Will Experience be the Decider?

One clear advantage for the Brooklyn Nets coming into this Play-In match-up is their relative playoff experience.

The Brooklyn Nets have a combined 638 games of playoff experience on their roster. The Cavaliers have just 262. Over half of that 262 belongs to Rajon Rondo (134 games), who isn’t even a key piece of the Cavaliers’ rotation. Needless to say, the Nets have an advantage in playoff experience.

When the playoffs start, the intensity rises, defenses tighten, and game plans become all the more specific. It can be daunting for first-timers, which leaves the Cavs at a distinct disadvantage.

Caris LeVert was the only Cavaliers starter from Saturday’s match-up who had ever suited up for a playoff game (he did so for the Nets, funnily enough). Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are playoff veterans, each with their own catalog of big playoff moments over the years.

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As tactical as the game of basketball is, factors like playoff experience simply cannot be ignored. The Brooklyn Nets will have a lineup of players used to the high stakes, while the Cavaliers’ rotation will largely be experiencing them for the first time.

There’s no telling how they’ll be affected, but the playoff pressure on the Cavs’ first-timers could be enough to swing the one-game NBA Play-In Tournament matchup.