The Eastern Conference Finals this year will make for the perfect ending to the back and forth battle the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have fought in the regular season. The fight for the top seed in the East was a good one, but this upcoming playoff series should be something even better. Here's a position by position breakdown of the series:
Point Guard - Isaiah Thomas vs Kyrie Irving
This will be the most anticipated matchup of the series. The point guard position is the most important in basketball, and Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas both fit the criteria of an elite PG in this league.
Isaiah was a huge reason to the Celtics success this season, helping them gain the number one spot in the Eastern Conference. While Kyrie, on the other hand, has had himself his best career season, even while being the second option on the highly talented Cavaliers the team. Both players are brilliant ball handlers, shooters and passers while neither are necessarily known for their defensive prowess. It should be a tightly contested matchup, but we are giving the slight advantage to the Aussie, purely because of his playoff experience and ability to have outstanding performances on the biggest stage.
ADVANTAGE: Cleveland
Shooting Guard - Avery Bradley vs J.R. Smith
A matchup of two great shooters and defenders.
Both players play a vital role on both the defensive and offensive end for their respective teams. Avery Bradley is one of the main few guys his team relies on while JR Smith is not needed to take on as much of the load that Bradley has to. JR will be used as a catch and shoot three point shooter and a wing defender during this series.
Avery will be used as an offensive tool, to help the Celtics with scoring, and also defending Kyrie Irving on the defensive end. We are giving the advantage to the well-rounded Celtics guard, Avery Bradley.
ADVANTAGE: Boston
Small Forward - Jae Crowder vs LeBron James
A matchup many people are antsy to see, Jae Crowder has been advertised as the next 'LeBron-stopper' in line.
But it will take a lot from Crowder to slow down a man averaging over 34/9/7 with 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game during the first two playoff series, against Indiana and Toronto. Jae Crowder will be looking to assert his dominance on the defensive side of the ball, and have solid contributions on the offensive end. While Bron' Bron' will be hoping to continue his historical postseason campaign, looking to lead his team to 4 victories as quick as he can. It's a no-brainer for this one. LeBron James takes the cake.
ADVANTAGE: Cleveland
Power Forward - Amir Johnson vs Kevin Love
This matchup features a physical and intimidating paint presence in Amir Johnson and a highly talented offensive player in Kevin Love.
Amir's physical game can help the Boston Celtics attack the glass and hold down the paint. But the offensive skills of Love which include his shooting ability, passing ability and his skill in the paint will be a lot to handle for Johnson. Kevin will look to use his three point shooting ability to knock down a bunch of big shots, and a variety of shots in the paint. Plus, his unique ability to throw full-court passes on time and on point will be something the Cavaliers will utilize. We will give the significant advantage to the 4-time all star in this one.
ADVANTAGE: Cleveland
Center - Al Horford vs Tristan Thompson
The big men in the middle will be something exciting to watch during this series.
It should be a great battle between two prolific rebounders in the paint. Tristan will be looking to do damage on the offensive boards, getting his team many second chance points, which can lead to more offensive damage from Cleveland. While Al Horford is one of the most offensively skilled Center's in the league, averaging 16.2 points per game during this year's NBA playoffs', the Celtics big man will be looking to keep putting points up on the board. While Thompson may do damage on the rebounds in this series, we give the advantage to the man from the Dominican Republic.
ADVANTAGE: Boston
Bench:
Both benches will be huge for their team's success in the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals series.
Notable names for the Celtics that can contribute from the bench would be Kelly Olynyk, who recently scored 26 points in game seven against Washington. Marcus Smart, a solid backup point guard for Isaiah Thomas and the young rookie, Jaylen Brown. But the Cavaliers squad has more depth on their bench than the Celtics. Deron Williams plays a huge facilitating role, backing up Kyrie. Kyle Korver brings automatic shooting when he enters the game, along with a big man who can space the floor in Channing Frye. Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson are also notable bench players, who will bring their shooting and defense to this playoff series. Overall, the Cleveland bench on paper is just superior.
ADVANTAGE: Cleveland
As we wrap it up, here's our final prediction for the outcome of the series.
Prediction: Cavaliers in 5.