The Cavaliers look like a Top 3 team in the Eastern Conference

Comparing the Cavs to the Hawks and Raptors

The Hawks got better by trading for Dejounte Murray. This gave Trae Young a co-star and helped improve their defense. I do not believe they are better than the Cavs due to star power, though, as the Cavaliers have three to four guys they can rely on consistently. The Hawks only have two: Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Meanwhile, the Raptors have stuck with the same roster for many years now, to a large extent. They have Fred VanVleet (2022 All-Star), Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes (2022 Rookie of the Year). As far as talent goes, the Raptors and Cavs were close to the same last year. Barnes beat out Mobley for Rookie of the Year honors by a close margin. However, with the Cavs trading for Mitchell, they improved their core. The Raptors haven’t done that.

Now, Mobley and Barnes are looking to make jumps this season, but Mobley might want to get some sweet revenge against Barnes down the road. And as we saw in the opener, in a close Toronto win, Cleveland and Toronto will definitely be exciting to watch moving forward.

Anyway, as I said before, this is based on my opinion. I would love the Cavs to win a championship, but there are other teams out there that want to win too. Yes, I do see them as a Top 3-type of team in the East. There is a chance they could make the NBA Finals, but I don’t know if they can win a ring.

Just know this, Eastern Conference, the Cavs are here and hungry to win.