Eastern Conference story lines entering NBA playoffs: Will Raptors topple Cavs?
The playoffs are nearly here, and for the first time in years, Cleveland is vulnerable. LeBron is starting out as the No. 4 seed in his quest for his eighth consecutive Finals appearance. During his streak, he’s never entered the postseason lower than a No. 2 seed.
Toronto is a real threat as are the streaking Philadelphia 76ers. What are the biggest story lines heading into postseason action in the East?
1. Can the Raptors reach their first Finals?
After losing to Cleveland in the playoffs the past two seasons, the Raptors made changes knowing they needed to play a different style, especially offensively, to beat Cleveland and reach the Finals. They are deeper, more talented, less predictable and not as reliant on All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, and the Raptors excelled, setting a franchise record with 59 victories. The contributions come from several players, a testament to Coach Dwane Casey, his staff and the players. The Raptors didn’t finish the season well but that doesn’t ruin an 82-game body of work that made them the only team to finish in the top-five in offensive and defensive rating. They have a great chance to win the East.
2. Will LeBron and the Cavs miss the Finals?
They’ve been up and down all season, with their top players and without their full roster and with their head coach and without their head coach. But this much is true: LeBron James has been fantastic all season and dominant since Feb. 1. If he continues to post triple-double type numbers in the postseason, the Cavs will be tough to eliminate in the East. Cleveland can score, that’s not an issue. But its defense has been problematic most of the season. Maybe the Cavs’ offense is enough to drag them to the Finals. But perhaps their defensive issues are just too much to overcome in the East this season.
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3. Will Brad Stevens work wonders with injury-riddled Celtics?
Imagine if the Celtics had Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. Well, they don’t have Irving and Hayward for the rest of the season, and Smart could return at some point later in the first or second rounds. Those absences make Boston vulnerable, but no one will count out the Celtics with Brad Stevens orchestrating the show. Boston still won 55 games and even without Irving, it made a late-season charge for the No. 1 seed in the East. The Celtics still have Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Greg Monroe and Aron Baynes and next-man-up production from Terry Rozier and Semi Ojeleye. Stevens gets the most out of the roster he has.
4. How far away are the Sixers from competing for the Eastern Conference title?
The third-seeded Sixers are the hottest team in the East, entering the postseason on a franchise-record 16-game winning streak. Since Jan. 1, they have the East’s best winning percentage. They have a mix of young stars (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric), veterans (J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless, Ersan Ilyasova, Marco Belinelli, Amir Johnson) and quality role players (Robert Covington, T.J. McConnell) and rookie Markelle Fultz is showing signs of becoming ultra-productive after dealing with a tough shoulder injury. Brett Brown can coach, too. This is a fun, talented team. Are they ready for a bigger stage? We are about to find out.
5. Can a lower seed cause damage?
Washington, the eighth seed, can play with anybody – when focused. But they’ve been too inconsistent all season, especially lately. At one point, the Wizards were fourth in the East. Granted, the injury to John Wall didn’t help, but as recently as last week, Coach Scott Brooks said the Wizards were playing selfish basketball. They’re trending in the wrong direction headed into the playoffs. Miami is well-coached by Erik Spoelstra and have the versatile weapons, especially defensively, and experience to make it difficult for Philadelphia. Led by All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks can give short-handed Boston problems. Enough for a 7 over 2 upset? It’s possible.
Source:-https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2018/04/13/eastern-conference-nba-playoffs-raptors-cavs-finals-lebron-james/515231002/
