Tyronn Lue says there’s “no doubt” the Cavs will make the playoffs

The Cavaliers have lost 12 of their last 18 games and are currently closer to being out of the playoffs than they are to the top-seeded Celtics. That, though, doesn’t mean they are concerned about falling out the playoffs.

“I mean we’re still going to make the playoffs,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Monday after the Cavs practiced in Orlando, per ESPN. “There’s no doubt about that. We’re still confident in that for sure.”

As for LeBron James, he also can’t entertain the idea that the Cavs won’t be around when the postseason starts.

“I would hope so,” James said, per ESPN . “I don’t think anybody’s here not to make the playoffs.”

The question around the Cavs has never been if they’ll miss the playoffs, but how they’ll perform when they’ll get there. And if the playoffs started today, Cleveland would likely not be a favorite to make the NBA Finals for a fourth straight season.

What seed the Cavs ultimately end up with is also worth watching. They are still third in the East, even if they are five games behind the No. 2 seed Raptors and 7.5 games behind the No. 1 seed Celtics.

And, above all, there is still a lot of basketball left to play. What the Cavs are now is likely to change, for better or worse, by season’s end.