Cleveland Cavaliers: Eastern Conference Finals Preview
By Joshua Howe
Benches
AM:
The Hawks’ bench is lively if nothing else. They just need to show a bit more consistency.
Dennis Schröder has been given greater responsibility than ever before in this Playoff run, and he’s responded with mixed results. There’s no doubt that he’s a star in the making though, and his quickness and guile could definitely cause matchup problems for Cleveland.
One guy who wasn’t necessarily expected to play too much in the post-season but has stepped up big is second year forward Mike Muscala out of Bucknell. Muscala has given the Hawks great minutes with his energy and his offense. He has even shown a fondness for stepping out behind the three point line, something which the Cavaliers’ bigs won’t necessarily be comfortable with.
Pero Antic will look to stretch the floor in the same vein, although he has been very poor in the Playoffs so far. If Antic’s poor play continues though, we might get to see more of Mike Scott. Scott is always dangerous and can heat up offensively in a hurry.
Last but by no means least is Kent Bazemore. With the season ending injury to Sefolosha a vital blow in this series in particular, the onus of stopping LeBron when DeMarre Carroll needs a break will fall on Bazemore. In previous meetings this season, he proved himself more than up to that task, His length and athleticism give him a chance, he’ll just need to keep his discipline.
JH:
J.R. Smith is the obvious spark off the bench with Thompson now a starter. He’ll need to give the team everything he did in the series against Chicago and probably a bit more. He hit big shots in that series, although never really got it going to the point where you sent your friend a text in all caps saying, “LOOK WHAT J.R. IS DOING!!!”
Also, how about Matthew Dellavedova? The kid from Down Under is making Aussies everywhere proud. He essentially closed out the Bulls in Game 6 when LeBron wasn’t having his best game, and he has played stellar defense on opposing point guards.
His play isn’t sustainable, of course, but every club needs a bit of luck on their way to wherever they get. If the Cavs do indeed make a Finals run, Delly will be a huge part of it. He’s another scrappy little dude who just gives his all when he’s on the floor, and he’s been a reliable three-point shooter as well, making 39.3 percent of his shots this postseason.
David Blatt has yet to have serious reason to bring out Shawn Marion or Mike Miller, and the hope is that he won’t need those two; they are in play though, if the Hawks’ depth proves to be overwhelming.
Kendrick Perkins can bang around in garbage time, but he really shouldn’t see much of the floor either.
James Jones has had some moments, and he’s more likely to be spotted than Miller or Marion, but again, if Blatt can avoid putting in a defensive liability, he will.
The Cavs’ bench isn’t their strength at this point, but some unexpected role players have stepped up when times have gotten rough. The Bulls were supposed to be the ultimate Eastern Conference test for Cleveland. If that’s true, then Delly, J.R. and the rest of the bench mob should be ready to feast on their upcoming opponent.
Next: Coaches