Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Position-by-Position Preview

Apr 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) protects the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Cavaliers 117-98. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Point Guard- Kyrie Irving VS Jeff Teague

Irving has been a hot topic of discussion among NBA circles lately, as many are questioning his health heading into Game One on Wednesday. Irving has been dealing with a strained right foot and left knee tendonitis but Irving is feeling good and is ready for the Hawks series to begin, per Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:

"“I’m going to go. The last few days of treatment, rest and a combination of a lot of things I feel pretty good going into Wednesday’s game. Just being able to feel both of my feet underneath me, especially as I’m shooting. It feels amazing. Just the confidence of getting extra work in and preparing with my teammates. I think that’s the biggest thing I get out of it, you don’t want to be on the sideline at all, especially when you’re preparing for such a big stage like this. I want to be as close to 100 percent as I can be before Wednesday. Just keep doing the necessary things to do that.”"

While Irving has said he is ready to go and is feeling good, one can’t really say that confidently without seeing him play first. Which Irving will show up? The one that had one of the more gutsiest performances of the playoffs in Game 5 against Chicago, when he put up 25 points on 56.3% shooting on basically one leg? Or will it be the one who only managed to put up 12 points on 20% shooting in Game 4 of the Bulls series? This is obviously going to be a major factor in deciding who holds the point guard advantage in this series.

On the other side of things, Teague has been a crucial ingredient for Atlanta’s offense these playoffs. While his shooting percentage has taken a hit these playoffs, 39.9% compared to 46% during the regular season, the Hawks offense is still much better with him on the court. When Teague is on the floor and running the offense like he does so well, Atlanta’s offensive rating goes up to 104.4. When he sits though, that number drops to just 97.3, an indication of the importance Teague has to Atlanta’s offense.

On the defensive side of things, Teague’s quickness on the perimeter will give Irving fits if he isn’t fully healthy. Teague’s quick hands have also allowed him to rack up 1.6 steals a game during the playoffs and opposing point guards have also had a little bit of trouble shooting the ball when guarded by Teague. For the playoffs, Teague is holding opponents to 41.5% shooting from the field, a percentage the Cavaliers can’t afford Irving to shoot.

If the Chicago series is anything to go by, Irving won’t have a massive impact on the defensive end relative to Teague. Irving hardly played on Derrick Rose against the Bulls, as he was often put onto Mike Dunleavy, to hide his defensive shortcomings with the injuries.

So which team has the point-guard advantage? It’s really impossible to say due to Irving’s injury situation. If Irving is at 70% or higher, then I give Cleveland the advantage. If not though, Teague should be able to feast on an un-healthy Irving. As for now though, it’s simply unfair to give either team the advantage.

Advantage- Even