When Lebron James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was not ready to declare this team ready to win a championship. He still might not be ready to do that, but here he is putting another franchise on his back in search of another playoff run. Despite the loss of Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are in the Eastern Conference Finals. They were expected to reach this point. The Atlanta Hawks were not and yet they have home court advantage for Game 1 and hope to take advantage of that.
Both Cleveland and Atlanta have had dramatic turnarounds this year. The Cavaliers had not been in the postseason since James' first stint with the team. The Hawks were coming off a disappointing first-round loss in 2014 only to post a franchise-best 60 wins this year under second-year head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Cavaliers were predicted to be one of the top teams in the East this season while Atlanta was projected as a No. 10 team. They now meet for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The playoffs have been a struggle for Atlanta who has yet to really get that statement win. They were pushed by both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, needing six games to win both series. The Hawks escaped Washington after Paul Pierce attempted a 3-point shot to send Game 6 into overtime, but had it called off at the buzzer. The team has struggled with consistency and need to be at their best against Cleveland.
DeMarre Carroll will be the biggest champion for that as the Junkyard Dog looks to cement his spot as a star in the league. Carroll was able to hold James to 18 points and nine turnovers during the two team's last meeting. Carroll is currently leading the Hawks averaging 17.1 points per game. Kyle Korver will be the x-factor for better or worse for the Hawks. The shooter as struggled with the 3-point shot this postseason after excelling during the regular season. He has made just 35 of his last 100 attempted while getting in just one of 12 against the Wizards.
Health will be the issue for Cleveland. Kyrie Irving told the media he is good-to-go for Game 1, but is dealing with knee and foot issues. He was pulled in the second quarter in the win over the Chicago Bulls, but stresses he is healthy. James has been dealing with some injuries leaving players like Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov along with JR Smith to step up. That has been working out well for Cleveland so far.
