ECF: P1 | (2) Boston Celtics vs (4) Cleveland Cavaliers | BOS 2-0

[Warchant]

Btw, this is why the NBA needs to go to 1-16 seeding....once the Kyrie trade happened 95% of the people figured it would be Bost vs Cavs and GS vs Houst...not much drama

[FlatearthZorro]

I'm ready, Cavs. Let's hope for a semi decent series, fair calls and no injuries.

I fully expect LeBron to average 35, I doubt Brad is letting the role players off the hook tho.

[FlatearthZorro]

Celtics aren't winning game 7 against LeBron lol if they win its gotta be in 6.

We don’t play that well on the road, but maybe I’m making this up but, I feel like Cavs crowd isn’t as wild as it was early in LeBron’s second stint and the original one.

LeBron is going to kill us for sure... but they get a lot outta unreliable guys like Green and JR. I’ll break my TV if TT is thrown in there and owns Horford again lol. We find a way to keep Love and other guys quiet and we’ll have a chance...wonder who LeBron guards guess he’ll go against the hot hand.

If Thompson's in, there's Baynes. Last year it was Amir Johnson, Zeller, and Olynyk.

Yea, Horford is playing Love for the most part. I think the Thompson-Horfie matchup is a bit overplayed at this point. Baynes is taller than Thompson and knows how to box out, etc, and he's done really well on the boards so far. It's all about LeBron and what the rest of the guys that are important on offense can do.

[jfs1000d]

I got Celtics in 7. Not a believer in the Cavs. Winner here is sacrificial lamb to the west.

[Curmudgeon]

The Celtics have a better shot against the Rockets or Warriors than they do against the Cavs. Stevens has to come up with something to slow LeBron down, but I'm not sure what that "something" is. No other team has been able to do it, although Indiana did take him to 7 games.

[BigTrade92]

Btw, this is why the NBA needs to go to 1-16 seeding....once the Kyrie trade happened 95% of the people figured it would be Bost vs Cavs and GS vs Houst...not much drama

In October? Sure.

But don’t kid yourself, no one predicted the Celtics would be in the ECF at the beginning of April.

And the Rockets were a gigantic question mark prior to the season beginning.

The talk was still “Can the Spurs beat the Warriors this time with a healthy Khawi?” Obviously that crumbled fast and the narrative changed to Houston based off their hot start.

[Antinomy]

Funny how I picked the Celtics to reach the finals had they been fully healthy. Never believed in those clowns in Toronto. Anyone could look through my post history to confirm this.

Hopefully they can still beat the Cavs. God knows I don’t wanna watch the Cavs in the finals again. They might have the most boring style of play I’ve ever seen. Just constant Lebron isos & kick outs for 3s.

[NetsWorld]

Cavs in 5 or 6 games, LeBron will make another finals appearance with Boston give them a run for their money.

[Spanish_Laker]

I really hope Cs win this series, CLE has no chance against the Warriors with arguably the worst supporting cast since 2010.

[Pillendreher]

although Indiana did take him to 7 games.

To be fair that was with Kevin Love going 13/46 from 2pt range. Over the last 3 games in the Raptors series, we has 21/35 from 2pt range and a +62 on the court.

[FlatearthZorro]

I really hope Cs win this series, CLE has no chance against the Warriors with arguably the worst supporting cast since 2010.

Their biggest problem(CLE's) is the defense. It's one of the worst in the league. Warriors look scary when they are in sync!

[pac213up]

In general the Cavs are sort of blah...but Lebron is beasting right now. I would lean towards Cavs in 6.

[TravisScott55]

Cavs in 6, unfortunately.

[drstarheel]

although Indiana did take him to 7 games.

To be fair that was with Kevin Love going 13/46 from 2pt range. Over the last 3 games in the Raptors series, we has 21/35 from 2pt range and a +62 on the court.

I'd be inclined to think almost everyone's stats improved this year when Serge Ibaka was guarding them.

[Hipster Doofus]

Cavs in 6. Boston has no talent

[yoyoboy]

Why is there this myth that Indiana focused on shutting down the supporting cast while Toronto focused on stopping LeBron? Toronto let LeBron operate 1-on-1 all series while faceguarding Love, Korver, etc.

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People underestimate how much of it comes down to simply making shots versus not making shots. Indiana actually allowed more open and wide open shots combined than Toronto did but the Cavs shot far worse on them against the Pacers. Not to mention in the regular season Toronto finished with the 5th ranked defense while Indiana finished with the 13th ranked defense. And Indiana gave up the 16th most threes per game in the NBA while Toronto gave up the least in the entire league.

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JR, Green, Clarkson, Hood and and even Korver are all streaky shooters. And if they're shooting closer to how they did against the Pacers then we don't stand a chance and I think this ends in 6. Fortunately Hill was healthy and playing against Toronto and will be even more rested against Boston. What I will say is that Indiana did a far better job against Love (even though Love's thumb also isn't bothering him as much now) with Young than anyone on Toronto did, and I'm curious to see how Boston does guarding him.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

Cavs in 4. First there was LeBronto then there was Bronston.

Let it go, Billy. Let it go.

[DTP]

It may be crazy to think he loses to Brown and Tatum but not so crazy to think he loses to Stevens.

Coaches don't play the game man....Stevens is good but not that good. Are we forgetting they almost got swept by the Bulls last year? Are we forgetting the Cavs dominated the Celtics just a year ago? This is the GOAT we're talking about peeps.

Are we forgetting our MVP sister died the day before game 1? Are we forgetting the cavs had Kyrie thay averaged 25 ppg on 76% TS and love 22 ppg.

Are you forgetting the 5 players that started last year in ecf for Celtics only 1 starter remain?

Man...yall gon learn to stop disrespecting the GOAT around here. Just wait.

[Triple M]

interesting takes regarding how to defend LeBron and whether teams should double or not. Let me first say LeBron can shred you both ways and it is not like he is the player now that he was before in terms of isolating and going 1 vs. 5. LeBron can do anything he wants on a basketball court and the best thing to do is throw multiple looks at him to disrupt his rhythm.

This is just a recent example so i'm not trying to throw shade at the Raps but you can't let LeBron get hot and continue to single cover him like the Raps did in game. when he is hitting 6-7 shots in a row i would hope you send the doubles once he has hit 2-3 or 4 in a row instead of giving him a chance at 6-7 or 8. I think the last series vs. Embiid showed an example of that because for the most part the Celtics played him straight up with mainly Baynes/Horford but when he found rhythm for 2-3 or 4 possessions then the doubles started to come. LeBron is a way different animal so i expect to see Tatum, Brown, Smart. Semi, Morris all get a shot at him and the Celtics will double at times hopefully at 2-3 possessions and not 7-8.


All this is easier said then done

[JShuttlesworth]

I've voted Cavs in 6 in every series so far. This will not be the exception. Hope Boston wins though.