NBA: Grading each team’s 2014-2015 season

1st. Central Division, Eastern Conference. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS. B+. <p>Much like the evaluation of the Chicago Bulls, it is all about preseason expectations for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Personally, I projected the Cavs for 60 wins and the top seed in the East, but predicted records were all over the board, ranging from low 50’s to high 60’s depending on the source.</p> <p>What actually happened was quite interesting in that it was almost a tale of two seasons for the Cavs. Cleveland started 19-20 amid controversy with David Blatt, a slow start from LeBron James and an uneasy coexistence between their trio of stars. From there, though, Cleveland took off to the tune of a 33-9 record and looked every part of the team with title aspirations.</p> <p>On the negative side, David Blatt still appears overmatched at times (and the controversy with LeBron isn’t helping) and Kevin Love has yet to flourish in his new home. However, the Cavs are now receiving peak effort from LeBron, Kyrie Irving seems capable of 50 points on any given night, and the acquisitions of Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have done wonders for morale and performance, especially on the defensive end.</p> <p>The 2014-2015 season hasn’t been a walk in the park for the most scrutinized team in the league, but it is tough to argue with the number two seed and “favorite” status in the East from a group that is still growing together in year one.</p>