My Biggest Cavs Concern: The Western Conference

As the excitement around a new season of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball builds, there is one major concern that surrounds this team as they prepare to finish their unfinished business from last season. That major concern ironically is the final huddle the Cavs will need to pass if they wish to win the championship and that is the Western Conference.

First and foremost, it must be noted that the Cavs need to focus on the Eastern Conference before they even think about which team they may face in the NBA Finals from the West. Cleveland is clearly the best team in the East and they should end up with the Conference’s number seed come playoff time. (Editor’s Note: Not sure the Cavs will play their stars enough to earn #1 seed in the East.)

Try picking a clear-cut team the finishes second in the East though. Will it be the Chicago Bulls who has a new head coach and the health of Derrick Rose is always in question. Can the Atlanta Hawks recreate their incredible play from last season without their junkyard dog DeMarre Carroll? Can the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks take the next step? Can the revamped Miami Heat stay healthy?

Simply put, every possible challenger to the Cavaliers throne in the Eastern Conference has question marks next to their name. One could make the argument that Cleveland has health as a major question mark but the team’s depth and elite level of talent ensures that they will be able to overcome these issues in the East.

Can the Cavs overcome their overflowing injury list when placed against Western Conference teams though? This is the big question for Cleveland and it is also the biggest concern surrounding the club.

They couldn’t overcome their injury troubles last season against the eventual champions Golden State Warriors and the possibility of a similar situation occurring this season is unfortunately a very real prospect.

Heading into Tuesday’s season opener in Chicago the injury list down at the Cleveland Clinic Courts is already packed. Kyrie Irving still remains without a timeline in his return from a major knee injury, Iman Shumpert is out for a few months with a wrist problem, Kevin Love is just getting back on the court after major shoulder surgery, Timofey Mozgov is still not 100% after some off-season procedures, J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova struggled through some minor niggles during the pre-season and Anderson Varejao is coming back from an Achilles tear.

So as the Cavaliers limp towards the beginning of the season, over on the other side of the country in the West, stronger and stronger units are being built.

Seriously, you could ask six different people to predict the top six teams in the Western Conference and get six different answers. The scary thing is none of those answers would be wrong.

Also, take this into consideration. The Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder are all serious championship contenders. All six of these teams would finish first or second in the East with no worries. Well, the reality is that two of those six teams will be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This Conference is that good.

All six of those teams represent a serious challenge to the Cavaliers at 100% health and the fact that Cleveland will need to beat one of those teams four times to win a championship presents a considerable concern for the Cavs.

It has already been see how the Warriors can disrupt the Cavaliers. Their adjustment to a small-ball line-up ended Cleveland’s hopes for a championship and with an untouched roster heading into this season, there is no reason why Golden State cannot go back-to-back.

Everyone thought that last seasons first round exit finally ended the Spurs unbelievable run of dominance. Then they went out and signed the biggest prize in free agency, LaMarcus Aldridge. This is actually unfamiliar territory for the Spurs, as the adjustment to working a major free agent signing into their system will be a challenge for Gregg Popovich and co. Although, all signs point to Aldridge fitting in seamlessly in San Antonio and the Spurs beautiful motion offense could give a mediocre Cavalier defense serious problems.

The Clippers have bolstered their one lacking area last season and that is bench production. The signings of Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson have provided the Clippers with a newfound depth and with it a rejuvenated hope for a championship for LA’s other team. Blake Griffin continues to improve and Chris Paul remains one of the best point guard in the game, which makes the Clippers a legit title contender.

Coming off a season where he believes he should have won the MVP, James Harden and the Rockets are set to take to next step this season. Harden is officially an elite player in this league and Dwight Howard returned to his best in last season’s playoffs. Plus, the addition of Ty Lawson makes the Rockets an even scarier unit. The drives and threes offensive approach that Houston plays with could cause the Cavaliers defense headaches.

Grit and grind, grit and grind. It’s that simple for Memphis and they get an early look at the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol remains a two-headed monster while Mike Conley holds onto his title as the leagues most underrated player. The Grizzlies continue to play hard-nosed, defensive basketball in a league that is slowly moving away from that style and they have the potential to shut down Cleveland’s offensive juggernaut.

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After a lost season, the Thunder are set to return to the ranks of the leagues elite due to one man, former MVP Kevin Durant. After Russell Westbrook established himself as an absolute star in the NBA last season, the deadly duo returns this season as scary as ever. With a new head coach in Billy Donovan, the Thunder is hoping a championship season is enough to keep Durant around. The Cavs and Thunder could be the leagues most talent-filled games, which makes this potential finals series a match made in heaven.

The Cavs should have no problems getting past the Eastern Conference but when the depth and talent of the West is considered, it creates for a huge roadblock in Cleveland’s chase for a championship.

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