Knicks-Cavs Series Preview (Part 2) And Prediction

Evan Mobley ranks first in the NBA in Defensive Win Shares and Defensive Real Plus/Minus.

On Wednesday, I examined the point guard, shooting guard and small forward matchups in the Knicks-Cavs series. 

Today I preview the power forward/center positions as well as each team's bench. And I'll wrap it up by giving my prediction on the outcome.

🏀 Power Forward: 
Julius Randle vs. Evan Mobley 

Randle missed the final five games of the regular season after spraining his left ankle on March 29th; however, Knicks fans have received some encouraging news over the past few days regarding his potential availability for Game 1 this weekend. First, Randle was seen on the Knicks bench for NY's regular-season finale this past Sunday and was not wearing a walking boot. Then, when coach Tom Thibodeau spoke with reporters on Tuesday, he relayed that Randle was able to participate, albeit on a limited basis, in practice. Thibs explained that Randle had not yet been fully cleared for contact but was doing "some running, shooting, scripting, that sort of thing." Randle was back at it again on Wednesday, confirming that he had not suffered a setback while ramping up his rehab. 

Although Randle cooled off late in the year, he played at an incredibly high level for the vast majority of the season. He was one of four players in the NBA to average at least 25 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. The other three were Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic - who will all finish inside the top-5 in MVP voting.