On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers will kick off their second-round playoff matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers have a lot of strengths and advantages over the Cavaliers, but they have one major concern regarding Tyrese Haliburton and his defense. More specifically, the Pacers will likely put Haliburton on Max Strus, but Cleveland will involve him a lot in screens, which could be a big problem for Indiana.
Cleveland's offense feeds off getting teams in rotation. The Cavaliers, who finished as the No. 1 seed in the East, pose as Indiana's biggest threats up to this point. However, the Pacers were the only NBA team to defeat the Cavaliers three times in the regular season, and they have proven that they match up well against them. Regardless, the Cavaliers were a top team in the league for a reason, and the Pacers must bring their A-game to pull off the upset.
While Haliburton has shown signs of improvement on the defensive side of the ball, this is still a weakness that the Cavaliers may exploit. How head coach Rick Carlisle decides to counter this will be crucial to follow.
The Pacers already have a big challenge in front of them in the playoffs
The Pacers looked fantastic in their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, the same could be said for the Cavaliers, who swept the Miami Heat in convincing fashion. The Cavaliers ended the regular season with the best record in the East, and that was not by accident. They are statistically among the best teams in the league on both sides of the ball, and they have plenty of players who can contribute to winning basketball. Additionally, they are well-coached and know how to execute their game plans, which may not bode well for Haliburton and the Pacers.
However, fortunately for the Pacers, Carlisle is also a great coach and did a good job of exploiting Milwaukee's weaknesses in the first round. As the Pacers look to pull off the upset against the Cavaliers, his game plan will be crucial, especially on the defensive side of the ball. While Haliburton still leaves a lot to be desired on defense, the Pacers improved drastically as a unit. However, if the Pacers do not match up against Cleveland's league-leading offense, they may be in for a long series.
The Pacers and Cavaliers are just one day away from kicking off their second-round matchup. While Game 1 alone will not decide the winner of the series, it is still a crucial game that both teams will want to win to get off on the right foot.