A crucial year in The Land: 3 bold predictions for the Cavs this season

No. 3: The Cavs will make the Eastern Conference Finals

The theme for the Cavs this season: no excuses. They have everything they need to compete for a championship, and I believe this year is where they take a significant step in doing so.

First of all, they solved the wing spot issue they had all of last season by signing Max Strus and Georges Niang, adding to a group that features Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro. These four should complement the Core Four very well.

Secondly, the Eastern Conference is wide open once again. The Boston Celtics are expected to finish near the top, but their big time acquisition Kristaps Porzingis is already battling an injury and the season hasn’t started. On top of that, they lost their heart and soul in Marcus Smart. After them is probably the Milwaukee Bucks, who did not make any major changes to an aging roster, and will have to deal with the noise of Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving in the next year or so if they don’t make any progress this season.

As for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat, who are playing a game of chicken with two All-Stars, they face a lot of uncertainty as their rosters haven’t changed and they have their own question marks to deal with. The time is now for the Cavs to take advantage of turmoil at the top. I believe they will finish as the third seed in the conference, behind the Celtics and Bucks, and make a run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

This team has a chip on its shoulder after the way they got pushed around in last year’s postseason. That junkyard dog mentality will reach peak levels this season, as everyone in Cleveland is hungry for success without the kid from Akron.

This is the Cavaliers’ chance to show the NBA what they are made of. What they do with that chance remains to be seen, but I believe they will get it done.

With tip off about a month-and-a-half away, we shall see if my belief becomes reality.