GT: Playoffs Round 1: Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers This series sees the seventh seed Washington Wizards take on the second seed Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have the home court advantage, and will therefore play the seventh and final game at home if necessary. The schedule for the series is as follows: Game 1: Sun., Apr. 22 @ CLE, 12:30, TNT - 82-97 Game 2: Wed., Apr. 25 @ CLE, 8:00, NBATV - 102-109 Game 3: Sat., Apr. 28 @ WAS, 5:30, TNT - 98-92 Game 4: Mon., Apr. 30 @ WAS, TBD Game 5: Wed., May 2 @ CLE, TBD Game 6: Fri., May 4 @ WAS, TBD Game 7: Sun., May 6 @ CLE, TBD [div=50%] <font color="#006A8F"> The Wizards enter this season’s playoffs with one huge disadvantage: they are without star PG Gilbert Arenas, who is out for the season with a knee injury. With that said, the Wizards could well struggle against a full-strength Cavaliers team who have been playing very well at times. In addition, they are missing solid Guard-Forward Caron Butler who has caused the Cavaliers problems in their recent games. <u>PG</u> – Antonio Daniels Daniels is covering superstar guard Gilbert Arenas at the point. Obviously this means that the Wizards will lose production in all areas at this position. Arenas is a better scorer, playmaker, rebounder and defender. Daniels is a decent shooter and can hit big shots for the Wizards and, who knows, could become the clutch factor that the Wizards require if they are to take the Cavs anywhere in this playoff series. <u>SG</u> – DeShawn Stevenson Stevenson is really trying to prove himself, in order to gain a higher paid contract when his current deal runs out. So far, he has established that he is an energetic and athletic scorer who lacks playmaking, rebounding and defending consistency. He can defend well at times, but often it is lacklustre. If the Wizards are to stand a chance, he must ensure that his defence is solid against up and coming guard Aleksandar Pavlovic who has proven that he can kill teams with his all round offensive game. <u>SF</u> – Jarvis Hayes Hayes is a solid player at the Forward position, but he will need every ounce of his ability and a lot more if he is to stand a chance against LeBron James in this series. No doubt, Hayes will team up with someone to double team the King. Hayes has a solid jumpshot which crucially means he cannot be left unguarded on the perimeter. His defense is one of his weaknesses, as is his ball handling but his agility is good for his size. <u>PF</u> – Antawn Jamison The hopes of Washington lie with Jamison for this series. He is the only legitimate 20 point a night threat for the Wizards, and can get them 10 rebounds too. They will need all that and more if they are to stay in contention with a strong Cavaliers side. He is yet to prove himself completely in clutch games but without Arenas to take the shots, Jamison should be the number 1 option. He is a strong shooter and defender and will need to be on top form. <u>C</u> – Etan Thomas Thomas’ strengths lie in his defense and physical size. He is a good shot blocker and rebounder, but his severe weakness to Ilgauskas is his height. He gives up 5 inches to the Lithuanian and that will be hard to compensate for, especially as his offense is sub-par. His defense will have to be second to none for the Wizards, if they are to defeat the Cavaliers in this series. <u>Key Bench Placer 1</u> – Brendan Haywood Haywood’s slump in form in March cost him his starting position. He is probably more suited to playing the Cavaliers, who have great presence in the inside, as his height allows him to combat players such as Ilgausaks more efficiently. His offensive skills, like Thomas’, are limited, but his defense is more suited to stopping the Cavaliers. <u>Wizards’ Keys to winning the game</u> <ul> [*]Find out who the new clutch player will be. Whenever these two teams meet, the games invariably end up very close and decided in the last few minutes. The Wizards will need to find a new player, likely Jamison or Daniels, to take the key shots and kill off the Cavaliers. [*]Win the battle at the free throw line. The Cavaliers have been woeful at the free throw line this season, and it is their major weakness. If the Wizards can capitalise on this, they could get one step ahead of the Cavaliers quickly and easily. [*]Play tough defense. The easiest way to cover the losses of high octane scorers is to limit the scoring of the other team. If they play fundamentally sound defense, mixed with some big plays, the Wizards could gain the upper hand over the Cavs. [/list] </font> [/div] <font color="#B94056">The Cavaliers have been very lucky with injuries so far, and will be hoping that this continues throughout the postseason. They should be able to defeat the injury-hit Wizards team without too much struggle, setting up a matchup with either the Raptors or the Nets in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. <u>PG</u> – Larry Hughes His main weakness is obviously his proneness to injury, but he has done well this season and played 70 games. He is not the best shooter in the world, but is capable of making key three point shots throughout the course of a game and series. His playmaking is also improving and he is revelling in the opportunity to take the ball up the court himself. His quick first step and ability to force steals is what got him his huge Cavs contract. In Cleveland, we are yet to consistently see what he is really capable of, but perhaps this is his moment to prove himself. <u>SG</u> – Aleksandar Pavlovic Pavlovic is a surprising break-through player, who has mixed deadly accurate three point shooting with powerful drives to the hoop to beat defenders however it is necessary. His defense is weaker, but adequate for now. He may struggle with the athleticism of Stevenson, but ought to be able to cope in general with the Wizards’ offense whilst scoring in hot streaks when attacking. <u>SF</u> – LeBron James LeBron. LeBron. LeBron: a phenomenally talented and gifted player capable of winning any series against any team for the Cavaliers. Unfortunately for him, other players on other teams are capable of the same thing, but luckily on the Wizards at present there are no such players. Personally, I would advocate slightly reduced playing time for LeBron (not touching 40 minutes, at least) to keep him fresh for the later rounds. It is more than likely that he will play huge playing time, but it’s not a big issue. He will need to be on form to ensure a Cavs victory, but a victory would be likely nonetheless. <u>PF</u> – Drew Gooden Gooden is a very well-equipped players who is very powerful with a finesse shot from all the way out to around 17 feet. This means he can post up to score or grab offensive rebounds, or drop back and secure an easy open mid range shot. His rebounding is his primary attribute, and could well average 10 rebounds a game in this series. He is a key player for the Cavs, such is his ability to grab offensive rebounds, and will need to continue to do so in this series. <u>C</u> – Zydrunas Ilgauskas Ilgauskas is a similar player to Gooden, but less powerful with a better inside game and longer range on his shot. Gooden should be aiming to get towards the ability level where Ilgauskas is, improving his inside game and range. Ilgauskas, too, is a strong rebounder as well as shot blocker, but can be a little too soft on defense. <u>Key Bench Player 1</u> – Anderson Varejao Wild Thing by name, Wild Thing by nature, that is the sure thing about Anderson Varejao. He is fairly quick for a big man, but most importantly is energetic and he injects passion into the game as he tears up and down the court to help the Cavs win. He has very little range on his shot, but is capable to doing most other things on offense and defense. He is the leader in the unofficial stat of charges drawn per game with 0.7 per game. He is a key part to the Cavaliers, providing cover at the C and PF spots. <u>Cavaliers’ Keys to winning the game</u> <ul> [*]LeBron James. As per usual, if James plays well, so will the Cavs. If he takes over a game, most likely the Cavs will, too. If he dominates a playoff series, the Cavs will likely win it. [*]Play the inside game. The Cavs overmatch the Wizards at the 4 and 5, and should use this advantage every time they can. If they can win the battle in the paint, they should be able to continue the momentum to their outside game. [*]Play solid outside defense. LeBron, Hughes and Pavlovic will have to play good outside defense against their matchups in order to stop them hitting their threes and making easy bucks, thus taking away a lot of their points and making it harder for them to gain any points. [/list] </font> <u>Prediction</u> Since October 2003, including playoff games, the Cavs and Wizards have met 20 times. The Cavs have won 11 games, averaging 100.3 points per game and the Wizards have won 9, averaging 100.7. The Cavs have won 4 playoff games whilst the Wizards have won 2. LeBron James averages 28.6 points, 7.15 rebounds and 5.9 assists against the Wizards. It should be an interesting and fierce series, but the Cavs should be able to win, as the Wizards are depleted due to injuries. <font color="#006A8F">1</font>-<font color="#B94056">4</font> <font size="6">Current Score: <font color="#006A8F">0</font>-<font color="#B94056">4</font></font>
This is probably going to be the most boring series. Cleveland with a blowout win in game 1 on their way to a sweep.
Daniels is by far a much better defender and rebounder than Gilbert Arenas is. You can pick either player with playmaking because Daniels does a great job playing that pass-first, shoot later type role, as Arenas can shoot and drive on demand. Hopefully the Wizards can steal 1-2 games out of this.
Game 2: April 24 This game sees the 0-1 Washington Wizards take on the 1-0 Cleveland Cavaliers at The Quicken Loans Arena. <div align="center"><font color="#006A8F"> <u>Washington Wizards</u> C Etan Thomas PF Antawn Jamison SF Jarvis Hayes SG DeShawn Stevenson PG Antonio Daniels</font> @ <font color="#B94056">C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG Aleksandar Pavlovic PG Larry Hughes <u>Cleveland Cavaliers</u> </font></div> <u>Key Matchup</u> ? PF Antawn Jamison v Drew Gooden v These are two competent Forwards who can influence the outcomes of games severely. Jamison is the prominent scorer on the Wizards, as was shown in the first meeting between the two teams as he scored 28 points and had 14 rebounds, and he will need to keep this up if the Wizards are to have a chance. Gooden is a less prominent scorer but is a strong rebounder, thus is a key performer for the Cavs. He had a sub-par game with 10 points and 6 rebounds on Sunday. Should he be able to defend Jamison better in Game 2, the Cavaliers ought to be en route to a relatively easy win. [div=50%] <font color="#006A8F"><u>Wizards? Keys to Victory</u> <ul> [*]Get Jamison going early. If Jamison can start scoring quickly and early, the Wizards have a strong chance at defeating the Cavaliers, especially with LeBron James liable to play limited minutes. [*]Play extremely hard when LeBron is sitting. When LeBron sits for extended periods of time, the Wizards must gain the upper hand. The Cavs will be without their greatest player and therefore the Wizards must be prepared to take full advantage by scoring many points and stopping the Cavs from scoring. [*]Improve Free Throw shooting. Surprisingly, the Wizards lost the battle at the line in Game 1, so must make every effort possible to win the battle this time around. Free throw shooting is the Cavaliers? Achilles Heel, and it must be abused by the Wizards if they are to win the game or series. [/list] </font> [/div] <font color="#B94056"><u>Cavaliers? Keys to Victory</u> <ul> [*]Lift the scoring load away from LeBron James. It is unclear how much LeBron?s ankle could bother him after he sprained it mildly in Game 1. It is therefore important to provide him with more regular rests, not only to take weight off it but also so the training staff can monitor the progress. If they can do that and still win, they will be well set for the latter rounds of the playoffs. [*]Rebound with more venom than Sunday. The Cavaliers won the rebound battle in Game 1, but should have obtained more. They gave up 11 offensive rebounds, whilst only grabbing 10 of their own ? not what is expected from such a strong rebounding team. [*]Shut down Antawn Jamison. It was obvious from Game 1 that Jamison will be the primary, secondary and tertiary options for the Wizards. If the Cavs can shut him down and force the Wizars to go elsewhere, to should be able to grab a simple win. [/list] </font> <u>Prediction</u> Since October 2003, the Cavs and Wizards have met 21 times. The Cavs have won 12 games, averaging 100 points per game, whilst the Wizards have won 9 times, averaging 100.3 points. LeBron James has featured in all 21 games, and averages 28.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists against the Wizards. The Cavaliers should be able to win this game without too much trouble, as well as the remainder of the series. <font color="#006A8F">85</font>- <font color="#B94056">97</font>
Cavs shouldn't let the Wizards hang around as they did in game 1. They'll need to double Jamison and let the rest of the scrubs score.
<div align="center"></div> This game sees the 2-0 Cleveland Cavaliers take on the 0-2 Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center. <div align="center"><font color="#B94056"><u>Cleveland Cavaliers</u> C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG Aleksandar Pavlovic PG Larry Hughes </font> @ <font color="#006A8F">C Etan Thomas PF Antawn Jamison SF Jarvis Hayes SG DeShawn Stevenson PG Antonio Daniels <u>Washington Wizards</u></font></div> <u>Prediction</u> The two teams have now met 22 times since October 2003. The Cavs have won 13 games, averaging 100.5ppg, whilst the Wizards have won 9, averaging 100.4ppg. LeBron James averages 28.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6 assists against the Wizards. The Cavaliers should be able to cruise to another victory, provided they play towards the top of their game. For the Wizards to win, they have to lock down defensively, especially on LeBron James. <font color="#B90456">98</font>-<font color="#006A8F">92</font>
<div align="center"></div> This game sees the 3-0 Cleveland Cavaliers take on the 0-3 Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center. <div align="center"><font color="#B94056"><u>Cleveland Cavaliers</u> C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG Aleksandar Pavlovic PG Larry Hughes </font> @ <font color="#006A8F">C Etan Thomas PF Antawn Jamison SF Jarvis Hayes SG DeShawn Stevenson PG Antonio Daniels <u>Washington Wizards</u></font></div> <u>Prediction</u> Since October 2003, the Cavs and Wizards have met 23 times. The Cavs have won 14 of the games, including 7 playoff games, whilst the Wizards have won 9, including just 2 playoff games. The Cavs average 100.3 points per game (101.4 in playoff games) whilst the Wizards average 100 points per game (98.4 in playoff games). LeBron James has featured in all 23 games, and averages 28.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists against the Wizards. It ought to be a fairly safe and secure game for the Cavaliers, who are looking to sweep the Wizards in what has been a fairly laid back series for the Eastern Conference Finals hopefuls. <font color="#B90456">97</font>-<font color="#006A8F">89</font>
Just put these guys out for good. may their deaths be quick and swift!!!! The cavs have to make this a statement game to put some fear in NJ.
