(1) Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25) vs. (8) Detroit Pistons (44-38)
The last time the Detroit Pistons made the NBA Playoffs in 2009 the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the first round. Seven years later, the Pistons hope for a better outcome and come in with a renewed sense of confidence in themselves. As for the Cavaliers, they are looking to make quick work of the Pistons and stay healthy as they prepare to make a deep playoff run.
Even though the Cavaliers have their eyes on an NBA championship and the Pistons have had their eyes on a playoff berth as their primary goal, it should not be assumed that this will be an easy series for the Cavaliers. The Pistons have a lot of talent and size, which are key ingredients to any upset recipe. In addition, they have nothing to lose and have way less pressure on them.
The Pistons have a nice blend of backcourt play and frontcourt play. Their point guard Reggie Jackson averages 18.8 points per game and 6.2 assists per game while their center Andre Drummond averages 16.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. This balance in the frontcourt and backcourt makes the Pistons a tough team to take out.
It isn't simple enough to shut down the perimeter or control the glass. You have to do both in order to be successful against them. If the Pistons get good production from Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, they'll give themselves a shot at winning this series because of the supporting cast they have around them. Forwards Ersan Ilyasova, Tobias Harris, and Marcus Morris do a good job of stretching the floor and banging down low. Plus, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope does a good job at the wing position on both ends of the floor.
The bottom line is that the Pistons have the pieces to win this series should the Cavaliers fall asleep at the wheel a bit. The Pistons are dangerous and definitely a team that should not be taken lightly because of their seed. The Cavaliers will have to play good basketball to win this series.
That being said, the Cavaliers have LeBron James, who is arguably the best player in the world. LeBron James is so good that he alone makes the Cavaliers the favorites to win this series. He is averaging 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game and very quietly having another MVP caliber season. Then, when you add Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and even J.R. Smith into the equation, it really becomes hard to pick against the Cavaliers in this series. The Pistons have a lot of really good players, but the Cavaliers an all-time great in LeBron James and a borderline superstar in Kyrie Irving.
The bottom line is that the Pistons are a very good team with a lot of really nice pieces but the Cavaliers are simply better because they have LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. I hate to make things as simple as that after singing the Pistons' praises, but that's just how it goes. I do expect the Pistons to get at least one game in this series and maybe two. But, I'm going to say that at the end of the day, extra rest will motivate the Cavaliers to not allow this series to get to a Game 6. The Cavaliers will win this series 4-1, but it will be a battle.
Note: Game 1 of this series is Sunday at 3:00 PM EST on ABC.
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