Celtics-Cavaliers preview: With Kristaps Porziņģis, Jarrett Allen injured how do

Before it became clear the Boston Celtics would meet the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, Derrick White was asked to give a scouting report on the Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.

“Um, they’re both good,” White said.

If that’s not enough of a preview for Boston’s second-round series against Cleveland, which begins Tuesday at TD Garden, The Athletic’s Celtics writers Jay King and Jared Weiss broke it down a little more in-depth after another high-scoring performance from Donovan Mitchell knocked out the Magic on Sunday.

What makes the Cavs dangerous?

King: The Cavaliers have had a strange season. They ran into some potential trouble early in the year when Darius Garland and Evan Mobley missed extended time at once, but surged without the two starters. From the middle of December until the All-Star break, Cleveland played some of the league’s best basketball, going 23-5 with a dominant plus-11.5 net rating. Garland and Mobley returned before the end of that run, but the Cavaliers discovered a winning formula before they did. Mitchell ran the show, Jarrett Allen held it down inside and their teammates spaced the court and fired away.

Things haven’t gone so smoothly since. The Cavaliers finished the regular season on a 12-17 spiral with the 20th-ranked offense and 25th-ranked defense during that stretch. It didn’t help that Mitchell missed many of those games, but Cleveland dealt with other issues, including the imperfect fit between its two starting big men, Mobley and Allen. The midseason stretch looms as proof the Cavaliers can touch a high level when at their best, but, after struggling mightily to score against Orlando, what are the odds they can truly challenge Boston?

Weiss: Cleveland winning the series without Allen was impressive. It wasn’t like the Kristaps Porziņģis situation where Boston was facing a depleted team, as Orlando is tough and talented, if flawed offensively. Cleveland had to earn it. And they did that with Allen missing the last three games of the series with a rib injury and former Celtics Marcus Morris and Tristan Thompson in the rotation. Winning with that bench in 2024 is a feat unto itself.

It might be Cleveland’s defensive depth that hurts them. Allen couldn’t make it back for Game 7, so will he be ready for Game 1 48 hours later? Everyone in their bench rotation at the moment is someone Boston can target with ease. How will Cleveland put together good defensive units if Allen is out, especially with Celtics killer Dean Wade also out with a right knee sprain? Mobley looked allergic to making contact on screens, so Boston’s defensive personnel should be able to stay on Mitchell and Garland. It seems like Cleveland is too depleted to handle Boston’s offensive versatility, even without Porziņģis.

How do the Celtics deal with missing Kristaps Porziņģis?

King: The Porziņģis absence will hurt the Celtics, of course, but this could be an OK series to be without him. Al Horford can…