CLEVELAND -- Quick pregame dribbles for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cavaliers and Bulls.
1. Tristan Thompson is expected to start at power forward, replacing Mike Miller, who started Game 1. The change will move LeBron James back to small forward. "We gotta get more out of ourselves collectively," said Cavs coach David Blatt.
2. Blatt acknowledged the Cavs "played a certain way all year," and will now have to change things a little (if not a lot). And by "a certain way," he means possessing a starting "stretch forward" in Kevin Love who can open the floor with perimeter shots. Thompson, of course, is more of a down-low type of guy.
3. Thompson started 15 games during the regular season and averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. Blatt said he wants the Cavs to play "downhill" and take the ball to the basket more often than in Game 1. That includes LeBron James.
4. Bulls' Jimmy Butler on LeBron: "Everybody is saying he's going to be aggressive. I thought he was aggressive last game."
5. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on LeBron being more aggressive: "We all know how good he is. All you can do is try to make him work. That part doesn't change (from Game 1)."
6. Bulls star Derrick Rose on the Cavs' lineup change and how it impacts them defensively: "It should be fun to see how they play it. Are they going to double-team it or if I get all the way to the baseline, double-team me so I have a hard time passing it back out? Are they going to switch it? Who knows?"
7. No matter what happens, the entire world knows the Cavs will need to figure out a way to defend Pau Gasol on the pick-and-pop. They also have to hope that some of those Rose pull-ups miss. When that's going, he looks like the Derrick Rose of 2011 and you're in trouble.
