Before the previous matchup against the Detroit Pistons, there were whispers swirling about an anonymous Cleveland Cavaliers player saying they felt pretty good about matching up with their division rival in the postseason. The Cavs did not believe the new contender in the East was in their class. After their last two meetings, there should be ample reason to agree with that sentiment.
Former Cavaliers coach and current Pistons bench boss J.B. Bickerstaff was asked about those comments ahead of the clash between the two sides on Tuesday. His message was simple.
"If you mean it, you don't say it anonymously," Bickerstaff responded.
Their matchups tell a different story. In the first of the two recent meetings, the Cavaliers nearly upset the Pistons at home. That was done without Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Dean Wade, or Keon Ellis. They got two of those four names back for the second matchup and Cleveland walked away victorious, despite losing Jarrett Allen early.
The Cavaliers are done their season series against the Pistons. They will not see them again unless both sides meet in the NBA Playoffs. If, or when, they do, the confidence put out there by the anonymous player should hold true.
Cavaliers match up extremely well with the Pistons in a playoff setting
Cade Cunningham was forced into a torturous game against the Cavaliers in their last meeting. The Pistons star was so limited offensively that Jaylon Tyson had all the confidence in the world after playing a crucial role in that defensive masterclass. That really is the gameplan here.
The Pistons might be 26-8 against teams above .500, but there is a clear way to force a loss out of Detroit. Slow down Cade and the firepower behind him quickly begins to look as suspect as it is.
The Cavaliers? They do not lack that aspect is the slightest.
Adam Mares did a fantastic job of illustrating one of the main issues for the Pistons in that potential matchup on the ALL NBA Podcast. If a game becomes a shootout, things should quickly tilt in the Cavaliers' favor.
Mares said, "If you're a Pistons fan, the biggest fear you should have is that I don't think they can win in a 3-point shootout and I think the Cavs are going to be able to take 3s at volume against this team. So, you're almost always going to lose the 3-point battle. That's really hard to make up."
The Pistons may believe in themselves from being at the top of the East for the majority of the year. Things are never really as simple as a matter of seeding in the postseason. The Cavaliers know the unfortunate end of that. This year, they can be on the other side of it if these two teams meet.