For the second year running, the Cavs have home court advantage in the four-five series in the Eastern Conference’s first round. This season, it comes against the Orlando Magic, who finished the regular season with a 47-35 record. These two split the four-game season series and have met just one time in the playoffs before – the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, with Orlando winning in six games.
We welcome back Dan Savage of Magic.com (who joined us ahead to the regular season games) to help us preview this best-of-seven series from the Orlando point-of-view.
1.) Both teams had an up-and-down end to the regular season. How do you get fully back on track in the playoffs?
Matt Gold, Cavs.com: By having a five-or-six day break between the last regular season game and the first game of Round 1. Also not traveling. Cleveland’s schedule to end the regular season was chock-full of games in different cities, having not played a game in the same city consecutively from March 11 to April 6. The stretch this week with not having to play a game and get on a flight right after allows the Cavs to rest up for Round 1, along with focus on getting healthy (more on that later).
It gives Cleveland a chance to do some fine-tuning, too. After the All-Star Break, the Cavs held just two opponents to under 100 points – the injury-riddled Grizzlies and the top-pick hopeful Hornets. That has been a staple for the Cavs and J.B. Bickerstaff the past couple of seasons, and they'll look to up the intensity on that end of the floor come Saturday.
Dan Savage, Magic.com: For the Orlando Magic, it all starts at the defensive end of the floor. The Magic dropped three of their final four contests to close out the 2023-24 regular season campaign. The common theme in those three defeats? They gave up at least 117 points in all of them. However, Orlando responded with its back up against the wall in its high-stakes season finale. The Magic held the Bucks to 88 points – a season-low for Milwaukee – as they cruised to a 25-point victory to clinch a playoff berth, lock up the fifth seed, and claim the Southeast Division title. Orlando finished the season with a 21-2 mark when it holds its opponent under 100 points.
2.) Cleveland and Orlando split the four-game regular season series. What worked and what didn’t during those four?
Gold: In the two games the Cavs won during the regular season series, there was production from up and down the lineup. On Dec. 6, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Darius Garland scored 26 to go with nine assists and zero turnovers. Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Georges Niang were also in double-figures. On Jan. 22, without Garland and Mobley, Sam Merrill went 8-13 from deep, finishing with 26 points; Mitchell had 25 and a career-high 13 assists; Jarrett Allen doubled-up for a franchise-record 12th game in a row.
In the two games the Cavs lost, it was the opposite. Dec. 11, Garland had 36 points and Mitchell had 22. No other Cav had more than 10, with Georges Niang going 0-10 from the floor. Feb. 22, playing without Mitchell, three starters scored 18, but the bench had 24 combined points.
Cleveland did a fine job on Paolo Banchero in the four games. He dropped 42 points in a loss and didn’t score more than 20 in any of the other three outings.
Savage: In both of Cleveland’s season-series victories, it shot over 50 percent from the field and put up over 120 points. In Orlando’s two triumphs, it excelled on the defensive end. In one of them, the Magic held the Cavs under 100 points. In the other, they forced Cleveland to commit 19 turnovers, which led to 28 Orlando points. In that same game, the Magic’s bench gave them a big boost, outscoring the Cavs 63-24. Orlando would gladly take any of those numbers in their upcoming contests in Cleveland.
3.) The paint is a big point of emphasis for both teams (for the Cavs on defense; for the Magic on offense). How will the painted area help determine the series?
Gold: The focal point of Cleveland’s defense is the interior. When you have two seven-footers who are elite at blocking and altering shots, why wouldn’t it be?
The matchup between Mobley and Banchero should be a fun one, as both are built differently and have different styles of play. Mobley is long and lanky and can cause problems with his defensive reach anywhere on the court. Banchero is bulkier and stronger who can get to his spot inside or in the midrange. Mobley and Allen need to stay out of foul trouble on the defensive end when guarding Banchero and when Mo Wagner checks into the game.
Savage: When we look back at this series, it very well could be these numbers that tell the tale of the tape. The Magic took the second most shots from within five feet of the basket this season, averaging 32.4 of them per contest. The Cavs, meanwhile, were one of the top teams at defending shots around the rim with opponents shooting just 55.5 percent against them from the paint – the third lowest mark in the league.
4.) What player should you keep an eye on while watching this series?
Gold: It’s Donovan Mitchell. Sure, maybe it’s the easy answer, but he is the one that really makes the Cavs go, and that was showing over the last handful of weeks during the season when he was in and out of the lineup with a knee and nose injury. In the last two games he played, Spida looked like the Spida we know and have gotten accustomed to seeing.
His explosiveness and quickness came back, he was more aggressive when he had the ball in his hands and attacking the basket. He had 29 points on 9-17 shooting (5-10 from deep), eight assists, and three steals against Memphis. That was followed up with a 33-point, five-assist, four-steal night against the Pacers to clinch a playoff spot, making 12 shots, including four triples.
This version of the five-time all-star is what the Wine & Gold will need in order to advance out of the first round this year.
Savage: One of the less discussed players from a national perspective is Jonathan Isaac, who has the ability to alter the course of a playoff series. Orlando opted to start the 6-foot-11 big man in its season finale – just his second start of his 2023-24 campaign – and he delivered by giving the Bucks’ offense fits. Not only did he do a tremendous job on Bobby Portis Jr., who was his primary defensive assignment, but he also locked down Damian Lillard nearly every time Milwaukee went to the pick-and-roll or looked for a switch for the eight-time All-Star guard. On the season, when Isaac contested a shot, opponents shot just 37.1 percent, which ranked fourth best among the 333 players that contested at least 200 shots. It was the best mark among non-guards.
We should probably also mention Magic guard Jalen Suggs. Cleveland has two perimeter players capable of dominating games. So, Orlando will turn to its NBA All-Defensive-Team-caliber guard to slow them down. If he can be disruptive, stay out of foul trouble, and knock down his open shots from distance this series, he can help turn the tide in favor of Orlando.
5.) What do you think is the biggest question mark for Cleveland heading into this series?
Gold: It has to be the general health of the team. Mitchell seems to be back on the right track after his late-season showings. Craig Porter Jr. sprained his ankle in the finale and is a question mark while Dean Wade has not played since March 8 with a knee problem. He seems to be a doubt, especially in the early going.
On the floor, the biggest question is if Cleveland can find the rhythm it had in the hot streak to start the New Year. Strong defensive performances, lots of assists, and lots of three point shots while getting valuable minutes from the rotation players.
6.) This Cavs' core group got a taste of the postseason last year against the Knicks, also in a four-five matchup. What were their big takeaways from that series, and how could that experience help them this time around?
Gold: The biggest takeaway was the physicality and intensity of the playoffs, along with the experience the young core has now gained.
On the physicality and intensity part, that has been preached and talked about all week at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Darius Garland noted in Thursday’s practice that everyone is locked in and that there is a certain sense of intensity around the team. The Wine & Gold know what time it is and what to expect – from the opponent, the atmosphere, the way the games are called.
For the experience part, that was addressed over the summer, by adding Strus, Niang, Tristan Thompson, and signing Marcus Morris Sr. in March. All four of those guys have been in the playoffs and have experienced high levels of success in the spring and summer. Thompson and Garland have a strong relationship, and that should only help DG this time around.
This year, though, the Cavs are in the opposite position from last year against the Knicks, where the Cavs did not have the experience. Now they do, and the Magic do not.
7.) Paolo Banchero had a 42-point game against Cleveland earlier this season. How can Evan Mobley and the Cavs slow him down on offense?
Savage: Banchero is one of those rare players, who is impossible to stop, so you can only hope to slow him down. If the Cavs opt to send double and triple-teams in his direction, as many squads do, he’ll without hesitation make the right decision and turn into a playmaker. If you give him single coverage, his combination of power, size, and ball-handling allow him to attack the rack and terrorize opposing defense. That balance allowed him to become the youngest player in NBA history this year to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists in a single season. As a result, Cleveland’s best bet is to lean into its defensive versatility, throw Banchero a variety of defensive looks, and do its best not to allow him to get comfortable.
8.) Orlando is one of the youngest teams in the NBA. How will they handle the big stage for the first time?
Savage: That’s the million-dollar question. In this league, there are some experiences you just can’t replicate, and the playoff atmosphere is probably one of them. With that being said, the Magic played in some critical games down the stretch that probably came close to replicating that environment. Orlando’s final four contests featured the Houston Rockets’ home finale, pivotal road matchups in Milwaukee and Philadelphia that had significant postseason implications, and a high-stakes home finale against the Bucks with a playoff berth on the line. On top of that, players like Banchero and the Wagner brothers obtained meaningful big-game experience playing in the FIBA World Cup this summer with Franz and Moe bringing home the gold for Germany. They’ll probably lean on those moments as well as the veterans on the roster such as Joe Ingles and Gary Harris.
9.) How can each team win the series?
Gold: Cleveland needs to protect the paint and be physical without fouling, something that may be able to happen more now that we are in the playoffs. The more jumpers Orlando has to take, the better. The Magic take the second-fewest threes per game and connect on 35.2 percent of them, 24th in the league.
Ball movement on offense is key for the Wine & Gold to unlock what the full potential of the offense could be, and that starts with Garland and Mitchell. With most of the defense's eyes on them, shots for guys like Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Caris LeVert will open up, along with looks inside to Mobley and Allen. When shots are going in and the ball isn’t sticking, the Cavs are tough to keep up with on offense with the shooting and depth on the roster.
Savage: If Orlando wants to emerge with a first round series victory, it’s going to need to produce on the defensive end. The Magic are at their best when they use their defense to fuel their offense. They’ll also need to do their best to win the possession battle by limiting turnovers and controlling the glass. Orlando finished the year with the association's second-best defensive rebounding percentage (73.7).
Also, when the Cavs decide to throw zone defense looks at the Magic, they’ll also need to make them pay and hit a decent amount of their open looks. Ideally, Orlando would take either games one or two and then put themselves in position to just win out at the Kia Center. That formula worked in the 2009 playoffs – the last time these two franchises met in the postseason – when the Magic claimed the series opener in Cleveland and then took games three, four, and six in Orlando.