The Cleveland Cavaliers are halfway to their first NBA championship, but are now staring at their toughest Eastern Conference test.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are halfway to their first NBA championship but are now staring at their toughest Eastern Conference test.
Battered and bruised after two hard-fought matchups against Boston and Chicago, the 60-win Atlanta Hawks await, the same squad that won three of the four regular season meetings.
Kyrie Irving, who averaged 21.0 points and 6.0 assists against Atlanta in the regular season, continues to be hobbled by a pair of nagging injuries and his status for Game 1 remains uncertain. Irving's health will be a running storyline considering a matchup against Atlanta's Jeff Teague is challenging enough on two good legs.
Kevin Love, expected to combat the versatile and rugged Paul Millsap, has been lost for the season. Iman Shumpert, the Cavs' starting shooting guard during the postseason run, is dealing with a groin injury. Even LeBron James tweaked his ankle during the Chicago series before playing through it and helping lead his young Cavaliers to their second series win.
Injuries and rotational changes have created uncertainty for the one-time NBA title favorite.
The Hawks, in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time, are one of the biggest surprises. They don't have a superstar and aren't showy, but few possess their balance, with four All-Stars and six players that averaged in double figures scoring in the regular season.
While the Cavs were sending a shockwave throughout the NBA during a wild off-season transformation, the Hawks were flying under the radar, dealing with questions in the front office following General Manager Danny Ferry's indefinite leave of absence. But the team fought through and finished as the top seed behind the brilliant coaching of NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer.
Smart, surgical and deep, the Hawks rely on their system, which is predicated on snappy ball movement, dribble penetration and movement away from the ball. The anti-Cavs, the Hawks don't use their individual talent to attack defenses one-on-one. But the 10th-ranked offense hasn't been as crisp lately.
Regular season Kyle Korver, Atlanta's most flammable shooter, has been missing. As if one of the Nerdlucks from "Space Jam" stole his shooting powers, Korver has dropped to 35 percent from beyond the arc after connecting on 49 percent in the regular season.
Still, he's plenty capable of breaking out of his slump and making Atlanta's offense whole again.
Budenholzer, a Gregg Popovich protege, has created the Spurs of the East -- minus the three future Hall-of-Famers and budding superstar, Kawhi Leonard, who has given James plenty of nightmares.
While he's not Leonard, DeMarre Carroll has shined during the postseason. Known as a pesky defender, he has become the Hawks' most reliable offensive threat, leading the team in scoring. He'll draw the assignment on James, but it's one the four-time MVP will likely welcome after having Chicago's Jimmy Butler in his shorts for six straight games.
In a league driven by stars, James gives the Cavs the edge, but that's not the only reason they will advance to the NBA Finals. The series will be won because of contributions from James' teammates, something he never had in his first Cleveland stint.
The Cavs are much more than a one-man show. They are more than a formidable Big Three whittled down to two. It's a talented roster thanks to GM David Griffin's shrewd moves. The evidence was visible throughout the Chicago series when the supporting cast answered the call despite James shooting a paltry 39 percent from the field.
James Jones scored 17 points and buried five three-pointers in a Game 2 win. J.R. Smith opened the fourth quarter of Game 4 with an offensive flurry that kept the Cavs in striking distance for James to deliver the final blow. Iman Shumpert sparked a Game 6 run to put the game out of reach. Often-criticized Matthew Dellavedova scored a season-high 19 points in that same game game. Tristan Thompson tormented Chicago on the boards, finishing defensive possessions and getting extra shot opportunities on offense.
That balance will be required to keep Atlanta's stingy defense from blitzing James. It will also be needed to keep up with Atlanta's diverse offensive attack capable of slicing up quality defenses, which includes the improved Cavaliers.
Homecourt advantage isn't Cleveland's ally this time. The first two rounds, however, have them prepared. The Cavs have learned how to play without Love. Head coach David Blatt showed the ability to make series-altering adjustments. They have felt the sting of losing on a buzzer-beater, just as Atlanta has, and bounced back. They have faced two must-win games, including one on the road. The adversity has hardened them.
They've shown toughness -- mental and physical -- which is often the deciding factor in a seven-game series between two evenly matched teams, a series that will end with the Cavs moving on to the NBA Finals after six challenging games.
