The Heat are done and the Celtics are advancing to the next round of the NBA Playoffs. They await their opponents as the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavs finish off their first round series.
So far the home teams have won each game. The Cavs took the first two games in fairly convincing fashion, then the Magic won the next two in even more convincing fashion. Game 5 was a tight game won by the Cavs and now we await game 6 on Friday.
On paper the Cavs would seem to have the higher top end talent. The backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell is dynamic. The frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can give teams fits on both ends. They added Max Strus in the offseason to add shooting to their wing rotation. However, the on court product hasn’t always lived up to the off court resume. This team has been up and down all season, a trend that has continued into the playoffs.
On the other side is the Orlando Magic. They are the classic young, talented team in the playoffs that might be in over their heads or they might be too young to care about the playoff pressure. The unquestioned star of the team is Paolo Banchero and he hasn’t disappointed. 2nd star Franz Wagner has had a down season from a shooting perspective but he’s still extremely talented and can contribute in a number of ways. Plus the Magic bring a defensive intensity that can cause problems for opponents.
The series could still go either way and I like the Celtics chances against either one, but I’m curious to hear which team you would like to see in round 2. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
