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'Best time of the year': Cavs finally reach playoffs, focused on communication in series
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- 'Best time of the year': Cavs finally reach playoffs, focused on communication in series
INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers have been talking about wanting to reach this moment for the past year. Now their goal is to, well, keep talking — on the court.
The Cavs' hopeful playoff run begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at Rocket Arena . Their first-round matchup is against the Miami Heat , who secured the No. 8 seed Friday night via the NBA's Play-In Tournament.
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The Cavs , like every other team still alive for an NBA Finals run, are focused on a few fundamental aspects. Health is always one, considering it helped to derail them last year against the Boston Celtics . Taking it one game at a time is a phrase you'll hear repeated about 10,000 times this spring.
But for Cleveland specifically, communication is one of their buzzwords. The Cavs have had tremendous success in coach Kenny Atkinson's first season , particularly on the offensive end. But much of that systemic production is predicated on a higher level of on-court communication.
And in a best-of-7 series full of adjustments and counter adjustments, it's something upon which the Cavs want to harp.
"Yeah, it's huge. It doesn't allow anybody to get in their own way," said wing Max Strus , who already has a deep playoff run under his belt from his time with the Miami Heat . "So we have communication like that from your head coach and when we're honest and open with each other team-wise, nobody can get mad. So we've done that all season long, and we'll continue to do it.
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"Those hard conversations are what gets the guys through tough times."
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen grabs a second-quarter rebound in front of teammate Evan Mobley and Knicks guard Josh Hart at Madison Square Garden.
Cavs want Jarrett Allen , Evan Mobley to be more vocal on defense
The Cavs know Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley form not only their own defensive backbone, but arguably the best interior duo in the NBA, with Mobley in the running for Defensive Player of the Year . One thing they'd like to see more of as the playoffs begin? Communication. They want Allen and Mobley to use their voices, and not just their wingspans.
The Cavs have gone to some extra lengths to push Allen and Mobley into a few more octaves.
"It's going to be huge. I mean, we're already working on it in practice," Allen said. "We have the loud speaker playing arena noise during practice, and it's just teaching us to speak louder, yell louder, make sure that our guards hear us."
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Communication. Health. A day-by-day mentality. The Cavs have checked off the entering-the-playoffs boxes all week. They didn't know their first-round opponent until April 18, so all of this week's prep until then was focused on themselves. Everything to this point has been mission accomplished: the Cavs are the No. 1 seed in the East after one of the best seasons in franchise history (especially considering any non-LeBron James year).
Now, finally, it's go-time for what truly matters as the NBA's "second season" begins Sunday.
"It's the best time of the year," Strus said. "It brings out the best in everybody. It's just fun, man. It's competitive. Win or go home. Got your backs against the wall every single night and you've got to find ways to win. It's really competitive and fun basketball."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs resolved to improve communication with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley
