Which team was the toughest opponent in the playoffs for us this year?

[Bahku]

1) Cleveland

2) Atlanta

3) Detroit

4) Los Angeles

[Cooldude5t5]

I thought Cleveland and LeBron were overrated before the playoffs. I was seriously wrong. Cleveland plays insane D almost equal to the C's D. And LeBron James is the best player on the league hands down. The media hypes him up but not to the level of Kobe. LeBron is just scary, PF strength, PG quickness, SG touch, my God. Cleveland was the only team that played Boston tough for seven games. That series was a war and we can expect the same next year.
1. cleveland
2. Detroit
3. LA
4. Atlanta 

[albas89]

Cleveland by far...only after game 7 had finished did I realize that,if Paul hadn't made that crazy perfomance,we would be kicked out...

[connerhenry43]

yes, cleveland. 7 games, and without a great performance from PJ Brown, we lose we also got a great game from PP< but you expect great players to do that in a game 7 (like PP and Lebron did). for PJ Brown, who probably did not play any crunch time minutes all year long, to come through in that kind of game, says a lot about him.

but by far, clevealand.

[2short]

Cleveland.
imo mvp who can take over a game lebron (sorry kobe) and good supporting cast, nice job by coach also
we could have swept lakers........and just as easily won it in 5

[wdleehi]

After Cleveland, Detroit.  Only team to win in Boston. 

[GLS]

Land of Cleve easily.  They imposed their will on us. 

[Cman]

1) Cleveland

2) Atlanta

3) Detroit

4) Los Angeles

Agreed.  Cleveland was a tough tough matchup for the Cs.  I would put Atlanta next, just because they were so young and playing as the heavy underdogs, but they let that motivate them, which can be dangerous to the opponent.  Detroit was a bit overrated, but LA was the most overrated of all. Meh.

[Truth Hurts]

I have been saying all year that Lebron is better than Kobe. This post-season just proved it. Lebron is just more of a winner than Kobe. He raises the level of his teammates more than Kobe.

That being said, Pierce outplayed them both. So why are they considered better than him? Because they score more regular season points? *yawn....*

[cdif911]

are there any teams out there, you think would have been a tougher matchup for the c's than the Cavs? (who I think were the toughest team the c's faced) - I personally think Utah would have been a great series, Orlando may have been similar to Atlanta and New Orleans would have possibly been the toughest matchup - but alas, the way the playoffs work we only had to see one Western Conference team, and credit Kobe and the Lakers for getting to the show, credit the c's for taking care of business so handily

[Roy Hobbs]

1) Cleveland

2) Atlanta

3) Detroit

4) Los Angeles

Agreed.  Cleveland was a tough tough matchup for the Cs.  I would put Atlanta next, just because they were so young and playing as the heavy underdogs, but they let that motivate them, which can be dangerous to the opponent.  Detroit was a bit overrated, but LA was the most overrated of all. Meh.

I disagree on Atlanta.  In our four home games, we beat them by 23, 19, 25, and 34.  Detroit certainly played us a lot tougher, as did the Lakers.  It took the team a little bit to mesh on the road, but by no means was Atlanta the second best team we played.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Cleveland's JAGs combined with James was better than LA's JAGs combined with Bryant.

[zerophase]

1) Cleveland

2) Atlanta

3) Detroit

4) Los Angeles

Agreed.  Cleveland was a tough tough matchup for the Cs.  I would put Atlanta next, just because they were so young and playing as the heavy underdogs, but they let that motivate them, which can be dangerous to the opponent.  Detroit was a bit overrated, but LA was the most overrated of all. Meh.

I disagree on Atlanta.  In our four home games, we beat them by 23, 19, 25, and 34.  Detroit certainly played us a lot tougher, as did the Lakers.  It took the team a little bit to mesh on the road, but by no means was Atlanta the second best team we played.

keep in mind, we're talking about the toughest opponent for us, not the best team. if you want to say who the best teams were, it obviously ranks detroit, la, clev, and atlanta (by record).

[Roy Hobbs]

1) Cleveland

2) Atlanta

3) Detroit

4) Los Angeles

Agreed.  Cleveland was a tough tough matchup for the Cs.  I would put Atlanta next, just because they were so young and playing as the heavy underdogs, but they let that motivate them, which can be dangerous to the opponent.  Detroit was a bit overrated, but LA was the most overrated of all. Meh.

I disagree on Atlanta.  In our four home games, we beat them by 23, 19, 25, and 34.  Detroit certainly played us a lot tougher, as did the Lakers.  It took the team a little bit to mesh on the road, but by no means was Atlanta the second best team we played.

keep in mind, we're talking about the toughest opponent for us, not the best team. if you want to say who the best teams were, it obviously ranks detroit, la, clev, and atlanta (by record).

Again, we beat Atlanta by 23, 19, 25, and 34 points at home.  They weren't that tough an opponent for us when this team played with energy and focus.  Every other team we played challenged us at home, including Detroit beating us in the Garden.

[BballTim]

  1) Team's lack of playoff experience as a unit

  2) Cleveland

  3) Referees

  4) Detroit

  5) Lakers

  6) Hawks