The Cavs finally know their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it's the Orlando Magic. And Charles Barkley thinks the Magic will win the East. This opinion by Barkley will not endear him to LeBron James, but it does reflect a reality about the challenge the Cavs face.
Orlando beat the Cavs twice this season , and the game they lost in Cleveland was marred — the Magic said — by two really bad calls that affected the final minute.
It was after that game that Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy muttered that those calls are "part of the reason (the Cavs are) 30-1 at home." The Cavs later went to Orlando, and hit a low point of the season with an ugly loss that, at one point, saw the Cavs trailing the Magic by 41.
Let's face it — the Magic pose some serious problems. The Cavs don't have anyone who can match up physically with Dwight Howard, and perhaps the worst thing that happened for anyone the Magic play was for Howard to lament not getting the ball enough late in a Game 5 loss to Boston. That lament led to Orlando re-doubling their efforts to get him the ball, which led to consecutive wins over Boston to win the series.
Now the one thing the Magic are sure to do is get Howard the ball, and when they do that and their outside shooting is on they are a very difficult team to defend. Consider that the Magic won Game 7 by shooting 62 percent from three-point range, and 47 percent on the old-fashioned two.
Mike Brown's teams always play better in the playoffs than they do in the regular season, and Brown always comes up with ways to counter the other team. But during the season, the Cavs struggled with the Magic's high pick-and-roll offense.
The Cavs like to jump the dribbler with a double-team, which usually means a big guy like Zydrunas Ilgauskas jumping out from a screen to force the guy with the ball high. Against Orlando, that approach leaves Howard open rolling to the basket, which means a dunk or, if the defense shifts to Howard, another pass to an open shooter.
If the Cavs choose to go underneath the screen and not double, that leaves a shooter open. James recently assessed the Magic as a "pick your poison" kind of team.
This is not to be all gloom and Cleveland doom and say the Cavs can't win, or won't win. They can win and they should win — because they were the best team in the East throughout the season. In an ESPN online poll, 69 percent of those voting (as of early Monday morning) picked the Cavs to win. Cleveland is one of the best teams in the league at defending the three, and they did an excellent job in that regard in winning eight consecutive playoff games by double digits. Too, Orlando had to go seven games to beat a Celtics team that lacked Kevin Garnett. They're very good, but not invincible.
The flip side? Orlando did this season what the Cavs could not do last season — win a Game 7 in Boston, and they did it without Jameer Nelson, their leader.
Right after Barkley picked the Magic, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber scoffed at his prediction. Webber said the Magic's basketball IQ is nowhere near the Cavs, and that would make the difference — with James guiding the way. Smith basically said the Cavs would win because of James. Opinions like those stem from the high level of proficiency and efficiency the Cavs showed in the first two rounds, and from the fact that the Magic really don't have anyone who can guard James.
The East finals will be an awakening. Orlando is a very good team and a very difficult matchup. The playoffs are not supposed to be easy. But we're not in Atlanta or Detroit anymore, Toto.
This ain't good. Anyone who thinks the Cavs have a cakewalk to the NBA Finals is crazy. We don't match up well with Orlando, which is as much of an up-and-coming (or here-and-now) team as Cleveland. Let's face it, to beat the Magic, Cavs will have to be clicking on all cylinders, offensively and especially defensively, while Orlando will have to be somewhat "off" its game.
While it is going to be a hairball of a time trying to stop Howard and the 3-point people, it would have been just as nasty to face the Celtics.
As we all know, strange things happen on that parquet floor, and we would have had to suffer through all those "How many Championships do you have?"
signs from obnoxious Boston fans. And, please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the last time a Cleveland team won a playoff series from a Boston team, it was the 1998 Indians, 3 games to 1. I'd rather place my trust in our defense, than count on luck and other intangibles.
paper tiger.
welcome to the real playoffs orlando. the cavs may have had it easy the first two rounds but boston blew their wad against chicago. orlando never faced competition as stiff as last year's celtics. the cavs know what kind of intensity a championship series has. orlando is in for a rude awakening.
cavs in 6.
"Cavs will have to be clicking on all cylinders, offensively and especially defensively, while Orlando will have to be somewhat "off" its game."
Seriously dude? For the Cavs to move on to the finals, they have to be absolutely perfect for 4 games and for Orlando to be somewhat off for those same 4 games.
What if Cavs are perfect for 4 games out of the 7 and Orlando is only somewhat off for 3 of the 7? Orlando in 7 huh? If the Cavs are only perfect for 3 games but Orlando is somewhat off for 4 games, then what happens? Who wins?
I'm sorry, was this not the same Orlando team to lose twice to Philly in these playoffs, to lose 3 times to an aging and obviously worn down Boston team. And for them to win 4 times against the Eastern Conference Champs, a team that is as focused as any team I've seen in the playoffs, a team with Lebron James, the Cavs are the ones who need to be absolutely perfect ball?
I think it will be a real tough series and may even go 7 games but to come out and say the Cavs are on the ropes and only chance they have is if they play perfect and Orlando is "somewhat off" its game is just ridiculous.
No, Rick, it's the same Orlando team which beat Cleveland 3-outta-3 times this year, once by 41 points. (Yeah, I know, the refs game one of those games to the Cavs, but let's be honest…).
We've got no one who matches up with Dwight Howard…and say what you will about our 3-point shooters (Wally, Boobie, Mo)—they don't hold a candle to the long-range sharpshooters that Orlando has.
Don't get me wrong, I WANT the Cavs to romp…but I surely don't think it's gonna be as easy as you're making it sound. Not at all.
I see where you are coming from Jason. One of those Cleveland fans waiting for the other shoe to drop, are ya? Making up facts to support your claims and wanting folks to know the end of the season is nigh by looking at things from the worst possible angle. We already have one of those blockheads on these forums, don't need another.
By the way, Orlando took 2 of 3 from Cleveland this year. Not 3 of 3. They won both games on their home court, one by 11 and other by 29 (might have been 40 at one point in the game but hey, why let a few facts get in the way of your doom and gloom argument). By the way, which one of those did the refs happen to give away to the "Cavs" as you said. Just be honest, please.
We have no one who matches up with Dwight Howard? Praytell, who do they have that matches up with a guy on the Cavs, um, not sure but I think he goes by the name Lebron James. Something like that at least.
I never once made it out that it was gonna be easy either but feel free to read what you want and interpret my statements to suit your needs. All I'm saying is before predicting the sky is falling, Chicken Little, why not watch the games and feel comfortable in the knowledge that the Cavs are rested, as prepared as they can be and most of all, incredibly focused. Oh, and that Lebron dude is on our side too.
I noticed that last sentence in the first paragraph. Talking to yourself again, Rick?
The Cavs should win this series. Orlando has far better individual players (although they certainly miss Jameer Nelson in situations, Alston usually can't shoot worth a damn), but Cleveland has James, which always more than offsets all of Cleveland's role players.
And although the local media has brainwashed fans into believing the lie that Gilbert "is willing to spend" (uhh … not since being trapped into those long-term contracts in 2005 in his real estate salad days, folks), this is going to be the test if putting long-term economics before winning was the right move (for the fans, not for Gilbert). I sure as hell would rather see Shaq out there instead of seeing Ilgauskas being tossed around like a rag toy. In the end it shouldn't matter, though.