The Cleveland Cavaliers finally know who they will play in the Eastern Conference Finals. For the second year in a row, the Cavs will face the Boston Celtics, who knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. However, when the 2017-18 NBA season started, the Cavaliers believed that if they were to play the Celtics at the end of the season, that team would include a former Cavs star in Kyrie Irving and the Celtics big free agent signee Gordon Hayward. With that said, both of those All-Pro superstars are out for the season with injuries and the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals with a young team that plays with fire and isn't terribly experienced.

Jayson Tatum on LeBron James

One of the stars for the Boston Celtics is a rookie -- 20-year-old small forward Jayson Tatum. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum has a monstrous task. He has to guard and defend LeBron James, arguably the best player in the NBA. If the Celtics want to have a chance to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and move on to the NBA Finals, Tatum has to at least slow down LeBron.

Reporters asked Jayson Tatum how he can stop LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. In a statement that shows maturity for his age, Tatum said that this was his first year in the NBA so he doesn't know. "I don't have the answers," Tatum finished. To be honest, that is alright because as great as Tatum played as a rookie, there are a lot of players in the NBA who have played for years that don't know how to stop LeBron.

Cavs vs. Celtics preview

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers dispatched the Boston Celtics four games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals. With that said, this is a very different season. Kyrie Irving, who was a part of that big win, is sitting on the sidelines injured while cheering on the Celtics this season. Taking his place in Cleveland is a guy who just joined the team in February named George Hill.

The stars for this postseason for the Boston Celtics are very different as well. Rookie Jayson Tatum leads the team in scoring in the playoffs with 18.8 points and Terry Rozier, the man who replaced Kyrie Irving, who himself replaced Isaiah Thomas from last season, is second with 18.2.

However, to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics need an almost perfect team effort.

Jayson Tatum has to find a way to slow down LeBron James, who is averaging 34.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, nine assists, 1.55 steals and one block a game in the playoffs.

It also doesn't help that Kevin Love is back to form and averaged 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds against Toronto last round. Add in Kyle Korver's 14.5 points and 56-percent three-point shooting, and this is a Cleveland Cavaliers team that looks hard to beat. Game 1 takes place on Sunday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. EST.
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