Cleveland will not win a championship title

[Smitty77]

The only team I don't see them beating is the Spurs, if the Spurs don't drop off due to age.  I think they'll make it through the East, and I think they could handle the Clippers and Thunder out west.

I am surprised to hear you say this Roy.  As has been mentioned, there is virtually NO defense on this Cavs' team!!!  I see Chicago definitely beating Cleveland in 6 or less games.  I think Washington has at least a 50% chance of beating them.  I think Toronto, Brooklyn, Charlotte, and
Atlanta has about 30-40% chances of beating them.  Atlanta could be really improved getting a multi-year All-Star back in Horford.  I personally will be a little surprised to see the Cavs make the Eastern Conference Finals.

Smitty77

[mr. dee]

Will the Cavs win the championship as currently constructed? I'm not convinced they will. We all know that teams that don't play defense don't win championships. They might reach the finals but I doubt they will win it all. Just look at all the teams that have championship. Everyone of them have at least 2-3 All-defensive team members. Yes, it's more likely that they will become the new T-mac Rockets or the Nash Suns.

Until Kyrie and Love learn how to stick to their men or the Cavs acquired any defensive studs, championship in Ohio won't come anytime soon.

[Snakehead]

Will the Cavs win the championship as currently constructed? I'm not convinced they will. We all know that teams that don't play defense don't win championships. They might reach the finals but I doubt they will win it all. Just look at all the teams that have championship. Everyone of them have at least 2-3 All-defensive team members. Yes, it's more likely that they will become the new T-mac Rockets or the Nash Suns.

Until Kyrie and Love learn how to stick to their men or the Cavs acquired any defensive studs, championship in Ohio won't come anytime soon.

Oh really who were those players on the Spurs?  0 All NBA defense members.

Not even someone who considers that list gold (Kobe has been on it in the last few years, that says enough) but the Spurs last year weren't some defensive juggernaut.  Neither was Dallas when they won.

[Vox_Populi]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

[Smitty77]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

But now the Bulls have Rose back to score and Gasol.  I doubt points will be a problem this year, allowing Butler to stay on the floor for defense.

Smitty77

[Celtics4ever]

I hope they don't win it, but OP was dismissive and wishful in his thinking.   Dallas is another team that got better this year that few have talked about.

[Moranis]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

The Heat won in 5 games though and last time I checked 24/7/8 is pretty darn close to a triple double.  He also has 2.2 assists.

[Snakehead]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

The Heat won in 5 games though and last time I checked 24/7/8 is pretty darn close to a triple double.  He also has 2.2 assists.

For whatever odd reason, Butler is one of the most overrated player in the league in my opinion.  He has potential of course but people talking about 24/7/8 as some sort of victory makes me laugh.

[Vox_Populi]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

The Heat won in 5 games though and last time I checked 24/7/8 is pretty darn close to a triple double.  He also has 2.2 assists.

Why does the outcome matter? My point was, they have someone who can defend James about as good as any human can.

James is averaging 27/8/6 on 52% shooting against George in 19 post-season games. In 12 games vs Leonard he's averaging 27/10/8 on 49% shooting. James will nearly have a triple-double no matter who's defending him. In a relatively small sample size, Butler is doing a good job.

[Ogaju]

they will look like the suns without no defense, steve nash era, but depending on the coach system
old bench players
no legit back-up PG, just an old lucas
and injury prone varejao and haywood

there starting line-up are the only players that has defense love lebron varejao not even sure on kyrie and waiters
unless they add marion allen, billups but this guys are too old
cleveland team is not like the heat with a lot of defensive players from the bench
this will be like lakers big 5 with awful bench players and injury prone players or as I've said the suns  with nash era

i could even see wizards bulls raptors even heat making it
with the heat adding williams deng mcroberts granger resigning most of former players, they seem to look better than cleveland, even d-wade rest
with cleveland's rookie coach.... if they don't win anything, the next year of it, i think they will add more bench help
because miller is getting older haywood lucas even billups if ever they add him
but all in all i can say 45 to 50 wins only... healthy or not healthy

any reactions?

If true that will put them in the company of 26 other teams, therefore this is not an earth shattering prediction is it?

[Vox_Populi]

Chicago, even with a healthy Rose, will not beat Cleveland. They just have no one to defend James.  He will have a triple double field day all day long.

In five playoff games vs Butler, James is averaging "only" 24/7/8 on 44% from the field. He does a comparative job defensively to George and Leonard, the only problem is that he doesn't give much on offense like the others do. No one can defend James well, but Butler is one of the best.

The Heat won in 5 games though and last time I checked 24/7/8 is pretty darn close to a triple double.  He also has 2.2 assists.

For whatever odd reason, Butler is one of the most overrated player in the league in my opinion.  He has potential of course but people talking about 24/7/8 as some sort of victory makes me laugh.

No one called it a victory or anything close. I also don't know anyone who rates Butler that highly. He's an elite defender, he made All-Defense last season, but that's about it. His offense regressed last season.

[MISSERY]

Will the Cavs win the championship as currently constructed? I'm not convinced they will. We all know that teams that don't play defense don't win championships. They might reach the finals but I doubt they will win it all. Just look at all the teams that have championship. Everyone of them have at least 2-3 All-defensive team members. Yes, it's more likely that they will become the new T-mac Rockets or the Nash Suns.

Until Kyrie and Love learn how to stick to their men or the Cavs acquired any defensive studs, championship in Ohio won't come anytime soon.

Oh really who were those players on the Spurs?  0 All NBA defense members.

Not even someone who considers that list gold (Kobe has been on it in the last few years, that says enough) but the Spurs last year weren't some defensive juggernaut.  Neither was Dallas when they won.

spurs got no defense? khahi diaw 
dallas chandler and dirk defense? + marion defense on lebron?

[aporel#18]

I hope the OP is right, as I dislike LeBron, Cleveland and Kevin Love, but the East is really weak, and LeBroid is too good to not have, at least, a chance to win it all.

Chicago, if everybody's healthy, has a better chance than Cleveland, IMO, healthy Rose and Pau Gasol are very good, not that far from the LeBroid and Love additions the Cavs made. Yes, LeBron is the best, but healthy Rose is an MVP caliber player, and Pau Gasol still knows how to play on both ends, while Kevin Love can't defend Yi Jianlian's chair.

Butler, Gibson, Noah >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kyrie, Waiters, Varejao (even if healthy).

Washington has a chance, and maybe Miami if Wade can stay healthy (Bosh is better than people give him credit for). Atlanta and Toronto might surprise and be better than last season, and Indiana's season might be lost. So you can't discount Cleveland LeBrons from getting out of the East, and once you get to the Finals, anything's possible.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Will the Cavs win the championship as currently constructed? I'm not convinced they will. We all know that teams that don't play defense don't win championships. They might reach the finals but I doubt they will win it all. Just look at all the teams that have championship. Everyone of them have at least 2-3 All-defensive team members. Yes, it's more likely that they will become the new T-mac Rockets or the Nash Suns.

Until Kyrie and Love learn how to stick to their men or the Cavs acquired any defensive studs, championship in Ohio won't come anytime soon.

Oh really who were those players on the Spurs?  0 All NBA defense members.

Not even someone who considers that list gold (Kobe has been on it in the last few years, that says enough) but the Spurs last year weren't some defensive juggernaut.  Neither was Dallas when they won.

spurs got no defense? khahi diaw 
dallas chandler and dirk defense? + marion defense on lebron?

Khahi sounds like a completely different person.

[Snakehead]

Will the Cavs win the championship as currently constructed? I'm not convinced they will. We all know that teams that don't play defense don't win championships. They might reach the finals but I doubt they will win it all. Just look at all the teams that have championship. Everyone of them have at least 2-3 All-defensive team members. Yes, it's more likely that they will become the new T-mac Rockets or the Nash Suns.

Until Kyrie and Love learn how to stick to their men or the Cavs acquired any defensive studs, championship in Ohio won't come anytime soon.

Oh really who were those players on the Spurs?  0 All NBA defense members.

Not even someone who considers that list gold (Kobe has been on it in the last few years, that says enough) but the Spurs last year weren't some defensive juggernaut.  Neither was Dallas when they won.

spurs got no defense? khahi diaw 
dallas chandler and dirk defense? + marion defense on lebron?

You're saying Boris Diaw and Dirk Nowitzki are All NBA level defenders?

Okay then...

Both those teams had good defenders on them but were not defensive juggernauts, as I said.  Saying only defense can win a title is a fallacy.