The Boston Celtics entered the season as the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. From there, speaking specifically for playoff success, most ordered the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks from 2-4 in some order. That made sense - each had supporting stars beside a top-10 player.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were placed into the next group, those teams that could win a series with the right matchup but weren't seen as a serious threat to win the Eastern Conference Finals and were not favored to get there. That group included the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic.
Just over one month into the season, the Cavaliers are putting to bed all of the regular-season doubts that anyone could have about them. They are 16-1, starting the season with 15-straight wins, and their only loss was a short-handed one on the road in Boston against the championship favorites, and the Cavs only lost by three.
It's very likely that the Cavaliers continue to roll through the regular season, especially given how they have built in backups up-and-down the roster. Donovan Mitchell is incredible, but Darius Garland can play a similar role at a similar level. If the Cavs lose Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley is there as another elite center. It's the same up-and-down the roster of players.
They can withstand injuries, they can adjust to their opponent with a variety of lineups, and at full-strength, they have options to defend anyone in the league, from fast guards to combo forwards. They are shooting lights out through the first 17 games, leading the league in 3-point percentage by a mile, and players like Craig Porter Jr. and rookie Jaylon Tyson are able to go from outside the rotation to starting and playing well on any given night.
Add all of that up, and you get a team ready to roll through the regular season. The question as always with the Cavaliers remains as such: are they ready to win in the postseason?
Jarrett Allen says yes.
Jarrett Allen says the Cavaliers are making it to Conference Finals
In a recent interview with Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype, Allen was asked about the expectations the team now has for itself. Allen's answer was instructive; he didn't just talk about expectations being raised, but he raised them himself, establishing the floor for this dominant new version of the Cleveland Cavaliers: making the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavs have not made the East Finals since 2018, when LeBron James was in a Cavaliers jersey, and hasn't made it without LeBron since 1992, when Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Chicago Bulls.
It would have been appropriate for Allen to speak glowingly but vaguely about the Cavaliers' goals and expectations for the season. He could have said a platitude about "we think we can beat anybody". Instead, he gave a specific, named example of a goal for this team - and more than that, an informed expectation.
The Cavaliers will make the East Finals; that's the floor for Allen, and as long as everyone stays healthy and bought-in, that's something they can all do together.
That not only sets the bar high, but gives room for it to grow even higher. If this run sustains and the Cavaliers make it to the playoffs as a top seed, they will be in position to make it back to the East Finals -- and this time, to take down the fully weaponized Boston Celtics.
One might think Allen is putting pressure on the team for no reason, but he is being honest about the step they have taken and how their goals have adapted. This team now expects to make the Conference Finals and compete for a title, going from the "floor" and building it into a title contender.
Jarrett Allen has a lot of confidence, a lot of bravado, and the edge about him that this team needs to spring forward and find the playoff success to match their regular season winning. If they do, the entire league needs to watch out.