The Eastern Conference is always receiving criticism for how weak their conference is compared to the western conference. Many people can make that argument if you've been watching their side of the playoffs. The Cavs have dominated the Pacers and Raptors, showing that nobody is ready to dethrone them just yet.
The Cavs already have their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals and now they are waiting to see who their opponent is for that series. It could either be the Washington Wizards or the Boston Celtics. The Cavs could easily handle these two teams, but which matchup in the eastern conference finals would give the Cavs the most headaches?
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards could pose some matchup problems for the Cavs. Let's begin with their star player in John Wall. Wall has been masterful in the playoffs this year. He is averaging 29 points, 11 assists, and 2 steals per game in the playoffs. He has been carrying the Wizards in their games and providing good scoring opportunities for his teammates.
The Cavs will have a tough time containing wall, as Kyrie Irving won't be able to defend him one on one the entire game. They might have to pull Iman Shumpert on Wall because Shumpert is a better defender, but that will leave Kyrie with Bradley Beal which is another mismatch. Kyrie is a decent defender and can make up for any points he gives up on the offensive end, but the Wizards backcourt comes with a lot of scoring, something Kyrie might not be able to handle.
The Wizards will be able to challenge the Cavs down low as well. Marcin Gortat is a decent big man who will fight for rebounds just like Tristan Thompson for the Cavs. Thompson will have a tough time rebounding against Gortat and he might have to come out to the perimeter to challenge some of his shots as well. The one thing the Wizards don't have is a person that can stop LeBron James and that can foil any plan.
The Wizards might have to close off the paint in order to defend him, but the way James is shooting and passing, that might be an even worse decision.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics might be a matchup the Cavs are dreading to see. The Celtics' brand of defense is hard-nosed and in your face which can lead to mental mistakes by the Cavs.
The Celtics are a chippy team and don't mind getting into a little scuffle to show you they are here to play. This can cause any team to take the bait and commit a technical foul or even a flagrant. That might work against the other 29 teams in the NBA, but not the Cavs. LeBron James is sure to remind his team how chippy the Celtics are and not to fall into their traps. But everyone has their boiling point and in a seven (hopefully seven-game) series, someone is bound to go off which can change the tide of the series.
The Celtics are a good three-point shooting team lead by Isaiah Thomas. Thomas has been playing inspired in these playoffs since the death of his little sister, and the conference finals will be no different.
He is averaging 26 points per game this postseason, and the Celtics need everyone one of those points. The Cavs defense hasn't been the same since the end of the all-star break, so this is something the Celtics can use to their advantage. They can have a shootout with the Cavs, and that might be a way they can keep up with the champs.
Both of these matchups can provide headaches for the Cavs but there is one thing both of these teams can't defend: LeBron James. James is a man amongst children in these playoffs and nobody on the Wizards or Celtics can stop this freight train. Both of these matchups would be good ones but don't expect any game sevens if LeBron keeps playing like this.
