Live Thread: Cavs @ Celtics

When Kevin Love joined J.R. Smith among the ranks of the injured, much was made about the possibility of the Cleveland Cavaliers losing their grip on the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After all, they were missing two starters, had a thin bench, and will face a March schedule that is heavy on both road games and back-to-backs.

One team that many thought would push the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings was the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for Brad Stevens and his team, that has yet to happen. There are several reasons that the Cavaliers have actually extended their lead over the second-place Celtics to four games since Love went under the knife. First, the Cavaliers played extremely well in February, finishing the month 9-2 after going just 7-8 in January. Second, the Celtics decided to stand pat at the trade deadline, despite talking to the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers about Jimmy Butler and Paul George, respectively. Finally, the Celtics have struggled since the break, going just 1-2, and barely defeating the struggling Detroit Pistons in their lone victory.

None of this is to knock the Celtics. They play hard, are well-coached, and Isaiah Thomas has emerged as one of the best closers in the entire league. That being said, they simply haven’t shown they are on the same level as the other elite teams in the league this year, as evidenced by their 3-11 record against the Cavaliers, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Wizards, and Raptors this season. It also doesn’t help that Al Horford, one of the best big men in the league, has struggled tremendously against the Cavs the last few seasons. Now, the Cavaliers have replaced Mo Williams, Chris Andersen, Mike Dunleavy, and Jordan McRae with Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, Kyle Korver, and Derrick Williams, forming arguably the deepest team LeBron James has ever played on.

Still, a win tonight at home against the Cavs would move the Celtics one game closer to the top of the Eastern Conference, and give at least some evidence that they can compete with the big boys. Be sure to tune in tonight at 8:00 on ESPN, and be sure to share your thoughts here at Cavs: The Blog!