The Cleveland Cavaliers had a relatively easy time during their first-round series against the Miami Heat. Since they are now in the second round, Jarrett Allen and the Cavs have a more challenging matchup.
As the number one seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers met expectations by utterly dominating the Miami Heat. It was a fantastic win, as they swept the Heat, including a 138-83 blowout in Game 4. The performance showed the Cavs’ potential with their suffocating defense and offensive firepower. They even picked out Tyler Herro as the Heat’s weak point, which drew some headlines.
Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley will be Cleveland’s defensive anchor. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson wants Jarrett Allen to step up to guard the Indiana Pacers‘ five-out offense. Indiana is such a challenging matchup because all their players can shoot.
Mobley immediately comes to mind when discussing Cleveland’s #2-ranked defense. He deserves it because he is the best example of the NBA’s pivot to positionless defense. Mobley does not do it alone because Allen is always helpful as his frontcourt partner.
Now that they are playing the Pacers, the defense must adjust. Tyrese Haliburton is a tricky player to go against, especially in the pick-and-roll. Mobley and Allen will have their hands full playing against that. However, the biggest challenge is the Pacers’ ability to stretch the floor across all players. Myles Turner is a fantastic three-point shooter, so Allen must be more active defensively.
Ahead of the series against Indiana, Atkinson has done well at preparing his team. They need to adjust their defense when playing against the Pacers’ five-out offense, and the Cavs are now ready.
“It’s the hardest thing to guard in basketball. Five-out, five shooters. It just is. You’ve got to decide. It’s the Boston conundrum, it’s the Indiana.
“How much you gonna switch? Are you gonna stay in coverage? Against Miami, we were in coverage a lot,” Atkinson said about playing against the Pacers.
“We all know J.A.’s next step is to be able to guard five out. I think it’s a challenge. But he’s more than capable with his versatility.”
Both Cleveland and Indiana had relatively easy series in the first round. The Cavs won in a sweep, while the Pacers beat the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
Now, they face real tests against each other. The Cavs were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. However, the Pacers had the upper hand in their four regular-season matchups. Rick Carlisle’s Pacers team beat the Cavs three times, the most out of any team in the league.
Since the Cavs have a fantastic roster spearheaded by Donovan Mitchell, they are the favorites to win this series. Mitchell knows he has to lead the team on offense and defense. He has a strong supporting cast, including Allen and Mobley. Darius Garland is still dealing with an injury. That means players like De’Andre Hunter and the “Swiss Army knife” Max Strus will be vital.
