Feb 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center
Tristan Thompson(13) grabs a rebound in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
3. Limit Second Chances
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t been the most productive team in the NBA by way of offensive rebounding. Thus, it stands to reason that Cleveland isn’t much of a threat on the boards.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Cleveland employs a trio of aggressive rebounders in Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson. Love and Thompson rate amongst the best offensive rebounders in the NBA.
If the New York Knicks aren’t careful, Love and Thompson will control the pace of the game by dominating the offensive glass.
Love and Thompson have respectively accumulated career averages of 3.4 offensive rebounds per game. Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn and Kristaps Porzingis are all strong rebounders, but they may find trouble with Cleveland’s dynamic interior duo.
If there’s one thing New York can’t afford to do, it’s give LeBron James and company second chances.
Next: Get Back