Eastern Conference Finals: Should Cleveland Put the Brooms Away?
Eastern Conference Finals: Should Cleveland Put the Brooms Away?
Cleveland is coming into the Eastern Conference having won all eight of the games that they have played, while the Raptors are coming in at a mediocre 8-6. Cleveland is shooting the three at an all time clip during the playoff, it will be interesting to see what it is that Toronto can do, if anything, to slow down the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals or if the Cavs will keep on rolling.
Cleveland is coming into the Eastern Conference having won all eight of the games that they have played, while the Raptors are coming in at a mediocre 8-6. Cleveland is shooting the three at an all time clip during the playoff, it will be interesting to see what it is that Toronto can do, if anything, to slow down the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals or if the Cavs will keep on rolling.
Undefeated. Swept Detroit and then Atlanta.
Is this 2009?
The Cavs are being led on the court again by LeBron James, but he is leading in different ways. In 2009, the Cavs were coming off of the best season in their history - a season in which they went 66-16 and looked as if they were on a surefire collision course with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, but they were upset by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.
Fast-forward to 2016 - the Cavs have again swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, coming off a scorching hot series where they made 77 threes in four games. Can this shooting continue? That remains to be seen.
The Raptors are standing in the Cavs' way; winners of 56 games in the regular season, they have been pushed to the brink in each of their playoff series, taken to seven games by both Indiana and Miami. Cleveland has benefited from the extra rest they have received, and the Raptors have come into the Eastern Conference Finals banged up. Jonas Valanciunas is likely not going to play in the series until the games head to Toronto. Demarre Carroll has been bothered by injuries in the playoffs, Demar DeRozan has been bothered by a thumb injury and inconsistent shooting, and Kyle Lowry has been going through some mental blocks and shooting through an elbow injury.
JR Smith has been lights out in the playoffs for the Cavs, Kyrie Irving has been balling out, scoring at will, and Kevin Love, while struggling inside the arc, has been doing damage from behind the three point line. The Cavs have been lighting the world on fire at times from distance, and if they can keep shooting like this, nobody can beat them, not in the East anyway.
Cavs may not need to put the brooms away just yet.
Undefeated. Swept Detroit and then Atlanta.
Is this 2009?
The Cavs are being led on the court again by LeBron James, but he is leading in different ways. In 2009, the Cavs were coming off of the best season in their history - a season in which they went 66-16 and looked as if they were on a surefire collision course with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, but they were upset by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.
Fast-forward to 2016 - the Cavs have again swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, coming off a scorching hot series where they made 77 threes in four games. Can this shooting continue? That remains to be seen.
The Raptors are standing in the Cavs' way; winners of 56 games in the regular season, they have been pushed to the brink in each of their playoff series, taken to seven games by both Indiana and Miami. Cleveland has benefited from the extra rest they have received, and the Raptors have come into the Eastern Conference Finals banged up. Jonas Valanciunas is likely not going to play in the series until the games head to Toronto. Demarre Carroll has been bothered by injuries in the playoffs, Demar DeRozan has been bothered by a thumb injury and inconsistent shooting, and Kyle Lowry has been going through some mental blocks and shooting through an elbow injury.
JR Smith has been lights out in the playoffs for the Cavs, Kyrie Irving has been balling out, scoring at will, and Kevin Love, while struggling inside the arc, has been doing damage from behind the three point line. The Cavs have been lighting the world on fire at times from distance, and if they can keep shooting like this, nobody can beat them, not in the East anyway.
Cavs may not need to put the brooms away just yet.