Slow day at work - Mike Brown vs Doc Rivers

Game 2 is tonight and my teeth are clenched as I decide whether to sneak out of work early or count on my DVR to deliver the first half to me commercial free.

Will it be worth watching at all?

Well, that’s a stupid question. There is no way this Cavs team doesn’t show up tonight and keep it close. There is simply not a reality in which a team of professional basketball players would roll over just because they’re on the road against a tough opponent in this situation – in the spotlight in the second round of the playoffs. I mean, any other situation, as we’ve seen from the Cavs, sure, they’ll mail it in, but not tonight. No way. There is too much pride on the line after they should’ve won Game 1.

We also know the Celtics will bring it tonight. They’ve already brought it hard for 100 straight, going back to the pre-season, and now their 3 “stars” are closer than ever to immortality. So with another hard fought, hopefully better executed battle on the horizon, what will determine the outcome?

	Hi Doc! You best believe Lebron will be getting his tonight. Wherever he wants to be on the court, he’s there. The wing, the elbow, 8 feet past the three point line, the post… Okay, he doesn’t like the post much, but tonight he’ll be bringing it every which way.
	Huh? Is there a game tonight? Kevin and Tom take care of that stuff
	You didn’t know?  You weren’t worried about how we shut down Gangy McStabbedalot and Ray Ray?  We’re gonna do it again.  Ragin’ Rondo can’t kill us every night.
	Okay, okay, let me think on this.  How about if we double team Lebron?  I mean, anywhere.  Make Devin Brown beat us.  Devin Brown isn’t very good, right?
	Right.  Too bad he doesn’t even play anymore.  He was just a taking up space until I realized that this Alexander kid on our roster is actually Sasha.  Anyway, you can’t just double Lebron.  We’ll kill you with shooters:  Z, Boobie, Delonte… Shit, we need one more.  Don’t make me play Damon Jones!  I’ll do it, you know!
	Damon Jones?  Didn’t he retire and start Well-Dressed Cheerleaders, Inc.?  I thought he hired that deaf kid just to get a government subsidy.
	Fine, but still, Lebron won’t be bringing the ball up every time, so you can’t just double him everywhere.  We’re going to use back screens and stuff to get him open.  Then we’ll get him the ball below the foul line and you’re screwed!
	LOL!  You won’t run him off screens.  Like you would try something for the first time this late in the season.  Besides, we’ll just trap whoever brings up the ball.  It’s not like you have Chris Paul handling.
	Damn, I wish we did.  He’s more valuable than Lebron!  But you’re right, I don’t trust Delonte and Boobie to bring it up at all.  That’s why we’ve been working on a super double secret game plan where we… Wait a second.  I can’t tell you that!
	Rats!  Almost got you!  That’s okay – I know you don’t have a real game plan.  I mean, maybe you’ll try something for a minute, but the first time it fails, you’ll just give up and go back to Lebron dribbling for 20 seconds.
	Look, it’s not like I want to run that play, but what choice do I have?  First of all, Lebron only makes great passes after dribbling for 8 seconds while he thinks about it.  Second of all, half the time he does run off a screen, he doesn’t get the ball.  And Lebron HATES running when he doesn’t get to the touch the ball.  I need to keep Lebron happy so he doesn’t demand a trade to New Jersey.
	You’re worried about keeping him happy now?  I realized a long time ago that you don’t need to keep your players happy in the playoffs.  Only winning does that.  That’s why I play a completely different bench every game.  I do whatever I’m in the mood to do and I’m a genius when we win.
	Man, I want to be a genius.  But Lebron gets all the credit on offense.  I guess I’ll just leave that part up to him and figure out how to keep you guys under 60 points.

...Go Cavs!