The NBA’s Eastern conference has been the weaker conference for some time now. You still have the three teams that could contend for the title. This year, for the 2014-2015 season, you have the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors being the weakest of the three teams, will probably face the Milwaukee Bucks. They should win that series if it indeed happens. The Bucks have accelerated their growth with a good young nucleus of players they have drafted through the years, and of course the recent trade for reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.
If everything goes how it is supposed to go as far as health, and teams hitting their stride, the Atlanta Hawks should be more than capable to defeat the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were not expected to contend for a playoff spot and have probably shocked many people. They are still missing the pieces that are necessary to be contenders. It’s almost a joke that teams with a sub .500 record can compete in the playoffs for a championship, but because the Eastern conference is so weak, it happens almost every year.
When it comes down to the Cleveland Cavaliers, there are such high expectations because of the guys that are on this team. They are expected to play the Miami Heat. This should be a intriguing matchup based on the fact that the greatest player in the world left South Beach to go home to Cleveland. The combination of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and Lebron James is a very dangerous big three. They should be able to defeat Miami, and any other team that they have to play in the playoffs.
The big question is who will come out of the Eastern conference? Will it be Toronto? Probably not, because they have struggled to find their niche after the All-star break and allowed Cleveland to pass them in the conference standings. My prediction is that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks will meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals. These two teams have high-powered offenses. The Hawks offense run a very balanced, San Antonio styled offense, while the Cavaliers rely heavily on stars and role players.
The key to this series in my opinion will be Kevin Love, who has suffered a career low in scoring while trying to settle in with the Cavs. Another key that will probably decide this series is which team can play better defense and run each others three-point shooters off the line. Yes, Cleveland has Lebron James, but it is very important that the other players on this team show up to be successful. With that being said, I believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers will over come the adversity that has surrounded them throughout the regular season, and move on to the NBA Finals.
More Cleveland Cavaliers coverage from FOX Sports:
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