The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally getting healthy, after months of key players being out to injury. The Cavs should lock up the No. 1 seed in the east, guaranteeing home court advantage throughout the playoffs on the east side. The eastern conference is the weaker conference so the Cavs shouldn't have a tough time moving through, right? You'd be wrong. Some of the teams in the east have had the Cavs' number this season, and I'm sure they'll be ready for LeBron and company come playoff time. There are three teams that can ruin the Cavs' chances off repeating as they all can beat the Cavs in different ways.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics can pose a serious threat to the Cavs making it to the NBA Finals. The Celtics have the two seed in the east and wouldn't meet the Cavs until the conference finals. But the Celtics are a solid team led by the small man with big buckets Isaiah Thomas. They have a solid defense led by Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, who gave LeBron fits last time they played. The Celtics have great coaching in Brad Stevens, and they beat the Cavs the last time they played 103-99. Boston doesn't have a star on their team, but the concept of team play is what could put them over Cleveland. The variety of ways to beat you might be too much for James and crew.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have actually faired well against Cleveland this season.
Now the Cavs might see the Bulls in the first round, if Chicago can move into the eighth spot in the east. The Bulls have beaten the Cavs all three times they played this season. The Bulls have a lot of cutters on their squad which the Cavs haven't been able to defend when they play. Now, the Cavs haven't played the Bulls at full strength yet, so we haven't seen the full squad matchup.
This might get TV attention as Wade and LeBron will finally get to play against each other in a playoff series. That is something they both have talked about and it might finally come to fruition. Wade would need to come back from his elbow injury, but that is on the right track.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards have came a long way this season and have a talented enough team to beat the defending champs.
They have one of the best backcourts in Bradley Beal and John Wall. Beal gave the Cavs fits with his three-point shooting along with Otto Porter Jr. They also can compete for rebounds with Marcin Gortat down low. The Wizards' bench is deep, and can give added scoring when the starters go out. They will need to play smart though, as LeBron James will make you pay when you make mistakes.
The Cavs are the favorites to come out the east as they seem like the dominant team in the conference, but they shouldn't be too comfortable, as these teams will be gunning for them as soon as the playoffs start.
