nbaliveleague.com - Game of the Week

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Expert Pick

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Hungry like the Twolves.

The Timberwolves at Cavaliers will be a game between a playoff contender and a title contender in my opinion. The Minnesota Timberwolves are the playoff contender, they sit at 37 wins and 20 losses. They have won seven of their last ten games, and are on a five game winning streak. They recently made a big deal that effected their starting lineup. Taj Gibson and James Johnson who both started for the Twolves last week were shipped off to the Kings for Tyson Chandler, Cheick Diallo, and Ron Baker. Chandler will be the starting center in this contest, Baker a backup point guard, and Diallo will most likely get a DNP-CD.

The Cavaliers are the title contender, they have 42 wins and 16 losses. They have won eight of their last ten games, and are on a one game winning streak. Is one game really a winning streak? I think we established you need three wins for it to be considered a streak. ;) The Cavaliers will also have their starting unit effected this week, but not because of trades, but because of injuries. Last week Terrence Ross and Serge Ibaka were on the injured reserve, which was the most likely reason the Thunder ended the Cavs 17 game winning streak. They also lost a game to the Wizards with Ross and Ibaka out. But now they are back and the Cavs are looking to keep rolling along.

MATCHUPS

Chandler Vs Drummond

Drummond and Chandler are similar players, in that they both grab rebounds, block shots, and can get put backs around the rim. But Drummond is a lot younger. Chandler might have a hard time keeping up with the young man as Chandler is eleven years older than him. Still Chandler wont be the offensive focus for the Twolves, so Chandler just has to worry about rebounds, blocks, defense, etc. Drummond has a similar role, he is the fourth leading scorer for the Cavs, so he wont be looked upon to carry the team. Both guys will do their job well in this game, but we give the edge to the Cavs in this one.

Plumlee Vs Ibaka

Here we have a different matchup, where Plumlee is similar to Chandler, he isnt the offensive focus. But what he does do, and does it very well is set pick, roll to the rim, and get easy layups or dunks. Plumlee is very good around the rim, so you have to keep him off those offensive boards, and also defend the pick n roll well. Ibaka is the Cavs second leading scorer. The Cavs will look to him for offense, and Plumlee will spend most of his energy stopping Ibaka from scoring the ball. This matchup could be the difference maker, but we give the edge to Ibaka.

George Vs James

Paul George and Lebron James will be the key matchup in this game. These guys are the teams two superstars, and they both want to prove their team is better. While George scores a few more points than James this season, Lebron really helps his team out with rebounds (5.9) and assists (7.1). George isnt too shabby either with 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Both are good defenders, so it will be interesting to see who has the best game overall out of these two. We have to side with Lebron on this, he is just a better overall player than George and his stats prove it.

Matthews Vs Ross

This matchup might be the biggest factor honestly. Matthews has the talent to score 20+ points, but at the moment he only averages 12 per game for the Twolves. Ross is an important part of the Cavs starting unit, he is the three point specialist, shooting nearly 5 threes a game and making 42% of those shots. Matthews has the defensive ability to shut Ross down, but he will also be expected to score. This will be a very energy draining game for Matthews. In this matchup we give the edge to Matthews, he is the better all around player.

Teague Vs Carter-Williams

The Cavs have 15 wins and only 2 losses with MCW at the starting point guard. He isnt necessarily a great shooter, with 38% from the field and 24% from behind the arc. But whatever he has been doing, its been helping the Cavs go on that long 17 game winning streak. Teague will go into this matchup looking to use his speed to drive past MCW and get to the hoop. Teague averages 16 points and 7 assists per game for the Twolvess, and they count on his scoring. I feel the Twolves have the better matchup in this head to head.

Star

Tyson Chandler
Chandler is going to have to be the backbone of this team. His defensive presence can help keep the Cavs out of the paint and take more jumpers than they would like to. If Tyson can do that the Twolves have a chance at beating the Cavs in their own home. The winning percentage gets even better if Tyson can around 15 points in this game. The Twolves need him to be a leader.

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Star

Luis Scola
Luis Scola was brought in via a trade with Portland to beef up the Cavs bench. His scoring and rebounding abilities will only make this Cavs team better, especially their bench. He can spread the floor with his 3 point shot, making it easier for guys like Ibaka, Drummond, or Koufos to get easy buckets in the middle. The Twolves will have to keep an eye on Scola in this contest.

X-Factor
The X-Factor will be who can play better defense. Its clear that in the first time these teams matched up, the Cavs won because they had better defense than the Twolves. They had similar starting lineups as their last game, with the exception of the Twolves now having Chandler instead of Taj Gibson, but the rest is the same. The Cavs shot better 48% to the Twolves 44%. The Cavs shot 42% from downtown, while the Twolves shot 33%. Clearly the Cavs were doing better on the defensive end. But it even shows up more in the main stats. Cavs ended the game with 8 steals, 8 blocks, and only 7 turnovers, while the Twolves had 3 steals, 4 blocks, and 10 turnovers. The Cavs had a +/- advantage in their starting lineup, the Twolves had the +/- advantage when the benches came in. But now that the Cavs have added some good players to their bench, you have to wonder if the Twolves will have any type of advantage. The Twolves have a good chance to upset the Cavs, but the Cavs are at full strength, got their players back off the injured reserve, and made their bench better. So it will be a tough game for the Twolves, but if they fight hard enough they can end up with the win.

X-Factor

The X-Factor will be who can play better defense. Its clear that in the first time these teams matched up, the Cavs won because they had better defense than the Twolves. They had similar starting lineups as their last game, with the exception of the Twolves now having Chandler instead of Taj Gibson, but the rest is the same. The Cavs shot better 48% to the Twolves 44%. The Cavs shot 42% from downtown, while the Twolves shot 33%. Clearly the Cavs were doing better on the defensive end. But it even shows up more in the main stats. Cavs ended the game with 8 steals, 8 blocks, and only 7 turnovers, while the Twolves had 3 steals, 4 blocks, and 10 turnovers. The Cavs had a +/- advantage in their starting lineup, the Twolves had the +/- advantage when the benches came in. But now that the Cavs have added some good players to their bench, you have to wonder if the Twolves will have any type of advantage. The Twolves have a good chance to upset the Cavs, but the Cavs are at full strength, got their players back off the injured reserve, and made their bench better. So it will be a tough game for the Twolves, but if they fight hard enough they can end up with the win.