Cavs vs Hawks: Previewing winner-takes-all Play-In Game

Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images /

Cavs vs Hawks: Burning Questions

Question 1: How do the Cavs slow down Trae Young? – Stopping the Atlanta Hawks primarily comes down to stopping Trae Young. How do you slow him down, and how do you do that in such a way that he cannot pick apart your defense with his passing? Isaac Okoro is still in the rotation primarily for his ability to defend opposing guards, so most of his minutes will likely mirror Young’s. Can the Cavs trust him one-on-one against Young in order to stay home on his teammates?

The deadliest form of Young’s game is in the high pick-and-roll, where he can pull from very deep if a defender goes under, or race to the rim if a defender chases him over. If help shades to him he hits Clint Capela for the lob; if they cut off the lob he uncorks his patented floater. Okoro and Rajon Rondo will need to fight hard over screens, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will need to be perfectly positioned defensively. As good as Kevin Love has been shooting the basketball, his minutes will likely need to line up with whenever Young is off the court.

Question 2: How do the Hawks slow down Darius Garland? – For all that the media coverage of this game has centered around Trae Young — and not incorrectly, as Young is playing excellently right now and in line for an All-NBA berth — the Cavs have a young point guard of their own who is having a breakout season. Darius Garland dropped 34 points against the Nets on Tuesday, and doesn’t seem afraid of big moments in the slightest.

The Cavs will likely need to ride Garland for more than 40 minutes, so the question becomes how the Hawks hope to slow him down. Delon Wright is a good defender off the bench but isn’t the quickest, and Garland could be too crafty and fast slithering around picks and through traffic. If Garland get a chance to sniff a matchup against Young or Kevin Huerter he will attack, and his passing is growing near the level of Young’s as he gains experience. DeAndre Hunter is the most logical option in the starting lineup, but he may be a step slow too. As much as the Cavs need a plan to stop Young, the Hawks need one to stop Garland.