Cavs: OddsShark gives 21 teams a better chance to reach the playoffs next season

Oddsmakers aren’t betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers to be a playoff team.

Per OddsShark, there are only nine teams in the NBA with a worst chance to reach the playoffs than the Cleveland Cavaliers:

The Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

Further, out of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs have the 4th-worst chance of reaching the Eastern Conference Playoffs. In sum, it would seem like OddsShark has predicted that the Cavs will miss the playoffs altogether.

Despite reaching the Eastern Conference playoffs in each of the last four seasons, it’s apparent that everyone attributed the team’s ability to reach the playoffs to LeBron James’ presence on the team.

It’s not surprising though.

From the 2014-2015 season to the 2017-2018 season, the Cavs were 4-23 without LeBron and had lost their last 11 contests. In addition, without him on the floor, the team often seemed at a loss for how to make the right play or how to get the ball in the basket.

Now, with a system that’s not going to be built around the “LeBron + four shooters” lineups that dominated the Cavs rotations, the team will have more players capable of being “live” threats with the ball in their hands at one time.

Standstill shooters like backcourt members George Hill and J.R. Smith will likely be replaced by rookie point guard Collin Sexton, a high-level slasher, and a growing playmaker in Rodney Hood.

Kevin Love will be featured in the high and low post more often, like he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It’ll be a completely different system.

The thought that the Cavs will have as much trouble without LeBron on a team that’s no longer built around him as they did when he was the sun to their solar system doesn’t quite catch.