Breaking Down Potential Pacers, Cavaliers Matchup

The Indiana Pacers currently sit in a prime position to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs after going up 3-1 on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks can still come back, but the Pacers look great and don't seem like a team with the downside to blow a series lead.

While they themselves shouldn't be looking ahead to the next round yet, with the Cleveland Cavaliers sweeping the Miami Heat in dominant fashion, it is a fun exercise to write about.

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The Cavaliers were the top seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason. They won 64 games, led by Donovan Mitchell, Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, and a multitude of good players that give them great depth.

On paper, they are built in a similar way to the Pacers. They have some top-end talent, but rely more on multiple key players and good coaching.

In terms of matchups, the guards' matchup may decide the series. While the interior will be interesting with Mobley vs Pascal Siakam and Jarrett Allen vs Myles Turner, Mitchell and Garland facing off with Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard is more of an unknown in terms of how each player will play.

Mitchell will surely be the leading scorer and primary focus of the Cavs' offense, but Nembhard has been a good defender for the Pacers all season and has a chance to do a solid job on him, especially with his innate ability to raise his game in the playoffs.

Whoever Garland is guarding on the perimeter between Haliburton and Nembhard will need to take advantage of him by scoring the ball. Both players are unselfish guards who aren't necessarily score-first, but both are capable of taking advantage of Garland due to their size and versatile scoring abilities.

It also would make sense to attack Mitchell on defense to try and tire him out and limit his offense somewhat.

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The series ultimately may come down to who plays better defensively. The Cavaliers have better individual defenders, especially on the interior, but the Pacers have fewer weaknesses to attack.

If the Pacers once again rely on their balanced scoring attack and take advantage of their opponent's weak points, they can certainly give the 64-win Cavaliers a tough series.

No matter who comes out on top, a six or seven-game series seems inevitable, with both teams battle-tested in recent years in the playoffs and both teams playing some of their best basketball at the moment.

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