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2023 NBA Playoffs 1st Round: Cavs vs. Knicks

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What will the series result be?

  • Total voters
    142
  • Poll closed .
I liked Kenny Smith’s take on the series. He said as a New York native he enjoys the delusion of the Knicks fans (“if they win a game they’re winning the series, win the series they’re winning the championship”) but Cleveland has more talent.

I like our chances without Okoro more than theirs without Randle. Hopefully everybody plays and no one gets hurt.

Cavs in 5. Knicks could extend it, we could implode, but I’ll stick with the optimism. This is a young, hungry team with a lot of talent and even more to prove. And we have Mitchell.
 
Donovan Mitchell. That’s why the Cavs will win. There’s no one else on his level in this series.

I’m not confident in LeVert being able to defend RJ Barrett. But it seems JBB is okay with starting Wade now. I think if Okoro remains out that Danny Green will get some playing time.

We have to keep Brunson and Quickley from going crazy. If Randle plays and makes contested shots, that’s fine. Without Okoro, we need Mitchell, Rubio, and Neto to step up defensively.

Cedi has been playing well recently. He’ll get his chance.

I’m confident in Mitchell, Mobley, Cedi, Rubio, Green, Neto. Not confident in JA, Garland. Neutral on everybody else.
 
If Okoro starts and hopefully limits Brunson, we will need DM & DG to play well against guys who will have significant size advantages in Grimes and Barrett. If Wade ends up starting, I think he will take Barrett and DM will check Brunson and I believe we will be OK there - surely DM steps up the D for the playoffs. My concern in that scenario is our bench gets very short (physically). If the Knicks throw Randle, Robinson & Hart at us for lots of minutes, that is a load for Mobley and Allen to defend. I don't like Lamar's matchup against any of those guys, whereas I feel like Wade off the bench would have a much better chance. Over the course of the series, I think our best case scenario vs the Knicks at full strength is having an effective Okoro and getting a good 20 minutes from Wade, even if his 3-ball still isn't falling. Now, if Randle and/or Okoro can't go, the equation changes.
 
Last edited:
ice cream man said:
Without Okoro, we need Mitchell, Rubio, and Neto to step up defensively.

Cedi has been playing well recently. He’ll get his chance.

I’m confident in Mitchell, Mobley, Cedi, Rubio, Green, Neto. Not confident in JA, Garland. Neutral on everybody else.
Click to expand...

What's the rotation look like without Okoro?

Really unlikely the playoff rotation goes deeper that 8 players.

So we know these guys will get minutes: Garland, Mitchell, LeVert, Mobley, Allen, and Rubio. That's 6.

Then we got two more guys off the bench. Right now it seems like it would be Green and Wade will get 12 minutes each.

The only way Neto only gets more than garbage minutes is if JBB thinks that Rubio can't handle the defensive assignments.
 
Losing Okoro would probably help later in the game.
 
Cavs win. This one goes the distance though.
 
I take this as a "No, he's not in the rotation if Okoro can play"

www.cleveland.com

Do Cavs have room for veteran sharpshooter Danny Green in playoff rotation?

“Not up to me to decide,” Danny Green said when asked about potential playing time in the postseason.
www.cleveland.com www.cleveland.com

“You know what Danny is capable of,” Bickerstaff said. “I think his thing was he just was going to have to get opportunities and get reps to play. We had a plan for him prior to him getting sick and then that kind of made an adjustment. Isaac going down for as long as he did, that kind of made an adjustment to it. We know and he said it time and time again that he’ll be ready for the playoffs and he’ll be ready when his number is called.”​
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“Danny’s a pro,” Bickerstaff said. “When you’ve done the things that he’s done and played at the level that he’s played at, it’s like riding a bike. There is no moment that’s too big. There’s no pressure that’s too much for him. We expect him when called upon to be prepared and it’s just a matter of again, giving him reps and opportunities to continue to work back. Being out for as long as he was, that’s difficult.”​
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