Series Thread: ECF: Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavs

[Shanemansj13]

Here are all the playoff series wins over .700+ teams over the past decade.

LeBron has six. No team (other than Heat and Cavs) have more than two. Warriors have one. Spurs have one.

Cavs: 3 ('16 Warriors, '15 Hawks, '18 Raptors)
Heat: 3 ('11 Bulls, '13 Spurs, '12 Thunder)
Grizzles: 2 ('11 Spurs, '13 Thunder)
Thunder: 2 ('16 Spurs, '12 Spurs)
Magic: 2 ('09 Cavs, '09 Celtics)
Celtics: 2 ('10 Cavs, '10 Magic)
Lakers: 1 ('09 Magic)
Mavs: 1 ('11 Heat)
Spurs: 1 ('14 Thunder)
Warriors: 1 ('17 Spurs)
Sixer: 1 ('12 Bulls)

So basically all the teams Lebron has been on lol

 

[WiggyRuss]

Here are all the playoff series wins over .700+ teams over the past decade.

LeBron has six. No team (other than Heat and Cavs) have more than two. Warriors have one. Spurs have one.

Cavs: 3 ('16 Warriors, '15 Hawks, '18 Raptors)
Heat: 3 ('11 Bulls, '13 Spurs, '12 Thunder)
Grizzles: 2 ('11 Spurs, '13 Thunder)
Thunder: 2 ('16 Spurs, '12 Spurs)
Magic: 2 ('09 Cavs, '09 Celtics)
Celtics: 2 ('10 Cavs, '10 Magic)
Lakers: 1 ('09 Magic)
Mavs: 1 ('11 Heat)
Spurs: 1 ('14 Thunder)
Warriors: 1 ('17 Spurs)
Sixer: 1 ('12 Bulls)

that Chicago team in the 2nd round missing Love and JR for some of the series was no joke of a series either.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

very true.

its just about matchups and momentum to a certain extent- The Cavs got healthy vs. Toronto, some of their bad luck shooting the first round corrected against Toronto, the matchups were better vs. Toronto etc.

Philly is a very talented team with an extremely bright future--- a great future- but they had gone from a high lotto team to winning a playoff series- at some point they were just going to be playing way over their heads for a 1 year jump.

Toronto did not win 59 games by accident and was not top 5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency by accident.

How is it a way over their head jump when they lost to Boston who was lead by a rookie, and had a backup pg with no playoff experience co-leading the way?
The difference in the series was coaching, not player experience.

 

[flyerhawk]

How is it a way over their head jump when they lost to Boston who was lead by a rookie, and had a backup pg with no playoff experience co-leading the way?
The difference in the series was coaching, not player experience.

Well I would argue that it was player AND coaching experience.

It was Brett Brown's 1st playoff stint as a head coach. He made a few "rookie" mistakes. Not calling a timeout late in the 2nd quarter in Game 2. Not adjusting to the Celtics plan quickly enough.

But player inexperience certainly was a big factor. The Celtics had a rookie in Tatum. Everyone else on the team had playoff experience. The Sixers had 4 of their 5 starters without zero playoff experience and it showed.

 

[OregonDucks]

Cavs in 6.

Cavs take game 1
Celtics take game 2
Cavs win game 3
Cavs win game 4
Celtics win game 5
Cavs win game 6

 

[msgkings322]

Part of the "east is so weak" narrative comes from truth, of course. But a huge chunk of it is directly because of how successful LeBron has been in the East.

Every time a LeBron-led team goes and destroys a 59-win Raptors team or a 60-win Hawks team or 62-win Bulls team... suddenly the narrative is how pathetic that team is instead of how impressive the dismantling of them was.

Do you know how many 59+ win teams the Warriors have beaten over the last handful of years?

One. The Spurs last year without Kawhi.

Great point. I guess the Warriors finally get a big time scalp if they beat the 65 win Rockets. This is why those who are predicting a Warriors sweep are getting a little ahead of things. Rockets are no joke.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Cavs in 6.

Cavs take game 1
Celtics take game 2
Cavs win game 3
Cavs win game 4
Celtics win game 5
Cavs win game 6

I am going Cavs in 6

Celts win Game 1
Cavs win Game 2
Cavs win Game 3
Celts win Game 4
Cavs win Game 5
Cavs win Game 6

 

[gordontrue]

Great point. I guess the Warriors finally get a big time scalp if they beat the 65 win Rockets. This is why those who are predicting a Warriors sweep are getting a little ahead of things. Rockets are no joke.

Yep I was thinking about that as I was looking at the numbers. Either the Warriors or the Rockets are about to beat a .700 team.

How many regular-season wins an opponent has isn't the only factor on how impressive a series win is, of course, but based strictly on that, this would be the biggest kill yet for the Warriors.

 

[Wamu]

I just wanna say I'm sick of LeBalding eliminating my team. Here's my salute.




LeBron: The Akron Asshole! (I have that nickname trademarked so don't steal it.)

 

[msgkings322]

Yep I was thinking about that as I was looking at the numbers. Either the Warriors or the Rockets are about to beat a .700 team.

How many regular-season wins an opponent has isn't the only factor on how impressive a series win is, of course, but based strictly on that, this would be the biggest kill yet for the Warriors.

Warriors in 6 though!

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[OregonDucks]

I am going Cavs in 6

Celts win Game 1
Cavs win Game 2
Cavs win Game 3
Celts win Game 4
Cavs win Game 5
Cavs win Game 6

If Celtics win game 1 than it will create for an interesting start to the series.

 

[DorianRo]

Seems like every year LeBron is playing a team in the ECF decimated by injuries. Happened about 3 times or so against the Bulls and its happening again.


The fact, the Celtics even made it this far in the East actually speaks to tunes of how PATHETIC the East currently is. If they played in the West they probably wouldn't even have made the playoffs. And if they did, they would have been easily DESTROYED in the first round. (in the horrid East with terrible teams they reach a conference finals. ROFLMAO)

All things considered, LeBron SHOULD have a buttload of finals appearances. He's been on a great team every year since 2010 and most of his main competition have been missing key players on top of that (or they did play and weren't at 100 percent physically). Theres no reason to hype his finals appearances. It should be EXPECTED when all these things are considered.


We'll see what happens in the finals when this isn't the case.

 

[LAD]

Seems like every year LeBron is playing a team in the ECF decimated by injuries. Happened about 3 times or so against the Bulls and its happening again.


The fact, the Celtics even made it this far in the East actually speaks to tunes of how PATHETIC the East currently is. If they played in the West they probably wouldn't even have made the playoffs. And if they did, they would have been easily DESTROYED in the first round.

All things considered, LeBron SHOULD have a buttload of finals appearances. He's even on a great team every year since 2010 and most of his main competition have been missing key players on top of that (or they did play and weren't at 100 percent physically).


We'll see what happens in the finals when this isn't the case.

This is the case in BOTH conferences - simply because the further a team goes in the post season (which is games added onto the 82 reg season games) the greater chance for injury. That's just common sense so not sure how someone could think it only happens in the EC.

 

[Gman]

The fact, the Celtics even made it this far in the East actually speaks to tunes of how PATHETIC the East currently is. If they played in the West they probably wouldn't even have made the playoffs. And if they did, they would have been easily DESTROYED in the first round. (in the horrid East with terrible teams they reach a conference finals. ROFLMAO).

 

[Shanemansj13]

I’m not sure why some are picking the Celtics or are taking the Cavs in 6 or 7.

Horford is their best player. Al Horford is 1-16 vs Lebron. The only win was last year on a buzzer beater. This team is talented but still very young vs a veteran team. Will they compete? Of course but the Celtics will bw lucky to win one imo. Horford has been on better teams, a 60 win team in Atlanta, and that was when Love was hurt and Kyrie was hobbled and he swept Atlanta.

I hope I’m not jinxing it but I just don’t see how a team with their best player being Horford is taking this series past 5

 

[Shanemansj13]

Seems like every year LeBron is playing a team in the ECF decimated by injuries. Happened about 3 times or so against the Bulls and its happening again.


The fact, the Celtics even made it this far in the East actually speaks to tunes of how PATHETIC the East currently is. If they played in the West they probably wouldn't even have made the playoffs. And if they did, they would have been easily DESTROYED in the first round. (in the horrid East with terrible teams they reach a conference finals. ROFLMAO)

All things considered, LeBron SHOULD have a buttload of finals appearances. He's been on a great team every year since 2010 and most of his main competition have been missing key players on top of that (or they did play and weren't at 100 percent physically). Theres no reason to hype his finals appearances. It should be EXPECTED when all these things are considered.


We'll see what happens in the finals when this isn't the case.

What about the Warriors? lol

 

[trojanfan12]

I am thinking 6 because if its 5 that means they would have to win 2 in Boston- and Boston has been extremely good at home in the playoffs.

Yeah, it's pretty much assumed that the Cavs will get one on the road, because Lebron's teams just seem to always do that.

Yeah, the Celtics are unbeaten at home, but 1-4 on the road in the playoffs this year.

 

[Gman]

I’m not sure why some are picking the Celtics or are taking the Cavs in 6 or 7.

Horford is their best player. Al Horford is 1-16 vs Lebron. The only win was last year on a buzzer beater. This team is talented but still very young vs a veteran team. Will they compete? Of course but the Celtics will bw lucky to win one imo. Horford has been on better teams, a 60 win team in Atlanta, and that was when Love was hurt and Kyrie was hobbled and he swept Atlanta.

I hope I’m not jinxing it but I just don’t see how a team with their best player being Horford is taking this series past 5

I don't necessarily disagree with your overall prediction... I'm at Cleveland in either 5 or 6 myself... however, I think you underestimate how and why the C's are playing well.

A good deal of their effectiveness is precisely because they are amorphous and tough to predict. There is no one or two guys to "key on" and no one or two "bread and butter" plays that a defense can pin down and strategize against.

Rather, you got a team offense where Jaylen Brown goes for 30 one night... Tatum gets a steady 20+ in the flow... Rozier gets his another night... etc., etc.

They're a blob on offense and defense.

 

[trojanfan12]

well- hopefully the Cavs sweep them - but Boston is tough, well coached, and does not make mistakes.

While I think the Cavs take this series in 6. The bold is what gives the Celtics a chance.

Part of the reason the Cavs beat the Pacers is because they made fewer mistakes down the stretch in close games.

The Raptors pee their Barney underoos at the very mention of Lebron's name and couldn't execute down the stretch in the games they had a chance to win.

Boston isn't likely to make the mistakes (at least not as many) that those teams did. But in the end, I just don't think they have the firepower to beat the Cavs 4/7.