Cleveland Cavaliers: Importance Of The Second Seed

After the rough start the Cleveland Cavaliers had this season, there was no real hope at catching the red-hot Atlanta Hawks to battle for the first seed in the Eastern Conference. But the second spot has been wide open all year, and now that the Cavs hold it in their grasp, locking it up for good has become a priority.

That was made clear in last night’s victory over the Chicago Bulls, who sit in third place. Chicago would very much have liked to beaten the Cavs and gotten one step closer to stealing that seed away for themselves. With Derrick Rose’s health always a concern and Joakim Noah dealing with some issues as well, home court will be vital for the Bulls as the playoffs begin.

Though they might not want to admit it, the Cavaliers also have need for home court advantage. They showed their want for it when they played the Bulls, hitting some ridiculous shots and going 16-for-37 from three-point range.

While some speculated early on in the season that Cavs will be fine so long as they get into the playoffs, this doesn’t sit well with me. The argument that Cleveland just has too much talent to lose in the East (or at least in the early rounds) is rather silly, frankly. This is a different team than we saw at the start of the season, but they’re not unbeatable.

Even with the way things have been flowing recently, the playoffs are still a different beast than the regular season. Many key things need to happen to win a playoff series, and a lot of those things can be helped in some way be getting more games at home.

Neither Kyrie Irving nor Kevin Love has ever played in a postseason game, we know, and have mentioned before how I don’t think that their first time will rattle them so severely that they play poorly. Yet, having more games at home can help you get into or keep the rhythm that you’ve found during the regular season. When it’s your first time in the playoffs, it’s nice to be able to step out onto your own home floor; a place that you know well and have had big games in before.

Speaking of home court, the fans in Cleveland are fantastic. Ever since they heard that LeBron James was returning, they’ve been partying morning, afternoon and night. The arena is constantly full during home games and the crowd gets LOUD when the team is playing well (which has been happening a lot, lately).

Crazy crowds make teams better at home. They just do. Look at “Roaracle,” for example. Not only are the Golden State Warriors a great, great team, but their crowd is relentless. When they make a big play and the entire building starts humming, suddenly they seem to step it up to yet another level of intensity. You can see it in their eyes when the volume reaches a peak.

It’s the same sort of thing with the Cavs, and any team that thrives on the offensive end. Kyrie and LeBron, especially, are two players that love the ear-splitting boom of a million voices. They take that energy and feed off of it, and it can turn their already special play into something breathtaking.

With all due respect to Miami, they never had this sort of crowd when James was there until the Heat reached the point of the playoffs where they were in The Finals.

Cleveland’s not like that. They will be as loud in Game 1 of the first round as they will if the Cavs get to a Game 7 in the Finals. Having that many people cheer you on and go absolutely bananas is a good way to help shake off nerves. If Irving or Love have any of those, a first half home game could help get rid of them swiftly.

Then there’s the actual game implications. If the Cavs manage to hold onto the second seed, that obviously means they’ll have home court advantage in every series except if they play the Hawks and if they reach the Finals.

That alone is huge. A couple series with home court could help guys like Kyrie and Love prepare for the upcoming series where they won’t have home court. Great players find ways to adjust, and giving them even that much playoff experience would be extremely helpful before they reach a situation in which things are only slightly different. It’s like getting to test the temperature of the water before actually getting in.

You can never be too careful. When trying to win a championship, you need every possible bonus you can get to be in your favor. Who knows? Maybe finishing with the second seed really will help the Cavs in a series.

And though they won’t admit it, the same exact thought is certainly looming in the back of the minds of all the Cleveland players. It’s win or go home in the playoffs, but the more home you have, the more wins you’ll get.

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