| Pavlovic's Offense Is No Longer His Defense |
Sasha Pavlovic insisted he was trying to make a joke. Perhaps it was lost in translation, considering Serbian is his first language.
When Mike Brown became coach of the Cavaliers last season, he was immediately impressed with Pavlovic’s shooting skills and athleticism, but he wondered why his defense was nonexistent.
“I had one of my coaches go talk to him and tell him, ‘Hey, you got to defend if you expect to get on the floor,’ ” Brown said Monday. “He looked at him and said, ‘My defense is my offense.’ ”
Pavlovic’s definition of defense landed him on the bench. “I remember saying that, but I wasn’t serious about it,” Pavlovic said. “He probably took it serious. That’s my fault.
“He knows I’m going to play good on offense,” added Pavlovic, who scored 15 points in the Cavaliers’ 81-77 victory over the Nets on Sunday. “Only if I play good defensively, he’ll let me stay on the floor. So that’s what I’m trying to do all season.”
Pavlovic, a 6-foot-7, 23-year-old shooting guard from Montenegro, did that in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last season, Pavlovic played a total of four minutes in three playoff games. But he wore down Vince Carter on Sunday with his quickness and athleticism, and requested to stay on Carter, even after he picked up two quick fouls.
Pavlovic also came up with the most spectacular defensive play of the game in the final two minutes. After Jason Kidd intercepted a pass that was intended for him, Pavlovic raced back, caught Kidd and blocked a layup attempt that could have reduced the Cavaliers’ lead to 2 points.
“You can’t just pay attention to LeBron,” Kidd said Monday in Cleveland, where the Nets had a day off to analyze film before Tuesday’s Game 2. One of the things they will focus on is to try and minimize the Cavaliers’ 20-4 advantage on the offensive boards. “That’s when other guys get going, and we have to pay attention to everybody.”
Pavlovic might not have made such a stunning play last season if only because his defense would not have allowed him to be on the court in the first place. His frustration with riding the bench finally caused him to change his outlook.
“This summer I decided to work the hardest I could to get my game better,” Pavlovic said. “And I told myself I’m going to play next year because I know I can play in this league.” With his personal coach in Montenegro, Pavlovic said he worked on his strength and quickness in his legs for three hours each morning. He played pickup games in the afternoon, gradually realizing that while basketball was in his bloodlines, he needed to adapt to the N.B.A. style of play.
His father, Dusan, was a 6-foot-9 power forward for the former Yugoslavia national team who taught Pavlovic the game. Pavlovic played for three seasons in the Euroleague. But like other European players who are known for their shooting, Pavlovic had to shake off a stigma. The Nets’ small forward Bostjan Nachbar, from Slovenia, can identify.
“It’s not easy,” Nachbar said. “Just because you’re European you’re not going to be as physical or fight as hard, and a lot of times it is true. The game in Europe is not as physical, so you need time to adjust. In Sasha’s case, he’s doing a great job of maturing as a player.”
Pavlovic, who is in his fourth season, is the only player from Montenegro in the N.B.A. But he is close friends with the five players from Serbia in the playoffs, including the Nets’ injured center, Nenad Krstic. The two spoke Monday morning before the Cavaliers practiced. “But not about basketball,"
Pavlovic said with a smile. He knows how far he has come in that arena.
The Utah Jazz drafted Pavlovic with the 19th pick in 2003. He did not play much defense, either, for Coach Jerry Sloan, and the team left him unprotected the next season in the expansion draft. Charlotte immediately traded him to Cleveland in 2004.
Pavlovic has been starting since March 1, when an injury to the rookie Daniel Gibson caused Brown to shuffle his lineup. But he earned playing time by usually guarding the best offensive player on the opposing team.
He frustrated Kobe Bryant in February and scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cavaliers to a victory. In Game 1 against the Nets, Pavlovic, with double-team help from the veteran Eric Snow, held Carter to 7-for-23 shooting from the field, although Carter blamed his own mistakes for his subpar performance.
Pavlovic had good preparation for guarding Carter; he often guards LeBron James in practice.
“I go against him every day at practice, so I knew what he was capable of,” James said. “Defensively, he’s stronger than he looks. You don’t know he’s 235 until you go against him and his athleticism,” he said, referring to his weight.
Like most shooters, Pavlovic has never lacked confidence. But after a Game 1 that followed a noteworthy second half of the season, Pavlovic’s defense is starting to speak for itself.
Used courtesy of: NY Times |
|
