2023-2024 Playoffs: March Toward _______?

[foucault87]

Idk what some of you are looking at. Cavs have a pretty decent shot at Boston imo. They are not good in close games and we have a pretty strong matchup into them. Only Orlando's and Miami are probably better. I still expect them ti beat us but it's not going to be a blow out sweep. It will be a close, long grindy series. If we had better coaching, I'd be more confident. Plans for 2025

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Well, 82 games are in the books. Now JBB has to decide how to play it. Does he roll with two non-shooting bigs, two small guards, and Strus/Okoro? Or does he start that unit just to satisfy egos and quickly switch to a one big unit for the rest of the game?

Against Orlando's big front line I think they need to have Allen and Mobley on the floor as much as possible. Mobley is going to have to knock down some 3's and Allen needs to keep making that push shot from the foul line.

The Cavs are much better with Mitchell, LeVert, or Strus attacking the rim than Garland, IMO. I would have Garland playing off ball a lot; he's been knocking down 3's. He can also fake the 3 and blow by his defender for a floater or a lob to a big. Just no more layups in traffic, please.

We only really played the single big lineups at length due to injuries. Barring foul trouble or injury, it's not going to happen. Plus, without Wade, our alternative is playing Niang or having Okoro at the 4.

I know Okoro has defended Banchero well, but I don't think the Cavs gain much of an offensive advantage by going small with Okoro. The Cavs playing small doesn't really force the Magic to switch up anything offensively or defensively.

I'd wonder about maybe throwing Niang on Mo Wagner or WCJ. This is one of the few series where I think he could be useful on either of those guys.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The Athletic has some interesting stuff in their playoffs preview.

No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia/Miami/Atlanta/Chicago (starts Sunday)

The Celtics aren’t getting enough respect as a title favorite after a 64-win season that included one of the highest scoring margins in NBA history at +11.4 per game. Recent playoff wobbles are likely the reason it’s been so hard to find Boston believers, so this spring offers a chance for the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era Celtics to put those demons to rest.

Boston would be a heavy favorite here regardless of the opponent, but obviously the Celtics would prefer the Atlanta-Chicago winner advance rather than the Miami postseason torture for a fourth time in five seasons, or alternatively having Embiid pound their bigs for two weeks and wear down their frontcourt for future rounds. The thin and historically frail Kristaps Porziņģis and the 37-year-old Al Horford might not enjoy this assignment.

That would be nice if Horford and Porzingus got the crap beat out of them for 6 or 7 games by Philly.

And the Cavs preview:

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (starts Saturday)

Cleveland’s odd adventure on Sunday saw the Cavs seem to intentionally punt away a very winnable game at home against lowly Charlotte, all to avoid the potential for drawing Embiid in the first round (Cleveland would have been the second seed if New York’s overtime game against Chicago had gone to the Bulls.)

The Cavs could have been seeded third, drawn Indiana in the first round and landed on the opposite side of the bracket from mighty Boston. Instead, they’ll face the Magic and, should they advance, Boston.

Cleveland split the season series with the Magic (as it did with the Sixers and Pacers), so it’s not as if the Cavs had some special advantage over Orlando other than playoff experience. While it’s true the young Magic squad hasn’t been here before (only four players have ever played in the postseason, and only two – Joe Ingles and Gary Harris – have won a series), Orlando was awesome with defensive hydra Jonathan Isaac on the floor, outscoring opponents by 10.8 points per 100 possessions and allowing just 102.1 points per 100 possessions. He won’t start, but he’ll be a huge factor against the Cavs’ huge frontcourt.

Cleveland also has to answer its own health questions after late-season knee troubles slowed down Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs played their best basketball during Evan Mobley’s injury absence, spacing the floor with more 3-point shooters and bombing away, but guys such as Sam Merrill and Dean Wade who made those units go might not see much run in these playoffs. Don’t sleep on this one: Points will likely be scarce, and it could become a ’90s-style rock fight.

Orlando finished 2nd in defensive efficiency and the Cavs were 6th (cleaningtheglass.com). Yep, scoring points will be like pulling teeth.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The Athletic also ranks the playoff coaches into four tiers. Bickerstaff is in Tier 4, titled, "The Pressure's On".

Analysis: It has been a roller-coaster existence for Bickerstaff in Cleveland this season. The hot-seat chatter around him picked up during Cleveland’s sluggish start, then dissipated when the mid-December injuries to Evan Mobley (left knee) and Darius Garland (broken jaw) changed the internal calculus — if only temporarily.

The scrutiny (from all sides) is back in full force now, with the Cavs going just 13-18 from Feb. 12 until their regular-season finale loss to lowly Charlotte on Sunday that put them on Boston’s side of the East bracket (they have Orlando, and home court, in the first round). From here on out, Bickerstaff is in desperate need of a turnaround because of the bigger picture that’s in play. Mitchell is extension eligible this summer, and the widely held belief around the league has been that Cleveland will have to strongly consider trading him if he opts against doing that deal and plans on being a free agent in the summer of 2025.

 

[jjvors]

There's no way in hell they fire him if he makes the conference finals, they'd be the laughing stock of the NBA as no one thinks this is the 2nd best team in the East and there won't be a single person outside of Cleveland picking them against Boston.
I think he's probably safe as long as they get past this round. Again, few expect us to even be competitive with the Celtics,

I agree with you but . . .

David Blatt took the Cavs to the Finals and was two injuries away from a championship (maybe one). Yet he was fired the next year.

LA Lakers fired their championship coach after the front office wrecked their team.

There's really no limit to human stupidity.

 

[Green Lantern]

The Athletic has some interesting stuff in their playoffs preview.

No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia/Miami/Atlanta/Chicago (starts Sunday)

The Celtics aren’t getting enough respect as a title favorite after a 64-win season that included one of the highest scoring margins in NBA history at +11.4 per game. Recent playoff wobbles are likely the reason it’s been so hard to find Boston believers, so this spring offers a chance for the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era Celtics to put those demons to rest.

Boston would be a heavy favorite here regardless of the opponent, but obviously the Celtics would prefer the Atlanta-Chicago winner advance rather than the Miami postseason torture for a fourth time in five seasons, or alternatively having Embiid pound their bigs for two weeks and wear down their frontcourt for future rounds. The thin and historically frail Kristaps Porziņģis and the 37-year-old Al Horford might not enjoy this assignment.

That would be nice if Horford and Porzingus got the crap beat out of them for 6 or 7 games by Philly.

And the Cavs preview:

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (starts Saturday)

Cleveland’s odd adventure on Sunday saw the Cavs seem to intentionally punt away a very winnable game at home against lowly Charlotte, all to avoid the potential for drawing Embiid in the first round (Cleveland would have been the second seed if New York’s overtime game against Chicago had gone to the Bulls.)

The Cavs could have been seeded third, drawn Indiana in the first round and landed on the opposite side of the bracket from mighty Boston. Instead, they’ll face the Magic and, should they advance, Boston.

Cleveland split the season series with the Magic (as it did with the Sixers and Pacers), so it’s not as if the Cavs had some special advantage over Orlando other than playoff experience. While it’s true the young Magic squad hasn’t been here before (only four players have ever played in the postseason, and only two – Joe Ingles and Gary Harris – have won a series), Orlando was awesome with defensive hydra Jonathan Isaac on the floor, outscoring opponents by 10.8 points per 100 possessions and allowing just 102.1 points per 100 possessions. He won’t start, but he’ll be a huge factor against the Cavs’ huge frontcourt.

Cleveland also has to answer its own health questions after late-season knee troubles slowed down Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs played their best basketball during Evan Mobley’s injury absence, spacing the floor with more 3-point shooters and bombing away, but guys such as Sam Merrill and Dean Wade who made those units go might not see much run in these playoffs. Don’t sleep on this one: Points will likely be scarce, and it could become a ’90s-style rock fight.

Orlando finished 2nd in defensive efficiency and the Cavs were 6th (cleaningtheglass.com). Yep, scoring points will be like pulling teeth.

I was listening to Brad Daugherty this afternoon and he said everyone is sleeping on Orlando. Not so..I have heard some media mouths talk about Orlando taking down Cleveland. Also he said before the last meeting between the two , Magic players were saying how they were going to beat the Cavs and they did...we all know Orlando has always been a tough matchup and one that will be extra hard if the Cavs don't bring it every game.

 

[Green Lantern]

From Cavsnation March 23rd:

The Cleveland Cavaliers recently received some positive news on injured forward Dean Wade’s knee, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Wade, who has not played since March 8, missing the team’s last seven games, reportedly does not have any structural damage in his knee.

Moreover, it sounds like the 27-year-old could return to action in the relatively near future.

“Sources tell cleveland.com do-it-all forward Dean Wade underwent an MRI last weekend on his sore knee that showed no structural damage,” Fedor wrote. “The belief is Wade, who continues to receive treatment in Cleveland, just needs time to allow the pain to subside. Sources say Wade and the Cavs are hopeful he can return to court for workouts next week and possibly rejoin the lineup shortly thereafter.”

Something odd here but not sure what it is..

 

[dms]

I was listening to Brad Daugherty this afternoon

That's your first mistake........

 

[Don-no-vann!]

The something is odd why did it take so long for them to determine there was no structural damage to his knee. Yes, this is odd and suspicious.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Cleaningtheglass.com has an interesting statistic they call "location effective field goal percentage". Here is the explanation:

"If this team shot the league average field goal percentage from each location, what would their effective field goal percentage be? This gives us a sense of the efficiency of each team's shot profile".

The Cavaliers rank 1st in the NBA in this category. IOW, if they just shot the league average from the locations where they took their shots, just average, they would lead the NBA in effective field goal percentage. Where do they actually rank? 14th.

The Cavs are the best team in the NBA at getting good shots. If they were just average at making shots from those locations they would lead the league in effective shooting percentage. But they're such bad shooters they rank 14th in eFG.

 

[mds]

Cleaningtheglass.com has an interesting statistic they call "location effective field goal percentage". Here is the explanation:

"If this team shot the league average field goal percentage from each location, what would their effective field goal percentage be? This gives us a sense of the efficiency of each team's shot profile".

The Cavaliers rank 1st in the NBA in this category. IOW, if they just shot the league average from the locations where they took their shots, just average, they would lead the NBA in effective field goal percentage. Where do they actually rank? 14th.

The Cavs are the best team in the NBA at getting good shots. If they were just average at making shots from those locations they would lead the league in effective shooting percentage. But they're such bad shooters they rank 14th in eFG.

So I'm assuming thats JBBs fault.

 

[Cassity14]

So I'm assuming thats JBBs fault.

I mean, kinda, right?

The Cavs get those shots because it’s what the opposition gives them. Their offense is often dictated by the opposing defense, especially when Mitchell is off the court.

Coaching is a driving factor in that.

If the Cavs routinely punished teams for giving them the shots they take, opponents would adjust. When I read that stat, it tells me that the league has the Cavs’ offense figured out.

When I watch the games, I tend to agree. The difference is when they can run off of defensive stops and when Mobley is able to impose his will in spurts.

 

[redruM]

Cleaningtheglass.com has an interesting statistic they call "location effective field goal percentage". Here is the explanation:

"If this team shot the league average field goal percentage from each location, what would their effective field goal percentage be? This gives us a sense of the efficiency of each team's shot profile".

The Cavaliers rank 1st in the NBA in this category. IOW, if they just shot the league average from the locations where they took their shots, just average, they would lead the NBA in effective field goal percentage. Where do they actually rank? 14th.

The Cavs are the best team in the NBA at getting good shots. If they were just average at making shots from those locations they would lead the league in effective shooting percentage. But they're such bad shooters they rank 14th in eFG.

And maybe that is why we went on that midseason run with Strus Wade and Merril healthy. Iirc Okoro was knocking them down too around that time

 

[Futuredome]

Typical JB team. Peak in January. Guys start looking frazzled in February. By March/April everybody is tired and missing games.

 

[Green Lantern]

That's your first mistake........

Oh really? Are you disputing what he said about the Magic players? Not the first time I heard that.