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NBA Playoffs Round Table: Cavs – Pistons Series

By Jared Mueller

Apr 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson, left, LeBron James, center, and Tristan Thompson celebrate near the bench in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson, left, LeBron James, center, and Tristan Thompson celebrate near the bench in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) tries to dribble through Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and forward Kent Bazemore (24) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) tries to dribble through Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and forward Kent Bazemore (24) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Besides LeBron James which Cav do you think has the best opening round series?

Jared Mueller – I think J.R. Smith is going to have a great series. He plays well when things are fast and loose. The opening series against the Pistons is a great time for him to do that. Expect great defense and a bunch of open looks as the Pistons gear up to stop the Big 3.

Luke Sicari- Kevin Love. The guy has been on a tear since his four-point play in Sacramento and actually found some comfort with the Cavs in the first round of the Boston series a year ago. Cleveland has been doing what they need to do with Love and that is get him going early. He is the definition of a confidence player and when he is scoring in double-digits in the first quarter, it’s a good thing for the Cavs. He will keep his good form going in the first round.

Omar Josef Guerrero – Kyrie Irving. This is his second go-round in the playoffs and he felt comfortable with the brighter lights of the postseason the first time. Look for Irving to have a more mature approach to the playoffs compared to his often times devil-may-care attitude during the regular season. I expect better shot selection from him this time of the year and more assists, too.

Jackson Flickinger – I would love to say Kyrie Irving, but he has been in a slump besides the last game he played against the Hawks. I’m going to take J.R. Smith who has been one of the most consistent players on this team all year. The Cavs have too many weapons on offense for teams to defend them all. The Pistons will have their hands full with the Big 3. That’ll leave Smith with open shots. Once he finds his shot there’s no stopping him. Smith can have a huge series if he gets into rhythm early.

Chris De Silva – Kevin Love. I know the national media completely overlooks this but Love had a really solid final month to the season averaging pretty close to 20-10. The Pistons don’t really have someone who can guard him effectively whether it be Markieff Morris or Tobias Harris when they go small, and Love should be able to take advantage. An underrated aspect is Love will be very eager to prove he belongs at the playoff level after missing out last year.

Nathen Vieira – Mr. 204, JR Smith. JR looked like a completely different player this year. He stills taking and making a lot of tough, long distance shots but the way he’s handled himself on the court has been a 180 compared to what we’ve been accustomed to seeing with him. He’s hit a Cavs franchise single-season record with 204 long balls this year. I expect him to add onto that list against Detroit and take advantage of the open shots Kyrie, LeBron and KLove get him.

Next: Playoff Experience Helpful?