5 Reasons why the Boston Celtics will beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East Conf. Finals

#1 They have the better coach

Tyronn Lue has typically been a better coach in the playoffs than in the regular season. Evidence for this can be found this postseason as well, as his adjustments in both the first round series against the Pacers as well as the Semifinals series against the Raptors were astute ones and yielded tangible results.

For all of his merits, however, he does not hold a candle to Brad Stevens, who has emerged as one of the 3-4 best coaches in the league - especially over the past 4 seasons he's been in charge of the Cs. Not only does he write far and away the best ATO (after-timeout) plays among all coaches in the league, he has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to strategize and turn his opponents' weaknesses into tangible advantages for his own team.

The way the Celtics defended Ben Simmons in the Conference Semifinals is just another example of this facet of his coaching.

Expect him to throw out all kinds of obstacles in LeBron's path to the Finals, starting with neutralizing his dominance in post-up situations and inside the paint - just like he did with Simmons and Embiid. Even if LeBron averages north of 30 points a game (as he has so far in the playoffs), expect Stevens to take away the free points that the Cavaliers garnered against the Raptors.