3 Key Questions Entering Cavaliers-Nets Play-In Game Tuesday Night
The NBA Play-In Tournament will begin on Tuesday night with the first game being between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets.
Entering the year, expectations for Cleveland were low, as they were thought to be going through yet another rebuilding year as they looked to figure out the trajectory of their organization.
Well, this “rebuild” was very short-lived, as the Cavaliers started the year off hot and continued their success given all of the injuries they have had to deal with. Going 44-38 during the regular season was extremely impressive for this young group and while they still need to earn a playoff spot via the Play-In Tournament, this season has been a huge success already for Cleveland.
The same cannot be said for the Brooklyn Nets however, as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Nets entered the year with the mentality of “championship or bust.”
While they could still very much make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond, this season has been a disappointment for the Brooklyn Nets as an organization and matters will only get worse if they lose this game at home to the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The winner of Tuesday night’s Eastern Conference Play-In Game will claim the 7-seed and advance to the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics, one of the best defensive teams in the league, but both the Cavaliers and Nets have a chance to be a “surprise” team coming out of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament and going on a deep playoff run.
Only one team can win this 8-seed vs. 7-seed matchup though and entering Tuesday night, very little separates these two teams. One play could very much determine the outcome of this game, as could these three questions about both teams.
Can Cleveland Control the Paint on Both Ends of the Floor?
Ranking seventh in defensive rating and fifth in opponent’s points per game, the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned themselves into a threat because of the success they find on the defensive-end of the floor.
With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the frontcourt together, the Cavaliers are not only a strong rim-protecting team, but they are also a strong rebounding team.
Cleveland finished the regular season ranking 15th in the league in total rebounds and heading into Tuesday night’s game in Brooklyn, rebounding is going to play a significant role.
In four regular season matchups against the Nets, the Cavaliers outrebounded them three times, yet they only won once against Brooklyn.
Outrebounding the Nets does not directly correlate to a win for the Cavaliers in this game, but it will go a long way in helping them control the pace of play and potentially hold a lead, especially if they can keep the Nets off the offensive-glass.
Over their final five games of the regular season, Brooklyn averaged 11.2 offensive rebounds per game, which ranked ninth in the NBA over this span. With Jarrett Allen out, Evan Mobley is going to have to step up and find ways to keep Andre Drummond off the glass and then Lauri Markkanen will also need to be a factor.
While he has played primarily on the wing this season, Markkanen is an above-average rebounder that will need to be a factor in this game defensively for the Cavaliers to have a shot at winning.
In their season series this year, Cleveland outrebounded Brooklyn by an average of just 1.3 rebounds per game. If the Cavaliers can beat the Nets by at least five rebounds and hold them under seven offensive rebounds, they can win this game.
Who Will Step Up For the Cavaliers’ Offense?
Darius Garland has had an incredible season, one that could result in him receiving All-NBA honors in just his third year, but he alone cannot carry the Cavaliers past Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Those two All-Stars for the Nets are most likely going to get a combined 60-plus points in this game, which is why someone else will have to step up for the Cavaliers alongside Darius Garland.
In four matchups against the Nets this season, Garland is averaging 25.3 points on 42.7% shooting from the floor, yet the Cavaliers have lost three of four games played against Brooklyn because of the fact that their offense gets lost against them.
Kevin Love had a great game in the Cavaliers’ season-finale, scoring 32 points off-the-bench in just 15 minutes making him a key asset to potentially step up in this game against Brooklyn, but all eyes should be on Caris LeVert alongside Garland in the backcourt.
Not only did LeVert used to play for the Brooklyn Nets, making this game a little personal for him, but the Cavaliers went out and traded for him at the trade deadline this season for this specific scenario.
He is Cleveland’s second star right now with Jarrett Allen hurt and Evan Mobley entering his first postseason game ever, which is why Caris LeVert is going to have to score at least 20 points for the Cavaliers to have a shot at winning this game.
Cleveland’s defense is good, but given all the offensive firepower the Nets have, someone besides Darius Garland will have to step up on offense for the Cavaliers.
This someone is and needs to be Caris LeVert.
Will Brooklyn Limit Their Turnovers on Offense?
The Nets do not need to worry about getting production from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving offensively, but what they do need to worry about heading into Tuesday night’s matchup against Cleveland is holding onto the ball and making the most of their possessions.
This season, the Nets have turned the ball over an average of 14.1 times per game, ranking 17th in the NBA, and against the Cavaliers, the Nets have averaged 11.8 turnovers per game.
This metric looks pretty good compared to their season average, but a total of 47 turnovers against the Cavaliers has directly contributed to 58 points for Cleveland, about 13% of their total points against Brooklyn this year.
Holding onto the ball and valuing possessions is extremely important in the postseason and against a feisty defensive team like the Cavaliers, Brooklyn cannot afford to give up possessions.
They have done a good job taking care of the basketball against Cleveland this year, which is why they have won three of four games against them.
Turnovers will directly contribute to the Nets potential downfall and if they are careless with the basketball on Tuesday night, it will not be shocking to see the Cavaliers hold a double-digit lead in the second-half.
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