Reallistically- How long before will it take to be a top 2-3 seed in the East?

[gourimoko]

I think the Cavaliers will probably finish with the second-best or best record in the East.

I would've said the Pacers but with them losing Lance Stephenson and Hibbert being a total unknown, I think they might drop to 3rd or worse. I also don't agree with commentators who think the Bulls are the best team in the East right now. I think that's total bullshit.

 

[Xearoii]

Crazy how back in 2012 everyone was making predictions that it could take 5+ years before we reached 2-3 seed in Eastern Conference.

Things sure changed quickly!

 

[SalvadoranCavsfan]

Crazy how back in 2012 everyone was making predictions that it could take 5+ years before we reached 2-3 seed in Eastern Conference.

Things sure changed quickly!

It's amazing what happens to a team when you add a LeBron.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Crazy how back in 2012 everyone was making predictions that it could take 5+ years before we reached 2-3 seed in Eastern Conference.

Things sure changed quickly!

Yeah, I mean, it's not like we added the best player in the league of anything. :chuckles:

 

[sailfish]

Cleveland will be #1 seed in the East next year...calling it now.

Agreed.
Love or not, the Cavaliers are going to finish as the 1st or 2nd seed in the East. Really their only competition is going to come from the Bulls and their success is predicated on the health of Derrick Rose.
We need a decent center and then we're set. I really don't see the need for Love.

 

[pinoycavsfan]

cavaliers still is a flawed team. lacks interior defense, perimeter defense is a question if wiggins is traded, no post option (unless LBJ starts playing in the post more), lacks frontcourt depth, and no playoff experience.

imo, the cavs are two years away from being a legitimate top 2-3 in the east. getting lbj is huge for the cavs but i think he is not enough for us to be contenders. i see top 5-7 this coming season and making a huge step the next year.

kyrie still needs to learn how to play the point guard role in a winning team, dion needs to accept his limited role/touches with the team.. LBJ has to learn to play with young, inexperienced guys and be patient with them.. the cavs needs frontcourt depth, desperately..

 

[CavsFan87]

cavaliers still is a flawed team. lacks interior defense, perimeter defense is a question if wiggins is traded, no post option (unless LBJ starts playing in the post more), lacks frontcourt depth, and no playoff experience.

imo, the cavs are two years away from being a legitimate top 2-3 in the east. getting lbj is huge for the cavs but i think he is not enough for us to be contenders. i see top 5-7 this coming season and making a huge step the next year.

kyrie still needs to learn how to play the point guard role in a winning team, dion needs to accept his limited role/touches with the team.. LBJ has to learn to play with young, inexperienced guys and be patient with them.. the cavs needs frontcourt depth, desperately..

Your saying 5 to 7 seed in the east? Ummmm

 

[tsteele316]

cavaliers still is a flawed team. lacks interior defense, perimeter defense is a question if wiggins is traded, no post option (unless LBJ starts playing in the post more), lacks frontcourt depth, and no playoff experience.

imo, the cavs are two years away from being a legitimate top 2-3 in the east. getting lbj is huge for the cavs but i think he is not enough for us to be contenders. i see top 5-7 this coming season and making a huge step the next year.

kyrie still needs to learn how to play the point guard role in a winning team, dion needs to accept his limited role/touches with the team.. LBJ has to learn to play with young, inexperienced guys and be patient with them.. the cavs needs frontcourt depth, desperately..

this is a bit over the top. this may be true if absolutely nobody on the roster progresses at all on both sides of the ball, and anderson varejao misses 50 games again. given that mike brown isn't coaching anymore, this is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Jack Brickman]

cavaliers still is a flawed team. lacks interior defense, perimeter defense is a question if wiggins is traded, no post option (unless LBJ starts playing in the post more), lacks frontcourt depth, and no playoff experience.

imo, the cavs are two years away from being a legitimate top 2-3 in the east. getting lbj is huge for the cavs but i think he is not enough for us to be contenders. i see top 5-7 this coming season and making a huge step the next year.

kyrie still needs to learn how to play the point guard role in a winning team, dion needs to accept his limited role/touches with the team.. LBJ has to learn to play with young, inexperienced guys and be patient with them.. the cavs needs frontcourt depth, desperately..

The only way we finish 5-7 is if LeBron misses half the season. Even then we'd probably finish top five.

 

[Marcus]

cavaliers still is a flawed team. lacks interior defense, perimeter defense is a question if wiggins is traded, no post option (unless LBJ starts playing in the post more), lacks frontcourt depth, and no playoff experience.

imo, the cavs are two years away from being a legitimate top 2-3 in the east. getting lbj is huge for the cavs but i think he is not enough for us to be contenders. i see top 5-7 this coming season and making a huge step the next year.

kyrie still needs to learn how to play the point guard role in a winning team, dion needs to accept his limited role/touches with the team.. LBJ has to learn to play with young, inexperienced guys and be patient with them.. the cavs needs frontcourt depth, desperately..

I understand wanting to temper expectations, but come on... top 5-7? This team is top 2-3 in the East based on talent alone. The East is still weak, and the top of it (Indiana and Miami) just got a whole hell of a lot weaker with their key losses. Who could you honestly see being a higher seeded team?

It remains to be seen how Indiana responds to losing Stephenson, but that one definitely hurts them.

Derrick Rose has not been healthy in two years, although they were still a good team without him. Even still, they are not legitimate contenders as long as he is riding the pine.

Miami is obviously down a few pegs after losing LeBron and replacing him with a hobbled Luol Deng.

Who in the Eastern Conference can you say without a reasonable doubt is better right now, let alone 5-7 of them?

I understand not wanting to get your hopes up and being realistic, but give me a break...

 

[pinoycavsfan]

lebron had wade and bosh and was surrounded by solid role players on the heat..

this team has kyrie, who may be a better shooter than wade but lacks the pg skills to run this team.. he is (as of right now) a terrible defender.

dion waiters good offensive talent but is not d wade in terms of intagibles and defense.

TT is not even comparable to haslem much more with bosh

wiggins has never played a single nba game

varejao will miss 50 games..

bennett, in spite of the marked improvement shown in the d league, is not bosh..

i dont see a top 3 team even with LBJ..

teams like bulls, pacers, washington, heat and even charlotte have more balance and played together longer than the cavs..

and comparing to the cavs 2010 team, this team lacks defensive length, chemistry and experience..

 

[VAIN1]

How many wins is Lebron worth can we quantify that in any reasonable assumption?

I hope at least like 15 to 20 more and wager i am being extremely conservative.

The most pressing need is a Big Man in the truest since he doesn't need to score but provide intimidation in the paint even if he doesn't rack up a lot of blocks.

Yet we are obsessed with a PF who needs help on the defensive end and only AV for rim protection.

 

[Jack Brickman]

How many wins is Lebron worth can we quantify that in any reasonable assumption?

I hope at least like 15 to 20 more and wager i am being extremely conservative.

The most pressing need is a Big Man in the truest since he doesn't need to score but provide intimidation in the paint even if he doesn't rack up a lot of blocks.

Yet we are obsessed with a PF who needs help on the defensive end and only AV for rim protection.

Twenty more wins would put us at 53 wins for the season, which would have been the third-best team in the East this year, although one of the teams above that total was Miami with 54.

 

[tsteele316]

lebron had wade and bosh and was surrounded by solid role players on the heat..

this team has kyrie, who may be a better shooter than wade but lacks the pg skills to run this team.. he is (as of right now) a terrible defender.

dion waiters good offensive talent but is not d wade in terms of intagibles and defense.

TT is not even comparable to haslem much more with bosh

wiggins has never played a single nba game

varejao will miss 50 games..

bennett, in spite of the marked improvement shown in the d league, is not bosh..

i dont see a top 3 team even with LBJ..

teams like bulls, pacers, washington, heat and even charlotte have more balance and played together longer than the cavs..

and comparing to the cavs 2010 team, this team lacks defensive length, chemistry and experience..

dwayne wade missed 35 games last year and was a shell of himself by the end of the season, and that was with miami totally babying him and riding lebron. the heat are going to free fall this year. a one legged luol deng isn't going to stop that.

saying TT isn't comparable to Haslam is a joke, nothing else to be said on that.

the pacers took a step back this offseason losing stephenson. unless roy hibbert regains that contract year magic he had for about 4 months one time, they aren't going to get notably better.

the wizards lost contract year ariza and replaced him with paul pierce, which is a downgrade. their frontcourt consists of guys on the wrong side of 30, who you cannot realistically expect to maintain their output levels.

the bobcats did seem to take a step forward, but they still rest on the knees of al jefferson, which doesn't inspire confidence.

all of your hyperbole to try and temper expectations lacks logic in most cases.

 

[pinoycavsfan]

dwayne wade missed 35 games last year and was a shell of himself by the end of the season, and that was with miami totally babying him and riding lebron. the heat are going to free fall this year. a one legged luol deng isn't going to stop that.

saying TT isn't comparable to Haslam is a joke, nothing else to be said on that.

the pacers took a step back this offseason losing stephenson. unless roy hibbert regains that contract year magic he had for about 4 months one time, they aren't going to get notably better.

the wizards lost contract year ariza and replaced him with paul pierce, which is a downgrade. their frontcourt consists of guys on the wrong side of 30, who you cannot realistically expect to maintain their output levels.

the bobcats did seem to take a step forward, but they still rest on the knees of al jefferson, which doesn't inspire confidence.

all of your hyperbole to try and temper expectations lacks logic in most cases.

wade missed 35 games but the games he played he was great.. he had career high in fg%.. he had the best post season as well minus the finals..

pacers is still a long defensive team even without stephenson..

a healthy loul deng may not be lbj but is still a good offensive option for the heat..

wizards get a veteran closer in pierce and wall and beal has better game chemistry than irving and waiters..

haslem is a good mid range shooter and is a solid defensive player a good complement with lbj.. TT, cant shoot, defend.. he rebounds well though..

these teams(wiz, hornets, bulls, pacers) have good post options.. they are well balanced and are known to have better defense than the cavs.. they played together and has reached the playoffs together.. chemistry is as important as talent in the NBA..

lbj has a 33-win team that has lost it's center rotation, a shoot first pg, a sg that doesnt want to play 2nd fiddle, a short pf that rebounds, and a fragile center.. this is a playoff team, no doubt.. but a top 3 team would be difficult.. building chemistry, maximizing the skill and talent, forgetting bad habits from losing and learning to play winning basketball needs time.. i dont see the cavs reaching full potential until next season.. there will be growing pains and it will be tough especially for lebron.. but if this team sticks it through (lbj stays) and with blatt on the sidelines, we'll see a championship caliber team in the upcoming years..