The wait is finally over, as the two best teams in the Eastern Conference square off on Wednesday at the Philips Arena for Game 1 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks.
The first game of the series is always pivotal, as it serves as a precursor of what to expect in the rest of the series from each team. Adjustments by Cleveland and Atlanta will be made throughout the series, but the first impression will set the tone for both teams. We’ve gathered some insights and predictions from other notable writers around the internet on what they expect from Game 1.
Over in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors are also set for their bid at an NBA Finals berth. Check out our own preview of the Western Conference Finals here.
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Experts Predictions for Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 1
Bleacher Report
Expert
Prediction
Zach Buckley
Cleveland 99-92
Zach Buckley, a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, cites that Kyle Korver’s 3-point shooting slump in the playoffs will be a key factor for Atlanta’s offense. After the previous games in this postseason, Korver’s playoff 3-point shooting percentage dropped to 35 percent. This is a far cry from his 49 percent success rate from beyond the arc this regular season.
[sc:NBA240banner ]We should expect Korver to stay on the floor and provide good minutes for the Hawks in spite of his slump, as the opposing defenses still consider him as a threat on the court. The Hawks average more points (6.5 points more in every 100 possessions) with Korver on the floor than without him.
As for the Cavs, Buckley stated the importance of having center Timofey Mozgov on the floor. Buckley mentioned that in this postseason, Mozgov’s defense has held the opposing players’ field goal percentage to a mere 34 percent. Expect Mozgov’s minutes to go up, as the Hawks have a pair of capable bigs in Al Horford and Paul Millsap that produce good numbers in the paint.
Covers.com, meanwhile, stated that DeMarre Carroll will have his hands full at trying to contain LeBron James for the majority of the series. Carroll himself is putting up big offensive numbers by having seven 20-point games in this year’s playoffs. However, James remains the raging elephant in the room that Carroll must try to tame. James is averaging 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists this postseason.
Atlanta’s backcourt tandem of Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder may also see playing time on the floor together. The Hawks would want both of their floor generals to execute plays on offense that promote Atlanta’s excellent ball movement and team play.
This is what Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer had to say about the Teague-Schroder combination: “When those two guys play together, it gives you a second player that’s very comfortable, very accustomed, to being in pick-and-rolls with the ball in their hands – trying to get in the paint, attacking the basket and collapsing the defense.”
FearTheSword.com
Expert
Prediction
Chris Manning
Atlanta 101-94
Lastly, Chris Manning from FearTheSword.com highlighted the difference between the two styles of play that the Hawks and the Cavaliers are running. Manning believes that the series will be won by the team that best executes their style of play.
Atlanta relies on great ball movement and finding the open man, which is similar to the offensive style of the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. The Cavaliers on the other hand, are playing without Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving is still battling with an injury. Hence, Cleveland will rely heavily on James in isolation plays. The attention drawn by James on offense will be critical in getting the rest of the Cleveland offense involved.
Ultimately, Cleveland’s performance in this series hinges around Kyrie Irving’s questionable injury status. Irving would need to be as agile and be close to full-strength for his presence on the court to be a factor. That way, Irving would be able to force Atlanta’s defenders to loosen their defensive leash on James.
