NBA Player News

Adebayo was the most productive of Miami’s five starters, reaching the 20-point mark for the third time in this series. However, he has yet to record a steal or blocked shot, which is surprising for a player accepted as one of the NBA’s best defenders, regardless of position. In three regular-season meetings between the Heat and Celtics, Adebayo averaged 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocked shots. Miami will need more than points and rebounds from its All-Star center if they’re to even the series at two games apiece on Monday.

While the move from Toronto to Miami did not significantly impact Mitchell’s fantasy prospects during the regular season, his value to his team did increase. “Off-Night” may have finished Game 1 with a minus-19 rating, but the stat line was solid. And it’s fair to question if there will be a point when Mitchell replaces Alec Burks (6/2/2 with two three-pointers in 15 minutes) in the starting lineup for defensive reasons. Add in Mitchell’s ability to set up teammates, and that change may be required to give the Heat a shot at winning this series. Game 2 is on Wednesday.

Miami’s frontcourt was solid in Game 1, with Adebayo recording a complete stat line and rookie Kel’el Ware (14/6/2/1 with two three-pointers in 38 minutes) providing solid contributions in his playoff debut. However, it wasn’t enough to counter what Cleveland’s guards were able to do, which may prove to be the prevailing storyline of this series. Adebayo should be able to put up quality lines on a nightly basis, despite having to deal with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, the Heat are serious underdogs in this series due to their comparatively limited depth of productive players.

Herro shot the ball well from beyond the arc on Sunday, making three of his six attempts. However, he was 4-of-12 from two, a far cry from the 56.5 percent clip he shot during the regular season. Cleveland’s defense, especially bigs Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the two-man game, had a lot to do with Herro’s two-point struggles in Game 1. Also, he finished with more turnovers (three) than assists. If Miami is to have any chance of pushing this series to its limit, much less win it, they’re going to need Herro to put up gaudy stat lines and be efficient in doing so. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.

While Cleveland’s perimeter attack will grab the headlines due to their offensive production, the frontcourt did its job as rebounders and defenders in Game 1. Allen recorded a complete stat line, which included a double-double, while Evan Mobley added seven rebounds along with nine points, one assist and one three-pointer. Allen may be the most overlooked member of the “core four,” but his production as an efficient finisher who also rebounds and defends is essential. The Cavaliers will look to extend their series lead in Game 2 on Wednesday.

On the day he was named a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Jerome showed why he was deserving of that distinction. Playing in his first playoff game, the Cavaliers guard finished with the fourth-most points scored off the bench in a postseason debut since 1971. Defending Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland was challenging enough for Miami; Jerome’s play was essentially the knockout blow in Game 1, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter. He’ll look to build on this performance when the Cavaliers host Game 2 on Wednesday.

Cleveland’s backcourt was outstanding in Game 1, with Garland finishing one blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. After averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.5 three-pointers per game in two regular-season meetings with the Heat, he was far superior to those numbers on Sunday. Garland’s play prompted the Heat to play Davion Mitchell 34 minutes, as starter Alec Burks had no answer defensively. That will be something to watch in this series; if the Heat can’t slow down Garland and Donovan Mitchell, they’re in trouble. Game 2 is on Wednesday.

Due to a lingering ankle injury, Mitchell did not play in Cleveland’s final four games of the regular season. That prompted the “rest vs. rust” question ahead of Sunday’s series opener, and “rest” won out for Spida. Seeing his first game action in two weeks, Mitchell looked healthy and refreshed against the Heat, dropping a robust stat line to lead the way for the team that recorded the best record in the Eastern Conference. Having a healthy Mitchell on the court will go a long way toward Cleveland being the championship contender they appeared to be during the regular season. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.

Give Carter credit for his work on the boards and for being Kristaps Porzingis’ primary defender for most of Game 1. However, the offensive production was lackluster, a trend that also persisted during the regular season. Carter’s average of 9.1 per game was the lowest of his NBA career; this was the first season in which he failed to average double figures. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will do most of the heavy lifting offensively, but they’re going to need help in this series. Fellow starters Carter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6/4/2/3 with two three-pointers) and Cory Joseph (zero points, two assists) combining to score 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting isn’t good enough. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.

Wagner did record a complete stat line in Sunday’s series opener, but the efficiency left something to be desired. Worse than the field goal percentage was the fact that he recorded as many turnovers as assists, finishing with five of each. Given the decided disadvantage the Magic are at offensively in this series, they’re going to need a consistently elite Wagner if they’re to have a chance of winning this series. He’ll look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Banchero was excellent in Game 1, scoring 19 points in the first half and another 17 after the halftime break. Unfortunately for the Magic, he was the only player who could consistently create opportunities offensively. A difficult matchup for most teams due to his combination of size, athleticism and skill set, this could be a big series for Banchero individually. However, the prevailing question is whether or not Orlando will be able to generate enough offense collectively to have a chance of beating the reigning champions. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.