NBA Power Rankings: Playoff Edition

156. <p>LeBron James plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. That makes the Cleveland Cavaliers extremely dangerous.</p> <p>It isn’t always that simple when it comes to the NBA’s elite talent, but in LeBron’s case, the results speak for themselves. James has led his team to the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons, and the Cavaliers are a significant favorite to extend that streak to six straight years. That is, of course, a preposterous stat in a league that has so much turnover, but LeBron’s individual impact is undeniable and it is a nice example of that.</p> <p>This season has been something of a roller coaster ride in Cleveland, though, and a lot of the trouble has come off the court. The Cavs, somehow, won 57 games and earned the top seed despite firing their coach midseason and struggling to integrate all of their pieces for the second straight year, and the off-court drama with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and even James has been strange to put it mildly.</p> <p>Still, the Cavs have shown flashes of their upside in recent weeks, and LeBron has come alive with some playoff-level intensity to close the regular season. Cleveland defended at an extremely impressive level in the playoffs a year ago, and if they can reach those heights while still boasting the offensive talents of Irving and Love on a regular basis, it is a scary proposition for any opponent, including the Warriors and Spurs.</p> <p>Cleveland has an easier path to the NBA Finals than anyone in the West can display, but in a vacuum, I’m still not sure they are better than three teams in the opposite conference.</p>. (57-25). Previous: . Cleveland Cavaliers. 4. team