NBA: 3 Championship pretenders most likely to get upset early on in the playoffs

Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite all the injuries that the team has had to overcome this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have managed to put together a great regular season. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen have missed extended time this season, but they have still been able to stay afloat as a top team in the East. With 18 games remaining on their regular season slate, the Cavs are on pace to finish as a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs.

While their defense has been spectacular, there is still concern about whether the Mobley and Allen combination can work offensively in the playoffs. We already saw last year this duo struggle against the New York Knicks in the playoffs in which they lost that first-round series in five games. Heading into the postseason, the Cavs will have to prove it's something they've solved.

Add in the fact that the Cavs may draw a first-round matchup against the Knicks or Miami Heat, and it's easy to see why this team should be on upset alert heading into the postseason.