Let’s not overreact to game 1

But here’s why beating Boston is going to be really hard

215 words for the 215 points in Cleveland’s 120-95 loss on Tuesday:

Boston sure ain’t Orlando, and it looked like the Cavaliers needed game one to adjust. 

Play with physicality to disrupt your opponent?

Here’s 11 first quarter free throws. 

Send help whenever a teammate is beat off the dribble (which happened too often) and leave an open man? Don’t kill yourself to close them out?

Not going to work against Boston. Everyone in green can knock it down.

Play excellent defense?

Still might not be enough. 

Most of the Cavs are too small to bother Boston’s shooters. 6’4 Derrick White made seven threes–at least I got one prediction right. Boston made 18 of the 46 they attempted. 

The Cavs actually did some things well in game one. Cleveland only turned the ball over five times. They generated 42 three pointers, including 19 that were classified as “wide open.”

But they made only 11 deep balls. 

The deck is too stacked against them for that to cut it. 

We shouldn’t make too big a deal of any result until game three, when the Cavs will desperately need to protect their home floor.

But here’s hoping tonight they get their offense on track and at least make Boston work for it, showing themselves and everyone else that they can make this a series yet.  

Cheers, and go Cavs.