Paul Pierce predicts Cavs to make easy work of Raptors

Paul Pierce won a championship with the Celtics, so he knows playoff basketball. He has also watched the Cavaliers and Raptors this season.

And he came out with a prediction that should please Cleveland fans. It may mean nothing, but when it comes to legends making picks, well … they deserve to be heard. We think.

Anyway, Pierce suggested the Cavs have some pressure as the East’s No. 4 seed, then added that Toronto isn’t really a threat.

But let’s start with the pressure.

“I’m looking at, all right, can James Harden shake the ghost of not showing up in game sixes and sevens if this series tends to go like that?” Pierce said on the No Fouls Given podcast. “Can Donovan Mitchell lead his team to a conference finals, which I don’t believe he’s been to yet. So, I just think the urgency is definitely going to be there for them.”

Let there be no doubt, Pierce is right about that much. Both players are well aware of the narrative surrounding their careers, particularly when it comes to the postseason. If anything, though, that should help fuel them.

“So, I just think the urgency is definitely going to be there for them,” Pierce said. “And the Raptors haven’t played the Cavaliers with James Harden. … So, they’re a completely different team that they saw in the regular season. So, I’m looking for the Cavs to make actually quick work of (Toronto).”

Game 1 is Saturday in Cleveland (1 p.m. EST). We’ll find out if Pierce is right soon enough.