This article is part of our Staff Picks series.
The Eastern Conference is down to Cleveland and Toronto. Here's how the RotoWire NBA Staff predicts things will go down:
Pick: Cavaliers in 5 games
Reasoning:
Toronto actually played well against Cleveland during the regular season, winning two of three games, but this is a different Cavs squad. LeBron and company are on a mission. The Raptors finished their series against the Heat on a high note, but this team has struggled for much of the playoffs. A sweep isn't out of the question, as I don't expect this to be much of a series
Pick: Cavaliers in 5 games
Reasoning: The Cavs are just a better team than the Raptors. The Raptors are finally playing to capacity, as Kyle Lowry seems to be recovered from the elbow injury that hindered his production to end the season and at the start of the playoffs. But the Cavaliers are still better, top-to-bottom. The Raptors have no answer for LeBron James, who is still very likely the best basketball player in the world, and with Jonas Valanciunas out they don't have the inside scoring punch to balance Lowry's and DeMar DeRozan's perimeter attack. The Cavs have finally started implementing the small-ball/three-point shooting line-up that should be their identity moving forward, and the Raptors don't have the firepower to stay with them.
Pick: Cavaliers in 4 games – SWEEP
Reasoning: Among all the Eastern Conference teams, I think only the Heat could have seriously pushed the Cavaliers to seven games, and that's only if both Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside had been healthy. The Raptors are certainly a formidable outfit, but after a grueling seven-game series -- which featured three overtime games -- I'm skeptical they have much more left in the tank. Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) doesn't seem likely to be available for at least the first few games of the series, and Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and DeMarre Carroll are all banged up to some extent, too. While Lowry came around in the final two games of the series with the Heat, both he and DeRozan were essentially forced to play hero ball each possession due to the lack of other offensive options. That strategy ended up working out against a depleted Heat roster, but the duo will struggle to consistently keep up with a Cavs offense that has risen to another level this postseason with Kevin Love finding his niche as a floor-stretching center in undersized lineups.
Pick: Cavaliers in 4 games – SWEEP
Reasoning:
These teams are simply on different levels and it's quite clear the Cavaliers are on a mission. Not only have they had over a week of rest, their facing a Raptors team that has played 14 games in the first two rounds. Toronto may squeak out a game at home, but that's the extent of their success in this round. After failing to win a playoff series for over a decade, Toronto will be satisfied with their run and likely lay over against a far superior Cleveland team. Despite the fact that the Raptors won two of three in the regular season, these are different teams right now and Cleveland will surely remember those prior matchups.
Pick: Cavaliers in 4 games - SWEEP
Reasoning: I can't decide whether to take the Cavs in 4 or 7. If they play up to their potential they'll win each game by 15+ -- if they get comfortable they could blow some games. Cavs have the three best players so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt.
Pick: Cavaliers in 5 games
Reasoning: MAYBE Junk Yard Dawg DeMarre Carroll can slow down LeBron James. And Kyle Lowry can PROBABLY/MAYBE exceed Kyrie Irving's play. And MAYBE Bismack Biyombo and Patrick Patterson can out rebound Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. But the chances of all three occurring seem tiny, and that's what the Raptors will need to get past Cleveland. How can the Raptors help Carroll defend King James, yet still keep Thompson off the glass? How can DeMar DeRozan, he of the DePressing Mid-Range jumper, regain his shooting stroke after hitting only 35% of shots in the first two series? Plus, the Cavs have had a nice rest after sweeping Atlanta. Really, I should be predicting a sweep, but I hate the idea of that awesome Toronto fan base having to witness two crushing losses at home. I'm thinking Cav overconfidence and the emotional rush of the home crowd will help the Raptors sneak one in Toronto. But that's it.
Still have some time? Enjoy the highlights of Cleveland destroying Atlanta in Game 4 of Round 2:
