After seeing arguably the worst Eastern Conference ever last season, the landscape of the NBA was changed suddenly by 3 words:"I'm coming home". These were the words 4 time MVP LeBron James spoke when announcing his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who first drafted him in 2003.Now, with the Eastern Conference suddenly looking as good as it has been in many years, 2 powerhouses have emerged- the Bulls and the Cavaliers. Led by their suffocating defense , the Bulls rely on depth rather than star power, being 3 legitimate NBA players deep at every position. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are a polar opposite, relying on tremendous star power, a handful of crafty veterans, and the coaching genius of David Blatt. Yet, after 18 games, there still has not been a superior between the 2. Therefore, today we break down the positional matchup between them in order to establish the favorite.
Point Guard:Derrick Rose vs. Kyrie Irving
Don't get me wrong, when Derrick Rose is at his best he is, without a doubt, the best point guard in the NBA. But, as most know, Derrick Rose is not at his best, and there are doubts on whether he will ever be again. After being derailed by gruesome injuries that have caused him to miss 152 games over the past 2 seasons, the former MVP has been a shade of his former self, averaging 16.2 points while playing under 30 minutes a night. Kyrie Irving, on the contrary, has been fantastic playing alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love, averaging 22 points per game while recording career highs in both steals and blocks. This matchup will eventually begin to shift to Rose's favor as he regains his health and explosiveness, but Kyrie Irving has clearly exceeded Derrick Rose to this point.
Shooting Guard: Jimmy Butler vs Shawn Marion
This matchup would have been a lot closer had it been Dion Waiters vs Jimmy Butler, but this is clearly not the case as Waiters is no longer starting. His replacement, Shawn Marion, is clearly inferior offensively, but brings a lot more to the table on the less glamorous end of the court. On that end, Jimmy Butler only slightly outplays Marion because of his freakish athleticism and Marion's lack of it. The offensive end, in comparison, is a whole different story. The Matrix has been as consistent as ever while playing offense, but his contribution are limited to fast break dunks and wide open 3 pointers, which he should continue seeing plenty of. Jimmy Butler has outplayed Marion in every aspect of offense, and it hasn't been particularly close. Butler has been fantastic this season, averaging an all star caliber 21.6 points a night while leading the most improved player conversation, while Marion has averaged 6 points while continuing his speedy plummet down the ranks of the NBA. As one can see, Butler easily takes this matchup.
Small Forward: Mike Dunleavy vs. LeBron James
If anyone can make a case for Mike Dunleavy here, please raise your hand. I thought so. LeBron James is a top 2 player in a star-studded league, and Mike Dunleavy is a 3 point specialist at best. James wins this matchup by default.
Power Forward:Kevin Love vs. Pau Gasol
Here is when things begin to become difficult. Both players have had fantastic seasons, with Love thriving in a lesser role and Gasol trying to make the most of what will probably be his last dominant season. Offensively, Gasol has outplayed Love, averaging 2.5 more points per game while doing so more efficiently. Yet Love has successfully stretched the floor with his elite 3 point shooting while receiving less opportunities(He's playing next to 2 of last seasons top 10 scorers), which is something Gasol fails to do. Therefore, we'll consider them equal on offense and let their defense do the talking. Unfortunately for Love , his defense is nothing to boast about, as he is averaging half a block and less than a steal per game. Meanwhile, the 7 foot Spaniard has been more dominant than ever before, averaging 2 blocks per game while stealing the ball as well as Love has. The only argument that can be made for Love's defense is his 9.8 rebounds per game, a number which Pau Gasol also exceeds with the 11.4 rebounds he is pulling down a night. Therefore, Gasol narrowly takes this matchup.
Center: Joakim Noah vs. Anderson Varejao
Believe it or not, this matchup is actually close on offense. Joakim Noah has been the superior passer, but Varejao has scored more points on a much more efficient shooting percentage, which is why he narrowly outplays Noah on the more glamorous end of the court. It is on the defensive end that Noah flat out dominates. The long haired monster has not shown much rust from last year's defensive player of the year campaign, and continues to be elite on that end. If the season were to end today, Noah will have averaged 1.2 blocks and 3.3 rebounds more than Varejao, which is incredible considering big Andy is actually relied on more on that end. Therefore, Noah edges Varejao out in this one.
And the Winner is
This matchup is extremely close, and would go in Cleveland's favor if not for the Bulls front court. Yet the Bulls have been fantastic this season, and narrowly win this matchup with a 3-2 victory. Injuries will eventually cause the Bulls to come back to earth, but until then they are Cleveland's superior.
Point Guard:Derrick Rose vs. Kyrie Irving
Don't get me wrong, when Derrick Rose is at his best he is, without a doubt, the best point guard in the NBA. But, as most know, Derrick Rose is not at his best, and there are doubts on whether he will ever be again. After being derailed by gruesome injuries that have caused him to miss 152 games over the past 2 seasons, the former MVP has been a shade of his former self, averaging 16.2 points while playing under 30 minutes a night. Kyrie Irving, on the contrary, has been fantastic playing alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love, averaging 22 points per game while recording career highs in both steals and blocks. This matchup will eventually begin to shift to Rose's favor as he regains his health and explosiveness, but Kyrie Irving has clearly exceeded Derrick Rose to this point.
Shooting Guard: Jimmy Butler vs Shawn Marion
This matchup would have been a lot closer had it been Dion Waiters vs Jimmy Butler, but this is clearly not the case as Waiters is no longer starting. His replacement, Shawn Marion, is clearly inferior offensively, but brings a lot more to the table on the less glamorous end of the court. On that end, Jimmy Butler only slightly outplays Marion because of his freakish athleticism and Marion's lack of it. The offensive end, in comparison, is a whole different story. The Matrix has been as consistent as ever while playing offense, but his contribution are limited to fast break dunks and wide open 3 pointers, which he should continue seeing plenty of. Jimmy Butler has outplayed Marion in every aspect of offense, and it hasn't been particularly close. Butler has been fantastic this season, averaging an all star caliber 21.6 points a night while leading the most improved player conversation, while Marion has averaged 6 points while continuing his speedy plummet down the ranks of the NBA. As one can see, Butler easily takes this matchup.
Small Forward: Mike Dunleavy vs. LeBron James
If anyone can make a case for Mike Dunleavy here, please raise your hand. I thought so. LeBron James is a top 2 player in a star-studded league, and Mike Dunleavy is a 3 point specialist at best. James wins this matchup by default.
Power Forward:Kevin Love vs. Pau Gasol
Here is when things begin to become difficult. Both players have had fantastic seasons, with Love thriving in a lesser role and Gasol trying to make the most of what will probably be his last dominant season. Offensively, Gasol has outplayed Love, averaging 2.5 more points per game while doing so more efficiently. Yet Love has successfully stretched the floor with his elite 3 point shooting while receiving less opportunities(He's playing next to 2 of last seasons top 10 scorers), which is something Gasol fails to do. Therefore, we'll consider them equal on offense and let their defense do the talking. Unfortunately for Love , his defense is nothing to boast about, as he is averaging half a block and less than a steal per game. Meanwhile, the 7 foot Spaniard has been more dominant than ever before, averaging 2 blocks per game while stealing the ball as well as Love has. The only argument that can be made for Love's defense is his 9.8 rebounds per game, a number which Pau Gasol also exceeds with the 11.4 rebounds he is pulling down a night. Therefore, Gasol narrowly takes this matchup.
Center: Joakim Noah vs. Anderson Varejao
Believe it or not, this matchup is actually close on offense. Joakim Noah has been the superior passer, but Varejao has scored more points on a much more efficient shooting percentage, which is why he narrowly outplays Noah on the more glamorous end of the court. It is on the defensive end that Noah flat out dominates. The long haired monster has not shown much rust from last year's defensive player of the year campaign, and continues to be elite on that end. If the season were to end today, Noah will have averaged 1.2 blocks and 3.3 rebounds more than Varejao, which is incredible considering big Andy is actually relied on more on that end. Therefore, Noah edges Varejao out in this one.
And the Winner is
This matchup is extremely close, and would go in Cleveland's favor if not for the Bulls front court. Yet the Bulls have been fantastic this season, and narrowly win this matchup with a 3-2 victory. Injuries will eventually cause the Bulls to come back to earth, but until then they are Cleveland's superior.