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Cleveland Cavaliers week in review: The case for a Thomas trade, the Cavaliers’ lost identity, and the threat of the Boston Celtics

By Jason Timpf

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 1: Head Coach Tyronn Lue of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with the players during a time at during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 1, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 1: Head Coach Tyronn Lue of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with the players during a time at during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 1, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Are the Boston Celtics a real threat?

Uh oh, the Boston Celtics played a really tough game against the Golden State Warriors.

Except for that, I’m referring to December 11th, 2015, when the Celtics lost a double-overtime thriller at Oracle Arena. They went on to win three of their next four matchups with the Warriors, including two wins at Oracle.

In case you haven’t watched the NBA in several years, Brad Stevens is a really good coach. He knows how to disrupt, at least to some extent, the Golden State machine.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers /

Cleveland Cavaliers

It was honestly hilarious to watch everybody fall head-over-heels for this year’s “Finals matchup” as the Celtics put up another predictable fight against the Warriors on Saturday.

Yes, the Celtics are a good basketball team. They certainly have been more impressive during the regular season than the Cavaliers have been.

But let’s cut through the fluff and be honest about this alleged Boston behemoth. They can’t score. The Celtics’ offense ranks 18th league-wide.

Cavs’ detractors repeatedly point out that bad defensive teams can’t win championships. What they never talk about is that bad offensive teams typically don’t either.

According to NBA.com, the only team to win a title in the last 21 years with an offense ranked among the bottom half of teams was the 2004 Detroit Pistons. It also coincided with a rather epic collapse from the Los Angeles Lakers.

As for the Cavaliers’ recent struggles, I’ll take this chance to remind you that Cleveland’s defensive rating this year (109.7) is actually a little better than it was after the All-Star break last year (111.1). The media will tell you things are worse now for the Cavs than they ever have been. That’s not actually the case.

So no, I am not worried about the Boston Celtics. And neither should you be if you’re a Cavs fan.

The Toronto Raptors are a far more credible threat. They’re one of only two teams, the other being Golden State, to be in the top five of both offensive and defensive rating. Nonetheless, I’ve watched the Raptors helplessly succumb to the onslaught of playoff-LeBron in consecutive years.

In reality, trying to build a case for a credible Eastern Conference threat to LeBron is a ridiculous task. Each year a new team rises in November and crumbles in May.

Must Read: What if Cavs season set fire tomorrow?

Feel free to put your money on either of those teams. I’m going with the guy who’s done it seven times in a row.