Round 2 Preview: Cavaliers/Hawks

Anthony ‘Paneech’ Panici is the founder of Paneech.com. Paneech’s hometown is halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland so he covers both markets and does some national stuff as well. You can also find Paneech blogging on The Mahoning Valley Thunder AF2 team, Youngstown State sports, boxing, and pro wrestling.

Hopefully the Cleveland Cavaliers learned something from the way the Atlanta Hawks played last year in the 2008 playoffs. Atlanta, if you remember, was a huge underdog against eventual champion Boston Celtics. Atlanta pushed the Celtics to their limits and gave the eventual champions their biggest challenge of the playoffs.

This year Cleveland is the top dog with home court throughout, the NBA MVP Lebron James, a nearly perfect home record, and most of all – momentum. There are no cake walks in the NBA playoffs. Each team knows what is at stake and realizes to advance that they have to play their best.

The Hawks coming off of a seven game battle with Miami were never in a close game. All seven games were decided by double digits. They need to bring their A-game every night to take down Cleveland.

To me, Mike Bibby is the most unpredictable player in basketball today. He was dubbed a superstar upon his entrance into the league and seldom plays that way. He can kill you with his hustle and his passing, occasionally even with his shooting. However, he has also stunk it up at times and seemed unproductive.

The best thing Atlanta has in their arsenal is Joe Johnson. This guy is instant offense and can hit from just about anywhere at anytime. He is an unheralded superstar, you just have to look at his numbers to see how effective he can be.

On the other side of the coin, Cleveland is bigger, stronger, and faster. Nobody in a Hawks uniform can out muscle Big Z, Ben Wallace, and Anderson Varajeo. Mo Williams and Delonte West are explosive and a great compliment to Lebron. James will undoubtedly have a couple of big 40+ point games in this series.

Cleveland took three of four from the Hawks this regular season, winning both at home and splitting in Atlanta.

I predict the Cleveland Cavaliers will be coming away winners, 4-1, to advance to The Eastern Conference Finals.