Cavs vs. Pacers - 2018 NBA Playoffs 1st Round

[Cavatt]

I think he still will have a role at some point in the playoffs. I think he is the 11th man.

If Clarkson didn't have such tunnel vision and Green wasn't put into the starting lineup, I think Cedi might have jumped someone to get into the second unit. Calderon is now necessary so there is a PG on the floor with Clarkson to keep him in check.

Cedi fit real well when the second unit was more about getting up and down the floor trying to get points in transition. Without Green and Wade, the second unit's idenity is more of a half court offense now.

Cedi is good insurance and might be necessary if we need to lock down two ball handlers.

He will play if the other team is just scoring at will. I will give credit that at least Lue has seen he can use Cedi like he once used Shump.

 

[bob2the2nd]

so lebron james hasnt lost a first round game since 2012....

as always i pick cavs in 5 games

 

[rabman_gold]

I never count out a LeBron-led team, but I get a pre-Decision Cavs feeling about this team. Overachievers that look paltry over the 82-game grind but look different under the post-season spotlight.

Every year, the Eastern Conference opponent that faces the Cavs always seems to underestimate what we're capable of and assume they can beat us. I can't exactly blame them, but the timing couldn't be much better for the Pacers:

We've looked somewhat more sluggish than the past 3 years, especially on the defensive end. We haven't been fully healthy. And LeBron will be a free agent and will gauge his decision on how the Cavs perform under the pressure. I feel if we had to play the Heat instead, we would be even more vulnerable, but whatever.

What that said: The Pacers are an interesting opponent. On their squad, they only have 6 guys on their roster from last year (Big Al, Robinson III, Lance, Turner, T. Young, J. Young). And only four of them got significant minutes against us in the playoffs. So pre-playoffs, they have a hungry team looking to capitalize on a fragile Cavs roster.

At the same time: We also have a few new pieces looking to make their mark in the postseason. It's a double-edged sword since they may not know how LeBron's "zero dark thirty" works yet...

tl;dr - I'm worried about this team, but only because they haven't played a postseason game yet. We still have LeBron and the homecourt. It favors us. I predict a short but competitive series (5 games; Cavs win).

 

[czvo]

I think the Cavs can win this in 6 ?

Something tells me they’ll get ambushed on the road a couple times

See, my thought process on the 6-game series is slightly different. I think, if there were ever a time the Cavs were going to lose game 1 at home, this is the series. Not necessarily because the Pacers are better, but moreso because the Pacers know who they are, and the Cavs... don't. Not yet, anyway. I can definitely see the Cavs losing game 1, winning 2 and 3, losing 4, then winning the next two. I don't know.

Interestingly, on the Cavalytics podcast, Mike Zavagno (fantastic Twitter follow, by the way) pointed out that the Cavs were just a miserable match-up for Indiana. The Pacers are allowing more corner threes than anyone in the league, and the Cavs since the break have been hunting and knocking down those looks at a crazy rate. They aren't a great rebounding team, even with Turner on the floor, so they can't take full advantage of that Cavs weakness. They take an exorbitant number of mid-range jumpers, despite having capable three-point shooters. And the obvious, glaring hole: no one to even body up LeBron (the Pacers have actually switched Dipo onto Bron for 17 possessions in the regular season. LeBron shot 75%...).

Their breakdown of the series made me feel a little better, but I do think there are intangibles that the Pacers hold over the Cavs, that may not matter in winning the series, but will when it comes to winning a game.

 

[bob2the2nd]

See, my thought process on the 6-game series is slightly different. I think, if there were ever a time the Cavs were going to lose game 1 at home, this is the series. Not necessarily because the Pacers are better, but moreso because the Pacers know who they are, and the Cavs... don't. Not yet, anyway. I can definitely see the Cavs losing game 1, winning 2 and 3, losing 4, then winning the next two. I don't know.

Interestingly, on the Cavalytics podcast, Mike Zavagno (fantastic Twitter follow, by the way) pointed out that the Cavs were just a miserable match-up for Indiana. The Pacers are allowing more corner threes than anyone in the league, and the Cavs since the break have been hunting and knocking down those looks at a crazy rate. They aren't a great rebounding team, even with Turner on the floor, so they can't take full advantage of that Cavs weakness. They take an exorbitant number of mid-range jumpers, despite having capable three-point shooters. And the obvious, glaring hole: no one to even body up LeBron (the Pacers have actually switched Dipo onto Bron for 17 possessions in the regular season. LeBron shot 75%...).

Their breakdown of the series made me feel a little better, but I do think there are intangibles that the Pacers hold over the Cavs, that may not matter in winning the series, but will when it comes to winning a game.

lebron has never lost a first round series, and hasnt lost a first round game since 2012.

feel better?

 

[PIP]

See, my thought process on the 6-game series is slightly different. I think, if there were ever a time the Cavs were going to lose game 1 at home, this is the series. Not necessarily because the Pacers are better, but moreso because the Pacers know who they are, and the Cavs... don't. Not yet, anyway. I can definitely see the Cavs losing game 1, winning 2 and 3, losing 4, then winning the next two. I don't know.

Interestingly, on the Cavalytics podcast, Mike Zavagno (fantastic Twitter follow, by the way) pointed out that the Cavs were just a miserable match-up for Indiana. The Pacers are allowing more corner threes than anyone in the league, and the Cavs since the break have been hunting and knocking down those looks at a crazy rate. They aren't a great rebounding team, even with Turner on the floor, so they can't take full advantage of that Cavs weakness. They take an exorbitant number of mid-range jumpers, despite having capable three-point shooters. And the obvious, glaring hole: no one to even body up LeBron (the Pacers have actually switched Dipo onto Bron for 17 possessions in the regular season. LeBron shot 75%...).

Their breakdown of the series made me feel a little better, but I do think there are intangibles that the Pacers hold over the Cavs, that may not matter in winning the series, but will when it comes to winning a game.

Could be the case ?? I can see that for sure.

For me it boils down to young, inexperienced players for the Cavs — they have more role players than ever and they usually perform better at home than on the road — whereas Indiana is full of role players so I can see them balling out at home...

 

[Visitor]

Never thought I'd see his tweets, considering he has me blocked for letting him know he's the worst beat writer in Cleveland.

Someone had to take the crown from Mary Schmitt Boyer...

 

[jvpertz]

I like that if things get really difficult for the Cavs-they have the opportunity to pull the cord on young guys and role with

Love Lebron Calderon Korver Hill and maybe someone like Nance-who plays more like a heady veteran than a scared youngster.

Guys like clarkson and hood are a bonus if you ask me. I just feel like if we get a plus contribution from both then we’ll win big. If not, we can still anyways.

To me it’s the same question that haunted us in the regular season-can we get stops? When we do, we can really run teams off the court.

 

[Rich]

I said 6. 5 seemed just as likely, but you can only pick one.

 

[MarkyCavs88]

 

[dark2332]

Anything less than a sweep of these chumps would be an embarrassment.

 

[CHIMOCHIS]

Anything less than a sweep of these chumps would be an embarrassment.

That’s what LBJ is thinking

But we have a cast of misfits plus nba tv ratings , 6 games

 

[Adam]

I wonder how long the debate was to decide uncle jeff was our 3rd star?

 

[Mavaliersfan]

I wonder how long the debate was to decide uncle jeff was our 3rd star?

Should've went with the BKN pick

 

[bob2the2nd]

I wonder how long the debate was to decide uncle jeff was our 3rd star?

damn you beat me too it. Its just so fucking akward that he is there. But then again who the hell yes would be the 3rd person on the poster. You can pretty much scratch any of the new guys, and the only significant contributors left from the old roster are TT, and JR. One of those is benched, the other one now comes off the bench

As MavsFan said, either the brooklyn pick. Moon dog? Lue?????