Cleveland Cavaliers presumptive favorites
For the other beasts of the East, the thought of the Cavaliers going through the remainder of the 2017-2018 campaign with purpose is far from comforting. For a while there, the defending conference champions looked down and out. No longer. Instead, they c
When the Cavaliers head to the Chesapeake Energy Arena today, they’re be wearing smiles on their faces. More than anything else, hope fuels their disposition. This time last week, they were on a downward spiral that cast a shadow on their competitiveness — or, to be more precise, shed light on their lack thereof. After three victories and three trades, however, they’re decidedly rejuvenated. In the midst of addition by subtraction and the promise of a new season, they’re looking forward to, and not dreading, what lies ahead.
Considering how much the Cavaliers were imploding, any change would have been welcome. But because general manager Koby Altman masterfully made use of the trade deadline to bring in personnel that fit not just the culture but, more importantly, top dog LeBron James’ style of play, he provided the impetus for a 180- degree turn in their outlook. Take the case of the four- time Most Valuable Player, who: 1) after learning that moves would be made, went out and dominated the Timberwolves; 2) after seeing the moves actually made, presided over a clinic against the Hawks, the depleted roster notwithstanding; and 3) after welcoming the newcomers, proceeded to show the supposedly superior Celtics that the path to the Finals would be lined with wine and gold.
There wi l l be more chal lenges, of course. Today, for instance, the Thunder should prove to be a handful, never mind the loss of defensive anchor Andre Roberson and the possible absence of reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and 10- time All- Star Carmelo Anthony. If nothing else, the always- solid Paul George has shown in the last two outings that he can hold the fort on his own. Still, the Cavaliers will aim to keep building momentum, and, with James extremely engaged anew, fans should expect excellence.
For the other beasts of the East, the thought of the Cavaliers going through the remainder of the 2017-2018 campaign with purpose is far from comforting. For a while there, the defending conference champions looked down and out. No longer. Instead, they cannot but be viewed as presumptive favorites heading into the playoffs. Forget that they’re reconfiguring themselves on the fly. And forget that they’re not in their usual perch at the top of the standings. They have James, and they have the right pieces around him. Nothing
else matters.