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Indiana Pacers Playoff Preview: 4 Potential First Round Matchups

By Adrian Lawhorn

Mar 22, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) works the ball against Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) works the ball against Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-104. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-104. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

To quote the late NFL coach Dennis Green, “They are who we thought they were.” Cleveland appears well-positioned to defend its NBA title in 2017, and it certainly looks like a rematch in the NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors could be in the cards.

The Pacers won the first game against the Cavaliers this season, but superstar LeBron James sat out that contest. The final two games of the regular season series saw Cleveland secure comfortable victories over Indiana, looking dominant much of the time.

The Cavs are average in offensive pace, playing just slightly faster than the Pacers on the year. As one would expect, the Cavaliers are far and away the better offensive team (No. 3 in NBA offensive rating vs. 18th for Indiana), but the Pacers are actually a better defensive team than Cleveland, ranking three positions higher in NBA defensive rating.

Everyone who follows the NBA knows that the Cavs are loaded: James, point guard Kyrie Irving, power forward Kevin Love…and the list goes on and on. Their bench is also stocked with veterans who were effective starters for other teams in the past, so the depth is there, too.

One could theorize that the Pacers might have a “puncher’s chance” because of Cleveland’s lack of defense, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The Cavaliers are capable of playing excellent defense when they need to; they simply haven’t done it consistently throughout the season since the coaching staff and players don’t feel that winning every possible game during the regular season is one of their goals.

If there was even a hint of a threat coming from the Pacers in a playoff series with the Cavs, LeBron James and company would turn up the heat on both ends of the court and make sure a monumental upset didn’t take place.

Next: 10 Matchups We Want To See In The 2017 NBA Playoffs

In short, Indiana has no real chance of knocking the Cavaliers out of the playoffs in a seven-game series. Then again, the Pacers would have nothing to lose against the heavily-favored Cavaliers, which could lead to some intriguing moments if this matchup does take place.

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