Series Thread: 5) Indiana Pacers vs. 4) Cleveland Cavaliers

[Heatles84]

Interesting, I feel the opposite. If the Cavs make it to the ECF, I think it could end up being the easiest matchup up the whole playoffs for them.

You think the Sixers are going to be easier to dispatch than Indy? I'd love to hear the argument on that one. Philly's small lineup actually has a crap ton of length; that's why they're putting a foot in our ass right now.

 

[bksballer89]

You think the Sixers are going to be easier to dispatch than Indy? I'd love to hear the argument on that one. Philly's small lineup actually has a crap ton of length; that's why they're putting a foot in our ass right now.

Yeah I don't see that.

Philly would have at least 10 games of playoffs experience assuming they don't sweep whoever they face in the 2nd round.....and they're just better than Indy.

If he wants to make the case that Philly may be easier than Toronto, I won't debate that much but they're tougher than Indiana for sure.

Better defense and better offense than Indiana. Not all that close when you break down the 2 rosters

 

[gordontrue]

You think the Sixers are going to be easier to dispatch than Indy? I'd love to hear the argument on that one. Philly's small lineup actually has a crap ton of length; that's why they're putting a foot in our ass right now.

I was more thinking of how they would be an easier matchup than the Raptors.

Comparing them to the Pacers is closer of a call. The Pacers are more equipped to slow the tempo and neutralize the Cavs offense, but the 76ers are better equipped to exploit the Cavs defense.

 

[bksballer89]

Philly had the 3rd best defense in basketball. Only Utah and Boston were better but what's remarkable about Philly defensive ranking is they play at a much faster pace than those 2

 

[gordontrue]

Yeah I don't see that.

Philly would have at least 10 games of playoffs experience assuming they don't sweep whoever they face in the 2nd round.....and they're just better than Indy.

If he wants to make the case that Philly may be easier than Toronto, I won't debate that much but they're tougher than Indiana for sure.

Better defense and better offense than Indiana. Not all that close when you break down the 2 rosters

You think the 76ers have a better defense than the Pacers?

 

[gordontrue]

Philly had the 3rd best defense in basketball. Only Utah and Boston were better but what's remarkable about Philly defensive ranking is they play at a much faster pace than those 2

Wow, I didn't realize that.

 

[bksballer89]

You think the 76ers have a better defense than the Pacers?

Much better. Look at the numbers

Philly finished 3rd in DEF Rating. Indy finished 12th

Philly had the best OPP FG% in the league. Indy finished 18th.

Philly finished 2nd in OPP 3 pt %. Indy finished 5th.

Simply, Philly is a great defensive team. Indy is damn good as well but like everything between those 2 teams, Philly is just better

 

[bksballer89]

Another thing to add on to my last post, Philly is the best rebounding team in basketball. Indy ranks 22nd in rebounds per game.

 

[gordontrue]

Much better. Look at the numbers

Philly finished 3rd in DEF Rating. Indy finished 12th

Philly had the best OPP FG% in the league. Indy finished 18th.

Philly finished 2nd in OPP 3 pt %. Indy finished 5th.

Simply, Philly is a great defensive team. Indy is damn good as well but like everything between those 2 teams, Philly is just better

And yet in the playoffs, the Pacers have the #1 defense against a top-5 offense, while the 76ers are middle of the pack against a bottom-10 offense.

I know season-long stats are a much better indicator than 3 playoff games, especially with Embiid missing 2 of those games, so I accept that you are correct.

Still, I think the Pacers defense - if not as good as Philadelphia's overall - is much better equipped to take on the Cavs offense than the 76ers' is.

 

[WiggyRuss]

And yet in the playoffs, the Pacers have the #1 defense against a top-5 offense, while the 76ers are middle of the pack against a bottom-10 offense.

I know season-long stats are a much better indicator than 3 playoff games, especially with Embiid missing 2 of those games, so I accept that you are correct.

Still, I think the Pacers defense - if not as good as Philadelphia's overall - is much better equipped to take on the Cavs offense than the 76ers' is.

and as I had said---- I think the longer the playoffs go on the more dangerous the Cavs become. The more high-pressure situations they are in with this team, the more chemistry they build, the more the players get comfortable etc.

Indian's best chance was to blitz the Cavs and beat them up and step on their throats early in the series. I think the longer the series goes on the better the Cavs will become and, if they are good/lucky enough to win this series, the deeper they go into the players the better the Cavs will become and the more dangerous they will become.

If/when they get to the ECF it will mean they have, probably, at least 12 or so high pressure games playing together and that will benefit them more so than any other team in the playoffs if you ask me. They just have to survive.

 

[OregonDucks]

You can tell who watched the NBA in the 90s and who started watching the NBA in the 2000's by their stance of if that was a jump ball or a foul on Stephenson.

 

[WiggyRuss]

You can tell who watched the NBA in the 90s and who started watching the NBA in the 2000's by their stance of if that was a jump ball or a foul on Stephenson.

well- not to piss in your cheerios- but the game changes.

In the NFL- you used to be able to destroy the QB. Now you can barely touch them.

Standards change. The people that cry about "the NBA is so soft nowadays- that was a regular foul 2 decades" just sound like old sad bastards that cant get with the times.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I was more thinking of how they would be an easier matchup than the Raptors.

Comparing them to the Pacers is closer of a call. The Pacers are more equipped to slow the tempo and neutralize the Cavs offense, but the 76ers are better equipped to exploit the Cavs defense.

Phillies interior defense is much better than Indianas' , but Philly's perimeter defense is nothing special if you ask me...Covington is decent....REddick a sieve, Fultz a sieve, McConnell a sieve

I think the Cavs are having offensive trouble with Indy since they have some very solid defensive options on the perimeter starting with Oladipo, and Stephenson and Joseph.

Philly has some very solid defensive big men- but their guards are just not that impressive defensively and i think the Cavs are MUUUUUUUUUUCH better equipped to exploit soft guard defense than soft inside defense

 

[gordontrue]

You can tell who watched the NBA in the 90s and who started watching the NBA in the 2000's by their stance of if that was a jump ball or a foul on Stephenson.

back in my day we used to walk uphill in the snow to the games and players were allowed to RKO each other as long as they didn't bleed

 

[bksballer89]

You can tell who watched the NBA in the 90s and who started watching the NBA in the 2000's by their stance of if that was a jump ball or a foul on Stephenson.

The 90's were almost 30 years ago. A lot of shit changed.

So tired of guys like you bitching about how the sport was in the 90's.

Find me a sport that is close to how it was in the 90's.

Not even tennis is the same as it was back in that time

 

[bksballer89]

Phillies interior defense is much better than Indianas' , but Philly's perimeter defense is nothing special if you ask me...Covington is decent....REddick a sieve, Fultz a sieve, McConnell a sieve

I think the Cavs are having offensive trouble with Indy since they have some very solid defensive options on the perimeter starting with Oladipo, and Stephenson and Joseph.

Philly has some very solid defensive big men- but their guards are just not that impressive defensively and i think the Cavs are MUUUUUUUUUUCH better equipped to exploit soft guard defense than soft inside defense

True but outside of Lebron, who else is on the perimeter that needs a top perimeter defender on them? This isn't like when Kyrie was there where you needed 2 top perimeter defenders when facing the Cavs. You really only need one because the rest of the guys are role players

 

[OregonDucks]

I am saying the game of basketball was a little more physical back in the day. Stephenson got all ball in an aggressive move. Because the move looked violent it was called a foul. The only thing actually violent happening was Green shoving Stephenson.

All I am asking is for the current league to grow a pair of balls.

 

[trojanfan12]

And yet in the playoffs, the Pacers have the #1 defense against a top-5 offense, while the 76ers are middle of the pack against a bottom-10 offense.

I know season-long stats are a much better indicator than 3 playoff games, especially with Embiid missing 2 of those games, so I accept that you are correct.

Still, I think the Pacers defense - if not as good as Philadelphia's overall - is much better equipped to take on the Cavs offense than the 76ers' is.

I think that what you said in post #1503 explains at least part of this. The Pacers have slowed things down offensively which leads to fewer opportunities on the offensive end and makes it harder for the Cavs offense to develop a rhythm.

The Pacers were already a solid defensive team, the pace helps them to be even better.

 

[bksballer89]

I am saying the game of basketball was a little more physical back in the day. Stephenson got all ball in an aggressive move. Because the move looked violent it was called a foul. The only thing actually violent happening was Green shoving Stephenson.

All I am asking is for the current league to grow a pair of balls.

You do realize how much better the game since the 90s right?

 

[Heatles84]

I was more thinking of how they would be an easier matchup than the Raptors.

Comparing them to the Pacers is closer of a call. The Pacers are more equipped to slow the tempo and neutralize the Cavs offense, but the 76ers are better equipped to exploit the Cavs defense.

I don't see the Raptors being more difficult than the Sixers. For one, Toronto's already mentally fucked going into a series with Lebr....I mean Cleveland. If you take the Raptors and Sixers and compared their rosters, you could make the argument that the Sixers have the two best players (Derozan makes a good case for himself). I also like Philly's bench more than Toronto's given the 3-point shooters they have in Saric, Reddic, Bellineli, Covington and Illyasova.