The Cleveland Cavaliers host the New York Knicks in game 1 of the First Round Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
For Cleveland, this will be the first playoff series since LeBron James left, after the 2018 NBA Finals. Cleveland has home-court advantage and that may be pivotal because many believe this series has the potential to go all seven games.
Winning over 50 games in a 82 game NBA regular season schedule is a great start, and with 51 wins, this Cavs team is the 12 in franchise history to accomplish this feat. All five appearances in the NBA Finals for Cleveland were in seasons that the team won at least 50 games.
The Cavs are coming into these playoffs after the disappointment of last year’s two-game play-in game losses. Cavs GM Koby Altman went to work thereafter, and landed All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell.
Going into the season many fans would have said that winning over 50 games, and obtaining home-court advantage in a playoff series would make the 2022-23 season successful but to use a football metaphor, fans should move the goalposts.
This Cavs team ranks fifth in the NBA in total defense and has a 31-10 record at home. With the addition of a superstar like Mitchell there is no excuses as to why winning a first round playoff series is asking too much.
Expectations are what shapes our minds as to what constitutes a success or failure. As the season progressed Cleveland has given its fans loftier expectations so anything less than a playoff series win, against the Knicks, would definitely sour what has been a fun season.
-Ed in Columbus
@Ed_In_Columbus
*Photo courtesy of Cavs Nation*
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