#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #8 Miami Heat Playoff Preview

After a stunning victory in the play-in tournament, the Miami Heat have advanced to the NBA Playoffs and will face the one-seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. The Heat became the first 10 seed ever to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament, but their reward is the 64-win Cavaliers. The 1-8 matchups rarely yield upsets. But Miami has pulled off improbable playoff upsets from as an eighth seed. However, their team has changed since then, and Cleveland is a powerful team with hopes of winning a championship.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers boast one of the best records in the NBA at 64-18. They have been a buzzsaw, running through most of the league. They have gone on multiple 15-game winning streaks this season. This success can be attributed to Cleveland’s core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell has been the No. 1 option, averaging 24.0 points per game. He is a terrific shot-maker who can take over a game if he gets hot. Mitchell can be a bit streaky, but he is one of the best pure scorers in the NBA today. But even when his shots aren’t falling, the biggest difference in these Cavaliers is the cast around him.

Garland and Mobley have taken huge leaps this season. They both earned All-Star selections along with Mitchell, and they were well-deserved. Garland has averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. He is a quick and shifty guard who can create his shots and take over the offense. Mobley is the Cavaliers’ defensive anchor with 1.6 blocks per game. He is in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award. But he is also another great option on offense with 18.5 points per game. The reason Cleveland has been so successful is that any of these players can win a game if the others aren’t performing. And if they’re all performing, they’re nearly unstoppable.

Allen is the final piece and is a defensive and rebounding force. With him and Mobley, the Cavaliers’ interior defense is strong. They are also a very deep team, with players like DeAndre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Sam Merrill off the bench. The Cavaliers’ core is one of the strongest in the league, and their bench is just as good. They are the one-seed for a reason and will be very tough to eliminate.

The Miami Heat

The Heat have had an improbable journey to the postseason. They finished the regular season as the 10 seed with a 37-45 record, but back-to-back road wins in the play-in tournament made them the eighth seed. Many thought Miami would be down for the count after trading Jimmy Butler, but they have retooled with new additions like Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and Kyle Anderson. Tyler Herro has also had a career year, earning his first All-Star appearance, and Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware hold down the paint.

They do not have the talent to match up with the Cavaliers, but Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the NBA. If anyone can give their high-powered offense trouble, it is him. Miami is a young, hungry team with playoff experience, and those teams are always dangerous. Just two seasons ago, the Heat went to the NBA Finals as an eighth seed and will look to start another stunning run.

Final Thoughts

The Cavaliers are expected to beat the Heat decisively. They have the better roster and have been on top of the Eastern Conference all season. Cleveland defeated Miami in two out of three games during the regular season and will look to do the same in the playoffs. The Heat will try to pull off another shocking upset.