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Cleveland Cavaliers: January will be the team’s most challenging month

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: NBA TNT Reporter, Doris Burke interviews Kyrie Irving
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: NBA TNT Reporter, Doris Burke interviews Kyrie Irving /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers, who normally have a midseason breakdown at some point, should fear the month of January the most.

Just like the rest of the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers had their official schedule for the 2018-2019 season released on August 14. The schedule, which included multiple marquee matchups, has Cleveland visiting the Bay to take on Golden State on Christmas Day. That and numerous other games highlight the schedule for the Cavs.

While specific games obviously stand out on the schedule, the most difficult and demanding part is when a team is faced with multiple games against solid teams within a short span. That is how the Cleveland Cavaliers month of January looks. They kick the new year off against Boston, and then later on in the month, they play Golden State, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio in a four game span with just the Magic separating Golden State and OKC.

According to a graphic by Yaya Dubin, the Cleveland Cavaliers month of January is against teams with a 2016-2017 win percentage of .530 which is the highest of any month for Cleveland. Their January rank is the 6th hardest according to Dubin’s graphic. This past season, the Cavaliers struggled after the new year. They went just 7-8 in January, which was their third worst month of the season. They collapsed both in January and March, causing chaos for Cavs’ fans everywhere.

Needless to say, the Cavaliers’ playoff run solidified their domination of the East, but they did basically forfeit several regular season games. Could that be the same way this season? With the season starting earlier, James will likely be rested less. Therefore, it isn’t quite as likely for the Cavaliers midseason collapse that seems to be a perennial staple for Cleveland basketball.

This upcoming season, we expect to see more of the same. It would shock most fans to see anyone other than Cleveland and Golden State in the Finals, so these difficult months, while they look terrifying on paper, will mean little for postseason play.

Must Read: What's next for the crumbling Cavs?

We are just a couple months away from NBA basketball returning, so prepare yourselves for another wild ride to the Finals.