Jadoogar wrote:RookieStar wrote:Huh... a lot believe we can with this...
Man for man we are probably the team with the most playoff virgins...
I'm picking the Magic, but idk if it's because i believe in the Magic but moreso that i don't believe in the Cavs.
Magic play a lot like last year's Knicks (big and physical, strong rebounders) and the Cavs were completely destroyed by that playstyle last year. I don't think they've done anything to address those issues.
Of course the Magic have no one as explosive as Mitchell so if he really goes off, Cavs can still win.
The Knicks physical style of play isn’t the only reason they lost.
The Knicks had a clear coaching advantage on top of having a deep big man rotation that created a matchup advantage for them, where they could play their bigs significantly less minutes than the Cavs, who were forced to play Mobley and Allen 38+ minutes regularly. Obi being the backup PF was ridiculous, as he was able to spread the floor and still play a very physical brand of basketball. Robinson was the best offensive rebounding big in the NBA, and Hartenstein was a top ten offensive rebounding big… and he was coming off the bench! The Knicks were also an experienced playoff team and the deepest team in the league.
The Cavs on the other hand lacked shooters and depth. They had no one who could provide good minutes for Mobley/Allen and they had no wings apart from LeVert who could provide good minutes while keeping the floor spread. The Cavs were also inexperienced in the postseason and had clear chemistry issues.
Things are very different this year.
The Magic are not an experienced playoff team. They’re young and their best player is a two year wing with inconsistent and often times inefficient offense. Franz himself lacks a consistent three point shot. WCJ does not have the same offensive rebounding capabilities Robinson and Hart have. They may play a physical brand of basketball, but it’s not anywhere close to the same extent that the Knicks did. I fully expect Allen to give WCJ more problems than he did Robinson, which were almost non existent.
The Cavaliers meanwhile are deeper this year with more options. They have more shooting and two additional bigs in Morris and Thompson who play a physical brand of basketball. Morris especially could be helpful with his ability to spread the floor. And even if Wade and Merrill can’t play, cavaliers still have Strus and Niang, along with an improved Okoro and Morris to provide shooting. But most importantly, Mobley has demonstrated an improved three point shot, and if that continues to be the case, that could prove problematic for the Magic.
Can the Magic win? Sure. But they have a lot more working against them and they are inexperienced.
