What to Watch For - Cavs v. Celtics
Posted March 6th, 2009 by Michael Curry
What to watch for as the Cavs head into Boston with a chance to put some real ground between themselves and the Celtics for the #1 spot in the East:
- Kevin Garnett is expected to miss tonight’s game, and if he does it will be the eighth straight game he has missed with a knee injury. Garnett is the only true intimidator in the Celtics’ interior defense, and his absence should make it easier for LeBron James and Delonte West to finish at the hoop. With Garnett sidelined and James Posey fleeing for New Orleans in free agency last Summer, the interior defense of the Celtics is not nearly as suffocating as it was last season. Without Garnett’s defense, the Celtics have given up an average of 96 points per game over their last seven, 3.6 ppg higher than their season average.
- Boston is only 4-3 without Garnett, and two of the wins have been very tight victories over the Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets. They have also lost to the hapless Los Angeles Clippers over this stretch.
- The loss of Garnett doesn’t mean that the Cavs will have an easy rebounding night, as the Celtics maintain a league-best rebounding differential of +5.6 rpg. Kendrick Perkins (2.7 offensive rebounds per game) and Leon Powe (2.0 orpg) are the Celtics that do the most damage on the offensive glass, and the Cavs have to box out and secure as many defensive rebounds as possible if they want to win tonight. You cannot give the Celtics extra possessions at home.
- When the Cavs beat the Celtics in January, they made excellent defensive rotations that successfully took away any easy ball-movement baskets, forcing the Celtics to beat them in one-on-one matchups. Paul Pierce is typically charged with scoring isolation buckets for the Celtics, but LeBron James was able to harass Pierce all night, limiting him to just 4-for-15 shooting, five turnovers and just one assist. Don’t expect Pierce to struggle quite as badly at home, but Boston needs Pierce to have a big night if they want to have a chance in this game.
- Leon Powe remains my favorite Celtic, and is the type of player who gets rally-creating and extending buckets around the basket, often adding an and-one opportunity thanks to a foul. Even in the Cavs beatdown of Boston in January, he still managed to score 8 points on 4-for-5 shooting, and at home his buckets can easily become backbreakers.
- No Ben Wallace in the lineup tonight means no classless Hack-a-Ben strategy from Doc Rivers should the Cavs have a late lead. Well, at least Doc can’t embarrass himself on national TV again tonight.
Go Cavs.
