9. Cleveland Cavaliers
After being the biggest surprise in the Eastern Conference last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers faded toward the end of the season and didn’t qualify for the postseason. However, this season, the hope is that they’ll be able to make that jump successfully.
Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will be a year better, and there’s hope that Collin Sexton will be back as well. The Cavs will have a difficult road to travel in the East, but this team is one of the most talented young teams in the league.
I wouldn’t say that the Cavs are a slam dunk to make the playoffs this season but I would also say that it shouldn’t be surprising if they finished with a top 5 record in the conference.