Expectations are high this year for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They tore through the last regular season with 64 wins before falling apart in the second round of the playoffs, partially due to injuries.
Cleveland’s front office responded to the loss by reinforcing their bench with all-around players in Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. That, in combination with internal improvements from Evan Mobley and injuries to other would be top teams in the conference, has cleared the runway for the Cavs to finally live up to their potential in the postseason.
This is the Cavaliers’ best chance to win a championship since 2016. And according to their fans, it’s title or bust this season.
An overwhelming majority of fans believe that anything short of a championship would be a failure this season. I believe that’s the right approach for the organization to have. This may be their best opportunity to win a title. At the same time, this mindset may not be the best way for fans to approach the season.
If the Cavs are going to win a title, they will need to get through what’s expected to be a shallow Eastern Conference. There isn’t an overwhelming juggernaut, like the fully healthy Boston Celtics from last year, standing in their way.
Based on our poll, Cavs fans think that the New York Knicks are their biggest challengers.
The Knicks showed that they could give the Cavs problems in Wednesday’s opener. New York was able to get to the basket seemingly at will while Cleveland couldn’t replicate that formula on the other end even though the Knicks were without their starting center in Mitchell Robinson.
Seeing the Knicks at the top of this list was expected.
I’m surprised to see that the Detroit Pistons didn’t get more votes here. I think that their combination of defensive-first players and Cade Cunningham could be challenging in a playoff setting. They gave the Knicks about all they could handle in the postseason last year and should be even stronger this season.
We’ll see how this season plays out. Be sure to check out this NBA season’s prop bets at FanDuel.
