Preview of Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons: NBA Playoffs 2016 (video) Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers begin their quest for the 2016 NBA Championship Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena when they face the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the playoffs.

Detroit won the season series against Cleveland 3-1, but go in as the underdog.  The Cavs enter the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Watch the video above as beat writer Chris Fedor narrates a preview discussing key players and matchups in the best-of-seven series.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

Follow on Facebook: /dave.andersen.96

Jason Day, Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman are all tied for the lead going into today's third round of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Day is back in the hunt for his third PGA title in a month after his 2-under 69 Friday at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, S.C. Day shares the lead with Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman. 

The tournament resumes today with coverage on the Golf Channel from 1-2:30 p.m. and on CBS from 3-6 p.m. You can also follow along on our live leaderboard (below).

Day is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. His two victories this year include  a victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Day followed that with a victory at the WGC-Match Play.

RBC Heritage

• Site: Hilton Head, S.C.
• Schedule: Today and Sunday.
• Course: Harbour Town Golf Links (6,973 yards, par 71).
• Purse: $5.9 million. Winner's share: $1.06 million.
• TV: Golf Channel (today and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), CBS Sports (today and Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

Here's the live leaderboard:

Highlights from Friday's second round:

Tee times for today's third round:

• 7:45 a.m. -- Derek Fathauer, Chez Reavie.
• 7:54 a.m. -- John Senden, Nick Taylor.
• 8:03 a.m. -- Charles Howell III, Fabian Gomez.
• 8:12 a.m. -- Kevin Na, Ryan Palmer.
• 8:21 a.m. -- Michael Kim, Will MacKenzie.
• 8:30 a.m. -- Hiroshi Iwata, Tyler Aldridge.
• 8:39 a.m. -- Scott Brown, Chris Stroud.
• 8:48 a.m. -- Justin Leonard, Vaughn Taylor.
• 8:57 a.m. -- Adam Hadwin, Ben Martin.
• 9:06 a.m. -- Ian Poulter, Mark Wilson.
• 9:15 a.m. -- Jason Dufner, Jason Bohn.
• 9:24 a.m. -- Greg Owen, Kevin Kisner.
• 9:33 a.m. -- Whee Kim, Francesco Molinari.
• 9:42 a.m. -- Colt Knost, Marc Leishman.
• 9:51 a.m. -- Jim Herman, Webb Simpson.
• 10 a.m. -- Ernie Els, Camilo Villegas.
• 10:09 a.m. -- Will Wilcox, Andres Gonzales.
• 10:18 a.m. -- Davis Love III, Harold Varner III.
• 10:27 a.m. -- Justin Thomas, David Toms.
• 10:36 a.m. -- Shawn Stefani, Kyle Stanley.
• 10:45 a.m. -- Vijay Singh, Tyrone Van Aswegan.
• 10:55 a.m. -- Spencer Levin, Ben Crane.
• 11:05 a.m. -- Geoff Oglivy, Johnson Wagner.
• 11:15 a.m. -- Bill Haas, Luke List.
• 11:25 a.m. -- Boo Weekley, Seung-Yul Noh.
• 11:35 a.m. -- William McGirt, Daniel Summerhays.
• 11:45 a.m. -- Si Woo Kim, Chad Campbell.
• 11:55 a.m. -- Carl Pettersson, Aaron Badderly.
• 12:05 p.m. -- Billy Horschel, Steve Wheatcroft.
• 12:15 p.m. -- Branden Grace, Tony Finau.
• 12:25 p.m. -- Zac Blair, Bryce Molder.
• 12:35 p.m. -- Jason Kokrak, Bronson Burgoon.
• 12:45 p.m. -- Zach Johnson, Russell Henley.
• 12:55 p.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau, Lucas Glover.
• 1:05 p.m. -- Ricky Barnes, Morgan Hoffmann.
• 1:15 p.m. -- Jerry Kelly, Graham DeLaet.
• 1:25 p.m. -- Matt Kuchar, George McNeill.
• 1:35 p.m. -- David Lingmerth, Chris Kirk.
• 1:45 p.m. -- Luke Donald, Patton Kizzire.
• 1:55 p.m. -- Charley Hoffman, Russell Knox.
• 2:05 p.m. -- Jason Day, Kevin Chappell.

Dufner strikes: Jason Dufner drilled a 26-foot birdie putt on No. 12 during Friday's second round. Dufner rebounded from a first-round 76 by shooting a 67 Friday to stand at 1-over.

The five schools on Clark's list, in order, were Rutgers, Michigan, North Carolina, Michigan State and Tennessee.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At one point, Ohio State was one of the leaders the recruitment of four-star offensive tackle Micah Clark of Holmdel (N.J.) St. John Vianney Regional. 

But when the 6-foot-5, 283-pound prospect posted his new top five on his public Twitter account on Friday, Ohio State was nowhere to be found on the list. 

The five schools on Clark's list, in order, were Rutgers, Michigan, North Carolina, Michigan State and Tennessee.

Though Ohio State didn't appear on Clark's list, that doesn't mean he has cut the Buckeyes from contention. According to NJ.com's Todderick Hunt, Clark plans on visiting Ohio State before making a decision.

Clark also plans on seeing Michigan, Michigan State and Tennessee. 

Clark put Rutgers on top of his list shortly after taking an unofficial visit there alongside his step brother Jamaal Beaty, a 6-2, 280-pound three-star offensive guard who also holds a Rutgers offers. 

"It went great," Clark told NJ.com when describing his visit to Rutgers. "With me and my family, like, my family loved it. And Jamaal, we loved it. We got closer with the coaches more and more. Like, we talk to them every night."

pic.twitter.com/gFQGuctiMu

-- Micah Clark (@MicahClark17) April 14, 2016

Carl Edwards won the pole for Sunday's NASCAR Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carl Edwards will be on the pole for NASCAR Sprint Cup's Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn., set for Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. Edwards won the pole during Friday's qualifying with a lap of 14.991 seconds (127.997 mph) to edge teammate Matt Kenseth (127.419 mph) for the top starting spot by .068 seconds.

You can find the complete lineup for Sunday, along with qualifying results and live scoring at NASCAR's Race Center.

The XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 race is scheduled for today at 12:30 p.m. on FS1, with qualifying at 9:30 a.m., also on FS1. You can follow live at the XFINITY Race Center.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP
FOOD CITY 500

Site: Bristol, Tennessee
Schedule: Saturday, practice (FS1, 8:30 a.m.), practice (11 a.m.); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (FOX).
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.53 miles).
Race distance: (500 miles, 266.5 laps).
Last year: Denny Hamlin, one of seven drivers to lead at least 20 laps, overcame starting from 15th to claim the win.
Last week: In Texas, Kyle Busch became the first driver in 25 years to notch consecutive weekend sweeps. It was the 36th win in Sprint Cup for Busch.
Fast facts: There is no reason to think that Busch can't pick up another sweep in Bristol. He swept all three national series races in the same weekend on the short track in the summer event six years ago ... Tony Stewart said last weekend that he still doesn't know when he will be able to get back in the No. 14 after breaking his back. Brian Vickers and Ty Dillon have been splitting the role as Stewart's replacement driver.
Next race: Toyota Owners 400, April 24, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia.

XFINITY
FITZGERALD GLIDER KITS 300

Site: Bristol, Tennessee
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, (FS1, 9:30 a.m.) race, 12:30 p.m. (FS1)
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles).
Race distance: (300 miles, 159.9 laps).
Last year: Joey Logano took the lead on the first lap and never let go, topping all 300 laps in a snoozer.
Last race: Kyle Busch won from the pole to kick off an historic weekend in Martinsville.
Fast facts: Daniel Suarez saw his lead over Elliott Sadler fall to just one point, 207-206. Justin Allgaier is third with 198 points, and Erik Jones, Brandon Jones and Ty Dillon are all within 20 points of Suarez ... After next week's event in Richmond, the series will run just three times until June.
Next race: ToyotaCare 250, April 23, Richmond International Speedway, Richmond, Virginia.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
Next race: Toyota Tundra 250, May 6, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas.
Last race: Kyle Busch began his Martinsville sweep by leading 123 laps and holding off John Hunter Nemechek for the win on April 2.

Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya ran the fastest during Friday's practice sessions for Sunday's IndyCar Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Qualifying is today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power lead the way into today's qualifying for the IndyCar Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Qualifying is set for 5 p.m. on NBCSN. Sunday's race is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., also on NBCSN.

You can follow along all weekend at IndyCar's Race Control.

Montoya and Power were the fastest during Friday's practices. Power was second to Montoya in the first session, then used a lap of 104.806 mph in the afternoon session to top the entire 21-car field.

VERIZON INDYCAR
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
Site: Long Beach, California
Schedule: Saturday, practice (1 p.m.), qualifying (5-6:15 p.m., NBCSN, 6-7:30 p.m.); Sunday, race, 4:30 p.m. (NBCSN).
Track: (street, 1.97 miles).
Race distance: (157 miles, 80 laps).
Last year: Helio Castroneves earned the pole with a track-record time, but Scott Dixon won the race and later claimed his fourth IndyCar championship.
Last race: Dixon dominated the first IndyCar race in Phoenix in 11 years, winning for the 20th time on an oval.
Fast facts: Ryan Hunter-Reay will race the IMSA race a day before running in the IndyCar race. Hunter-Reay has already run in a pair of endurance events this season ... Brian Barnhart, IndyCar's vice president of competition, clarified why a yellow came out two laps from the finish in Phoenix, saying that the single-car incident involving Alexander Rossi happened in front of the leaders and forced cars to take evasive action.
Next race: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, April 24, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama.

Cleveland Browns face a tough quarterback decision after L.A. Rams trade up for the top pick in the draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unless the Browns are able to pick the quarterback who is at the top of their list, they should seriously consider trading down from the No. 2 spot in the NFL draft.

I've been hearing for weeks that the Browns prefer Jared Goff, the quarterback from California. It could be true, or it could be pre-draft lies spread for whatever reason. I tend to believe it's true.

The initial reports were the L.A. Rams traded up for the No. 1 pick to draft North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. Now, the rumble is the Rams want Goff. They claim they are still deciding between the two quarterbacks. If that's the case, someone should be fired. You don't make such a major trade -- parting with six draft picks -- and be confused about what quarterback you prefer.

Here's what the Rams sent to Tennessee in exchange for picks 1, 113 and 177:

1. The No. 15 pick.
2. The No. 43 pick.
3. The No. 45 pick.
4. The No. 76 pick.
5. A first-round pick in 2017.
6. A third-round pick in 2018.

The Rams must know who they want. If it's Goff -- and if the Browns have Goff as No. 1 on their list -- then the Browns should trade down.

THE SECOND QUARTERBACK PICKED

The No. 2 quarterback picked in the draft often is a disaster, at least in the last 10 years. I recently wrote that seven of 10 quarterbacks who were selected first anywhere in the draft became starters.

Seven starters: Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, Matt Stafford and Matt Ryan.

Three misses: Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell and E.J. Manuel.

Consider: Other than Manuel (No. 16), all were picked in the top three.

Now, the second quarterback selected in the draft in the last 10 years.

Two starters: Marcus Mariota (No. 2 in 2015) and Joe Flacco (No. 17 in 2008).

Eight misses: Johnny Manziel (No. 22, 2014), Geno Smith (No. 39, 2013), Robert Griffin III (No. 2, 2012), Jake Locker (No. 8, 2011), Tim Tebow (No. 22, 2010), Brady Quinn (No. 22, 2007), Matt Leinhart (No. 10, 2006) and Mark Sanchez (No. 5, 2009).

Three of the guys on that list -- Quinn, Leinhart and Tebow -- were not in the NFL last year. Manziel is about to join them.

DIGGING DEEPER

Since quarterbacks are likely to be drafted 1-2 this year, I decided to look how that has worked out. I went all the way back to 1990.

• 2015: Winston (Tampa Bay) was first, Mariota (Tennessee) was No. 2.
• 2012: Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) was first, Griffin (Washington) was No. 2.
• 1999: Tim Couch (Browns) was first, Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia) was No. 2.
• 1998: Peyton Manning (Indianapolis) was first, Ryan Leaf (San Diego) was No. 2.
• 1993: Drew Bledsoe (New England) was first, Rick Mirer (Seattle) was No. 2.

It's small sample, but all five of the No. 1 quarterbacks selected at least started for a while in the NFL. The No. 2 picks? Only McNabb had a long career. Mariota shows promise. Griffin is trying to salvage his career with the Browns.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR BROWNS?

This is a tough one for VP Sashi Brown and his staff.

One NFL executive recently told me this: "For all the talk about what is wrong with the Browns since they came back (in 1999) -- firing everyone, lousy drafting to anything else -- do you know what is the common denominator? They've never had a quarterback."

His advice to the Browns? If they like the quarterback available, take him. Don't think twice. Don't listen to any offers. But if they are not sold on the quarterback available at No. 2? Then it's tricky.

My guess is that's exactly where the Browns will be with the draft approaching. It's also why I wrote a column about how they should be very open to a trade.

ABOUT ZEKE ELLIOTT

Is Elliott the next Todd Gurley, or is he another Mark Ingram? You'd hate to think the OSU star would be the reincarnation of Trent Richardson.

I think Elliott is a big-time prospect, and lots of football people agree. I've had executives tell me that he can not only be a durable running back, but he can block in pass protection and catch passes. A team can even use him to split outside like a wide receiver. The Browns occasionally did that with Duke Johnson last year.

Suppose the Browns trade down in the first round. Should they consider Elliott?

Confession time: I absolutely loved Richardson, whose career has been savaged by knee and weight problems. The third pick in the 2012 draft, Richardson has been a major bust in the NFL.

Here's a look at running backs selected in the first round since 2010. It's not pretty:

2015:

1. The Rams took Gurley at No. 10 and he rushed for 1,106 yards in 13 games.
2. Melvin Gordon was the No. 15 pick, but rushed for only 641 yards for the Chargers.

2012:

1. Richardson was the No. 3 pick. He wasn't in the NFL last year.
2. Doug Martin was the No. 31 pick by Tampa Bay. He rushed for 1,402 yards last season.
3. David Wilson was the No. 32 pick by the Giants. He's been out of the NFL since 2014.

2011:

1. Mark Ingram was the No. 28 pick by the Saints. He's just been OK. In his five pro seasons, he's averaged 640 yards rushing and 4.3 yard per carry. He did catch 50 passes last season.

2010:

1. C.J. Spiller was the No. 9 pick by Buffalo. He peaked in 2012-13 (combined 2,177 rushing), but has gained only 412 yards in the last two seasons.
2. Ryan Matthews went No. 12 to San Diego. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2011 and 2013. He's just been so-so since.
3. Jahid Best was the No. 32 pick by Detroit. He played his last NFL game in 2011.

Bottom line: People often believe drafting a quarterback in the first round is risky. The same is true of running backs. Out of this group of nine, only two would be considered impact players.

• Terry's Talkin' Cavs
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

Cleveland Cavaliers head into playoffs with a great player, a rookie coach and they should have a healthy respect for the Detroit Pistons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2016 NBA playoffs:

1. The Cavs are the favorite in the Eastern Conference playoffs because they have LeBron James. And they have a healthy LeBron James. They have a different LeBron James than the LeBron James who left in the summer of 2010. This is a tougher, more determined, playoff-tested LeBron James. We saw it last season, and we'll see it again.

2. I'm anxious to see how Kevin Love performs in the playoffs. At the start of the season, Love told me that part of the reason he re-signed with the Cavs was to play on a legitimate contender. He missed the playoffs in his first six NBA seasons with Minnesota. Then he suffered a major shoulder injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against Boston in 2015.

3. The happiest Love seemed a year ago was in the playoffs. He was healthy for the first three games, averaging 18 points and 9.0 rebounds, shooting 48 percent on 3-pointers. He was injured seven minutes into Game 4 when Kelly Olynyk jerked his left shoulder out of the socket.

4. Love made a rapid recovery. You can debate the merits of his season, but his 16.0 scoring average was No. 7 among power forwards. His 9.9 rebounds ranked No. 3. He's a good player, and I expect he'll deliver some productive games in the postseason.

5. In three games against Detroit this season, Love averaged 24 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 51 percent. This could be a very good series for him to establish some momentum.

6. With Timofey Mozgov's confidence and performance sagging, you can expect to see more of Channing Frye as the backup center. The 6-foot-11 Frye is a decent defender. Since being traded to the Cavs, he's averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in only 17 minutes a game.

7. Frye will let it fly from the 3-point line. He's attempted 161 field goals with the Cavs, and 114 have been 3-pointers. He's shooting .377 from beyond the arc. The ability of Frye and Love to make 3-point shots should help keep the middle of the court open for James and Kyrie Irving to drive to the rim.

8. J.R. Smith played very well until The Finals last season. In the first three rounds, he averaged 13.5 points, shooting 48 percent. He also was suspended for two games ... the downside. Smith is very, very valuable to the Cavs.

9. In The Finals, the pressure seemed to bother Smith. Love was out for the entire series. Irving played only one game before fracturing his kneecap. Smith averaged 11.5 points and shot only 31 percent from the field in the Warriors series.

10. Tristan Thompson made his reputation in the postseason, averaging 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds. In The Finals, it was 10 points and 13 rebounds. His toughness and unselfish rebounding is critical this time of year.

11. Iman Shumpert had his knee drained. He is supposed to be OK for Sunday's playoff opener, but I wonder. It has been a rough season for Shumpert. He shot career-lows from the field (.374) and on 3-pointers (.295). Last season, his defense and hustle were huge assets. They helped him earn that four-year, $40 million contract. Will he be healthy?

12. The Cavs wanted to have depth at point guard as they enter the postseason. That's why they signed Mo Williams, but he has been out with knee problems. Not sure of his status. The Cavs wanted an extra player besides Matthew Dellavedova as a backup to Irving.

13. Very curious to see how Irving defends Detroit's Reggie Jackson. Irving and Jackson faced each other twice. The edge went to Irving, who averaged 29 points (51 percent shooting) in those games. Jackson averaged 19 points, shooting 48 percent.

14. A key will be if Irving keeps the ball moving. When he wants to take the ball to the rim, do it quickly. His dribbling could stall the offense. Jackson is a very difficult guard to defend. That's why the Cavs need a healthy Shumpert.

15. Andre Drummond is a monster in the middle. He averaged 16.2 points and 14.8 rebounds. He shoots .521 from the field, because many of his shots are dunks. He is hopeless at the foul line -- 36 percent. Wonder if the Cavs will exploit that.

16. One of the problems with intentionally fouling a player is that it stops the flow of the game. If your team is in a good rhythm, even if it's behind, you can't cut off the comeback by continually sending an opponent to the foul line. That's something a coach has to consider.

17. Which brings us to Tyronn Lue. Here's what we know about Lue as a post-season coach: Nothing. He took over for David Blatt (30-11) at midseason and finished with a 27-14 record. That stat is meaningless because the Cavs are judged strictly on the postseason. They had a minor goal of having the best record in the East, and they achieved it.

18. Lue had never been a head coach until he took over the Cavs. He was the top assistant to Blatt, and he correctly received a lot of credit for designing the defense that was so effective in the playoffs last season. He also saved Blatt from calling a timeout that he didn't have in Game 4 of the Chicago series.

19. Now the spotlight is on Lue. He'll feel the same tension as Blatt, a rookie head coach heading into the playoffs. When you coach James, making it to The Finals is the minimum expectation.

20. But a difference between Blatt and Lue is that James should be a much stronger supporter of his coach. While not the only player who had doubts about Blatt, James certainly expressed his lack of confidence. James and others on the team wanted Lue as their coach. Well, they have him. That takes the coaching excuse away from the players.

21. But Lue will be tested. Detroit's Stan Van Gundy is an experienced coach who upset James and the Cavs in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. He has a .602 career winning percentage with Miami, Orlando and Detroit.

22. I thought the 2009 playoff team was the best that James had in his first tenure here. That group was 66-16 in the regular season, 8-0 heading into the Orlando postseason series. Van Gundy's Magic needed seven games to beat Boston while the Cavs waited nearly a week to play. After Orlando's 107-106 win in the opener, the Cavs never could find their game. They were eliminated in Game 6.

23. Van Gundy took over a Pistons team that was 29-53 in 2013-14. He immediately made major changes, and the Pistons opened 5-23. Then they were 27-27 the rest of 2014-15.

24. This season, the Pistons were 44-38. It's their best record since 2007-08. It's their first playoff appearance since 2009. Van Gundy can move a franchise in the right direction.

25. Yes, I have a healthy respect for Van Gundy and what he's done. But my confidence in James has soared since 2010. He has been to the The Finals in each of the last five years, and he should make it six in row in 2016.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

Cleveland Indians have not had a winning record in April under Terry Francona. One goal is for that to change this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I don't know how the month of April will end for the Indians. But I do know they at least are showing more life than a year ago.

The Indians opened 2015 by winning 2-of-3 in Houston. Then they lost four in a row and finished the month at 7-14.

A team won't secure a playoff spot in April, but it can lose one. After that 2-1 start they never were over .500 again until the final game of the season, finishing 81-80.

In Terry Francona's three years as Tribe manager, here's how they started and ended:

• 2015: 7-14 in April, 81-80.
• 2014: 11-17, 85-77.
• 2013: 11-13, 92-70.

Former Manager Manny Acta had some good starts in his time with the Tribe:

• 2012: 11-9 in April, 68-94.
• 2011: 18-8, 80-82.
• 2010: 9-13, 69-93.

I still believe April matters. Acta's 18-8 start in 2011 led to a very interesting summer before the team fizzled.

You can look back at Eric Wedge in April ... and weep. He had two winning Aprils in seven seasons.

• 2009: 8-13, 65-97.
• 2008: 13-15, 81-81.
• 2007: 14-8, 96-66.
• 2006: 13-12, 78-84.
• 2005: 9-14, 93-69.
• 2004: 9-13,  80-82.
• 2003: 7-20, 68-94.

April isn't everything, but it is something. That 9-14 April in 2005 is part of the reason the Tribe missed the playoffs by a game. That 11-17 start in 2014 had the Tribe playing from behind all year, missing the playoffs by three games.

The Indians are 4-4 heading into the weekend. They are in a tough market. The Cavs will dominate attention with their playoff run. The Browns are the Browns, where even the schedule is huge news. The draft is the Super Bowl for many fans.

On top of that, the Browns are having minicamps, where guys are playing what amounts to touch football. But there's Robert Griffin III, and there is fascination with that.

The fact is the Tribe has had three straight winning seasons. They went to the playoffs in 2013. They have been much better than the Browns. But that doesn't matter to most fans. They love the orange helmets.

That's why a strong start does matter. The starting pitching should keep the Tribe competitive in most games. The defense has improved tremendously with Francisco Lindor at short, and Mike Napoli is a major defensive upgrade at first base.

In spring training, the Tribe quietly put an emphasis on trying to be ready to open the season strong. They know the value. We'll see if they deliver.

ABOUT THE TRIBE

1. The injury to Michael Brantley has really opened the door for Jose Ramirez. The 23-year-old made the team as an utility infielder. With Brantley out, the switch-hitting Ramirez has played a lot of left field. Just as he did in spring training, he's hitting. In the minors, Ramirez was a career .304 hitter.

2. It's also worth remembering that Ramirez won't be 24 until Sept. 17. He has always been one of the youngest players at any level where he has played. The same is true of Lindor, who won't be 23 until Nov. 14. Both players have room and time to grow.

3. The Tribe was extremely impressed with Danny Salazar's first two starts. He did not have his best control -- walking six in 11 1/3 innings. But in the past, the walks would have upset him. He would have thrown up some fat fastballs and made a mess of things. But in both starts, he remained poised. He allowed only five hits in those 11 1/3 innings, striking out 16!

4. Salazar's average fastball has risen from 94.8 mph in 2015 to 95.3. That's significant because starters sometimes don't throw as hard early in the year as they do in the summer as their arm gets stronger. The Indians thought Salazar had a breakthrough in 2015 as he made every start and threw a career-high 185 innings. He looks capable of more in 2016 than his 14-10 record (3.45 ERA) of a year ago.

5. It didn't take long to see how Napoli is an upgrade at first base over Carlos Santana and several others. He's saved at least two runs with excellent glove work.

6. I wondered how rookie Tyler Naquin hit against lefties in the minors. A lefty hitter, Naquin has been platooned with Rajai Davis in center field. In the last two minor-league seasons, Naquin batted .327 vs. righties, .257 vs. lefties. So there is a difference, but he doesn't seem helpless against lefties.

7. I imagine Naquin will see action against lefties as the season progresses. He is off to a nice start, 4-of-11 at the plate. Naquin has a reasonably controlled swing, so he should develop into more than a platoon player.

8. When the Tribe signed a 35-year-old free agent who uses speed as part of his game, there is concern about how Davis would run in 2016. Speed can go quickly. Look at what happened to Michael Bourn when he signed at age 29. But early returns for Davis are positive. He's stolen four bases, legged out a triple and made a couple of nice running catches. Twelve strikeouts in 31 at-bats is disturbing, but it's also early in the season.

9. Trevor Bauer has been using three primary pitches coming out of the bullpen, and that could be helping his control. Bauer has at least six pitches available to him, perhaps more. In his first four innings of relief, he's throwing his fastball 65 percent of the time. That compared to 52 percent a year ago. His velocity has risen from an average of 92.8 to 94.5 mph.

10. The idea of Bauer in the bullpen is to simplify his approach. Come in and throw hard. Pick a few other pitches. Don't worry or think that much. It's what the Indians did with Carlos Carrasco in the early part of 2014. Bauer has eight strikeouts against two walks in six innings. He gave up two runs in his opening day appearance, none since.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs

Does having the best regular season record always lead to an NBA title? Not exactly.

See Cleveland Cavaliers fans share what's needed to win an NBA title. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are making their 20th playoff appearance starting at home on Sunday at The Q. At Wednesday's final regular season game, Cavs fans shared their excitement with cleveland.com.

See the video above by Nick Cucuzza on what fans believe the Cavs need to do to win their first NBA title.

The Cavaliers hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The first round will be the best of seven against the No. 8 Detroit Pistons. Tipoff of Game 1 is at 3 p.m.

The Buckeyes wrap up spring practice on Saturday with a game in Ohio Stadium.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football team concludes spring practice on Saturday with its annual spring game in Ohio Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

The Buckeyes beat writers from cleveland.com will have you covered with scores, updates and tweets from the stadium.

You can get every score and update in the comments section below. Follow along with cleveland.com's coverage team of Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis

The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.

You can view full spring game rosters here.

Ohio State may have been late to the game on Taylor, but it isn't dead. Taylor is visiting Ohio State on Saturday for the Buckeyes spring game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Harbaugh didn't emphasize recruiting Ohio in his first season as Michigan's head coach, and there could be a few reasons for that. 

But now that Harbaugh has settled in after a successful first season with the Wolverines, he's doing what Michigan has always done: Attacking Ohio.  

Though Harbaugh still needs to pick his spots in Ohio -- Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are still unquestionably the king of keeping in-state talent at home -- he's having success, namely when he earned a verbal commitment from tight end Leonard Taylor of Springfield, Ohio, on April 1. 

Ohio State may have been late to the game on Taylor, but it isn't dead. Taylor, who also plays defensive tackle, is visiting Ohio State on Saturday for the Buckeyes spring game. 

Taylor is rated a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, but he doesn't have a composite ranking yet because he's a 2018 prospects and not every recruiting service has gotten around to issuing him a rating. 

It's clear, though, that the 6-foot-6, 258-pound tight end is going to be an elite prospect. Taylor also has offers from Ohio State, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee and others.

Taylor is also scheduled to visit Michigan State for the Spartans spring game next weekend. 

Below is Taylor's highlight tape: 

Manager Terry Francona and seven of his players talk about wearing Jackie Robinson's No. 42 and how they think he changed baseball.

The Cavs and Warriors were the best teams in their respective conferences for a reason. Bud Shaw makes his NBA Playoffs 2016 Prediction and he has the Cavs coming close but falling short in their bid for a title. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - There's only one thing harder to imagine than someone beating LeBron James four times in seven games given how great he's playing entering the postseason.

No. It's not someone beating the Toronto Raptors four of seven times.

Or Ty Lue winning a head-to-head coaching matchup with the Spurs' Gregg Popovich.

It's the Golden State Warriors losing four times in a series while holding home-court advantage after a season in which they only lost nine games total.

The Cavs can cause the Warriors a number of problems, but I don't see the approach and commitment defensively to disrupt a team that shares the ball and expands the court as well as Golden State does.

Having Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving might've been enough to bring the Cavs a championship last year.

It still feels like enough to push the Warriors to the brink this year, just not enough for a parade.

The Buckeyes drew 99,391 fans for the spring football game in 2015 and beat that Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer asked for 100,000 fans and Ohio State fans answered.

Ohio State will break the spring football game attendance record on Saturday when the final attendance is officially announced after the kickoff at 1:30 p.m.

The Buckeyes capped their pregame ticket sales at 92,500 and hit that mark, selling that many $5 seats. No walkup tickets are available.

Ohio State didn't sell to the capacity of over 104,000 because spots were saved for Ohio State students, who get in free, and children under 6, who also get in free. It is those fans who will get the final attendance account to over 100,000.

It will happen.

Last year, Ohio State set the national spring game attendance mark by drawing 99,391 fans.

This year, the Buckeyes and their fans his triple digits.

Buckeyes targeted 100,000

.@OhioStAthletics [?] k in #TheShoe #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/g1kd9n2RZZ

-- Brutus Buckeye (@Brutus_Buckeye) April 16, 2016

For the second straight season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the clear-cut best team in the Eastern Conference. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second straight season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the clear-cut best team in the Eastern Conference.

While susceptible to an upset because of a first-time head coach, bizarre in-game body language, slipping defense, Kyrie Irving's inclination to become a me-first guard and other quirks that aren't typical for a title-contending team, there's no visible conference threat that appears capable of beating a LeBron James-led team four times in seven tries. 

The real question in these playoffs is whether any team in the top-heavy Western Conference can keep the record-setting Golden State Warriors from a repeat trip to the NBA Finals.

Battle-tested San Antonio, armed with the league's top defense, poses the biggest threat while the Oklahoma City Thunder's devastating duo -- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook -- are fully capable of making a deep run.

However, as Gregg Popovich said earlier this year, the Warriors are "unsolvable" and "the best team in the world."

Given their title run last year, their 73-win season and a five-man lineup that no one has been able to handle, why would anyone pick against them, especially with the two-time MVP and greatest shooter on their side?

In a Finals rematch that will again spotlight the NBA's two best players -- Stephen Curry and James -- the Warriors' team-oriented style, snappy ball movement, swarming defense and Swiss Army Knife-like roster has been assembled to take down anyone in a seven-game series -- even a superhuman force like James, who has flipped the switch permanently to the "on" position. 

The scary reality for the Cavs is that Golden State wasn't satisfied after last year's championship. The team improved. Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes all had career years.

A motivated James and a healthy roster won't be enough to thwart a Warriors coronation.

The Browns will draft behind a Rams team that everyone suspects will take either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. As the draft nears, it's easier to see the Browns looking to trade out of the No. 2 pick to accumulate more quality picks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Paul DePodesta's title is "Chief Strategy Officer." His wing men are Harvard grads.

That hardly sounds like an organizational direction that allows for the Browns to use the No. 2 pick on whichever quarterback the Rams don't take.

The football side of the brain trust, where Hue Jackson's reputation puts him at the head of the quarterback development department, could make the case for doing exactly that if the prevailing rankings regarding Jared Goff and Carson Wentz suggest they're No. 1 and No. 1A.

So if it turns out the Browns and Rams are both head over heels about the same boy next door, it's hard to imagine the Browns settling for second best at a position that's as risky as it is important.

So bet the front office winning if that's the decision. Bet on the Browns doing everything possible to accumulate high-value picks in a trade-down, or moving on to another position.

Quantity of draft picks in Berea hasn't been the issue over the years. Quality has. You know that.

Did the Rams trade with the Titans shake up the first round?

But to think a front office that believes it can reduce the errors with smart, tactical decisions won't jump at the chance to get quality and quantity is naive.

The draft isn't about next season. It's about a long-term strategy for an organization that's already shown a certain comfort level with creating more holes than one or even two drafts could possibly fill. Looking at what the Browns have done - not what traditional thinking tells us they should do - suggests that trading down if at all possible seems consistent with their strategy.

They have let a handful of starters leave in free agency. Starters on a 3-13 team, yes, but also some starters who played (at various times) at or near a Pro Bowl level.

What will the discussion be in Berea on draft night?

They have signed a 26-year-old quarterback who was a No. 2 overall pick. They acquired Robert Griffin III in part on the advice of Jackson and no doubt with the thought that Jackson can put him back together again.

That looks a lot like an organization unwilling to go all-in for a young quarterback. That looks a lot like an organization that sees the No. 2 pick in the draft as a launching pad to replenishing a roster.

There have been louder drum rolls leading into the draft. But no Browns draft has been as potentially revealing as what we will see later this month. It's a first glance at the relationship between front office analytics and Jackson's institutional knowledge of a position that has helped make his reputation.

Maybe DePodesta knows what he doesn't know. But it's still hard to imagine he'd devise a strategy around picking whatever QB the Rams don't want.

Disclaimer: Goff is the best choice. If he's there, take him and develop him -- something the Browns haven't done at the top of the draft since Tim Couch. But this column is about what I think the Browns will do, not what they should do.

Everything about the front office and the team's situation point to turning the No. 2 pick into something more.

Especially if the alternative is anything except their idea of the best QB in the draft.

You have to watch what the Benedictine grad did Saturday. In fact, watch both of his one-handed interceptions this spring. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- To be clear, the best play of Ohio State's spring football game Saturday was Jerome Baker's second one-handed interception of the spring.

First came his play in a team scrimmage on March 26. It looked like this.

A screen shot from an Ohio State team video showing a one-handed Jerome Baker interception in a scrimmage on March 26, 2016.Ohio State football

That's a screen shot from an Ohio State team video. Watch the full highlight video, with Baker's play popping up around the one-minute mark.

Then came his play Saturday, the one watched by more than 100,000 fans in the stands and a lot more on the Big Ten Network.

It looked like this.

Jerome Baker's one-handed interception during the Ohio State spring game on April 16, 2016.Big Ten Network

Watch the full highlight of the Baker catch from the Big Ten Network broadcast.

So the burning question for the sophomore after the game was .... Does he make the best one-handed interceptions among the Buckeyes?

Baker knew the count was at two, but he joined a lot of Buckeyes who have praised the interception skills of safety Malik Hooker this spring.

As for the hurt finger, you could see a small wrap on Baker's left hand. But the Benedictine grad might just be one of those guys who can't help but do things you can't believe.

Believe this - after contributing on special teams last year, he'll continue to fight for a starting job in the fall.

[?] [?] [?] Jerome Baker on one-handed INT: Our D-line did a great job. I saw the ball and went up and got it. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/9VgxZzRweK

-- Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) April 16, 2016

[?] Hot Highlights![?]
[?] clips from 2016 Spring Game. #GoBucks

[?] https://t.co/mDhoDI6OCO

[?] @Lastname_Baker, oh my! pic.twitter.com/Ng1ZhJFibr

-- Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) April 16, 2016

#Shh [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/Myj4WhSsNE

-- Jerome Baker Jr. (@Lastname_Baker) April 17, 2016

Sheesh... I have a spot for you in @Zone6_OSU if u want!!! #StickyGrip https://t.co/m5RXXl6EuV

-- Zach Smith #Zone6 (@CoachZachSmith) April 17, 2016

More takeaways from Ohio State's defense after the Buckeyes spring game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin their playoff run on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. and the game will be shown on ABC.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin their playoff run on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. and the game will be shown on ABC. On radio, it will be simulcast on WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS and 87.7 FM (ESP).

The Cavaliers (57-25) enter the postseason as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, eager to start another lengthy journey after falling two games short of winning the NBA championship last season. 

LeBron James, the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in April, averaged 28.8 points on 65.6 percent from the field in the five-game stretch.

Kyrie Irving is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 19.6 points. 

Detroit (44-38), the No. 8 seed in the conference, is back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The Pistons are led by their dangerous pick-and-roll duo, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond.

Jackson averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 assists in the regular season. Drummond, the league leader in double-doubles, averaged 16.2 points to go with an NBA-high 14.8 rebounds.  

Catch the coverage from before the game; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage. For all Cavs information, be sure to check out cleveland.com/cavs.