Following a lopsided sweep in round one against the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the second round as favorites to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018.
Cleveland demolished the Heat, winning the final game by 55 points in Miami. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were surgical, with Mitchell scoring at will and Mobley denying any interior presence the Heat tried to force. The Cavs were hot from deep, but their perimeter defense kept the Heat to a poor 20.4 percent from range.
All of the Cavaliers' success in the first round has made them a favorite against the Indiana Pacers as the series begins on Sunday, May 4, in Cleveland. Indy overcame the Milwaukee Bucks in five games as Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles tendon, and the supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo could not match the offensive firepower Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers unleashed. Indiana is not a team built around one specific superstar, though Haliburton is emerging as a playoff star. Instead, the Pacers won through selfless team play, averaging 30 assists per game - the most in the postseason.
Despite Indiana's strong first round, the 64-win Cavs are too much to handle for their fellow midwest rival. In their four games against Miami, the Cavaliers averaged the most points (126) in the NBA. Additionally, Cleveland not only shot the most three-pointers each night with 43.8 attempts, but they converted the highest percentage at 44 percent. Cleveland only trailed Indiana's assist numbers by 4.2 per game, averaging the second-most in the playoffs.
There has been one key factor playing to Cleveland's favor in the playoffs. Though All-Star point guard Darius Garland has been sidelined since game two against Miami, the Cavs are still rolling through each game.
Proactive coaching is the Cavaliers' key to success
In his first year, head coach Kenny Atkinson unlocked something unique hidden in the Cavaliers. Last regular season, the Cavs often deferred to a short bench rotation, playing just eight guys per night. The lack of depth wore on the starters, leaving the Cavs' core injured and tired by the playoffs.
Atkinson instead systematically rested his players, limiting their minutes each game and resting them in the wake of injuries. In the postseason, Atkinson has continued his deep rotation, constantly throwing new schemes at his rival coach to force them to make changes and stay uncomfortable.
Permitting the opponent to get comfortable and find their rhythm is a death sentence. In the Los Angeles Lakers' game four loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, head coach JJ Redick played his five starters the entire second half. While the Lakers battled to the end, the fourth quarter showed a depleted squad as the Timberwolves found the weaknesses and constantly exploited them. As rivals find the defense's patterns, they can chip away and punish any flaws.
The Cavaliers, however, rarely look the same game-to-game, even quarter-to-quarter at times. Cleveland's bench averaged 46.5 points per game, the most of any playoff team. The Cavs' sixth man Ty Jerome, in 23 minutes per game, is tied as the third-highest average points per game with Evan Mobley at 16.3 points. De'Andre Hunter has averaged 13 points per night, 2 higher than starter Max Strus.
Without hesitation, Atkinson has given the green light to his reserves to keep the Cavaliers afloat. Nine Cavaliers are averaging at least 11 minutes played per game, and seven players averaged more than 10 points per game against Miami. Even without Garland, the Cavs have a dynamic, versatile roster emphasized by Atkinson's proactive coaching. Whether it is alternating between man coverage and zone defense or switching the offense approach constantly, Atkinson has refused to allow his opponent on the other bench to get comfortable and predict his next move.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the conference semifinals, Kenny Atkinson must continue to force rivals into uncomfortable situations by trusting in his bench and throwing new looks throughout every game.