How do the Cleveland Cavaliers stack up against their divisional foes?
The Cleveland Cavaliers play in the NBA’s Central Division but this doesn’t mean much these days.
Before the 2015-16 season, divisional champions were guaranteed a playoff spot. Since then, the Board of Governors unanimously approved a rule change in which Conference seeding would be determined by record alone.
However, this doesn’t mean divisional matchups are totally meaningless.
Every year, the Cavs are guaranteed four games against each of their divisional rivals: the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. Of the Cavaliers’ 82 games, 16 go through these fellow Midwest clubs. Summarily, nearly 20 percent of Cleveland’s season depends on how they stack up against them.
With all of these teams having realistic playoff aspirations, the country’s most polite and easygoing region hosting these NBA teams may quickly turn into hostile territory.
Let’s dive into how the Cavs might fare against the Central Division’s finest.