Ohio – It was only right on so many levels. Most knew Atlanta vs. Cleveland would eventually be the Eastern Conference Finals matchup.
These were the two best teams.
The Cavaliers will be hitting the road for a Game 1 encounter with the Hawks on Wednesday. Atlanta secured the best record in the conference with a unique blend of good, but far from great, players. Mike Budenholzer was named the NBA Coach of the Year. Because of their selfless brand of basketball, four Hawks were selected to the East's All-Star team this year.
The regular season and postseason are night and day, but it must be noted that the Hawks took three of the four games against the Cavaliers. LeBron James has a plus-minus of -8 against Atlanta, his lowest tally he registered vs. any team during the season.
After the end of Saturday's practice, James offered his thoughts on his next opponent.
"They're a great team. They've been a great team all year," James said. "They've been the No. 1 seed in our conference all year for a reason and it's going to be highly competitive."
Cleveland hasn't begun its preparation for Atlanta. That will take place on Sunday.
The names on the back of the Hawks' jerseys aren't terrifying by any stretch of the imagination. However, when they come together, they're an absolute handful. James elaborated on what makes the Hawks so tough to beat.
"They're balanced," he said. "You can't just key in on one guy. All five guys that's on the floor at that time, you have to have your antennas up. I think it starts with (point guard) Jeff Teague. He's an All-Star for a reason. His aggressiveness, the way he pushes the tempo and then it just falls into everyone else on that team. They do a great job of playing together."
It will be the first time this postseason that the Cavaliers won't have the luxury of beginning a series at The Q. But to James, it doesn't matter. He argued that home-court advantage is a misleading premise.
"We understand what we're in and it's no difference," James said. "It shouldn't be any difference. We've lost at home before to start off the series, so it shouldn't be too much of an adjustment."
Blatt later differed, saying "I think very much so" that the dynamic changes.
"Well, normally I think starting on the road actually puts more pressure on the home team," he said.
The Hawks are 5-1 at Phillips Arena during this postseason. Slowly but surely it has become a nuisance of an atmosphere for opposing teams. A banner season has Hawks fans excited.
But before the Cavaliers embark on that southern journey, these next few days are about strategizing the right method of attack and most importantly, healing.
Kyrie Irving was held out of practice on Sunday and Blatt said he is hopeful his point guard can suit up on Wednesday. Tristan Thompson participated in practice after suffering a scary fall in Thursday's closeout game, in which he bruised his left shoulder.
Iman Shumpert continues to play with a sore groin and James says he's nicked up here and there. Despite their wounds, the Cavaliers are ready for the next chapter. They're four victories away from The Finals and can't wait to tip that ball up.
"We're looking forward to it," James said. - cleveland.com