5 reasons LeBron James’ return means title repeat for Cavs
By John Buhler
1. Cleveland faces no pressure, as the Cavaliers have nothing left to prove.
After ending a 52-year championship drought in Cleveland, the Cavaliers face absolutely no pressure entering the 2016-17 NBA season as defending NBA Champions. It doesn’t matter if the Cavaliers fail to repeat as champions next year, as they’ve already done the impossible in bringing a championship to Cleveland in 2016.
Cleveland isn’t going to turn a franchise that brought it a championship the year before if the Cavaliers come up short of a repeat next summer. The burden of perpetual playoff disappointment has departed Northeast Ohio and the Cavaliers will benefit playing in a relaxed environment.
With James coming back, the regular season won’t matter for the Cavaliers, as they’ll still be the favorites to win the East and possibly repeat as NBA Champions. Cleveland is in a rare position that really only a Popovich Spurs team can get to. The Cavaliers don’t need to have a No. 1 seed to win another NBA Championship in 2017.
Conceivably, Cleveland can win 50 or fewer games and be the fourth or fifth seed in the 2017 Eastern Conference Playoffs and still come out of the East to play in the 2017 NBA Finals. Barring any massive moves in 2016 NBA free agency, there isn’t a star in the East as dynamic as James is. He should get to his seventh straight NBA Finals in 2017 and as long as his teammates don’t let him down in the Finals, Cleveland could very well orchestrate a repeat championship.
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