“Cleveland is a very patient team, they play solid defense. They are also an outstanding rebounding team, so we have our work cut out for us. They have a tremendous amount of depth on their club and they can play a numerous amount of combinations. They are going to try and wear us down.”
What is Cleveland’s primary area of strength that the Shock coaching staff is keying on?
“I think their offensive rebounding is one of their keys. They get some second shots, they’re a patient ball club. And every possession that they can get extra with offensive rebounds benefits them.”
On the other side of the coin, what is the Shock’s strengths and what has carried this team throughout the season?
“Our strengths all year have been our transition game, our rebounding and our interior post play. Those are the three things that have carried us all year long, and I expect more of the same in the playoffs if we are to be successful.”
After sweeping Cleveland 4-0 during the regular season, do you have concerns that your players will be over-confident?
“No, I think the playoffs are completely different than the regular season. A lot of times scheduling issues determine why a team wins. Cleveland will have a lot of time to prepare for us as we do for them. It will be a completely different scenario in the playoffs.”
Is there a particular player, or players, that need to step up for you in this series to be successful?
“Well, we need all of our players to play well. You can’t really single out one player because it depends what the other team gives you. And it will be a chess match playoff series. So there will be some times when players will surprise you and have good games when you don’t count on it.”
