Season Predictions 2016
Current seeding: 1st
Projected seeding: 1st
It’s no secret: the Cavs are the best team in the East, period. Yes, the Raptors have been surging, and even defeated Cleveland with PG Kyle Lowry’s late-game heroics, but the pedigree on the team speaks for itself, and obviously that all starts with SF/PF LeBron James. Even with the mysterious firing of head coach David Blatt, a firing that I criticized LeBron for allegedly propagating behind the scenes, new head coach Tyronn Lue has stepped up to the plate admirably. If that wasn’t enough, the Cavs even trekked through the devastating injury to PG Kyrie Irving, and the subsequent rumors of him “not being happy in Cleveland.” In short, Cleveland has gone through a lot this year, and has still emerged at the top, and there’s a lot of credit to go around for that: from LeBron and Lue’s leadership, to Kyrie’s return, to PF Kevin Love’s adjustment into his new role, to the role players stepping up, to GM David Griffin for the smart acquisition of PF Channing Frye. This team has the potential to go all the way this time.
1st round: Indiana Pacers (8)
I’ve said that Cleveland’s road to the finals this season won’t be a cakewalk like last time, but with all due respect to superstar SF Paul George and his mediocre supporting cast… Yeah you get the point. Even if George matches up well against LeBron, like he often did during the Heat-Pacers playoff rivalry back when The King was back in Miami, the supporting casts of the two superstars just aren’t even close. George’s beta dog is SG Monta Ellis, who is disappointing this season with an average of just 14.5 points per game. And LeBron? Well he can choose from Kyrie Irving’s electric 20 points per game and 4.5 assists, or Kevin Love’s inside-outside dominance: 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 threes. That’s not even to mention the specialists: sniper SG J.R Smith (2.6 threes per game, PF Tristan Thompson (9.4 rebounds per game), or little annoying nuisances (Matthew Dellavedova). I don’t want to say “cakewalk”, but I just said it.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-0
2nd round: Miami Heat (4)
This is the first big test for Cleveland, not to mention the return of LeBron to Miami for the first time in the postseason. Miami has a very balanced starting five, featuring PG Goran Dragic, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Luol Deng, PF/C Chris Bosh, and C Hassan Whiteside, as well as a bolstered second unit after the signing of SG/SF Joe Johnson. Beating them inside against the Bosh-Whiteside pairing isn’t going to work, nor is complete LeBron takeover when guarded by a solid defender like Deng. Rather, the best approach for Cleveland is to utilize their shooters: guys like J.R Smith, PF Channing Frye, even Love, Kyrie and LeBron. The old “drive, draw, dish” method, ironically employed by James and Wade during their time in Miami, would be a perfect way to overcome Miami, who are not a great three-point shooting team themselves. Thus getting into a shootout with them wouldn’t be the worst idea. Miami is talented, of course, thus the Cavs can win by relying more on their role players than usual to knock down open threes.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-2
3rd round (Eastern Conference Finals): Toronto Raptors (2)
This is another tough SF matchup for LeBron, as he’ll have to be guarded by defensive specialist SF DeMarre Carroll -- another long, quick, and strong defender -- in the likely scenario that Carroll has returned from injury by this point. Offensively, the Raptors are difficult to stop, featuring an electric backcourt duo of PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan, who average a combined 45+ points per game between the two of them, and will easily outscore Cleveland’s backcourt of Irving and Smith any day. Where the Cavs really have the advantage, rather, is inside, with PF/C Kevin Love, PF Tristan Thompson, C Timofey Mozgov, and more. C Jonas Valanciunas has never been a great defender, and while he can compete with guys like Love for rebounds, it’s clear that the Raptors will be out-rebounded in this one. As collecting missed shots is often a decisive factor in the playoffs, I have to give the edge to Cleveland here.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-2
4th round (Finals): San Antonio Spurs (2)
This will be the third finals in four years of “LeBron vs. the Spurs” , with The King playing on Miami for the other two matchups, which are tied 1-1. San Antonio smoked his Heat in 2014 by a series score of 4-1, so it all depends on one big question: “How much, if at all, better is James’ supporting cast now versus then?” PG Kyrie Irving and PF/C Kevin Love are decently comparable players to SG Dwyane Wade and PF/C Chris Bosh, but it’s clear that the Cavs have stronger role players than Miami did, even though both teams had solid supporting casts. SG’s J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert and big men Timofey Mozgov, PF Channing Frye, PF Tristan Thompson are definite upgrades over the aging three-point specialists on the Heat a few years ago.
Yet San Antonio is a different beast than it was in 2014. The addition of Aldridge is obvious and of paramount importance -- he, along with backup PF David West, will do wonders in improving what was already a superior frontcourt to LeBron’s. Internal growth and the simple maintaining of the same core players by GM R.C Buford will give the Spurs the edge in this series. If they did it once without Aldridge -- and did it 4-1 off of amazing three-point shooting -- they can sure do it again, even if LeBron and his new and improved supporting cast will make the series that much more entertaining. Also, the fact that San Antonio will have four home games in this series, and in every series throughout the playoffs sans against Golden State, is a comforting fact for Spurs fans. You know, considering that they've won 40 straight at home.
Prediction: San Antonio wins, 4-3
Current seeding: 1st
Projected seeding: 1st
It’s no secret: the Cavs are the best team in the East, period. Yes, the Raptors have been surging, and even defeated Cleveland with PG Kyle Lowry’s late-game heroics, but the pedigree on the team speaks for itself, and obviously that all starts with SF/PF LeBron James. Even with the mysterious firing of head coach David Blatt, a firing that I criticized LeBron for allegedly propagating behind the scenes, new head coach Tyronn Lue has stepped up to the plate admirably. If that wasn’t enough, the Cavs even trekked through the devastating injury to PG Kyrie Irving, and the subsequent rumors of him “not being happy in Cleveland.” In short, Cleveland has gone through a lot this year, and has still emerged at the top, and there’s a lot of credit to go around for that: from LeBron and Lue’s leadership, to Kyrie’s return, to PF Kevin Love’s adjustment into his new role, to the role players stepping up, to GM David Griffin for the smart acquisition of PF Channing Frye. This team has the potential to go all the way this time.
1st round: Indiana Pacers (8)
I’ve said that Cleveland’s road to the finals this season won’t be a cakewalk like last time, but with all due respect to superstar SF Paul George and his mediocre supporting cast… Yeah you get the point. Even if George matches up well against LeBron, like he often did during the Heat-Pacers playoff rivalry back when The King was back in Miami, the supporting casts of the two superstars just aren’t even close. George’s beta dog is SG Monta Ellis, who is disappointing this season with an average of just 14.5 points per game. And LeBron? Well he can choose from Kyrie Irving’s electric 20 points per game and 4.5 assists, or Kevin Love’s inside-outside dominance: 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 threes. That’s not even to mention the specialists: sniper SG J.R Smith (2.6 threes per game, PF Tristan Thompson (9.4 rebounds per game), or little annoying nuisances (Matthew Dellavedova). I don’t want to say “cakewalk”, but I just said it.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-0
2nd round: Miami Heat (4)
This is the first big test for Cleveland, not to mention the return of LeBron to Miami for the first time in the postseason. Miami has a very balanced starting five, featuring PG Goran Dragic, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Luol Deng, PF/C Chris Bosh, and C Hassan Whiteside, as well as a bolstered second unit after the signing of SG/SF Joe Johnson. Beating them inside against the Bosh-Whiteside pairing isn’t going to work, nor is complete LeBron takeover when guarded by a solid defender like Deng. Rather, the best approach for Cleveland is to utilize their shooters: guys like J.R Smith, PF Channing Frye, even Love, Kyrie and LeBron. The old “drive, draw, dish” method, ironically employed by James and Wade during their time in Miami, would be a perfect way to overcome Miami, who are not a great three-point shooting team themselves. Thus getting into a shootout with them wouldn’t be the worst idea. Miami is talented, of course, thus the Cavs can win by relying more on their role players than usual to knock down open threes.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-2
3rd round (Eastern Conference Finals): Toronto Raptors (2)
This is another tough SF matchup for LeBron, as he’ll have to be guarded by defensive specialist SF DeMarre Carroll -- another long, quick, and strong defender -- in the likely scenario that Carroll has returned from injury by this point. Offensively, the Raptors are difficult to stop, featuring an electric backcourt duo of PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan, who average a combined 45+ points per game between the two of them, and will easily outscore Cleveland’s backcourt of Irving and Smith any day. Where the Cavs really have the advantage, rather, is inside, with PF/C Kevin Love, PF Tristan Thompson, C Timofey Mozgov, and more. C Jonas Valanciunas has never been a great defender, and while he can compete with guys like Love for rebounds, it’s clear that the Raptors will be out-rebounded in this one. As collecting missed shots is often a decisive factor in the playoffs, I have to give the edge to Cleveland here.
Prediction: Cleveland wins, 4-2
4th round (Finals): San Antonio Spurs (2)
This will be the third finals in four years of “LeBron vs. the Spurs” , with The King playing on Miami for the other two matchups, which are tied 1-1. San Antonio smoked his Heat in 2014 by a series score of 4-1, so it all depends on one big question: “How much, if at all, better is James’ supporting cast now versus then?” PG Kyrie Irving and PF/C Kevin Love are decently comparable players to SG Dwyane Wade and PF/C Chris Bosh, but it’s clear that the Cavs have stronger role players than Miami did, even though both teams had solid supporting casts. SG’s J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert and big men Timofey Mozgov, PF Channing Frye, PF Tristan Thompson are definite upgrades over the aging three-point specialists on the Heat a few years ago.
Yet San Antonio is a different beast than it was in 2014. The addition of Aldridge is obvious and of paramount importance -- he, along with backup PF David West, will do wonders in improving what was already a superior frontcourt to LeBron’s. Internal growth and the simple maintaining of the same core players by GM R.C Buford will give the Spurs the edge in this series. If they did it once without Aldridge -- and did it 4-1 off of amazing three-point shooting -- they can sure do it again, even if LeBron and his new and improved supporting cast will make the series that much more entertaining. Also, the fact that San Antonio will have four home games in this series, and in every series throughout the playoffs sans against Golden State, is a comforting fact for Spurs fans. You know, considering that they've won 40 straight at home.
Prediction: San Antonio wins, 4-3