Playoff Preview: (1) Celtics v. (4) Cavaliers (Round 2)

After splitting the season series 2-2, the Celtics & Cavs prepare for a thrilling playoff match up in the second round.

Playoff Preview: Round 1 Recap

The Cleveland Cavaliers-Washington Wizards playoff match up was perhaps the most physical series in the first round. There was pushing and shoving, hard fouls, trash talk, bodies flying – all in just the first two games, with the Cleveland Cavaliers outplaying the Washington Wizards in both games. The Washington Wizards – particularly a frustrated Brendan Haywood – have found LeBron James difficult – if not impossible – to guard one on one. Thus, the Washington Wizards resorted to double and triple-teaming, playing rough, and sending LeBron James to the line. LeBron James has struggled more at the stripe than he has from the field. The hard fouls and wear and tear on LeBron James may play a factor in round 2 of the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics were definitely the giant picked to win the classic David-and-Goliath first-round playoff battle against the Atlanta Hawks. After winning 60-plus games and routing the Western Conference 25-5 in the regular season, the Boston Celtics proved even more that they were indeed a legitimate contender for the NBA title by pounding the Atlanta Hawks in the first two playoff games, 104-81 and 96-77, which set the tone for the rest of the series. While neither the Boston Celtics nor the Atlanta Hawks (as a franchise) have had much playoff experience in recent years, this wasn’t the first rodeo for the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett and the Hawks’ Mike Bibby, although neither have won an NBA championship. The Boston Celtics – well rested entering the first round of the playoffs – should have plenty of fuel in the tank for their second-round series.

Playoff Preview: Celtics Lineup

Kevin Garnett – the 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and contender for the 2008 NBA MVP award – has the ability to post 20-10 numbers throughout the playoffs. Kevin Garnett’s focus, drive, and defensive tenacity has surely rubbed off on his teammates, helping to make the Celtics a better – nay, the best – defensive team in the league. Kevin Garnett provides plenty of veteran leadership on a relatively playoff-inexperienced Boston Celtics team.

Shooting guard Ray Allen may have dropped off in his shooting percentage this year, but expect Ray Allen to come through when it counts – in the clutch! Speaking of clutch, Paul Pierce is sure to light up the scoreboard. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett and the rest of the Boston Celtics are playing team ball with a high level of trust and confidence in each other. At center, Kendrick Perkins is not counted on to score, but is a great finisher at the rim. However, Kendrick Perkins is not the best rebounder so look for this big man to get overmatched on the glass.

The Boston Celtics are deep. Really deep. Players like Leon Powe, Sam Cassell, and James Posey, would probably be starters on other NBA teams, if not the sixth man. Leon Powe – a big role in the Hawks series – is underrated on the rebounding and scoring end and is one of the Boston Celtics’ best reserves. Backup point guard Sam Cassell has been in the playoffs – and the NBA Finals – a time or two before, so expect Sam I Am to add veteran playoff experience and clutch shots to boot. James Posey is a defensive thorn in many a team’s side. If the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup fails to produce (not likely) there’ll be plenty of spark off the Celtics’ bench.

Playoff Preview: Cavaliers Lineup

The Cleveland Cavaliers are built around one of the world’s best players and top MVP candidate in LeBron James, who is still nursing lower-back problems. LeBron James took quite the beating in the first round of the playoffs thanks to a very physical, gritty Washington Wizards team playing “Hack-a-Bron.” Still, LeBron James’ numbers are absolutely ridiculous and – when healthy – he is an offensive monster who can get just about any shot he wants.

Bringing toughness, rebounding, and more of the intangibles needed at the guard position, point guard Delonte West is at the top of his game and it couldn’t come at a better time, starting in the playoffs for the first time in his career. Delonte West rarely turns the ball over, shoots well from the field, and runs the Cleveland Cavaliers offense quite well. However, Delonte West is not the defensive force that Larry Hughes was for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

Power forward Ben Wallace may not put up big numbers on offense, but he’s still a force in the middle – bringing the defensive and rebounding prowess that he’s known for. Shooting guard Devin Brown – strong yet a bit small defensively – has proved to be a capable scorer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and is playing solid basketball. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas dominates on the offensive glass and could give future playoff challengers some rebounding trouble.

The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including three-point threat Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson (who shot 44 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season), rebounding force Anderson Varejao, and consistent scoring option Joe Smith should provide some extra offense and a spark off the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The word is still out on Sasha Pavlovic, who is still hoping to recover in time for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ next playoff series.

Playoff Preview: Head to Head

Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, the Boston Celtics have been hailed as THE team to beat in the NBA playoffs and a sure-fire lock for a spot in the NBA Finals. Do the Boston Celtics have any weaknesses? Not many critics seem to think so. While the Boston Celtics have continued to play at a high level on both sides of the ball for the entire season, the Celtics are not untouchable. With Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett joining forces with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the touted “Boston Three Party” are a force to be reckoned with, but don’t expect them and the rest of the Celtics to coast into the next round like they did against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics are on a collision course toward an explosive second-round match up against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers have met four times on the season, splitting the regular-season series 2-2. Expect the Boston Celtics to have their hands full with the dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers that could very well knock off the Boston Celtics in seven games. The Cleveland Cavaliers have size, defensive toughness, and playoff experience as the reigning Eastern Conference champs. Look for Ben Wallace to give Kevin Garnett fits in the paint while the Celtics will have a field day trying to find ways to guard LeBron James, unless their stellar defense reverts to “Hack-a-Bron” a la the Washington Wizards.

Playoff Preview: Schedule

Home court advantage could play a big role in the Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers series, as the Cleveland Cavaliers open up their Eastern Conference title defense on the road against the Boston Celtics, who lost only 16 games in the regular season (only six of those losses were inside TD Banknorth Garden).