaliers - Short Roll Assist - Inverted Ball Screen poster finish - Top of the Key C&S 3PM Harden/Strus/Merrill combined 10/17 from the 3P line #Pistons need an answer to start the 4th quarter

REPEAT #DetroitBasketball HAS to figure out the Evan Mobley short roll

I am actually nervous this gets UPGRADED to a Flagrant 1 for being in Harden landing space.......#Pistons #Cavaliers

#Cavaliers convert another weakside flare screen (this one from Dean Wade) as James Harden hot shooting continues on a C&S 3PM

Real savvy play there from Cade Cunningham on the SLOB #Pistons Whatever tipped him off he knew James Harden was playing for the mid post isolation and he switched Jenkins off of him for that possession

Overall, you definitely take that half if you are the #Pistons For me, the key to the defensive success...how many passing lane steals, deflections, disruptions can they have in the 2nd half??? When they get them they force TOs or closeout for contests...when they don't #Cavaliers knock down a 3PA

Donovan Mitchell touch in the short mid range is just unreal #Cavaliers Has made so many in this series off a multitude of platforms and usually with a contest

James Harden with some big time scoring production for the #Cavaliers here in the 2nd quarter That was a ridiculous 3PM over LeVert just now

I know it's hard to argue with right now but I feel like the #Pistons offense is relying a little too much on isolation attacking right now....would like to see them get some movement here ATO

Sneaky BIG momentum stretch here ATO where #Pistons need to keep that momentum with Cade getting his mid quarter rest

Okay....if Ausar Thompson is going to rotate THAT aggressive off Donovan Mitchell then he HAS to aggressively play the passing lane and at least come up with the deflection #Pistons #Cavaliers

Isaiah Stewart playing by far his best stretch of basketball for the #Pistons in this series

That is the second 3PM for Cade Cunningham off the DHO action with Ausar Thompson because of how far the #Cavaliers are playing off of him Continue to execute this if you are the #Pistons and see if you can force them to step up a little and then open up spacing

Evan Mobley inverted ball screens and short roll catches continue to be really nice actions for the #Cavaliers in this series

Isaiah Stewart with b2b C&S 3PMs for the #Pistons I still think they have to have a little better understanding of the priority of 3P shooters (know the #Cavaliers have multiple good ones) Byproduct of Jenkins starting was Cade did NOT have to defend Harden, maybe able to conserve a little energy

Ausar Thompson energy and defensive impact already 10x better than Game 4 #Pistons Offense he is at least doing some of the catch and dribble into handoff stuff that can generate opportunities but still needs to find a little scoring and Jalen Duren.....I just don't know

Off ball miscommunication leads to that WIDE OPEN C&S 3PM from Strus #Pistons Big time screen from Sam Merrill #Cavaliers (if you are a young floor spacer out there, learn to be a GREAT screener!!!)

GREAT opening action of the game from JB #Pistons Gets Jenkins a clean look off the ball and in the flow by STRATEGICALLY using Ausar Thompson as a screener knowing Evan Mobley wouldn't be worried about helping

BIG opportunity for Jenkins #Pistons who started 19 games in the regular season Tough loss with Robinson who started 77 of 82 regular season games and played the 2nd most minutes while starting every game in the playoffs and playing 4th most

Goodness gracious…..recorded the #NBA Combine scrimmages to watch when I got home only to find out……#ESPN is skipping portions of the game on the broadcast….what are we doing here??? #NBADraft

🚨New #ThePistonsPulse🚨 @omarisankofa.bsky.social @shawnwindsor.bsky.social Wes& myself broke down Games 3 & 4 and take a look ahead to tonight's Game 5 between #Pistons #Cavaliers YT www.youtube.com/live/pi8QrfN... Apple podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w... Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/7voU...

We are live in ~1 hour for #ThePistonsPulse

This is AMAZING stuff!!!

#ThePistonsPulse is LIVE tomorrow at 5pm ET www.youtube.com/live/pi8QrfN... @omarisankofa.bsky.social

#Pistons vs Cleveland #Cavaliers (Game 4) open.substack.com/pub/motorcit... Instant notes and analysis as the series heads back to LCA tied 2-2

Special, special offensive performance tonight from Donovan Mitchell #Cavaliers Even more impressive considering the slow start

Ausar Thompson got caught ball watching AGAIN on Donovan Mitchell and that leads to the foul and FTAs #Pistons This has not been a great defensive game for a guy that I think is as good as there is the #NBA

IF #DetroitBasketball is going to make this game and get yet another game into "Clutch Time" they have to do it ATO here....if they don't, I wonder at what point JB has to consider saving some legs for Game 5 #Pistons #Cavaliers

FT disparity has really changed since Game 1 between #Pistons and #Cavaliers with tonight being the most drastic

Evan Mobley defense has been SPECTACULAR tonight for the #Cavaliers

Paul Reed with 13 points and 2 rebounds in 10 minutes Duren and Stewart with 10 points and 5 rebounds in 26 minutes (COMBINED) #Pistons Idk even know what lineup JB goes to.....Cade+LeVert+???+Harris+Reed......????

We are witnessing the cumulative effect that comes from a single over help in the 1st half when Mitchell had 1 point up to that point and how that's all it took to get him going #Cavaliers #Pistons

Back to back Cade Cunningham TOs not helping slow this #Cavaliers run

Sooo...it's one thing for Ausar Thompson to not be able to space the floor BUT it's another if he can't find a way to finish these baseline cuts when his man completely leaves him #Pistons I know Mobley and Allen are legit rim protectors....you have to find a way to score those

OR keeping rotating aggressively to Dean Wade and leaving Donovan Mitchell...... #Cavaliers with a great start to the 2nd half

#Pistons up 4 at halftime behind unreal 1st half performances from Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert...I have no idea where #DetroitBasketball would be without those 2 guys Harris with 14, 9, 3 and 2 LeVert with 17 including 3 3PMs AND spectacular defense

STOP OVER HELPING OFF HIGH LEVEL 3P SHOOTERS #Pistons (should have learned this lesson with Desmond Bane in Round 1)

Back to back BRUTAL #Pistons offensive possessions (Thompson TO and Duren long mid range) and #Cavaliers getting some nice production from their bench (Strus and Merrill) and they regain the lead

Evan Mobley has been sensational defensively for the #Cavaliers but the #Pistons team was pretty solid for the 1st quarter after the slow start AND Harden+Mitchell both missed a couple runners/floaters Caris LeVert was the best player on the court for #DetroitBasketball in that quarter

Caris LeVert with SOME big minutes here in the 1st quarter as Ausar Thompson left game with 2 fouls #Pistons - Mid Range Jumper - Baseline Drive Assist on Harris 3PM - C&S 3PM

What a beautiful weakside hammer relocation for Harris 3PM off the Caris LeVert baseline drive #Pistons

Cade Cunningham with yet another TO when the #Cavaliers put two on the ball #Pistons If I am Kenny Atkinson I am randomly throwing these at him throughout the entire game

Great start for James Harden with a couple perfect OFF BALL relocations for C&S 3PMs (one vs Thompson and one vs Cade) #Cavaliers and great rim protection from Mobley and Allen Jalen Duren offensive start has been........rough #Pistons

How wild is it that 2 years removed from a disastrous season of a rebuild the #DetroitBasketball #Pistons fan community could care less about the #NBADraftLottery results because they have a massive Game 4 to watch tonight...????

No no…..O2, the #Pistons pick at #21 not #2 or #1

The in game #NBA jump ball is the frustration to me that "unethical basketball" is to everyone else