Taking a Look at the Miami Heat’s Competition in the East

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) on the court during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Lastly, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have only gotten better since last year. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving will have a full year of experience playing together, and they will both be fully healthy.

The Cavs will also have Anderson Varejao, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury. Cleveland hasn’t added any big-name pieces, but they did sign a few good role players like Mo Williams and possibly Richard Jefferson. And oh yeah, they have that guy, LeBron James. He’s pretty good too.

The Cavs biggest concern is their defense. They looked great in the Finals with Love and Irving on the sidelines, but it’s still uncertain if their defense can maintain success with these two liabilities on the floor. In the regular season, the Cavs ranked 20 in Defensive Efficiency, but in the post season, they were fourth.

The talent is obviously there, they just have to figure out how to get the offensive benefits of Love and Irving without sacrificing the team’s defense. Coach

LeBron

Blatt will have his hands full.

Next: Where We Stand