2. Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected Starting Five: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson
Assuming that J.R. Smith will re-sign, and all signs point to that eventually happening, the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have a bad starting five themselves. While the Warriors get the slight nod (for obvious reasons), the Cavs’ lineup features the best player in the world (LeBron James) and the hottest point guard (Kyrie Irving) in the game.
Kevin Love is no slouch himself. Even though he may not be the best power forward in the game, as many thought he was during his stint in Minnesota, he is still one of the better frontcourt players in the NBA.
Additionally, Tristan Thompson went from being one of the NBA’s most overpaid players to one of the league’s most underrated players.
Next: Golden State Warriors