The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached a point in their second-round series with the Detroit Pistons where all the cards are already on the table. It’s unlikely either team will do anything overly shocking in Game 6. It will be more of the same, with minor tweaks and varying execution.
One trick the Cavs have up their sleeves, however, is when and where they choose to trap Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham might carry the heaviest individual load in the league. Detroit’s success on offense relies almost entirely on his shoulders. That’s why his usage is through the roof, with Cunningham attempting the most field goals per game in the playoffs at 21.6.
This can lead to great things. Cunningham was lights out for most of Game 5, scoring 39 points and pushing his team to the brink of a 3-2 lead. But something changed in the final minutes, and the toll of everything Cade had carried up to that point was eventually paid.
The Cavs began sending two to the ball. Cunnigham saw multiple defenders in front of him, with pressure on him as soon as he crossed halfcourt. This forced Cunningham to give up the rock and work harder to get open. That’s a lot to ask of someone who played 48 minutes in Game 5. The results speak for themselves.
Cunnigham struggled against the trap. He scored just 2 points in the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime, shooting 1-4 and turning it over at a key point of the game. Max Strus, who stole Cunningham’s inbound pass in the fourth quarter of Game 3, once again capitalized on Cunningham’s exhaustion by ripping him in the backcourt during overtime of Game 5.
When you’re tired, you make mistakes. The Cavs waited until the perfect moment to ramp up the pressure on Cunningham. The question is, can they find the same luck tonight?
“It’s a feel,” said Kenny Atkinson. “Do you do it after a timeout? You do it to throw them off balance, so do you do it on the first play? To end the game? Obviously, you’ve got to know when to, or not to, go with it.”
Doubling a player like Cunningham comes with risks. You’re giftwrapping the Pistons’ offense a numbers advantage by putting two on the ball. You can get burned in a hurry if Detroit’s role players convert on those scenarios.
That’s why it’s important to deploy this strategy at the right time. Do it too early, and you risk allowing the Pistons to find a rhythym. Do it too late, and well, you’re too late. Mixing up the coverage and keeping Cunningham on his toes is all you can do.
“He’s a great player, we can’t give him one look,” said Aktinson. “So we’re gonna keep mixing it up, and there have been games this series where we didn’t double-team, so it’s a feel.”
The Cavs have an opportunity to eliminate the 60-win Pistons and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. To do so, they’ll have to activate their best defensive strategy at the right moment and deliver the knockout blow.
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