3 things the Cavaliers took advantage of in their Game One win vs. Orlando Magic

2. The inexperience of the Magic

One thing you cannot teach in the playoffs is experience, a harsh lesson Cleveland learned last year. They amended that last offseason, bringing in Max Strus, Georges Niang and Tristan Thompson as well as signing Marcus Morris midseason to bring playoff experience and leadership to the locker room and court. Coming into game one, Cleveland had 359 games worth of playoff experience on the roster compared to 91 for Orlando. It showed in the Cavs’ victory.

Every time Orlando made a run, it seemed that Cleveland had an answer. The Cavaliers took a 12-point halftime lead, but the Magic cut it to four early in the third quarter. Still, Orlando could never break through and tie the game up, as the Cavs seemed to respond with a quick 5-0 or 6-0 run to extend the lead again.

In addition to that, Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs in their playoff debuts looked overwhelmed by the defensive pressure of the Cavs. Banchero did finish with 24 points on nine-of-17 shooting, but he also had nine of the Magic’s 12 turnovers. Wagner was a little better, but he missed a lot of open three-pointers and had a floater that clanked off the backboard. 

As for Suggs, he could not shoot the ball into Lake Erie, finishing four-of-16 from the field. Their playoff debut was not a good start for Orlando’s youngsters, and their inexperience was something the Cavs feasted on.