FanPost

The Cavaliers' Path to Another Championship

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The 2018 Playoffs are set to start this weekend. LeBron James caps off another terrific season and the Cleveland Cavaliers sit at the #4 seed set to play the Indiana Pacers in the first round. The Cavs have made it to the Finals the past three seasons in relatively easy fashion in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. However, Kyrie Irving is no longer here to take some of the load off of LeBron. What we are left with is a playoffs is one in which LeBron will have the biggest playoff workload probably since his first years in Cleveland. Here is what it will take for the Cavs to bring back a championship to the beloved city of Cleveland:

First Round - Indiana Pacers

Cavs vs Pacers

Cleveland faced off against Indiana in the first round last season as well and moved on after a 4 game sweep. However, they were 4 close games but the Cavs definitely showed rust from a lackluster second half to the regular season. This year, the Pacers no longer have Paul George but have rising star Victor Oladipo and a talented group of young players. While the Pacers won the season series 3-1, all of those games happened before the trades and therefore don't really anything now. I think Indiana is definitely a team with a lot of upside but they simply will be over-matched against LeBron James (again). A common theme you will find in the Eastern Conference playoffs is that no team has the ability to effectively defend LeBron. James will lead the Cavs as he always does in a series I think will end pretty quickly.

Cavs win 4-1

Second Round - Toronto Raptors

Cavs vs Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are another team that in the past have been run over by LeBron and the Cavs in the playoffs. The Cavs swept the Raptors last season. The 2018 Raptors, however, are different. Maybe they are worth the hype this time. The main reason for Toronto's amazing success this season is exceptional bench play. The Raptors have by far the deepest bench in the East and maybe even in the league. But there are two things that will prevent the Raptors from getting past LeBron. First, like the Pacers, they have nobody who can body up on LeBron. As deep as they are, there is nobody who will make life hard for the King. James has terrorized the Raptors offensively in the past and I see much of the same this time as well. Second, the Raptors lack a true superstar who can effectively close in crunch time. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are stars in the NBA but they are not among the elites of the league. And as seen in the tight game on March 21 in Cleveland, they fell apart in the 4th quarter. This season's iteration of the matchup should be more competitive but I see a similar outcome in the end.

Cavs win 4-2.

Eastern Conference Finals - Philadelphia 76ers

Cavs vs 76ers

The 76ers come into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league, finishing the season with 16 straight wins. They are young at their core and will cause matchup problems for everybody. Ben Simmons has proven himself to be an outstanding player and a future superstar (though I still think Donovan Mitchell should be Rookie of the Year) and Joel Embiid is one of the best big men in the NBA. The biggest challenge the Cavs will have against Philly is Embiid. No Cavalier can match up with Embiid for 48 minutes. Embiid is simply too big and talented for Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Tristan Thompson. However, the Cavaliers do have LeBron James and Philly has nobody who can check the King. While the talent level may be even, I think this series will come down to playoff experience and as of now, the Cavs with LeBron are way more battle-tested in the playoffs than the young 76ers.

Cavs win 4-2.

NBA Finals - Houston Rockets

Cavs vs Rockets

I'll get this out of the way first: this entire path to a championship is predicated on the fact that Golden State will lose at some point in the Western Conference playoff bracket because the Cavaliers will not defeat a healthy Warriors team in the Finals. I repeat the Cavs cannot defeat the Warriors in a 7 game series. I do think, though, that Houston defeating Golden State in the Western Conference Finals is a very real possibility. I do not believe Stephen Curry will ever be at 100% health during these playoffs, making the Warriors very vulnerable. On top of that, the Rockets had the best regular seasin record and therefore will have home court advantage and a possible Game 7 on their court.

If the Cavs want any shot at winning the championship, they must hope for Houston in the Finals. As good as Houston is, they can and will not be able to match up with LeBron James. The reason Golden State can have their way with Cleveland is because Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala can all effectively pick up LeBron throughout a game and make things difficult for him. The Rockets don't have anybody that can do that. I love what this year's MVP James Harden and Chris Paul have done together but both of them have never had success in the playoffs. As probably overwhelming favorites, the Rockets, I predict, will once again succumb to the enormous pressure to get it done in the playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers can defeat the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

Cavs win 4-3.

Although it is a long shot for the Cavs to win another championship this season, it is definitely not out of question. and all basketball fans know that one must never count out the greatness of one LeBron James in the playoffs.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on FearTheSword.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff at FearTheSword