Cleveland Cavaliers News: LeBron, Irving Ready to Bring Cavs Back to Eastern Conference Finals
When LeBron James decided to return home to Cleveland after four consecutive finals appearances with the Heat, many believed the Cavs are already automatically in the Playoffs.
It did not come easy, but those speculations still came true.
Now that James has successfully led Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to their first post-season appearance, it is all up to King James whether the team can take the pressure of winning.
Since the beginning of the season, there was a great need for Cleveland to dominate, and any wins decided by five points or less is not accepted by critics.
However, after a troublesome first couple of months, the Cavaliers slowly found their momentum with the acquisition of streak shooter J.R. Smith from New York.
In preparation for the playoffs, the Cavs have won seven of their last 10 games. What's important is that two of those losses came when coach David Blatt decided to rest his top players.
However, it could be an alarming issue for Cavs fans how depending this team is to LBJ.
According to data by ESPN, James has played 69 games so far, where his team is 50-19. However, in games that he did not play, the Cavs are only 2-10.
The key to a successful run to the ECF and the Finals is a healthy LeBron James. While Irving, Smith, and Kevin Love can also step up, they have very limited post-season experience on their own.
Cleveland will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Ironically, the Celtics have beaten the Cavs in their last two matches – although the second win may be attributed to the fact that coach Blatt decided to bench his four starters.