According to Matt Moore of CBS Sports, David Blatt thinks the Cleveland Cavaliers need a 2-seed in the playoffs. However, one superstar on the team doesn’t exactly agree with him.
After the Cavs’ loss to the Miami Heat, Blatt said on ESPN that his team needed to finish second place in the East. This created quite an interesting scenario for the Cavs. Most of the time, the Coach doesn’t necessarily say to the media that they need to finish in a certain spot. There are plenty of times that teams might prefer one seed to another because of matchups, but that doesn’t mean that they must finish in that seed. Teams need to have the confidence that they can win on any floor when headed into the playoffs, and that’s exactly the mindset of LeBron James. Via ESPN:
“The coaching staff, if that’s what they want, but for me, I never play for seeding. I just play,” he said. “And wherever at the end of the season we land, I’m ready. Just get me in the playoffs. Get me in the playoffs, I feel like I can win on anybody’s floor. I feel like I can win at home. I’m that confident in my ability and our team’s ability. So I’ve never in my 12-year career played for seeding. That’s just not how I work.”
The playoffs have always been a different monster in the NBA. Teams are geared up and ready to go on any floor. Home court does hold some value, but the better teams don’t let home court advantages play against them in the postseason. There will always be some teams that play better on the road or at home, but if you’re team is off during the playoffs, then it really doesn’t matter where you’re playing.
The Cavs could still get the 2-seed and run into a team that matches up well with them. Then, at that point, the home court advantage doesn’t mean too much. This Cleveland team needs to come into the postseason with confidence. They need to act like the team that everyone said they would be, and take care of business on their own end.
