Cleveland Cavaliers Still Favorites Without Kevin Love

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is expected to miss the remainder of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Love suffered a dislocated shoulder during a Game 4 tie-up with Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics. Cleveland completed the 4-0 sweep, but it lost one of its most critical contributors.

Suddenly, the Cavaliers have gone from the untouchable favorites to the weak and wounded. They’ve gone from a favorite to win it all to a team with bigger dreams than expectations.

In the words of Cavaliers general manager, this star-studded team has become the underdog.

Or have they?

With all due respect to Love and what he brings to the table, his injury doesn’t change as much as it may seem. There will need to be schematic adjustments, and losing his mere presence hurts, but the story remains the same.

Cleveland is the clear-cut favorite in the Eastern Conference, and that all starts with two-time Finals MVP LeBron James.

Per Basketball-Reference.com, the Cavaliers were a plus-10.8 with James on the floor and a minus-6.0 when he wasn’t during the 2014-15 NBA regular season. In terms of their record, they went 50-19 with James and 3-10 in 13 games without him.

In the 69 games he played, Cleveland was 10-7 when James scored less than 20 points and 40-12 when he eclipsed the 20-point plateau.

This isn’t to say that James will be the one and only reason the Cavaliers win or lose, but it’s clear that he’s the driving force. When he thrives, they succeed; when he doesn’t, they don’t.

With four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and a pair of Finals MVP awards under James’ belt, Cleveland has every reason to believe in its leader. The fact that he leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game in the postseason is a promising sign, on its own.

Beyond James has been the true emergence of point guard Kyrie Irving.

Sans a poor Game 3, Irving was masterful during the Cavaliers’ first-round victory over the Celtics. He averaged 23.3 points and shot 48.0 percent from 3-point range while embracing his score-first mentality.

With James handling the facilitating duties, Irving has been an isolation and transition nightmare.

Irving’s strong play in the postseason and James’ stellar track record is what separates Cleveland from the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference. Unlike its remaining foes, Cleveland has a four-time MVP and a rising star approaching superstardom.

That’s an invaluable combination to have.

Whether it’s the Atlanta Hawks or the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls or Milwaukee Bucks, or the already advanced Washington Wizards, no team can match the Cavaliers star-for-star—with or without Love.

Beyond the skill level is the experience. Role players such as James Jones, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and Kendrick Perkins have all won at least one NBA championship, which bodes well for the young players in need of guidance.

Both on and off the floor, Cleveland has the type of veteran leadership that often spells the difference between championship potential and actually cashing in.

With all-world talent and experienced leaders, the Cavaliers have a genuine chance to end their title drought. Losing Love will hurt, and his impact ranges far beyond numbers, but any team with James will be a contender—four straight Finals appearances and five overall should prove as much.

With the rest of the Eastern Conference paling in comparison to the Cavaliers’ star power and championship pedigree, losing Love doesn’t change as much as it seems. It’s just another bump in the road.

With or without its star power forward, Cleveland remains the favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference and reach the NBA Finals.

Next: For Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, the sky is no longer the limit; it's the expectation

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