Cavaliers Can Be Optimistic in Title Quest Despite Their Own Vulnerabilities

While it was far from easy, the Cleveland Cavaliers became just the second NBA team to sweep their first-round opponent this season and are one step closer to a title.

The Cavs disposed of the pesky Detroit Pistons 100-98 in Game 4 of their first-round series, ending what was a tougher-than-expected opening battle.

Now, Cleveland waits for the winner of the Atlanta Hawks-Boston Celtics series (tied at 2-2) to determine the next stepping stone to the NBA Finals.

The good news? The Cavaliers went a combined 6-1 against these two squads in the regular season and swept them both in last year’s playoffs. After closing out Detroit in the minimum four games, Cleveland also gets some extra rest and prep time.

The bad news? They’ll need it, as the Pistons potentially exposed a few cracks in the Cavs’ armor.

While the postseason as a whole has kicked off favorably for the Cavaliers, a few areas still need to be tightened up for them to have a serious chance at a ring.

A Little Help?

Given the historic regular season we witnessed by the Golden State Warriors, it was a presumed the Cavs would need help to have a shot at knocking off the defending champs.

Luckily for Cleveland, the rest of the playoffs appear to be shaking out in their favor.

Cleveland’s disposal of Detroit means it likely won’t play for several days, which is great news given the playing time of its stars. James was forced to log 41.2 minutes a game, while Irving (37.8) and Love (35.8) carried a heavy burden as well.

The rest of the playoff tree is also favorable.

The Hawks and Celtics are beating up on one another, with neither serving as a serious threat. The Toronto Raptors, the No. 2 seed in the East, may not even make it out of the first round. They’re tied with the No. 7 seed Indiana Pacers at two games apiece.

Cleveland’s biggest threat in the East has long …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com