Fansided

Ranking the 5 best Eastern Conference teams LeBron James has destroyed

By Bryan Toporek

MIAMI, FL - MAY 24: (L-R) Kyle Korver #26, Carlos Boozer #5, Derrick Rose #1, Luol Deng #9 and Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls talk on court against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat won 101-93 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - MAY 24: (L-R) Kyle Korver #26, Carlos Boozer #5, Derrick Rose #1, Luol Deng #9 and Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls talk on court against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat won 101-93 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /
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ORLANDO, FL – December 13: Kyle Korver #26, Paul Millsap #4 , Al Horford #15 and DeMarre Carroll #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during the game on December 13, 2014 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
ORLANDO, FL – December 13: Kyle Korver #26, Paul Millsap #4 , Al Horford #15 and DeMarre Carroll #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during the game on December 13, 2014 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images /

4. The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks

Record: 60-22, 1st in Eastern Conference

Result: 4-0 loss in Eastern Conference Finals

After James repeatedly disposed of the Pacers during his time down in South Beach, he trained his sights on a new Atlanta-based target upon his return to Cleveland.

The 2013-14 Atlanta Hawks gutted out a 38-win season even though star center Al Horford went down with a torn pectoral after only 29 games, but they were no match for the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. With Horford back healthy in 2014-15 and the Hawks in their second year under head coach Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta reeled off a franchise-record 60 regular-season wins en route to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Paul Millsap led the Hawks in scoring that season with only 16.7 points per game, but the egalitarian nature of Budenholzer’s system made Atlanta dangerous. Six Hawks players averaged double-digit scoring totals during the regular season, and the team made history when its entire starting five shared the Eastern Conference Player of the Month distinction in January.

Atlanta dispatched the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards in the first two rounds of the playoffs, setting up a date with James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks went 3-1 against Cleveland during the regular season, and the Cavaliers’ lackluster defense caused more than a handful of experts to favor Atlanta in conference finals.

There was just one problem: The Hawks didn’t have a LeBron.

Though Kevin Love was sidelined by a shoulder injury he suffered in the first round, James averaged 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists to help guide Cleveland to a four-game sweep of the Hawks. Kyrie Irving missed Games 2 and 3 of the series after he aggravated a left knee injury in Game 1, but LeBron kept the Cavs afloat with a masterful 37-point, 18-rebound, 13-assist performance in Game 3 to effectively slam the door shut on Atlanta.

The Hawks ran much of their same core back the next season, but James and the Cavaliers again swept them out of the 2016 playoffs. That summer, Horford left to sign a four-year max deal with the Boston Celtics, and Atlanta shipped Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers in a three-team deal that netted them the No. 12 overall pick (Taurean Prince). When Paul Millsap left the following summer to sign with the Denver Nuggets, the Hawks plunged into a full-scale rebuild, becoming yet another footnote in James’ legacy.

Next: 3. The 2017-18 Toronto Raptors

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