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NBA Rumors: 5 reasons Dirk Nowitzki should sign with Cavaliers

By John Buhler

Apr 6, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) argues a call with the referees during the second half against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Rockets 88-86. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) argues a call with the referees during the second half against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Rockets 88-86. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 23, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20), Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) laugh on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 129-90. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20), Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) laugh on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 129-90. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Easier path to NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference

A bigger advantage that Cleveland has over Golden State in the pursuit of Nowitzki in 2016 NBA free agency is that Cleveland plays in the easier of the two conferences in the East. Nowitzki knows all about the gauntlet of playing in the Western Conference from his years starring in Dallas. Even great teams in the West are capable of losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

By leaving the West for the East with Cleveland, Nowitzki is almost guaranteed to be playing in an Eastern Conference Finals. James has never lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and has played in six straight NBA Finals after cakewalking through the East.

Playoff wins are hard to attain. In Dallas, Nowitzki’s team is capable of about two annually. By teaming up with James in Cleveland, he’s guaranteed to win at least 10 playoff games as a member of the Cavaliers.

Will a team emerge to dethrone James and the Cavaliers in the East? Eventually, but probably not in 2016-17. Yes, there are good teams in the East like the Toronto Raptors, the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics, and the Atlanta Hawks, but none of these four teams realistically will top Cleveland in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals barring anything crazy.

Though it will be perceived as a shortcut to a title for Nowitzki, it’s potentially a smart move to join a team that is most likely to win the East for the third year in a row in the 2016-17 Cavaliers. From there, it’s all about how well Cleveland matches up with the 2017 Western Conference Champions.

Next: 1. Fills the Kevin Love role perfectly.

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