Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs. Pistons, Game 1 (#PushTheButton)

For much of the 2015-16 regular season, we all heard about the “switch.” This is the supposed metaphorical device that the Cleveland Cavaliers were equipped with internally, which would allow them to rise up and out of the mire of monotony and boredom that plagued them through the grind of another 82 game campaign. Anytime signs of discord (be it a blowout loss… a coaching change… a player not measuring up… a social media drama, etc.) cropped up, the urge to reach for the panic button could always be assuaged by the reassuring idea of this switch being flipped at some point.

Last season, we saw the switch a bit earlier on, as the Cavs trampled nearly all comers from about the middle of January until the start of the post-season. Then, due to injury, they had to grind into a whole other gear to come within two games of attaining a title before finally running out of fuel. Still, there it was… that team-wide toggle that propelled them nearly to the pinnacle of the sport. And, if it existed then, it theoretically still should… so, whether it’s a switch, or more like the start button pictured above… now is the time for the Cavs to flip it, push it and turn it on.

It’s time to forget about the drama of this roller-coaster season. Time to leave behind the second-guessing and doubt. Time to go all Zero Dark 23 on the outside world and focus on winning 16 more games.

The first step should be the easiest… but you know what they say about first steps… sometimes, they can be a doozy. More than anything, this matchup with the Pistons will be a challenge for Tyronn Lue. He’s the true rookie head coach who now must face off against as many as four adversaries, all with more experience than he possesses. First up, the Master of Panic himself, Stan Van Gundy, who is not only the most experienced playoff coach in the EC, but has also solved the puzzle of the Cavs once before to dash their title hopes. This time around, he doesn’t have quite the same arsenal at his disposal… but he does still have a fairly dominant big man (Andre Drummond), paired with an often under-rated trigger man (Reggie Jackson), and surrounded by a bevy of three and D guys. If that sounds eerily familiar… relax… it isn’t quite a 2009 flashback just yet.

That’s because, standing in the Pistons’ way is a much more accomplished, battle-tested and fundamentally talented Cavalier squad. Regardless of the ups and downs of the regular season, this is still the team that finished as the top seed in the East, winning 57 games despite missing Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert for the first two months, switching head coaches at the mid-point, and living in the media hype shadow of a historic season by their West rivals, the Golden State Warriors. Yet, as a result, this is a team that is almost being overlooked for a championship in the face of overwhelming odds, not only against the Warriors, but also the almost-as-historic San Antonio Spurs. And, maybe… just maybe, that’s exactly where the Cavs want to be right now.

These playoffs represent a shot at redemption for both Kyrie and Kevin, given their unfortunate injuries last year… and, no matter how uneven their regular season performances have been, the post-season is an entirely different animal. It remains to be seen if they and the Cavs as a team can flip the switch, although it certainly appears as if LeBron has done it already over the past six weeks. Maybe the King should have everyone listening to the Chemical Brothers in an effort to truly push the button and “Galvanize.”

Even though the Pistons represent just the first step in what is hopefully a long playoff run, it seems unlikely that the Cavs will allow themselves to take them lightly… especially since Detroit took three of their four meetings in the regular season (granted the last one doesn’t really count, so maybe two of three). I fully expect Cleveland to take care of business at home, particularly in Game 1. It’s not out of the question that they might drop a game in Detroit, but that may be more to mess with Justin Bieber fans than anything else…

Game time is 3 pm (EST), and the game can be seen nationally on ABC or heard on 1100 WTAM.

Starting lineups for the Cavs include: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. And for the Pistons: Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris and Andre Drummond.

All Cavs are available with the exception of Mo Williams (knee). According to Ty Lue, Iman Shumpert will be ready to play.

Cavs C Tyronn Lue says Iman Shumpert (L knee) is "great" and is available for his normal minutes.

— Steve Aschburner (@AschNBA) April 17, 2016

Prediction: The Cavs push the button and blow past the Pistons for a convincing Game 1 victory, 112-97.

And if that doesn’t get you hyped up… maybe this will…

[Editorial Advisory: Warning, the song playing underneath the video does have some explicit language.]