As much as I hate to say it, the Cleveland Cavaliers have little to no answer defensively for the Boston Celtics.
The Cavaliers opened up the Eastern Conference Finals on an awful note. They got destroyed from the outset against the C’s in Game 1 and got their hearts ripped out in Game 2 in the second half.
LeBron James was superb in Game 2, and Kevin Love has played very well in both games, but Cleveland’s supporting cast has reverted back to their first-round form and left a massive amount to be desired in the scoring and playmaking department.
The defensive execution and focus make the initial outcome of this series particularly concerning, though.
The Cavaliers do not have the athleticism and playmaking of the significantly younger C’s, and their scoring balance has been a nightmare to deal with for Tyronn Lue. Through the first two games, Boston has averaged 107.5 points on 47.2 percent shooting, and have had 25.5 assists, to go with just 8.5 turnovers.
In many instances, they are getting wide open shots and have lived near the Cleveland rim with little to no resistance. The Celtics have boasted six players averaging double-figures, and have seven players with a plus-minus of plus-9.5 or higher, per nba.com.
It’s been a combination of Brad Stevens’ and the C’s basketball intellect and hustle plays that have been a nightmare for the Cleveland D.