Cavs looking to prove something.

Tonight the Magic get a chance to prove they belong here and the Cavaliers get a chance to prove that they can get the job done in a tough game against a worthy adversary.

At least for now people consider Orlando a challenge, but if the Cavs manage to beat them in less than 5 games, all you’ll hear is that the Cavs haven’t been tested yet and they don’t have a chance against the West. You won’t hear the media saying how dominant the Cavs have been in the playoffs and you won’t hear NBA fans saying that the Cavs are the best team in the league. What you will hear is that the Cavs are untested and their record against top teams in the league show how weak this team is. Never mind the fact that going into the series against Orlando the Cavs are 8-0 in the playoffs and have won each game by double digits. I don’t care who you play, that kind of record in the playoffs says something about how good a team really is.

The Orlando Magic are a good team and they are coming into this series against the Cavaliers riding high. Why wouldn’t they be, they just knocked off the NBA champion Boston Celtics on the Celtics home court in a game 7. My question is why did it take so long to beat the Celtics? Weren’t they missing the best player on their team?

I think the key for the Cavs to be able to win this series is the defensive effort we will get from our backcourt. Containing Howard will be tough enough, but the ability to challenge shots on the perimeter could be the difference in the series and Mo and Delonte will need to step up. I expect Sasha to get some serious minutes because of his size. Wally will too, but he’s a little slower than Pavs. Don’t plan on Orlando getting as many open shots as they have so far in the playoffs either. If I was an Orlando fan I would also be worried about Hedo. He looked real nervous the first couple of games against Boston and if he has to guard LeBron he may lose all focus on the offensive side of the ball, which could put a big kink in Orlando’s plans.

The big advantage the Cavs have over Orlando is playoff experience. Both teams have a great supporting cast, but in the end it will come down to coaching and experience and I don’t think I even need to mention the MOP (master of panic) Van Gundy.