CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Eastern Conference playoff race is shaping up to be a minefield for the Cavs. If they want to make a deep playoff run, they’ll need to navigate past three distinctly dangerous rivals that each test the Cavs in completely different ways.
On a recent episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins identified the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks as the biggest threats to Cleveland’s championship aspirations. But what makes this analysis particularly compelling is how each team presents a unique challenge.
“In layman’s terms, Detroit tests them physically. Boston tests them mentally, and the New York Knicks have the best roster to counteract with schematically,” Sands explained, concisely outlining the three-headed monster standing between the Cavs and the NBA Finals.
Let’s start with the physical test.
The Detroit Pistons have embraced a bruising style of play under former Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Their recent suspensions after an on-court altercation with the Charlotte Hornets only underscore their tough mentality. While their inexperience is a weakness, their ability to disrupt Cleveland’s rhythm with physical play could prove problematic.
Watkins highlighted how the Pistons “are there to muck the game up … They’re there to push you.” While noting their limitations, he added that a series against Detroit “would be a fascinating matchup.”
The mental test comes from the Boston Celtics, a team with championship pedigree that has consistently performed in the playoffs.
“The Boston Celtics test the Cavs from the playoff know how perspective,” Watkins explained. “The Celtics just have more bankable commodities and they have that mental edge over the Cavs in the playoffs. That’s just the fact.”
Even with Jayson Tatum’s injury, the Celtics remain dangerous because of their institutional knowledge of what it takes to win in the postseason. This is precisely the type of opponent that has derailed promising Cavs seasons in the past.
Finally, there’s the schematic challenge posed by the New York Knicks, who have the roster construction to exploit Cleveland’s weaknesses.
Watkins pinpointed exactly how New York threatens the Cavs: “And then the Knicks will test the Cavs’ defense and that’s what I kind of want to hone in on here because I think that somewhere between New York and Boston lies the answer … what do they expose in the Cavs. And one of the big questions for me is perimeter defense.”
With Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks can now pull Cleveland’s big men away from the basket, putting enormous pressure on the Cavs’ perimeter defenders – not a strength of the team, especially with James Harden now in the rotation.
The path to the Finals has never been more challenging or more clearly defined for the Cavaliers. They’ll need to demonstrate physical toughness against Detroit, mental fortitude against Boston, and defensive adaptability against New York.
Want to dive deeper into how the Cavs match up against these Eastern Conference threats? Don’t miss the full episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, where Sands and Watkins provide an in-depth breakdown of each potential playoff matchup and what Cleveland needs to do to overcome them.
Here’s the podcast for this week: