The Cleveland Cavaliers had a bit of a surprising season in 2024-25.
They went from being a potential top-four seed to leading the Eastern Conference from start to finish.
And while the season didn’t end in the way they hoped for, they proved that they can hold their ground against the best of the best.
That’s why, after watching them add Lonzo Ball in the offseason, ESPN analyst Dave McMenamin has the Cavaliers as the fourth-best team in all of basketball in his latest power rankings:
“Perhaps the most significant news of Cleveland’s summer was Darius Garland undergoing surgery on his left big toe. The two-time All-Star was unavailable for four of the Cavs’ nine playoff games because of the injury, averaging just 14 points while shooting 16.7% from 3 in the loss to Indiana. He only missed seven games during the regular season. Cleveland changed things up at point guard, too, letting Ty Jerome walk in free agency (signed with Memphis for three years, $28 million) and trading Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball,” McMenamin wrote.
McMenamin has the Cavaliers behind only the defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets.
He has them at the top of the Eastern Conference again.
The East will be wide-open next season.
Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton will be out for the season, and Damian Lillard is no longer with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reports about Joel Embiid’s health are far from encouraging, and Paul George has failed to stay healthy as well.
As for the Knicks, they might be the most talented team in the East, but they will have a new coach in Mike Brown, and that always raises questions.
Perhaps the Orlando Magic will be the biggest competitor to the Cavs now that they’ve added Desmond Bane to the mix.
But even if that’s the case, there’s no legitimate reason to believe the Cavaliers can’t be better next season and not only secure the No. 1 seed again but also make it out of the East and all the way to the biggest stage.
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