| Bron Bracketology Authored by Chris Kreider - March 20, 2009 - 10:09 pm
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The formula for the Cavaliers’ success this season has been to go about their business one game at a time, approaching every contest with the same intensity and same goal in mind – regardless of opponent. If you asked a member of the Cavaliers who they would prefer to play in the playoffs, they’d probably sound indifferent. But maybe they shouldn’t. Cleveland has ripped through the NBA at home this season and currently holds the best record in the NBA. Regardless the Cavs have, at times, been outplayed by their opponents. Taking a look back can shed some light on what teams may pose as potential threats come playoff time.
The Eastern Conference’s 8th seed changes more frequently than what design Daniel “Boobie” Gibson has carved in the side of his head. Currently the disordered Chicago Bulls reside in the number eight spot and would potentially be the Cavs first round opponent. LeBron’s crew hasn’t had much trouble with Derrick Rose and the Bulls, completing the season series 3-1. With a young squad, a rookie head coach and roster fluctuations throughout the year, a loss to Chicago would be like Radford upsetting UConn in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Oh yeah, and the Bulls have the worst road record of any Eastern playoff team… by far. The only thing worse than their road record is Joakim Noah’s attempt to grow facial hair. Game, set, match.
At lucky number seven sits the former rival Detroit Pistons. Ever since Joe Dumars thought it was a bright idea to trade away the leader and heartbeat of his team in Chauncey Billups, the Pistons have been in complete turmoil. The Cavaliers are 2-1 versus the squad from the Motor City as the Pistons are no longer the Central Division powerhouse they once were. Assuming the team is healthy, Cleveland shouldn’t have any major issues handling Detroit.
The East’s current six seed is the Philadelphia 76ers. Though the Sixers’ uptempo style of play doesn’t match up very well for the Cavs, Philly (like most teams) doesn’t have an answer for LeBron or Cleveland’s physical frontcourt. The Cavs are 2-0 on the season versus the Sixers, as they played them on back to back days in December when James totaled a modest 60 points. Cleveland’s defense will be too much to handle for these young guns in Pennsylvania.
The Eastern Conference’s current fifth seed is the true dark horse for the Cavs. Everyone that has cable TV knows what Mr. Dwyane Wade is capable of doing on a basketball court. After all, he’s a champion. Aside from Wade, however, is a deceivingly solid supporting cast. The Heat are a young team, but they do have several key contributors outside of Wade that play a significant role in their team’s success. From Jermaine O’Neal to the scrappy rookie, Mario Chalmers, Miami may be more than a speed bump in Cleveland’s path to the Finals.
If you’ve ever watched a Hawks game in Atlanta, you’ve noticed the scarcity of fans that show up to each contest. It honestly looks like a smaller crowd than the one outside Best Buy when Halo 2 came out. Regardless of Atlanta’s inability to fill Philips Arena, this Eastern Conference 4-seed plays very well in their home building. The only thing separating Atlanta and Orlando, for instance, is the Magic’s robust road record. The Cavaliers have won two of the three meetings with the Hawks this season, one of which required a 4th quarter comeback. Don’t write off the Hawks as a possible threat to Cleveland, especially after their dramatic 7-game series with Boston last Spring, in which they weren't beaten at home.
The current three-seed in the East is Stan Van Gundy’s Orlando Magic. Orlando has played LeBron and the Cavaliers very well during the two meetings so far this season. Cleveland came up short in January in O-town and barely held off the Magic in Cleveland on St. Patty’s Day. The reason the Magic have a chance to beat Cleveland is because of Dwight Howard. The reason the Magic don’t have a chance to beat Cleveland is because of Dwight Howard. If Van Gundy can consistently utilize Howard in the post, the Cavs will have a tough time avoiding a double-team, resulting in wide open shooters on the perimeter. Cleveland was burned by this in Orlando in January when the Magic nailed 11 three-pointers en route to a victory over the Cavs. Mike Brown’s crew held Dwight to only 8 shots in Cleveland, however, and the results were favorable. If the Magic have to rely on their jump-shots to win, it’ll be Cleveland moving on in the NBA’s Big Dance.
Finally we come to the Eastern Conference’s current two-seed: The NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Through three meetings thus far, Cleveland has only managed one victory over the Celtics. The only win over Boston came on their homecourt at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavs have only lost one game all season. With that said, the main factor in the Cleveland versus Boston matchup is none other than the homecourt advantage. Over the past 17 meetings between the Cavs and the Celts, the home team has won. This includes the playoffs of last year. If Cleveland can hang on to the top spot in the East, they have to feel pretty confident about their chances against the Champs.
Ultimately, LeBron and the Cavaliers are playing great ball, especially at Quicken Loans Arena. For the majority of the 2008-09 season, however, the media has written off the Eastern Conference outside of the “Big Three” (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando). Mike Brown and the Cavs must avoid this mentality as there are a couple teams in the East that could potentially spoil Cleveland’s plans. If the Cavs continue to out-hustle opponents and play every game like it’s their last, they just may be residing atop the brackets in June. |
