There is really no good reason to think that the Cavs will not dominate the East once again. They got their key players back from last year's championship run. And now with JR Smith back in the fold, the Cavs looked poised to dominate the East once again.
But the truth is it would not be that easy, as there is one team in the East that actually has a good chance of dethroning the defending NBA champions.
If you think that it is going to be the Chicago Bulls, then it might be wise to do a little rethinking. The Rondo-Butler-Wade connection is not going to be a smooth tandem. Add the fact that Rondo and Wade are going to struggle to stay healthy all season will make Jimmy Butler the lone man to carry most of the scoring load. That team will win a lot of games using some grit and great defense, but beating the Cavs in four games will be an almost impossible task.
How about Boston? Sure the Celtics are one of the most well-coached teams in the East today. But the fact that they are going to rely on Isaiah Thomas to do much of the scoring duties this season does not bode well for the team in green. It is true that they managed to snag Al Horford, and that will make them a bit better and will present some headaches for Cleveland.
But beating Lebron James and Kyrie Irving in four games is going to take a lot more of experience and muscle.
So it all falls on the Toronto Raptors to do the monumental task. The Raptors have proven that they can beat Cleveland convincingly in last year's Eastern conference finals. They manage to grab two games from the eventual champions and did it in devastating fashion.
The Raptors have re-signed DeMar DeRozan, their 27-year-old talented guard who, when he was zoned in, can break the Cavs defense through his mid-range game and off the screen scoring opportunities.
He is also going to be running the court with star point guard Kyle Lowry, who is a fantastic playmaker and off the ball scorer. That backcourt will figure to give the Cavs a big problem.
The Raptors are going to lose their big man Bismack Biyombo this year, he was instrumental in his interior defense against the Cavs. But the team from Canada has one ace up their sleeve which is the continuing improvement of starting big man Jonas Valanciunas in his interior game. Valanciunas missed some games and was playing hurt throughout most of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Raptors did gain big man Jared Sullinger if used wisely he could provide some floor stretching which will give De Rozan and Lowry better looks and passing opportunities.
Simply put if the Raptors can get Lowry in peak form, get DeRozan to his full potential, and have Valanciunas healthy, then the Cavs are not a shoo-in for this year's finals.
With more experience, good conditioning, and the Cavs taking a step back. The Raptors can be a true contender for the Eastern crown.
