Cavs can cement themselves among East’s elite
Image via NBA.com
With a win tonight, the Cavaliers will cement themselves as a serious conteneder in the East, something that has not been shown confidently all season. They would go into the All-Star break winning 15 of their last 16, while taking over 3rd place in the Eastern Conference.
But, there is one problem standing in front of them. The Cavs play the Bulls tonight in Chi-town. While the Bulls have had the same offensive problems as the Wine & Gold, they too have shown that they will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs.
The Bulls, when clicking as a unit, have fed off their stellar offense, featuring former MVP PG Derrick Rose, PF Pau Gasol, and C Jokim Noah. While Cleveland has a better offensive efficiency, the Bulls can strike at any time, especially when Jimmy Butler (although out tonight with a sore shoulder) is playing well. He just adds to their “Big 3”.
But defense is where the Cavaliers are going to need to come up big. Chicago ranks 13th in defensive efficiency, while the Cavs are 22nd. Even though the Cavaliers have vastly improved on defense, they will face their biggest test tonight.
Why would a win tonight make the Cavs elite? Because they are playing their best basketball this year. The entire team has irreplaceable chemistry, and it shows on the court. When one man is having a bad game, there’s always someone else who’ll pick up the slack.
So while we are just days away from the All-Star break, the Cavs road to the championship is just beginning.
