Examining what trends from Cavs first-round victory will translate to series with Pacers
What will stick from the opening round?
Some trends transcend a playoff series. Others are merely applicable to one round.
Let’s take a what stood out and determine whether these trends/concepts/adjustments will stick or not going forward as the Cleveland Cavaliers look to compete for an NBA title after defeating the Miami Heat.
Sheer Dominance
In case you haven’t heard, the Cavaliers swept their first-round opponent. This is notable not only because this is the first sweep the franchise has executed since 2018, when they swept the number one seed Toronto Raptors. It is also notable as it is the most lopsided scoring differential for a series in NBA history with a +122. Now the question is, can this be a trend of what’s to come?
It would be unrealistic to think that the Cavaliers are going to steamroll through the East. The Heat were the first 10th seed to ever make the playoffs, and it showed. While they did have wins against the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks that made you buy in that they were more competent than the record showed, once the series started, the gaps were gaping, and boy were they noticeable.
The Cavaliers are set to play the Indiana Pacers, who also swept their first-round opponent in the Milwaukee Bucks. Can one expect that the Cavaliers will mercy kill the Pacers early like in games 3 and 4? Probably not, the Cavaliers are facing competency and depth. Eric Spoelstra was working with a tough deck. Rick Carlisle and the Pacers have depth and talent that Cleveland did not have to fret about in Round 1.
Verdict: Probably not sticking
Evan Mobley’s postseason momentum
Cleveland’s leap this season was propelled by Mobley’s elevation to a star. Similarly, for the Cavaliers to have a serious run in this postseason, Evan Mobley needs to build off what momentum he created in Round 1. In Game 1, Mobley was downright disappointing, some would even say bad (Jackson Flickinger and myself).
Mobley had nine points and seven rebounds in a 21-point win over the Heat. Mobley looked like a passenger more than a driver. Boy, did he turn it around, posting a per-game average of 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in the final three games of the series. Once the game plan really shifted to attacking the paint, Mobley hit another level. Not only aggressively attacking the rim, but also showing his range as a real threat, connecting on 50% of his threes on 7-14 shooting in the final three games.
Against the Pacers, Mobley is set up to have more of a challenge ahead of him. Safe to say that Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner are a more formidable duo defensively than the Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic pairing.
There will be more time for Mobley to flash as the lone big against Indiana. With the offenses looking to fly and fire away, Mobley might be the main focal point of the series. Round 1 looks to have been the perfect series to kick-start a pivotal postseason campaign from Mobley.
Verdict: Needs to stick
Donovan Mitchell needs to be the best player in a series
This was an easy answer in the past when figuring out the Cavaliers' ability to proceed in the postseason. The Heat would also agree that when Mitchell is on one and is ready to take over, the Cavaliers appear as close to an immovable object as possible.
Game 4 was Mitchell’s magnum opus in this regard. Mitchell came out and immediately #letemknow by hitting some knock-out punches as he was unconscious in the first quarter. The Cavaliers, behind Mitchell, ended the first quarter with a cozy 43-14 lead. His last postseason was hobbled and limited. That didn’t lessen the issue that he determined the outcome of all the Cavaliers' postseason games.
Mitchell does have much more support than in any iteration of his tenure with the Cavaliers thus far. Darius Garland was excellent in the first two games, Mobley ramped up as the series went along, and Jarrett Allen was also a constant in the series.
These were all factors that were omitted from last year's postseason. Not to mention the bench support permits Mitchell and company to gain much-needed rest and relief from putting the team on their back, allowing Mitchell to rise to the occasion when necessary. So, while Mitchell isn’t imperative to a game’s outcome, he has shown that he is fully capable when needed.
Verdict: Will stick
Ty Jerome and the bench remain difference makers
It’s safe to say that after Round 1, the Heat will no longer look at Ty Jerome the same way. After a Game 1 explosion, I wouldn’t be surprised if trademarks for Tyami were submitted by Jerome’s camp. He shined for the majority of the series while the bench started off poorly in games 1 and 2.
Jerome’s unreal season proved not to be just a regular-season storyline. Once again, Jerome showed an ability to put his fingerprints all over a game and dictate the flow. He had one-man Cavalanche’s and continued to be someone unafraid of taking shots no one with his salary would dare to fathom.
The bench took some time, but eventually also showed its prowess. DeAndre Hunter scored 21 points in Game 3 and 19 points in Game 4. Hunter benefited from Jerome as the defense would often shift their attention to doubling the Typhoon, leaving Hunter quality looks.
Other rotational players like Sam Merrill and Dean Wade had moments in this series. In Game 4, the Cavaliers' bench narrowly lost the scoring battle to the entire Miami Heat team 73-83. The depth when it is locked in makes the Cavaliers seem nearly unbeatable. Hopefully, a routing of Miami allows this unit some good reps that’ll carry over.