11. Cleveland Cavaliers
An encouraging regular season for the Cleveland Cavaliers ended somewhat disappointing when they were quickly disposed of by the New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs pretty much unceremoniously. However, the hope is that with that experience under their belt, the Cavs can bounce back in a big way this season. Looking at the Cavs’ roster on paper, there is much to like about their chances of making noise in the East heading into the start of the season.
For one, the Cavs have a legit superstar in Donovan Mitchell. They also have a strong supporting cast of emerging stars in Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland re-signed Caris LeVert and added Max Strus in free agency in an attempt to solidify their depth on the wing.
Cleveland is being overlooked by many but this is a team that could seemingly make the jump to contention this season. The Cavs have a good chance to finish as a top 4 seed once again in the conference and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if they finished as the 3-seed.