I want to dispel this notion before the season starts.

[BballTim]

You guys should be more concerned about the team that really did take you to the brink in the second round last year.    Everyone is quick to point out that Lebron went off in Game 7, which was scary to Celtic fans, just don't forget that the Cavs were a missed 4 foot bank shot (game 1) from winning that series last year as well.

  Clearly Cleveland presented more of a problem than Atlanta. But I don't think that the Cavs winning game 1 would mean that they'd have won the series. I also think that if the Celts had played the Cavs later in the playoffs the series wouldn't have gone 7 games.

[MMacOH]

You guys should be more concerned about the team that really did take you to the brink in the second round last year.    Everyone is quick to point out that Lebron went off in Game 7, which was scary to Celtic fans, just don't forget that the Cavs were a missed 4 foot bank shot (game 1) from winning that series last year as well.

  Clearly Cleveland presented more of a problem than Atlanta. But I don't think that the Cavs winning game 1 would mean that they'd have won the series. I also think that if the Celts had played the Cavs later in the playoffs the series wouldn't have gone 7 games.

The Cavs have a knack for extending/winning series that based on talent alone shouldn't be close.  That's what happens when you have such an intense focus on defense.  Look at the Celtics series last year and the Detroit series 3 years ago.