Easter Conference Semi Final Preview- Detroit Vs Cleveland

 

GM Sheed and his Pistons look a determined to avenge their 2021 Finals loss and go one further and lift the Larry O�Brian, the next hurdle in their way is GM Dylan and his underdog Cavs. The Cavaliers are a post-season feel-good story after upsetting the 3 seed Wizards in 7 in the first round. The Cavaliers roster is one without a superstar but a collection a young, athletic and hungry players looking for a radar to fly under. Though the casual fan now sees GM Dylan and his Cavaliers, they will be granted another underdog series as they face the might of the perennial contending Pistons.

First Round

The Pistons cruised through the first round against one of the dark horses for the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors. A 4-0 sweep was one of the least likely scenarios according to the predictions as Toronto�s resurgence appeared possible. Vanvleet, George and Derozan all played but weren�t able to push the series past the initial scheduled four dates as they were bullied by an average margin of 20 points in the brutal sweeping. Irving was one of the stars of the first round and was MVP of the series, proving unstoppable as he averaged 28 points per game. Bam, Brookes and Gobert all played their roles to a high level, putting an exclamation point on Detroit�s position as the new conference favourite.  

 

The Cavaliers� experience through the first round couldn�t have been further from the Piston�s. They were the underdogs, heavily favoured to lose amongst punters and NSL GMs alike. They came up against MVP contender Joel Embiid and Devin Booker though both would sit out at various stages in the series. Remarkably, Cleveland had opportunities to close in game 6 but some Wizard�s magic pushed it to 7. It appeared the home town Wiz would finish off a brave Cavs outfit in front of home fans but the fairy tale was dashed as the spirited youngsters upset the 3^rd seed with an unlikely 108-92 blowout win. You can�t fluke a 7-game series, this was heart and will from the Cavaliers and they will need to channel all that, and more, to create the biggest upset of the second round of the NSL playoffs.

 

The GMS

GM Sheed is one of the best in the business, his work at the controls is top 3 in the league and his ability to roster build is about the same. His GIF ability is top 2 rivalled only by GM Laddas of the Suns. At his disposal, Sheed has scoring but most importantly switchability on the defensive end. He loves to move Bam onto prominent scoring wings and has Gobert to hold the paint. The best asset Sheed possesses when it comes to winning playoff games is big balls and a broad imagination. When something needs to be changed up Sheed is never afraid to pull the trigger and his eye for the game usually makes his moves series altering, giving headaches to opposing GMs.

GM Dylan�s reputation continues to grow amongst as his tenure at the Cavaliers goes on. He hit reboot a year or so ago and has barely looked back since, making savvy trades and free agency signings to continue to get better and younger, which is the ultimate goal in the NSL. Dylan actively chased Wiggins and paid max GMs for Caruso, both moves that have had a huge payoff as they qualified through a first round upset. He is tireless at the controls and isn�t afraid to mix things up, but he will be pushed to his GM limits against one of the most battle hardened and talented teams in the league, the Detroit Pistons.

Matchups

Pistons

PG Kyrie Irving
SG Cole Anthony
SF Dillon Brookes
PF Bam Adebayu
C Rudy Gobert
Bench: Thompson, Schroder, Finney-Smith and Poeltl

Detroit will start the series wanting to maximise Kyrie�s usage and pick and roll play with Bam and Rudy. Sheed will expect point Wiggins but still have confidence in his star to find his shot against the taller but less-talented Wiggins. Sheed will want to harness his combo guard�s basketball IQ and playmaking which should bring the post beasts into the game early. His bench will lock down the minutes when Kyrie sits and make it hard for Cleveland versatile bench to bridge any gap. The rebound war will be something the Pistons will expect to win and they will throw all sorts of headaches at Jarrett Allen with size and strength in all line ups. 

Cleveland

PG Andrew Wiggins (?)
SG Alex Caruso
SF Mattisse Thybulle
PF Brandon Clarke
C Jarrett Allen
Bench: Horford, Monk, Green and Toppin

Cleveland�s trump will be in the Caruso lock-down attempt on Cole Anthony and the point Wiggins line-up. If Caruso can be a headache and force turnovers, while Wiggins breaks even with Kyrie, Cleveland will see opportunities to steal wins. Allen vs Gobert will be the match up to watch while Clarke and Adebayu will exchange opportunistic baskets and second chance points. GM Dylan will have faith that his bench can bridge any margin with good defence and outside scoring gunning from Malik Monk.

Match Ups to Watch

Kyrie Vs Wiggins

Will the athleticism of Wiggins be able to slow Irving and will he be able to take advantage of his size on the offensive end? Wiggins will need to fight over screens to make Irving feel pressure, but the fight on the defensive end might tire him out and limit his offensive impact. Irving won�t be losing sleep over any matchup as he feels he�s the best player in any series, could this be his match?

Gobert Vs Allen

Gobert is the bigger name though Allen is emerging in the league. Both will protect the rim for their respective team but the ultimate edge they will be able to gain will be on the glass. Will Allen be able to keep up with the double-digit rebounding machine in Gobert? Will he be able to find a consistent shot at the rim over the Stifle Tower?

 

Bam Vs Clarke

Clarke is a poor man�s Bam, aspiring to be more and reach the level of stardom Adebayu has achieved thus far in his career. He will need to bring his A-game as Bam has an all-star resume after contending for player of the weeks and being mentioned often in defensive player of the year discussions. Bam should have the edge in this match-up and will want to bully his way to the rim and outmuscle the undersized Clarke on every possible possession. If Bam dominates the Pistons should prove hard to beat.

 

Predictions

The league will be barracking for a Cinderella type performance from GM Dylan as he comes into the second round as a significant betting underdog once again. Most are aware of the professional nature in which Sheed approaches the post-season and will expect nothing but his finest once again. GM Dylan will approach it one game at a time, just like he did against the Wizards, and will aim to look up, take a breath and find himself a game in front after 5 once more.

If I were to bet (which I probably will), I�d be putting my hard-earned on the proven GM and roster. Sheed should be able to get his way in most match-ups and prove too talented for the emerging Cavs.

Series Prediction- Detroit 4 Cleveland 1

Series MVP- Kyrie Irving averaging 32 points, 6 assists.