Opinion: Why I’m not afraid of the Celtics

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 11: Lebron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

The Eastern Conference Finals is set, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans should not be scared of a young Boston Celtics team.

For my very first article for KJG, I wrote about why I wasn’t afraid, as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, of the Toronto Raptors for the following three reasons:

Demar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are better in the regular season
The Raptors bench is inexperienced
History favors Cleveland (the Cavs have owned the Raps lately)

I’ll give myself an A- on this one.

DeRozan and Lowry (especially DeRozan,) weren’t able to elevate their games enough to take even one game in the series. The Raptors bench was just OK, and they shuffled their lineups enough that it’s hard to judge the “bench” for the whole series. Outside of Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanvleet, they got next to nothing from their bench. As for #3, we know how that played out.

Now the Cavs turn from the #1 seed Raptors to the #2 seed, plucky, underdog, Boston Celtics. Here is why I’ll still be getting a full night’s rest over the next two weeks.

Young Team + Huge Moment = Potential Regression