Apr 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Like we did for the First Round, we preview Cavs Vs Bulls in the NBA Playoffs as a Roundtable of our writers. How do the Cleveland Cavaliers adjust to Kevin Love being out? What is scarier, the Chicago Bulls big men or Derrick Rose? That and more in our Cavs Vs Bulls Series Roundtable Preview.
Who do you want to see starting for Kevin Love (Playoffs) and J.R. Smith (First 2 games) in this series and why?
Omar – I want to see LeBron James at power forward and Iman Shumpert at shooting guard to begin the game. I know James Jones is the more likely candidate to play the four-spot that Love vacated but LeBron can play better defense and be a semi-stretch forward with his ability to shoot from the outside. Shumpert is a given but will have his hands full trying to contain Jimmy Butler.
Luke – I’m going with Iman Shumpert replacing J.R. and James Jones to replace Kevin Love. Shumpert is a pretty obvious choice, as he was actually meant to be the starting 2 guard when the Cavs pulled off the trade. His defensive activity will be pivotal in shutting down Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. If he can play like he did in Game 4 against Boston, he will be a huge positive for the Cavaliers. I’m going with JJ to keep the floor spaced and not loss the shooting that Love provides. Of course Love is a better shooter and demands more attention but with Jones on the perimeter, he still demands respect, which will create driving lanes for LeBron and Kyrie. While Jones will be outmatched on the rebounding and defensive ends, Tristan Thompson is still coming off the bench to help him out and the Cavs still have big Timo in the middle.
Spencer – The obvious answer is Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert, although I have a hunch that James Jones might get the starting nod from coach Blatt. When Kevin Love was out for stretches during the season, he stepped in as the starting power forward and frankly, performed pretty well on the offensive side of the ball. Now before anyone calls me out on this, just because Jones might start doesn’t mean he will get the most playing time. Thompson should easily get over 35 minutes per night whereas Jones might get 15-20 minutes. As for the two guard, Shumpert can slide right in to the starting lineup and fill the void of JR Smith with lockdown defense and scoring.
Noah – Iman Shumpert should replace J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson should replace Kevin Love. This allows the Cavs to create a more dominant defensive presence against the Bulls. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James have already showed that they are able to score enough to win. This allows David Blatt to stock up their defense and try to shut down Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler, and Derrick Rose.
Mike – I think Iman Shumpert will start at shooting guard, but I’m a bit more torn on power forward. A Thompson/Mozgov frontcourt shrinks the floor on offense, but it’s a beast in terms of rebounding and defense, and still scores well as Zach Lowe points out. James Jones gives you the floor spacing, but is a worse passer, defender, and rebounder than Love. I also wondered if David Blatt would go with Shawn Marion, who can guard a one-legged Noah and offers at least a little more shooting than Thompson. I guess if I have to guess, I’ll say Jones gets the start, but nothing would surprise me short of Joe Harris or Brendan Haywood starting.
Jared – For me it is Shawn Marion. He can start at the 4, in place of Love, with either Mike Miller or James Jones starting at SG for the first two games. This gives the Cavs some semblance of consistency with Shumpert and TT coming off the bench together still. Miller or Jones also replace some of the shooting that will be missing while Marion can drive far more than Thompson and some still are worried about his shot from the corner, even if his numbers are down.
Next: Missing Most from Love
Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) runs off the court after injuring his shoulder during the first half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
In what facet of the game will Love be missed the most?
Omar – Rebounding. His minutes will most likely be spread out between Jones, Mozgov, and Mike Miller, assuming coach Blatt includes him in the rotation. Among the three, only Mozgov will be able to compensate for the rebounding chores that used to belong to Love. Jones and Miller will be able to open the lanes with their three-point shooting like Love did but they lack the size to bang with Chicago’s bigs.
Luke – In any other series I would probably say his floor spacing but against the Bulls, I’m going to have to say his rebounding will be missed. Chicago are relentless on the glass and without Love, Cleveland’s best rebounder, it’s going to be a struggle in the rebounding department for the Cavaliers.
Spencer – Love’s absence will force other players to step up on the offensive side of the ball and score, as well as force them to aggressively box out. He averaged nearly a double-double and did a lot of things that didn’t appear in the box score. Another area where he will be missed, and it sounds silly, is on fast break opportunities. Besides maybe LeBron James, I don’t see anyone else on the team throwing perfect three-quarters court passes for easy transition baskets.
Noah – Tristan Thompson has been a dominant post man for the Cavaliers this postseason, which allows him to fill Love’s spot without much loss of talent. The Cavs will, however, miss his offensive play, especially in the first half of games. Without any reliable choice to continue Love’s offensive play, the Cavaliers should struggle at times to find a bench player to fill in Love’s spot.
Mike – I’ll say floor spacing as Love does a tremendous job of pulling an opposing big man out of the paint. Considering that big likely would have been Joakim Noah, it would have given LeBron James and Kyrie Irving the chance to attack Pau Gasol with impunity. Love also does a tremendous job with ball movement and defensive rebounding. Even in what many are calling a down year for him, Kevin Love really was a huge part of this year’s Cavaliers.
Jared – Did I allow for “everything” to be an answer. Against the Bulls I think it really is his floor spacing. It is a reason I wanted Marion and not Thompson to start at the 4. Now Paul Gasol and Joakim Noah can pack the paint.
Next: Which Veteran Steps Up?
Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (8) looks for an opening against Cleveland Cavaliers forward James Jones (1) in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Which veteran, Shawn Marion, James Jones or Mike Miller, do you think will have the biggest impact on this series?
Omar – Mike Miller. He’s big enough to be the most likely guy to have more playing time at power forward. Miller is a veteran who’s always ready when called upon and is a capable defender. Marion’s shot is suspect and Jones is defenseless down low so Miller will have to provide the Cavs with consistent outside shooting and I believe he will.
Luke – James Jones. I touched earlier on how I believe JJ should replace Love in the starting line-up due to his ability to keep the floor spaced in Love’s absence and that makes him the most important players out of the three vets. While Miller is also a shooter, he hasn’t played meaningful minutes all season and Marion has lost his touch from beyond the arch, despite his defensive abilities. Jones has played the most meaningful minutes out of these three vets and his ability to keep the floor spaced in Love’s absence will be crucial for Cleveland.
Spencer – Mike Miller will show exactly why he was brought here in this series. It’s something about the big stage that makes him tick and kick it into gear. Marion and Jones will also make an impact, but lookout for some major clutch shooting from Mr. “Let it Fly”.
Noah – Mike Miller. Miller hasn’t done much this season with the Cavs, which makes him a perfect choice to impact this series. Throughout his career, Miller has created big impacts in the postseason, only during big games though. He can go from zero points in a series to 20 points in a Game Seven. His play this season and postseason haven’t shown any promise to impact this series, but if the series is as close as people think it will be then Miller will have a big impact.
Mike – I’m going to continue to beat the Shawn Marion drum here. Even at the end of his career, Marion offers defense and athleticism that Miller and Jones simply don’t. Playing Marion should help keep LeBron James from wearing down too much at the defensive end. In his prime, Marion could guard practically any forward in the league, and I think he still has enough left to be effective against a hobbled Noah or Mirotic, and could even be used against Gibson or Jimmy Butler in Spurts. While not the floor spacer that Miller or Jones are, Marion still shot 35% from the right corner this year and should be able to use his speed and cutting ability to generate enough offense to make playing him a good idea.
Jared – While I think Marion will have a huge impact, it is not the one fans will recognize. Therefore I think James Jones will be the guy. He knows how to find space on the floor for his shot and seems to be in decent shape for an older player.
Next: Bigger Problem: Rose or Bigs?
Apr 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) defends a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Which is more concerning for the Cavs: Derrick Rose or the Bulls’ interior size?
Omar – The Bulls’ interior size is concerning for most teams and the same will be true for the Cavs. With both Love and Varejao out of the playoffs, what would have been an interesting battle of big men will come down to small ball versus the Bulls giants. LeBron will likely play four or five positions in this game so expect him to mix it up with Gasol, Gibson, and Noah. Kendrick Perkins, do your thing.
Luke – The Bulls interior size. Rose V Irving is the headline match-up in this series and neither team losses anything in this match-up. Again, the loss of Love proves crucial once again here, as Cleveland’s lack of true bigs will be costly against the rough and tough Bulls. Mozgov will need to play more minutes, TT will need to continue his stellar play from the Quaterfinals and players like Kendrick Perkins will need to actually play productive basketball. Gasol, Gibson and Noah will be too much for the Cavs bigs to handle.
Spencer – Chicago’s bigs are incredibly deep and incredibly deadly. Most will talk about Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, but I look at the bench bigs in Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. Both of these men bring their own flavor to the floor. Gibson, a wiley, scrappy veteran, is a player that scratches and claws for extra possessions. In fact, I call him “Tristan Thompson with a jumper”. Mirotic, on the other hand, is a rookie that really stepped up in Gibson’s absence a couple of months ago. He stretches the floor, shoots the long ball well and is very dangerous in fourth quarters.
Noah – The Bulls interior size. Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov may be two big men that any team would want on their team. However, the Bulls interior size in Gibson, Noah, and Gasol should cause problems for the Cavs. Kendrick Perkins may be the best shot to slow down these guys with physical play, but he needs to produce some good play for the Cavs to be able to compete with the Bulls in the paint. If Perkins doesn’t step up and play physical post basketball, then the Cavs should have a hard time with the Bulls big men.
Mike – Rose only gets one day off in between games after the series opener, and he’s struggled in that situation all year, so I’m going to go with the Bulls’ interior size. Gasol, Noah, Taj Gibson, and Nikola Mirotic are as good a rotation four big men as there is in the league, even if they don’t fit together perfectly. Timofey Mozgov often battles foul trouble, but with Tristan Thompson a bit too small to guard Gasol, Mozgov has to be careful. If he doesn’t, we could see far more Kendrick Perkins than anyone wants to.
Jared – Even with Rose’s injury history, he is my answer. He is big and strong, quick and powerful. He will be difficult for anyone to stay in front of. The bigger issue for me is getting our bigs into foul trouble. At this point we have two quality bigs and a few guys playing big men. Rose’s drives to the lane could cause foul trouble which really concerns me.
Next: Irving or James: Who Can Step Up More?
Apr 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) walk to the bench in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Who needs to step their game up more, Kyrie Irving or LeBron James, for the Cavs to win this series?
Omar – LeBron. It always has to be him. He’s the catalyst of the Cavs’ offense and they will follow his lead. He has to play more superhumanly than usual, in every game than in the previous series. The great thing is that this team is talented enough to actually keep up with him. Still, the King has to have a dominant series for his team to win.
Luke – Is neither an option? Both were sensational in the Boston series and if the two just continues doing what they do best, the Cavs will be okay.
Spencer – It’s going to take all 12 guys to beat this gritty Chicago Bulls team. If you thought the Celtics series was physical, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Noah – Neither. LeBron played exactly how he needed to against the Celtics and so did Kyrie. These two have to continue to play exactly how they did and if need be, they will be able to take the game over and win.
Mike – I’ll say LeBron simply because I feel like he never had to hit his top performance level against the Bulls. Beating LeBron James four times in seven games at this point in his career requires a superhuman effort because he can take over every facet of the game. He didn’t have to do that against the Celtics, but he may have to against the Bulls.
Jared – I will go with LeBron also but mostly because of adjustments he will have to make on the offensive side of the court. If he goes with the 4 flat routine on offense, the Bulls will pack the paint. The Cavs offense is much better when they play Blatt ball and move it around. LeBron will also need to play in the post a little to try to beat on Gasol or Noah. LeBron needs to cause foul trouble in this series.
Next: X-Factor
Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) handles a basketball prior to a game against the Boston Celtics in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Who is the X-Factor player for each team and why?
Omar – Miller for the Cavs. If he can get it going from the outside it will open up the paint for LeBron and Kyrie’s drives and keep the Bulls from clogging the lane. Rose for the Bulls. Inasmuch as he’s their superstar, Chicago has learned to play well without Rose. If he even plays above average basketball, he’ll make things difficult for the Cavs.
Luke – I’m going with Iman Shumpert for the Cavs and Nikola Mirotic for the Bulls. I touched on earlier how Shumpert’s perimeter defense is a necessity for the Cavs to lock down the Bulls backcourt and if he can find his shooting touch, it will be a bonus for Cleveland. Mirotic has been a gem find for Chicago this season and if he can open up Cleveland’s defense with his shooting, it will make life very difficult for the Cavalier defenders.
Spencer – Starting with the Cavs, Tristan Thompson. In the series against Boston, he was fantastic and honestly, was the reason Cleveland swept the Celtics. His hustle and refusal to give up rebounds is key to keeping momentum in the Wine N Gold’s favor, and it leads to wins. Look for “Double T” to earn that contract he was looking for at the beginning of the season in this series. For Chicago, I’ve got Jimmy Butler. For everyone talking about how stellar Derrick Rose has been, and rightfully so, it still seems that many overlook how productive Butler has been as a scorer for Chicago.
Noah – Timofey Mozgov for the Cavs and Joakim Noah for the Bulls. These two are going to battle all series and the winner will likely decide the winner of the series. Each team have outstanding outside play from Irving and LeBron and Rose and Butler which will leave the post men to have a larger impact on the series. The battle in the paint between these two can ultimately decide which team advances to the Finals.
Mike – I’ll go with two guys who will likely spend a lot of time guarding each other in Tristan Thompson and Nikola Mirotic. If Thompson can continue to crash the offensive boards and pick up perimeter players on defense the way he did against Boston, that will take some of the weight off of James and Irving. On the flip side, Mirotic struggled against the Bucks, likely due to injury, but he has the ability to get hot and win the Bulls a game they have no business winning, something the Cavs must watch for.
Jared – For the Cavs I think it is David Blatt and Ty Lue. Did they make adjustments? Do they have the team’s ear? For the Bulls I think it is Rose’s health. If he is healthy that is an X Factor no one can prepare for.
Next: Prediction
Apr 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, what is your prediction for this series: Who wins and in how many games?
Omar – Cavs in 6. It’ll be a tough series for the Cavs but they still have more firepower than the Bulls. LeBron’s 2010 Cavs team is not as talented as this one and that team took the Celtics to six games before bowing out. With a more mature James at the helm, a superstar sidekick in Irving, and a superior supporting cast, I don’t see the Bulls winning more than two games.
Luke – Cavs in 7. Love’s injury and J.R.’s suspension will be massive but Cleveland still posses LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and they will be enough to help the Cavs get over the line in a thriller.
Spencer – Cleveland in 7 games in a physical, grind-it-out series. Let’s hope nobody gets hurt for either team.
Noah – Cavaliers in 5 games. I don’t believe this series is going to be anywhere as close as most people do. LeBron James is determined to bring a championship to Cleveland and nothing is going to stop him. I don’t believe the Bulls have anyone who can compete with LeBron when he decides he is going to take over a game and that will show throughout this series. Look for the Cavaliers to end this series much earlier than expected.
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Mike – Before the Love injury, I had the Cavs winning in a five game series that wouldn’t even seem that close. Unfortunately for Cleveland and it’s fans, the loss of Love and suspension of J.R. Smith due have a tremendous effect on this series. Now I’m picking the Cavaliers in six games, but each one will be a battle until the end.
Jared – Cavs in 6. They lose one of two at home before coming back to take one on the road and wrapping up the series in 6.
What are you looking forward to in Cavs Vs Bulls Series?