Cleveland Cavaliers continue to be disrespected by mainstream media

The Cleveland Cavaliers were projected to finish 11th in ESPN’s summer forecast, another instance of Cleveland’s mainstream disrespect.

From Eastern Conference champions to not even a borderline playoff team, that’s the LeBron James-effect, and it continues to plagues the Cleveland Cavaliers. Do they deserve their most recent disrespect though?

Don’t get me wrong, the Cavs will be far from great.

I’m not delusionally thinking the Cavs will be a top-five Eastern Conference team but projecting them to finish outside the top-ten in the weaker Eastern Conference is a bit much for a team still stacked with veteran leaders and capable playmakers.

After all, Kevin Love does have two MVP-caliber seasons under his belt and will return a much sleeker and developed player than he was half a decade ago. Combine that with the drafting of Collin Sexton and development of Cedi Osman, and it seems ridiculous to give Cleveland such a low projection.

They predict Cleveland to finish 31-51. For comparison, the year following James’ first departure, Cleveland won just 19 games, eventually building their way to 33 wins in the 2013-2014 season, the year prior to James’ return.

That 33-win team was led by Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Luol Deng.

Finishing 10th in the East,  Cleveland’s fan got a taste of an upward trending culture right as LeBron James came back to town, leading his hometown Cavaliers to four straight Finals appearances and one historic title.

Eventually, falling apart, Cleveland prepared for the future this time.

While James’ departure created an unfillable void, it won’t cause the team to immediate be at the bottom of the East this time around. Also, hats off to the front office for limiting the damage done when James left.

ESPN’s No. 11 rank is far from acceptable. However, No. 10 is at least understandable. No. 10 would place the Cavs right outside the playoff race behind both the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons. Those three teams should be vying for the East’s last playoff spot come April.

However, ESPN also ranked the Cavs lower than the Brooklyn Nets.

ESPN must really be banking on significant improvement from D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen.

Russell arguably took a step backward during his first season in Brooklyn, averaging fewer points per game and hardly increasing his terrible field goal percentage.

Without any major offseason additions, unless you count Kenneth Faried and Shabazz Napier as major, Brooklyn will return almost the same roster with Russell, Allen, Allen Crabbe and Spence Dinwiddie leading the charge.

Are we really doing to sit here and predict that a team that barely has any all-star caliber players will be better than the Cleveland Cavaliers who at least have one five-time All-Star and several former NBA stars?

ESPN and the rest of mainstream media can continue to disrespect the Cavs, but this season should prove that they’re better than many think.