The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have much trouble getting past the Miami Heat in Round 1.
Now, they will have to walk an uphill road to get past the Indiana Pacers.
Kenny Atkinson’s team will have home-court advantage and should be favored to win this series, but the Pacers are a tough matchup for the Cavaliers.
At least, that’s how Brian Windhorst feels.
Talking on ESPN Cleveland, the renowned NBA insider explained that the Pacers’ bigs will make it tough for the Cavs to play Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen together.
“They have the ability to make it more uncomfortable for the Cavs to play Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley together,” Windhorst said.
.@WindhorstESPN thinks that the Pacers will be a LEGIT challenge for the Cavs.
"They have the ability to make it more uncomfortable for the Cavs to play Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley together"
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/65JNh1Rtns
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 30, 2025
He also thinks that the Pacers can go toe-to-toe on offense with the Cavs because of solid wings like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, and they have their very own Ty Jerome in T.J. McConnell.
Per Windhorst, the Cavs might try to deploy the same defensive scheme they used to contain Tyler Herro against Tyrese Haliburton.
This will be a chess match.
The Cavs are versatile and can match up with almost every team and play multiple styles on both ends of the court.
Still, it’s worth noting that the Pacers took three out of four meetings with the Cavs this season.
There’s no need to panic, and the Cavs could and should still end up on top, but they can’t afford to overlook Rick Carlisle’s up-and-coming team, which actually made the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
NEXT: Analyst Believes Pacers Force A 'Strategic Dilemma' For Cavs
