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Eastern Conf Final - Cavs-Magic

Magic in 6.

Tough matchup for the Cavs. Howard clogs the paint, making it difficult for Lebron to drive to the hoop. Pietrus does a very serviceable job on the perimeter against LBJ. And Turkoglu/'Shard provide serious matchup difficulties. Lebron can only guard one of them - AV is stuck with the other.

Need Mo Williams to step up big time and take advantage of the mismatch with Rafer Alston/Anthony Johnson.
 
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Y'know, i bet the Cavs in 6. simply because once you get to this point, there are Just so many things that can go wrong for a team. Complacency, fatigue, just having a bad night, the Magic playing well against Cleveland in the regular season. But, having said that, I would be EXTREMELY suprised if it went more than six with the Cavs winning. Hell, Cleveland may sweep. That wouldn't suprise me half as much as if this went 7 games. And as far as Orlando having more talent, um, no.
 
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PG - matchup goes to the Cavs here...Mo over Rafer
SG - matchup goes to the Cavs here...West over Lee
SF - matchup goes to the Cavs here...LBJ over Lewis
PF - Depends on how you look at it...Obviously Turgalu is going to be able to get baskets, but then he is going to have to defend the pick n roll against Andy
C - matchup goes to Magic...But Z has length that can bother howard, and his jumper is going to pull Howard from the basket on defense...Something Perkins could not do for the Celtics...

Then the bench is really no contest...Smith, Wallace, Wally, Boobie, vs Reddick, Johnson, Gortat, and Battie

LBJ just poses so many problems for them, and yeah we could have trouble guarding the 4 position, but it will swing back, to where them two are going to have to matchup with LBJ a lot and that is not a good matchup for them.

I say Cavs in 5 or 6...
 
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BuckeyeMafia;1469540; said:
12-1, Cavs in 5. I think we'll probably see Z guarded by a PF instead of Howard, because they need him by the basket if they want to win any games.
I think they'll rotate to him not to take Dwight out of the paint. I think this series depends on two things. Rashard Lewis because he will probably be the only mismatch on the offensive end.(Dwight hasn't proven to be an offensive force two feet away from the bucket) The other thing is, Courtney Lee will play a big role in either guarding Mo or Delonte, and whoever he isn't guarding should be able to get their points against Rafer/Anthony Johnson.
 
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So the Cavs are down 3-1, but they can still win this series. Win game five AND get Howard to commit another technical foul in the process. He gets suspended for game six and the door is wide open.
 
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Jake;1472727; said:
So the Cavs are down 3-1, but they can still win this series. Win game five AND get Howard to commit another technical foul in the process. He gets suspended for game six and the door is wide open.

That's exactly what I was thinking. And his technical shouldn't be rescinded by the league, like they're asking for now.
 
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I remember some hubbub when Sir Charles picked Orlando.....it's looking like he might know a thing or two about this sport.

Heckuva series. Orlando could have it swept by now....or the Cavs could be up 3-1. A couple of evenly matched teams. The Cavs just need to play smarter....take better shots, play their defensive responsibilities, stop trying to be heroes.....go back to the team play that made them so good this season.
 
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I would leave Z on the bench. He is too slow to defend the pick and roll. Between Varajao, Smith and Wallace you have 18 fouls to use on Howard - no dunks allowed! LeBron can play the 4, Wally gives you another shooter and you try to out-Orlando the Magic.

The Cavs have lost 11 of their last 15 versus Orlando. It appears Brown hasn't learned much from those defeats.
 
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