Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
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For the past five seasons, the team that had LeBron James on it always represented the Eastern Conference in the Finals. Each year, there are teams, such as the Bulls or the Pacers, who attempt to end LeBron James’ reign of terror. Inevitably, despite having regular season success, these teams constantly fall short. This upcoming season appears to be no different.
On paper the Cavaliers have the strongest roster in the East: their trio of Kyrie, LeBron, and Kevin Love lead one of the most lethal offenses in the league. They have a reliable defensive frontcourt with Timofey Mozgov and (hopefully) Tristan Thompson, along with a bolstered bench, which consists of Mo Williams, Richard Jefferson, Mathew Dellavedova, and Anderson Varejao.
Last year, following a midseason trade in which they acquired Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, and J.R. Smith, the Cavs had a record of 34-9, which led the NBA. This team should be considered the prohibited favorite in the Eastern Conference. However, the Heat–LeBron’s former team–seems to pose the biggest threat as the Cavs look to make consecutive finals appearances.
This offseason the Heat tried to counteract the star-studded roster of the Cavs with a couple moves of their own. They signed point guard Goran Dragic to a 5-year, $86 million dollar deal and drafted two-way wing. Justise Winslow. They improved their bench with the additions of Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire and have all-star power forward Chris Bosh returning to the lineup after recovering from his blood clots. That leaves the Heat with a potent starting five of Dragic, Wade, Luol Deng, Bosh, and Hassan Whiteside.
Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
Three of these players are former all stars and Dragic was an All-NBA third-team member in 2014. Even Whiteside, who has by far the least amount of credentials out of the starting five, had the sixth highest PER in the league last season. As noted by Nylon Calculus, he allowed a 46.5% field goal percentage at the rim and saved 1.57 points per game. His elite rim protecting ability could be particularly useful against players such as Kyrie and Lebron who are known for their ability to drive and finish at the rim.
The Heat are able to match up well with the Cavaliers, something most teams in the eastern conference can’t say. Goran Dragic, while lacking Kyrie Irving’s scoring prowess, boasts near equivocal statistics in rebounds, assists, along with offensive and defensive rating, per Basketball Reference.
Dwayne Wade, injured or not, is far superior option at shooting guard than whoever Cleveland can put out there. Chris Bosh possesses the same floor spacing ability that Kevin Love does at the powerforward position, but is a more capable defender. Finally, Hassan Whiteside, who aside from a few dunks here and there is rather inept offensively, has the length to guard Timofey Mozgov, a limited shooter.
The only matchup that’s distinctly one-sided is with Luol Deng and LeBron James. However, Luol Deng is a competent offensive threat, whose experience and history guarding LeBron James could prove to be useful. Thus, the Heat are capable of competing with the Cavaliers and could give them a run for their money should they meet up in the playoffs.
The Heat can not only match up with the Cavs, but are also superior to every other team in the conference. Most teams in the Eastern Conference have young, unproven talent incapable of making a significant impact. Teams, such as the Bucks and Celtics–while progressing–lack the experience required to compete with NBA contenders.
The Raptors have had consecutive seasons of winning 48+ games, but are stuck in mediocrity as they’ve done nothing to address issues of lackluster defense and rebounding. The Wizards could be interesting. According to ESPN they ranked second in FG percentage defense. However, their offensive rating ranked a meager 22nd out of 30 teams, a problem that could worsen with the loss of Paul Pierce.
The Hawks surprised the NBA world last season by winning 60 games. Although, after a strong 40-8 start, they only went 20-14 to close out the season. They looked unimpressive in the postseason, being threatened by both the Nets and Wizards, before being swept by the Cavs. As a result it’s unlikely they’ll duplicate the success they had last season especially after losing Demarre Carroll, a key member of their rotation. That only leaves the Bulls, who’ve seemingly been beat by LeBron James every single playoff.
The Bulls, as they’ve always been in recent history, seem like a legitimate contender in the East, especially with Jimmy Butler on the rise. If they’re at full strength, they have the potential to win it all. Unfortunately, that’s a big if. Until they prove themselves they’ll be inferior to the Heat. At this point in their respective careers Goran Dragic seems like a more serviceable point guard than the oft injured, Derrick Rose. Jimmy Butler, for all his improvement, still pales in comparison to Dwayne Wade. Pau Gasol is a liability on the defensive end while Joakim Noah is on the decline. At this point, the Heat–with their arsenal of weapons–seems like the more reliable bet.
Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
The X factor will always be health. If Dwayne Wade’s knees fail him and he isn’t at full strength come playoff time, the Heat become severely weakened. Likewise, if Derrick Rose returns to MVP form, the Bulls should usurp the heat. For the time being we’re assuming Dwayne Wade will miss a few games, but be ready come playoff time and that Derrick Rose’s best days are behind him. If those conditions persist, then the Miami Heat are the Cavs biggest threat in the East.
