Cavaliers can't afford to lose No. 1 seed in the East

The Cleveland Cavaliers are sliding fast, and their one seed in the east is falling right along with it. Entering tonight, they are in a virtual tie with the Boston Celtics for the one seed. The Cavs have had their struggles since the All-Star break, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. With the NBA season coming to a close, the Cavs need to secure that one seed ASAP, as they don't want to be a two seed in the East.

One seed need

The Cavs should be very worried about losing that No. 1 seed in the playoffs. For starters, they wouldn't have home court advantage in the playoffs, as a game seven at home is much easier than a game seven on the road. Another reason is because their road to the Finals might be a lot harder as a two-seed than a one-seed.

What their playoff picture could look like

Let's look at their road to the Finals if all the higher seeds win their respective series from the current playoff seeding. They would face the Pacers in the first round, and they should handle themselves against them, but they'd rather take on the Miami Heat, as they currently occupy the eighth seed.

In the second round, they would have a date with the Washington Wizards, a team they have struggled with. LeBron needed an unbelievable shot to force overtime in one game, and they got burned by them Saturday night 125-117. That would mostly likely be a six or seven game series. If they manage to get out of that, they would see the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

Led by Isaiah Thomas, Boston has also challenged Cleveland this season, winning their most recent match 103-99. That would be another seven game series. Then in the Finals, they would meet Golden State, and we already know about their classic series last season.

The Cavs will have a brutal schedule as a two seed, so it means more than people think to get that one seed.

The more games you play, the more chances you have of getting a key player injured. The Cavs are familiar with playoff injuries, as Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving went down with injuries in the 2015 playoffs. The Cavs have been bitten by injuries the entire season, so they want to get to Finals as quickly as possible. The Cavs have let their lead for the one seed in the Eastern Conference evaporate, and they might pay for it in the post-season.