It would appear it isn’t in the end for the Cleveland Cavaliers after all.
Despite nonstop speculation surrounding LeBron James and his free agency this offseason and in spite of their loss to the 21-win Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, James believes the Cavaliers are ready to make a championship run.
The four-time MVP stated the following before Saturday night’s 107-93 victory over the New York Knicks:
“I feel like we’re ready to make a championship run. I’m confident in this team and I know we can make a championship run, and that’s all you can ask for.”
While the 2015-16 Cavaliers have had their struggles, the bottom line is that the team remains the best squad in the Eastern Conference. At 52-21, Cleveland is two-and-a-half games ahead of the Toronto Raptors. The 2015-16 club is also on pace to exceed the 53 wins of the 2014-15 team that advanced to the NBA Finals.
Perhaps most importantly has been the play of James. Entering Saturday’s game versus the Knicks, the 31-year-old small forward had averaged nearly 30 points on 60 percent shooting over the past week.
James continued to stress the confidence he has in his team:
“And obviously we’ve got 10 games left and I’m not going to shortcut that because we still can get better, but my whole mindset is getting these guys ready for the long run. I think we have enough, no I know we have enough and we just got to go out and do it.”
The question isn’t whether or not the Cavaliers can advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. Most observers will agree that Cleveland is the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the championship series.
The question is—and always has been—can this team defeat a Western Conference powerhouse such as the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs over a seven-game series?
While James believes his squad has what it takes to make a championship run, we will see if that is actually the case when the postseason rolls around.
