Cavs: Previewing the upcoming four-game homestand

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a bear of a schedule thus far. They are a strong 7-4 on the season despite playing eight of their eleven contests on the road. Only the New York Knicks have as many as their five road wins, and the only other team to play eight road games thus far, the Atlanta Hawks, have gone 1-7.

Last season the Cavs had only nine road wins total across the entire season. This group is playing at a significantly higher level than last year’s team, and the reasons for that are numerous. Injuries are starting to hit and to hit hard, but at the same time the schedule softens up and gives the Cavs eight of their next nine games at home.

The Cavs are an impressive 7-4 as they return home for a four-game homestand. What should we expect from these four matchups?

That isn’t to say this next stretch will be a walk in the park. Wednesday night the Cavs will host the Washington Wizards, one of the few teams off to a better start than Cleveland. They get a brief respite against the Detroit Pistons, the only Eastern Conference team with fewer than three wins. Then comes two consecutive games against the Boston Celtics, a team with whom the Cavs have a lot of history.

Let’s prepare for this homestand with a brief preview of each game. How is each opponent playing coming into the game, who is the matchup to watch for, and what is our prediction for each game?