Cleveland Cavaliers – Supreme Talent
The Cavaliers operating as a championship contender needs no explanation. Cleveland trails only Golden State in net rating since February, and led by a roster that has been infused with talent (Timofey Mozgov and JR Smith, to name two pieces), many see the Cavs as the favorite in the East despite Atlanta’s significant lead in the standings.
If there is one thing that will push the Cavaliers over the top, it is their incredible talent. LeBron James is still the best player in the world at this stage (and he has played like it since returning from a two-week hiatus earlier in the year), Kyrie Irving is capable of offensive explosions on any given night, and even Kevin Love has looked more engaged in the recent past. Beyond the “big three”, Cleveland now has role players that fill holes that surfaced earlier in the season, and the Cavs have quality depth across the board.
There are certainly question marks in Cleveland, namely in the person of David Blatt and the aforementioned Love, but the Cavaliers certainly look like a title contender. Oh, and they still have LeBron James.
Next: Dallas