No one will argue that LeBron James is one of the greatest Basketball players of all time. The four-time MVP, three time NBA Champion, and 13 times NBA All-Star is in his 12th postseason in a row. You have to go all the way back to the 2004-05 season for the last time James has not made it to the playoffs. Now, he is on an NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers team with hopes to defend the title for his city. The question is, can they pull off the impossible...again?
2016 NBA Finals
The 2016 NBA Finals is a series no one will soon forget. Down 3-1, almost everyone knew it was the end of the road for Cleveland, everyone except the King, LeBron James.
James kicked it into overdrive and with the help of the very talented team behind him, came back to steal the series from the Golden State Warriors. This was a feat that has not been accomplished in NBA Finals history. It was something that everyone thought impossible. Here we are again in 2017, can the team repeat their 2016 success?
2017 Regular Season
The season was not great for a Cavaliers team that is capable of a much higher performance. Cleveland had a record of 51-31 this season, not any better than their 57-25 record from last year. On top of this, they lost the number one seed to the Boston Celtics, which the Cavs beat 3/4 times this season. One of the biggest weaknesses for the team this year was the defense.
The defense had a rating of 110.4, which ranked them at 22nd in the league as of March 30th. 22nd in the league is not a statistic you would like to see from a team with big playoff hopes.
Overall, it was not the outcome Cleveland had expected, but none of that matters now. After sweeping the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers hold their focus on the next series against either the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks.
They have a record of 3-1 against Toronto and Milwaukee this season. If the Cavaliers can finish that series quickly, they look to potentially facing their toughest obstacle yet.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors is a team that no Cavaliers fan likes to hear about. Slowly becoming one of the most powerful rivals of Cleveland, the Warriors team has been nothing but trouble for the Cavs, and vice versa.
These teams have met in the past two NBA Finals, and they could be on track to meet again in a few weeks. The significant difference between the Warriors who blew a 3-1 lead last year and this year's team is former MVP, Kevin Durant. Durant sure has made his presence known on this team and just makes it that much harder for Cleveland to prepare.
Looking Ahead
If any team can stop the Warriors, it is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have done it before; they can do it again. The team needs to step up like last year, and if they play at that level, nothing can defeat them. The Cavaliers is a team that can give 110% at any time. You don't know when they will decide to flip the switch, but when they do, the world will see it.
There is still a lot of basketball left, however, so we cannot talk too much about a Cleveland/Golden State reunion just yet. But, the good news is that this Cleveland team can be good for a very long time, they just have to stick together.
