Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 takeaways from first 2 games against Raptors

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:29 p.m. ET

Fansided, Zack Geoghegan/FanSided via Hoops Habit

May 1, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) celebrate a basket during the second half Toronto Raptors in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Following in the footsteps of last season's team, the Cleveland Cavaliers opened up their matchup against the Toronto Raptors with a 2-0 lead as the series heads up to Canada in the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals.

As it turns out, the Cleveland Cavaliers may not be in as bad a position as once thought.

After dominating the Indiana Pacers in their playoff opener, the Cavaliers have yet to ease off the gas, taking the first two games against the Toronto Raptors in convincing fashion.

Raining down 32 total three-pointers while averaging 120.5 points per game in this series is a recipe for a beatdown no matter who you're playing – well, except maybe the Golden State Warriors.

Either way, the Cavaliers are finally showcasing exactly why they were the favorites to return to the NBA Finals out of the East before last year's Finals were even over.

So before I spoil my main talking points, let me go ahead and break down my five takeaways from the first two games of this series.

Mar 25, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith (5) and forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) watch from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena. The Wizards won 127-115. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

1. LeBron is locked in and Kyrie is making plays

LeBron James has been playing at an entirely different level than the players that surround him.

Averaging 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals through the first two games while shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three, LeBron is absolutely locked in with a chance to repeat as the only item on his agenda.

He's getting to the free throw line at will and shooting much more efficiently than he has the entire season, hitting from the charity stripe at 75.9 percent on 29 attempts.

Norman Powell and DeMarre Carroll are in no position to stop LeBron and he has been taking full advantage of the constant mismatch he faces every time down the court.

LeBron has been getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and this short clip proves it.

Lebron James GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

*LeBron gets fouled going to the basket and despite the fact that he never even went into his shooting motion, he briskly jogs to the free throw line where the referees decide that it is within their best interest to let LeBron do whatever he pleases. So he ends up shooting two free throws. Yes, we know the Cavs were in the bonus. Just go with it.*

LeBron's running mate, Kyrie Irving, is playing above his standards as well, but not how you might think. While his shooting efficiency has been below his season averages, Kyrie is doing much more than just getting shots off.

Through the first two games against the Raptors, Kyrie is averaging 23 points per game while shooting only 37 percent from the field. However, his passing and playmaking is where Kyrie is stepping up.

Kyrie has 21 assists through the first two games, recording a double-double in both, and has deferred potential shots in favor of finding the open man, taking a step away from his typical iso-ball play style.

His assist-to-turnover ratio is 4.2 so far and his +58 net rating is tied with Tristan Thompson for the highest on the team.

May 1, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a beer from a vendor during the second half against the Toronto Raptors in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2. The Cavaliers are having a ton of fun embarrassing others

What some will interpret as disrespect, I interpret as confidence. Well actually, it's 100 percent disrespectful, but it takes an excessive amount of confidence to be this disrespectful.

The Cavaliers are playing so well right now – and they know it – that they aren't even slightly concerned with how the fans and media portray them.

Starting with a off-the-backboard lob from Kyrie to LeBron just a few minutes into Game 1, the disrespect would only continue.

Then LeBron pretended as though he might take a sip out of someone's disgusting, half-empty beer bottle, at which point everyone realized that he couldn't care less about the Raptors.

LeBron James grabs a beer… pic.twitter.com/gKVBk5saXt

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 2, 2017

The twirling of the ball right in front of Serge Ibaka's face as he then proceeded to drain a three right in his mouth without even taking one dribble was the icing on the cake.

LeBron feeling it from THREE! ???? #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/dtW4nlrZK5

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2017

While LeBron's antics are entertaining, it's obvious when watching this Cavaliers team right now that every individual player is having a ton of fun as they demolish the hopes and dreams of Toronto basketball fans once again.

The Cavaliers want the extended rest time that comes with sweeping a team in the playoffs, so instead of going through the motions as they did in the regular season, they're now out for blood. They'll make you look foolish while they tear the defense apart, cruising through games with 15-point leads that feel impossible to chip away at.

May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) in the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

3. With Kyle Lowry injured, insert Cory Joseph

After injuring his ankle in the third quarter of Game 2, Raptors point guard, Kyle Lowry, is listed as questionable after missing practice the day after the team's second loss.

Lowry is the focal point of the Raptors' offense alongside DeMar DeRozan and if he ends up missing extended time, they could be in even more trouble going forward. Lowry was having a good game-and-a-half up until his injury that caused him to miss the entire fourth quarter of Game 2, and now backup point guard, Cory Joseph, will have to step in.

Replacing a high-caliber player such as Lowry is never easy and the Raptors will surely struggle in his absence, but they do have one of the best backup point guards the NBA can offer.

Cory Joseph is a top-tier backup and while he's not on the same level as Lowry, he can provide valuable minutes running the offense and trying to set up his teammates.

Joseph averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the regular season, playing exactly 25 minutes per game.

Without Lowry, Joseph will have to guard Kyrie one-on-one, something Kyrie will surely take advantage of as he tries to bring some life back to his jump shot.

May 1, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the first quarter in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

4. DeRozan cannot handle the double-teams

DeMar DeRozan, the fifth leading scoring in the NBA this season, is struggling against the Cavaliers defense as they have been effectively suffocating him every time he touches the ball.

DeRozan has yet to get going in this series, and with Lowry potentially missing time, it's now do-or-die time for him.

Shooting only 33 percent in the series, including a 2-11 shooting performance where he was practically invisible the entire game, DeRozan has been a non threat due to the Cavaliers bringing constant double-teams.

In Game 1, the Cavaliers double-teamed DeRozan every time he had the ball, forcing him to either make a play by beating the double-team or to pass it off to a teammate – who all seemed rather uninterested whenever DeRozan had the ball in isolation.

In Game 2, the same thing happened, DeRozan was constantly double-teamed but instead of trying to work around it, he was reluctant with the ball. He utilized the pick-and-roll more often in Game 2, but as the double-team gravitated towards him, he was essentially forced to give the ball to the roll man.

This is one the big reasons that Jonas Valanciunas had such an efficient Game 2.

With DeRozan being double-teamed, Valanciunas more-often-than-not had an open look at getting towards the basket and he took full advantage of it, leading the Raptors with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

A majority of Valanciunas' points came off pick-and-roll action from either DeRozan or Lowry as the ball handler. The only problem with this is that the Cavaliers are more than willing to let Valanciunas beat them rather than DeRozan.

To put it plainly, if Valanciunas is the Raptors' leading scorer, they will not win a game against this Cavaliers team, but that has a lot less to do with Valanciunas and everything to do with DeRozan being less effective.

Let's not forget J.R. Smith either, who has guarded DeRozan for the majority of the series, doing an excellent job of keeping him from getting to his midrange sweet spot.

May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (8) shoots against Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

5. The big leads have stayed big

One of the Cavaliers' more alarming issues during the regular season was their inability to maintain large leads throughout the course of an entire game.

So far, they have patched that up.

The Cavaliers have won the battle of the first quarter, setting the ton for the rest of the game and quickly putting the Raptors in holes. The Cavaliers led the first quarter by 12 points in both Games 1 and 2. Similarly, the Cavaliers led by a score of 62-48 at halftime of both Games 1 and 2.