Every true-blue NBA fan knows that the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference is not the rising Raptors nor the Kyrie-led Celtics. As long as Lebron James is leading the campaign, the Cavaliers continues to be the team to beat.
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Things have not been a walk in the park this season, though. Just a few weeks back, Cleveland underwent a massive overhaul that had a bunch of its starters shipped to other teams for younger talents. Among others, the Cavs managed to snag Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, and George Hill.
The lineup change initially led to a bunch of wins over top-seeded teams in both conferences. But the issue of the team’s faulty defensive schemes still showed, coupled with an injury to Kevin Love. As of this writing, Cleveland has already clinched a playoffs berth. But while it’s hanging onto third spot, there’s a big chance that the fledging Sixers can overtake the team.
Still, it shouldn’t be a problem getting to the conference finals. The real question is, when they get there, can the Cavs beat the top-seeded Raptors or Celtics and move on to the finals anew? The answer remains to be seen, as even though the current roster is relatively healthy, the Cavs and Lebron might have to dig deeper.
By then, Irving should be back to provide offense that matches the Celtics’ gritty defense. The same is true of Toronto, which seems to have all the pieces now to take down the Cavs. More than anything, Cleveland needs to thoroughly work on its defense if it’s to overcome the homecourt advantage of its Eastern Conference rivals.
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George Ammar is a huge fan of the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the University of Notre Dame’s basketball and football teams. For more on George’s hobbies and interests, visit this Facebook page.
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