Cleveland Cavaliers Still Eastern Conference Favorites

Kyrie Irving is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NBA. He’s a supreme dribble-penetrator who can get to the basket and finish as creatively as any player in the league, all the while maintaining pull-up and off-the-catch jumpers that are almost impossible to defend.

Unfortunately, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports that Irving could be out until January as he rehabilitates a left kneecap fracture.

For as gifted as he may be, Irving’s potential multi-month absence doesn’t change the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorite in the Eastern Conference.

Tristan Thompson is an excellent rebounder who truly made his mark on the 2015 NBA Finals. He’ll crash the offensive glass and has shown intriguing improvements in his defensive fundamentals.

Apr 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) and forward LeBron James (23) sit during a timeout in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Unfortunately, Michael A. Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports that Thompson’s agent, Rich Paul, has plans for a departure. The goal: help Thompson return to Canada by orchestrating a deal with the Toronto Raptors.

For as tumultuous a summer as it may be for Thompson, his potential departure doesn’t change the fact that the Cavaliers are the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

For all of the commotion, the city of Cleveland has been provided with a genuine contender to pull for. Even with these potential setbacks, the roster still consists of a true superstar, a perennial All-Star and a number of high-caliber role players.

With improved depth and another offseason of chemistry development, the Cavaliers are as strong a championship contender as ever.

The LeBron Factor

LeBron James has led his respective teams to the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons. He did so in every attempt from 2011 to 2014 with the Miami Heat, and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals.

Love him or hate him, that’s a fact that cannot be overstated.

It’s hard to envision a player leading his team to six consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. That hasn’t happened since Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics dominated their way to 10 straight berths between 1957 and 1966.

50 years later, James will have a chance to further solidify his place in sports history by leading the Cavaliers to a championship.

It’s common to break basketball down with shades of gray in our analysis. The one undeniable truth is that any team that reaches the NBA Finals has a chance to win a title.

If James’ two titles, two Finals MVP and six NBA Finals appearances prove anything, it’s that his presence all but guarantees a shot at a championship.

Diversified Depth

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell in the NBA Finals due to an absence of depth. There were quality players, but the loss of both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love stripped Cleveland of its complementary playmakers.

Approaching 2015-16, Cleveland projects to have solved that issue.

It must be stated that every projection made is done with the assumption that injuries will not occur. Whether or not that’s a safe manner of evaluation, it’s borderline inhumane to expect a player to go down.

For that reason, the Cavaliers are reasonably expected to be working with Irving, Love and LeBron James.

Irving could miss significant time in 2015-16, but he’s set to return in January. Considering the playoffs don’t begin until April, it stands to reason that he’ll be back at full strength by the time the 2016 NBA Playoffs roll around.

Whether or not Irving is available, respected veteran Mo Williams will provide a significant and necessary upgrade in the playmaking department.

Williams is a strong shooter who has a career average of 5.0 assists in 29.8 minutes per game. He played with James in 2008-09 and 2009-10, and has the prowess from beyond the arc to provide the consistent production that Matthew Dellavedova lacked in 2015.

With a supporting cast that projects to consist of Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao, Cleveland’s depth is a significant strength.

Who Else?

With all due respect to the rest of the Eastern Conference, there isn’t a single other team that can confidently be called the odds-on favorite. There are championship contenders with promise and potential, but there’s a clear disparity at the top.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers, there’s more on-paper hype than on-court evidence.

The Atlanta Hawks won 60 games in 2014-15, but were swept by the short-handed Cavaliers during the Eastern Conference Finals. The Chicago Bulls have mountains of talent, but will be led by first-year head coach Fred Hoiberg.

Fred Hoiberg has the tools to be a great NBA head coach. Will he be? Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards have each combined to win 90-plus respective games over the past two seasons. They also have question marks, including Toronto’s consecutive first-round exits and Washington’s loss of Paul Pierce.

All four teams, as well as the 10 others after Cleveland, could turn a corner. That’s still a maybe.

What the Cavaliers have is a track record. James is an in-conference postseason maestro who hasn’t missed the Eastern Conference Finals since 2010.

Both Irving and Love are multi-time All-Stars and the depth of the second unit has been necessarily diversified.

Irving’s injury and Tristan Thompson’s contract are both red flags, but they aren’t nearly enough to change the fact that Cleveland is the clear pre-season favorite in the Eastern Conference.

Next: Offseason grades for all 30 NBA teams

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