The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't have time to celebrate after they closed their first-round matchup against the Orlando Magic. The Boston Celtics, who had finished their first-round battle with the Miami Heat in five games, were rested and waiting to go blow for blow in the second round with Cleveland.
On paper, the Celtics are the favorites in this Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the Cavs.
Boston owns the best record in both the Eastern Conference and the NBA. The Celtics have a fearsome defensive trio of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Jaylen Brown that will surely frustrate Cleveland's Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Max Strus. Finally, Boston is led by Jayson Tatum, arguably a top-five player in the NBA, who will be a tough matchup for the Cavs to defend.
But, despite all this, there's still a chance Cleveland could get rolling early and upset Boston in the second round. It won't be easy – nothing in the playoffs ever is. But, if these three X-factors step up for the Cavs, then there's a viable path for Cleveland to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Boston Strangler's playoff debut
While Cleveland's bench struggled mightily against Orlando's depth in the opening round, no one struggled as much as Cavs' sixth man Caris LeVert.
Against the Magic, LeVert averaged 7.4 points on 36.7% shooting and chipped in 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. LeVert was challenged, battered and bruised by Orlando's overwhelming length and athleticism, struggling to find a rhythm on the floor while dealing with a nagging knee injury.
But, in Game 7 against the Magic, everything clicked for LeVert, and he looked more like his old self on the floor. LeVert finished the game as Cleveland's second-best scorer, dropping 15 points on 55.6% shooting, five rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block.
With the Cavs traveling to Boston for Game 1 of the second round on little rest, momentum could be in LeVert's corner and help bring back the return of the Boston Strangler. This season, LeVert was the Cavs' third-best scoring threat against the Celtics. If he can make an impact against a Boston team with a thinner bench unit, he could play a part in Cleveland stealing a win or two on the road.
J.B. Bickerstaff winning the coaching battle
While Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been an instant hit since taking the helm, he still owns a losing record against Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff at 3-4. With the average margin of victory being only 5.4 points between either team, this could be a prime opportunity for Bickerstaff to exploit his tactical acumen against Mazzulla further, scheming up a game plan that can continue to hurt the Celtics on the floor.
Granted, the regular season is a different beast from the playoffs, and this is the first time both head coaches have clashed in the postseason. But it will be worth watching as both teams lay it all on the line in this Eastern Conference semifinal battle.
Cavs need Special Teams. Special Plays. Special Players.
Sure, Boston's Jayson Tatum is one of the top five players in the league, but Cleveland does have Donovan Mitchell, who has top-five bona fides of his own.
When the game is on the line, Mitchell has more than shown the ability to put the Cavs on his back and carry them across the finish line, injured knee be damned. Tatum, meanwhile, can sometimes be a bit inconsistent, especially at the most inconvenient moments. If Cleveland pressures Tatum enough, they could throw him off his game and then lean on Mitchell to carry them to victory, just like he did against the Magic in the first round.
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