King James Gospel
Fansided

The Cavs will be tested early next season

By Quenton S. Albertie

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Cleveland Cavaliers will start next season off with a bang.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin the 2018-2019 season with two immediate tests as they open the season on the road against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors then face the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Big Three of Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns and Jimmy Butler on the road two days later.

Both teams reached the playoffs last season, with the Raptors grabbing the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 59-23 (the second-best in the league) and the Timberwolves grabbing the eighth-seed in a tough Western Conference with a record of 47-35.

You may not have heard but the Cavs no longer employ LeBron James. LeBron functioned as the locomotive that powered the Wine and Gold to the postseason and championship contention so, without him, expectations have been dampened with this Cavaliers club and rightfully so.

You’re not going to reach the same heights you had with LeBron, arguably the best player of all-time, simply by drafting a franchise point guard. That’s especially true when that point guard is really there to replace Kyrie Irving.

Consequently, the Cavs are in the land of the unknown for the first time in four years and reliant on collective efforts more than ever.

The two teams that they’ll face to start the season, the Raptors and the Wolves, will put their egalitarian style to the test immediately. How they fare against these two teams will set the tone for the realistic expectations.