Are you ready for some basketball? It’s about to get real in the NBA and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers may appear not to be ready, but don’t you believe it. The Cavaliers are not the top team in the Eastern conference heading into the postseason, but that may have been a smart move. Cleveland is entering the playoffs on a four-game losing streak and in the last game of the regular season, Tyronn Lue sat his stars.
So, how is this a smart move entering the playoffs as the second seed as opposed to pushing to be the top seed? Well, in my opinion, Lue got his bench active and involved just before entering the most important part of the season. Wednesday in the finale big man Edy Tavares pulled down 10 boards, Derrick Williams scored 10 points and James Jones dropped in 9 points and pulled down 6 boards. Not impressive numbers, but numbers just the same. If by chance Lebron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving can not go at least the reserves will have some type of court time and will not have a problem giving the big three support.
By the way, did I mention that sharpshooters Kyle Korver and JR Smith will be ready to roll and Cleveland also has Iman Schumpert and Tristan Thompson ready to roll. So I think that the Cavs could have cared less about the outcome of the final four games of the regular season. The obvious focus was getting healthy for the postseason.
Speaking of the postseason Cleveland will tip off all the action Saturday against the seventh seed in the East, the Indiana Pacers in the Quickens Loans Arena. That game will be followed by the Milwaukee Bucks battling the third-seeded Toronto Raptors.
Saturday night the Western conference action gets underway as the San Antonio Spurs host the Memphis Grizzlies followed by the L.A. Clippers hosting the Utah Jazz.
Sunday the Eastern conference action continues as the Atlanta Hawks pay a visit to the Nations Capital to play the Washington Wizards, followed by the top seed in the East the Boston Celtics hosting the Chicago Bulls. The Western conference action continues with the Golden State Warriors host the Portland Trail Blazers followed by a battle between two triple-double machines as the Houston Rockets host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s 55-year-old record of the most Triple Doubles in a season with 42 and he faces off against his former teammate James Harden of the Rockets who had over 20 triple doubles himself this season.
So buckle up your seat belts today because the NBA playoff ride starts Saturday and if you liked the “March Madness” of the college basketball tournament, your gonna love the steady rain of excitement coming your way in the NBA playoffs.
Trevin A Jones
