The Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the Eastern Conference last season, and it wasn’t close at all.
They crushed their way through the opposition en route to an impressive 64-win season and the No. 1 seed.
Now, with the moves everybody around the league has made, they’re projected to stay near the top of the conference.
Law Murray of The Athletic gave them the nod as the No. 3 team in the entire league, trailing only the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the New York Knicks:
“The biggest move the Cavaliers made was to acquire Lonzo Ball in exchange for Isaac Okoro, a move that should help Cleveland account for the loss of key reserve Ty Jerome while giving Cleveland a player who can handle the ball, pass, shoot and make plays defensively. Ball might be needed a lot early in the season with All-Star point guard Darius Garland recovering from surgery on his toe. Like New York, Cleveland could stand to add another player or two to help protect against injury to the frontcourt and wing,” Murray wrote.
The Lonzo Ball trade could be the type of move that could end up defining this team’s offseason.
If he’s hurt like he’s been in the past, this team will most definitely regress.
However, if he can provide this team with valuable minutes and remain healthy in the playoffs, they could finally shake off their past struggles and return to the biggest stage.
Ball is one of the best playmakers in the game by a significant stretch.
He can guard multiple positions because of his size and lateral quickness, and his ability to hit timely shots and knock down makes from beyond the arc is also remarkable.
The Cavs also added a tough interior defender in Larry Nance Jr., who should be on the floor when Jarrett Allen is manhandled or gets moved around by physical opposition.
All in all, this team looks better than it did last season, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can finally live up to the hype.
NEXT: Cavs Land Lakers Star In Proposed Blockbuster 3-Team Trade
