Podcast: Talkin’ Cavs Playoff Spot, Playoff Chances, NBA Finals Picks And More

It’s official — the Cavaliers are back in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference to start the NBA playoffs.

Game 1 is set for Saturday against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

What can we expect from the Cavs? How formidable of a foe are the Magic? Who might be representing the East and the West in the NBA Finals?

I discussed that and a whole lot more with John Sabol of FOX 8 on the latest Cavs on the Break NBA podcast, presented by Newark Auto Body. Give a listen on Apple Music or in either player directly below.

For the Cavs (48-34), it’s a chance to redeem themselves after losing to New York in the first round last season. They will be looking to win their first playoff series since 2018.

“First (Monday), it’s just to settle down,” center Jarrett Allen told reporters. “We did play 82 games, it’s been a long season. So just rest our minds, rest our bodies tomorrow, and then when the time comes for us to practice, we need to lock in, watch our film, do everything to prepare for the playoffs.”

The Magic (47-35) are an upcoming team that’s much like the Cavs were last season. That is to say, many of their best players will be playoff rookies.

“They’re a young team and gonna be fighting for a lot,” Allen said. “I think we have to go in with the mentality that we have to throw the first punch.”

He added that the Cavs need to get back to the way “we were playing earlier this season when we were blowing teams out.”

If nothing else, the Cavs have home-court advantage, and as we all know, they will be favored. But during the regular season, we saw almost two different teams — one that won 17 of 18 to kick off 2024, and another that’s been fairly uneven since the NBA All-Star break in February.