jezzerinho wrote:This is becoming a fascinating matchup.
Technically elite but mentally suspect team versus mentally elite but technically suspect team.
That's not to say Cle isn't capable of being mentally tough or Orl doesn't have the ability to be tactically and technically great.
But right now the story is of a team who starts games taking advantage of the other's tactical naivete but ends them going away from what worked, because their opponent hustled them into it.
Cleveland, if they don't allow Orl into their heads, probably can still win this series with their better pnr game.
But I think Orlando has them so rattled they may never be able to sustain what works.
I heard Cle commentators in the home games comment how the Cavs work better when they push the pace. I think that's nonsense. They suit a halfcourt O where they work Allen open and get their shooters good looks.
Orl has looked better when stretching the game. Just driving at the paint and getting a mentally fragile Cavs on their heels and feeling the Magic are an unstoppable wave.
Can the Magic get those "unstoppable" juices flowing when away from home? I'm not sure, it's happened a few times in the season and they're growing all the time. My feeling is they don't have to reach massive heights of intensity for Cleveland to go into their shells. Cavs are ripe for collapsing, imo.
Agreed...but as long as Mitchell is out there, CLE is in it. He is, historically, as tough as nails and can duel with anyone in a playoff shootout. ORL has done an amazing job with him...I think it's imperative to ramp it up even more in CLE to let him know what's up before he gets himself going...We want his bruised up ass on the bench, thinking about where he wants to be traded
There's always talk about the refs killing us...no way can we ignore the fact that "letting them play" favors our style, so it's pretty clear that ORL is being allowed to play the physical defense that got them this far.