Power ranking the Cleveland Cavaliers against the rest of the East

#3 – Miami Heat

Record – 22-8

Current streak – won 3

Another quality team in the East that boasts one of the top candidates for the NBA Most Improved Player award. Bam Adebayo has taken a leap this season and some of that credit should be given to the leadership of Jimmy Butler.

Butler is constantly talking Adebayo up in media sessions because he knows how good Adebayo can be. According to Basketball-Reference, Adebayo is averaging career highs across the board with 15.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, and a fantastic 4.6 assists.

Miami has gotten production from everyone though. Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson have been instrumental in a lot of Miami’s wins so far.

The Heat are 7-3 over their last 10 games and have a +5.2 point differential on the season.

#2 – Boston Celtics

Record – 20-7

Current streak – won 3

The second and third spots in these power rankings are pretty interchangeable as well. Boston gets the nod over the Heat due to their second in the NBA point differential, which is at +8.0 on the season.

Boston is pretty similar to Miami in the fact that they don’t necessarily rely on just one guy to lead them every night. At one point this season, they had four guys averaging 20 points per night.

Although only two currently average 20 points per game, in Kemba Walker at 22.6 and Jayson Tatum at 21.6, Jaylen Brown is close at 19.8 per night, and Gordon Hayward isn’t far off at 17.5 each night according to Basketball-Reference.

Boston is a very well balanced team and they will be a very tough out in the playoffs. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games.

#1 – Milwaukee Bucks

Record – 27-4

Current streak – won 3

The most obvious pick in the history of power rankings, perhaps, the Milwaukee Bucks have won an incredible 21 of 22 games with their only loss, a four-point home loss to a very good Dallas Mavericks team.

Milwaukee is currently without the services of Eric Bledsoe as but they have enough firepower to withstand his injury. They have the reigning and probably the favorite for this season’s MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Per Basketball-Reference, Antetokounmpo is averaging 31 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. What’s even more terrifying for the rest of the NBA is the fact that it appears that he has added the three-point shot to his repertoire. He is shooting 34.2% from three and hoisting a career-high 5.1 per game.

The Milwaukee Bucks are the prohibitive favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and hold a 9-1 mark over their previous 10 games and a +13.5 point differential on the season.

The question for the Cavaliers is whether they can continue their stellar play and continue to shoot up the power rankings, or if they will slide back down in next month’s edition.