Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have revamped their roster by jettisoning Isaiah Thomas to Los Angeles and adding Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and George Hill, most pundits have pegged them to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals once again. That really wasn't the case a month ago, especially when the Cavs were dropping games to the likes of the lowly Orlando Magic by double digits.
Things were bleak, but they're brighter now. LeBron James looks fresh and the new faces seemed to have sparked something in Cleveland. Has enough been done to get the Cavs back to the Finals for a fourth straight year? Many agree that the East is stronger than ever, with the Celtics playing well behind Kyrie Irving and the Raptors currently setting the pace in first place. With the NBA playoffs set to get under way in a little over a month, we decided to take a closer look at Bron's competition this year and definitively rank the challengers he will face.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Yes, I am picking the 76ers as the toughest competition to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Let's talk about it. Not only has Philly been the hottest team in the East of late, the talent on the team is rather elite with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons leading the way. The Sixers core is young and provides a spark that the East hasn't seen much of lately. Yes, this group has never made the playoffs, but as currently constructed, it's not difficult to see how hard of an out the Sixers will be. Can they beat the Cavs in a series? Probably not, but it would be competitive. Now, if Boston draws Philly in the first round, things could get really interesting.
2. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors currently sit at No. 1 in the East. They're in the middle of a historically good offensive season, and yet, people still doubt them. Based on past playoff performances, it's easy to dismiss Toronto, but to some degree, this year feels different. DeMar Derozan should probably be in the MVP conversation and their bench is easily the best in the league. Kyle Lowry is still a viable option in the Toronto offense and they seem to be deeper than years past. Of course, the Raptors have looked great during the regular season the past few years and playoff struggles followed. Will that happen again? Only time will tell.
3. Boston Celtics
Yep, the Celtics are third. We can fight about it if you want. While the Celtics started the second half of the season hot, we all saw who they really were before the break when they got ran by the new-look Cavs and a few other teams. Kyrie Irving is playing unreal right now, but sadly, they don't seem to have enough. The absence of Gordon Hayward is catching up to this offense and that will only be more on display in the playoffs when teams can tailor their strategies. Of course, the future is bright in Boston with Hayward returning, Jayson Tatum looking like a potential star, and still another high draft pick coming next year from the Kings. Though, a Kyrie vs. LeBron playoff series would be entertaining as hell, even if it only lasted five games.
4. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are a roller coaster. After firing Jason Kidd earlier this season, the Bucks saw a bump in play, but have since fizzled a bit, sliding to 7th in the standings. Still, they're a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs for one reason: The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The threat of Giannis taking over a series is more than enough to put fear in an opponent and could make any series a struggle. Eric Bledsoe is the type of PG to cause issues for opponents in the playoffs and the Bucks have the length defensively to disrupt other squads in a series. Last year's team gave the Raptors a real run for their money in the playoffs, so expectations are high this season. Can the Bucks pull off a first round upset? It certainly seems possible.
5. Washington Wizards
The Wizards are rolling right now without John Wall, which has naturally sparked debates about whether or not the team is better without their star PG. Honestly, the Wizards probably aren't better overall without Wall. He's elite at the guard position and runs the team at a high level when healthy, but it's not hard to see how much better the team has looked overall in his absence. Bradley Beal has thrived with Wall out and there's no telling what happens when Wall returns. The Wizards are always a playoff threat but seem less of one this season with the East stronger than years past.
6. Miami Heat
Wade County is alive and well again down in Miami with the Heat hanging onto the 8th seed in the East. Though most of this season has been up and down for the Heat, Wade seems to have at least sparked things a bit to make a team take that first-round series seriously. The Heat probably can't win a playoff series and likely wouldn't take more than a game off LeBron and the Cavs, but who wouldn't want to see Bron vs Wade in the playoffs for the first time?
