There is no news from Arlen at this time. If Allen's injury is better than G1, then he also played with an injury in G7 in the last round, so his more likely comeback time should not be G1, after all, the Cavaliers have to start from the road.
The Cavaliers scored 2-1 with the Magic without Allen. The defense was relegated, but it didn't collapse. The Cavaliers also proved during the regular season that they can win some games with only one tower in charge, with space upgrades and defensive discipline. Just like the G5 and G7 in the previous round, the Magic didn't fully grasp the size advantage of the front, nor did they lack the outside threat to punish the Cavaliers' shrinkage, and their barren tactical initiation ability kept them leaning on Mobley.
But the Celtics are different, even without Porzingis, the Celtics can still ensure the high-quality five outside space of the starting lineup, and almost all of their four points on the outside have height or confrontation advantages, and they also have the ability to attack and initiate. Whether the Cavaliers rely on Mobley to make up or rely on collective strength to shrink to the basket, they could be punished by the Green Army's three-point shot. The talent of suffering in multiple positions will also give the opponent a lot of free throws, and then lose the rebounding position after the outside rotation effort, and be played by the Green Army with the effect of both inside and out.
The Cavaliers' bench lineup is more of a headache. TT, Morris, Niang, the Brothers' legs and feet are just guarding the Magic, Hauser and Pritchard on the Celtics bench are ridiculously accurate, whether it is a counterattack three-point, a tactical three-point using cover, or a fixed-point three-point after Tatum attracts the help defense, which posture the Cavaliers can't afford to put down, and it's hard for you to believe that the Cavaliers can keep up.
Allen may not be a game-changer for the bigger picture, and his use with Mobley will worsen the space, increase the cost of handling the ball, and be sanctioned by the Green Army's forward line and even the backcourt assistant. However, one more inside rotation is still meaningful for the continuity of the starting rotation and the inside of the connecting section. Otherwise, entering the first and second quarters, the score may be pulled apart.
The Cavaliers are also not easy to play on the offensive end. In the last three games against the Magic, the outside space that the Cavaliers suspected of improving was not very accurate, and the Magic's No. 5 position lacked the ability to protect the basket, and inexplicably did not take out the help defense in other positions, which caused the Cavaliers to frequently penetrate the basket. The Green Army doesn't play here, Lao Huo is experienced, although the basket protection and legs are almost meaningless, but there is no shortage of teammates around him who can help defend. Mazzulla values the paint area more than Mosley, and it's hard to believe he'll tolerate Mitchell's option to shoot under the basket every turn.
Garland scored 20 points in only two of his seven games in the last round, and it would be no surprise that he continued to go undercover in the face of entanglement by the Green Army's defenders. LeVert had a highlight-reel performance against the Greens, but the playoffs are a matchup on another level. He has good dribbling breakthrough and emergency stop skills, and when he is in good shape, he can "go crazy", and the expectation for him is that he has 1~2 good performances, at least he can't let Mitchell have nothing around him. Mobley's finishing and flaws in his shots will be even more exposed this round. Strus can't shoot his series from three-point range, but there may be a game of no ball cover and a three-point shooter, which is the Cavaliers' best chance of narrowly beating the Greens.
Mitchell is the Cavaliers' biggest support, and as long as the Green don't get caught at the three-point line and force him to shoot — and Mazzulla's habit shouldn't have lost his demeanor at the start of the series — Mitchell can still score.
But the margin for error on both sides is completely different, Mitchell has to continue to kill and pull out with high difficulty, while on the side of the Green Army, the guarantee of the double probe, the free throws and rebounds accumulated by the talent advantage, the three-point chase that takes advantage of the Cavaliers' mistakes, the better continuity of the connecting section, and the X-factor of one explosion per game, will be in stark contrast to Garland, who dribbs out of bounds next to Mitchell, Mobley who finishes the three-notch, Strus who plays hard-hitting, and Okoro who misses the layup.
The Cavaliers' goal is to win 1 game against the Greens. 2 games were explosive, and this season is worth it. Of course, there is no surprise that one game is not won.
Although the difference in strength is huge, the Cavaliers still have to try to play some content to give Mitchell confidence. Although there is also a possibility that Mitchell himself pulled. But objectively speaking, compared to the Jazz at the time, what the Cavaliers have shown so far is basically wasting Mitchell's peak.