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Can anyone challenge the Cavs in murky Eastern Conference?
Sep 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) laugh during a photo session during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Can anyone challenge the Cavs in murky Eastern Conference?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending NBA Champions. They have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and a host of complimentary players who do their jobs and allow the stars to take over when necessary. They are the cream of the crop and huge favorites to get back to the NBA Finals for the third straight year. Having LeBron James will do that for a team, considering his teams have not made it to the Finals six straight years.

While keeping up with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference seems like a daunting task, there will be games to be played, and three teams will get a crack at them in seven-game series in the playoffs. With so much transition happening in the conference, it's hard to figure out where everyone stands, but is there anyone who can conceivably knock off Cleveland?

BOSTON CELTICS
Can youth be served?

The Celtics are one of the popular teams to make a run at Cleveland. They are extremely well-coached, as Brad Stevens has taken a very young team and steadily improved it to become a playoff team the last two years. However, the Celtics have failed to advance past the first round. Enter Al Horford. While Horford may not be an elite franchise-type player to carry a young team deep into the playoffs, he is the kind of experienced big man that the C's have needed when they are hungry for a bucket.

They still have Isaiah Thomas, who was an All-Star averaging over 22 points last season, and drafted Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 pick in the draft. This is still a very young team that will continue to outwork people during the season. Can the C's do it in the playoffs?

TORONTO RAPTORS
Did they peak?

People forget that the Raptors finished the regular season just a game behind the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings. They got to their first Eastern Conference Finals and had that series tied 2-2 before getting blown out in Games 5 and 6. Their starting backcourt, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, was on the Rio Olympic team and comprises one of the most dynamic backcourts in the league.

However, the Raptors lost two frontcourt players who came up big in the playoffs — Bismack Biyombo and Luis Scola — and replaced them with Jared Sullinger and rookie Jakob Poeltl. This also was a team that had tough times scoring if DeRozan or Lowry had off nights, and it didn't add anyone who could pick up the slack if it happens this year.

Toronto will still be good, but are the Raptors good enough to stand toe-to-toe with Cleveland again?

INDIANA PACERS
Are they back again?

Paul George is back to his elite-level status, and the Pacers added Jeff Teague, a former All-Star, to run the team. This is a talented squad with a great mix of youth and experience. For instance, Myles Turner is one of the top up-and-coming big men in the league, and he has new addition Al Jefferson backing him up. There are guys who can score, guys who know their roles and guys who have been around the block. To me, if there is a team that can put a scare in the Cavs during the playoffs, it is Indiana.

The issue is cohesiveness. Is Teague really an upgrade over George Hill? Can Monta Ellis tame his shooting itch? Can Turner rise into that stud big man he looks like he can be? Can Jefferson stay healthy enough to make a difference? We know George will do his thing, but can everyone else stay in line with him?

DETROIT PISTONS
Are they really real?

Sure, the Pistons were an eight seed and swept out of the first round by Cleveland, but last year was a breakthrough of sorts for Detroit. It was the team's first postseason appearance since 2009, finishing with its best record since those great Pistons teams of the 2000s, and Detroit did hang with the Cavs for three of the four games in that series.

That all brings hope. So does the fact that the core lineup really didn't play together until the postseason. Andre Drummond is a big man who is remarkably tough to match up against. Reggie Jackson broke out a bit last season and will look to build upon that. The rest of the roster doesn't wow you, but remember that Stan Van Gundy tends to get a lot out of role guys when they understand what is expected of them.

The Pistons were a bit of a surprise last year, and with so much change going on in the conference they seem to have stability that lacks elsewhere.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Can the backcourt get along?

The Wizards have a backcourt that is young and talented and should be the envy of the league. John Wall is a lightning-quick lead guard who has been improving his range. Bradley Beal's range has always been top-notch when he's healthy. The problem is that Wall and Beal don't seem to work well together. It is a not so well-kept secret that they don't really like each other, but Wall has recently stated that they can work together just fine.

If that is true, are the Wizards even good enough to contend? Nene has moved on, Otto Porter will be relied on much more and Scott Brooks is taking over this mess. Brooks took a lot of heat for not getting the most out of Oklahoma City while having the two of the best players in the league. He won't have that in D.C., and this team has more deep-rooted issues.

One of those issues is the bench, which lost Ramon Sessions and Jared Dudley off last year's team. That is a key factor, as Beal struggles to stay in the lineup and the frontcourt isn't as powerful as it once was.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Can they even score?

The Hornets have been built around defense and Kemba Walker's creativity. That will be the story again this year as Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee left this summer, which made up a lot of their non-Kemba offense. They did get Marco Belinelli via trade, signed Roy Hibbert, kept Nicolas Batum. In addition, Marvin Williams in the fold, and the Hornets get Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back after missing all but seven games last season. Still, there will be a lot placed on Walker's shoulders and Batum's shooting arm while the rest contribute when they can.

Charlotte embodies the mediocre Eastern Conference. The Hornets can look so good some nights and be run out of the gym on others. The kind of defensive effort this team gives along with what is asked of the main few offensive weapons tends to wear teams out over the course of a season. It will probably more the same in 2016-17, but will it be enough to be a real threat?

ATLANTA HAWKS
Dwight Howard's last stand?

The Hawks have made quite a turnaround over the last few years. They were the Eastern Conference's best team with a 60-win season in 2014-15, then fell off quite a bit last year. Both seasons ended with sweeps by the hands of the Cavaliers.

Two of the reasons this team had such success are now with other Eastern Conference rivals. Al Horford is now a Celtic while Jeff Teague is in Indiana with the Pacers. This is Dennis Schroder's team to run, and no Horford means someone will need to step up.

There is Dwight Howard. Take from that what you will. He will bring a much better defensive presence to the team, but it will be an adjustment offensively for Atlanta. Plus Horford was a model teammate while Howard has had his issues working with others.

So what will this team be? That Horford-Teague-Kyle Korver-Paul Millsap-DeMarre Carroll squad worked so well together. Only Millsap and Korver remain, and guys who need to prove themselves must step up if Atlanta is going to contend again.

NEW YORK KNICKS
Can this new melting pot turn into a tasty dish?

Honestly, who knows? This roster has had so much turnover that no one really knows what to expect. Derrick Rose isn't the MVP guy he once was, but he's a darn effective point guard who won't have to carry the offense like he did in Chicago. The problem is that he can't stay on the court (Brandon Jennings is ready to step in the role if/when Rose wilts), and that's not to mention his pending legal issues. Joakim Noah is now the starting center, and he's missed over 60 games the last two seasons. Courtney Lee is pretty healthy and will be relied on much more in New York.

Carmelo Anthony is still here and will still be an All-Star and among the league leaders in scoring. Kristaps Porzingis hopes to build on a breakthrough rookie season and be more of a leader on and off the court. I mean, this is such a Knicks lineup of big names and gimpy legs. If they can stay healthy and work well together, the Knicks could make a run up the standings. Of course, that idea is about as fragile as Rose's legs.

CHICAGO BULLS
Is age nothing but a number?

The Bulls had a weird offseason. They let Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah go and brought in Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez.  This is a major shift for a franchise that seemingly was held captive by Rose's injury status and relied on tough defense to be effective. When the Bulls moved on from Rose, they had seemingly pivoted to this being Jimmy Butler's team with the notion to build the roster around him. That didn't last long as Wade and Rondo were brought aboard, considering those two do a lot of ball handling and could stunt Butler's role on this team.

In the frontcourt, they replaced Gasol (an All-Star last year) and Noah (a defensive rock) with Lopez and are hopeful Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson can hold down the fort at power forward. Either way, they certainly aren't Gasol and Noah.

The problem with the Bulls is that the pieces seemingly don't fit: three perimeter guys who need the ball in their hands in the same backcourt and no surefire offensive post players. It will be up to Fred Hoiberg to figure out how to get the most out of this roster.

MIAMI HEAT
Will the Heat rebuild be a quick one?

The Heat is in a bit of a pickle. Two seasons ago, LeBron James walked away. Last year, Chris Bosh's health issues became a major thing. This year, Dwyane Wade actually left the only franchise he'd ever known. Luol Deng and Joe Johnson also departed this summer. Now this franchise is in a bit of a transition.

Miami did retain Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson for some major money, and it has last year's first-round pick Justise Winslow to build from. Still, Miami doesn't know what it can get out of Bosh, if anything, or if this team has enough talent in it to get into the playoffs.

It's hard to believe that in three years the Heat went from a high-flying juggernaut into what is to surely be a grinding defensive team. It's also hard to believe that the organization that lured LeBron and Bosh there earlier this decade has seen such an exodus of talent over the last few years and had to spend $50 million to get undrafted rookie Tyler Johnson to stay.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Did they do enough?

The Bucks are such an interesting team. The roster has such length and flexibility. Take Giannis Antetokounmpo, for example. He is the starting small forward but will play some point guard and even some center on this team. The Bucks also have one of the few really deep frontcourts in the league with Greg Monroe, Jabari Parker, John Henson, Thon Maker, Mirza Teletovic and Miles Plumlee.

The frontcourt will be key. Matthew Dellavedova has gone from "who" to pesky role player for the Cavaliers to now the starting point guard for the Bucks, ahead of Michael Carter-Williams and Jason Terry. He'll be coached by former great point guard Jason Kidd. Oh, and I haven't mentioned Khris Middleton (Middle will miss at least the first half of the season with injury) or Rashad Vaughn yet. Yep, this roster is very talented and fits Kidd's position-less basketball philosophy.

However, is this the team that made the playoffs in 2015 or the one that tanked last season? I love this roster and hope to see it contend for home-court advantage, but given it wasn't even a playoff team last year, it's hard to envision Milwaukee challenging the Cavs.

The East also has the Orlando Magic, who hit the reset button a bit, the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, who are all going to be among the worst teams in the entire the NBA. Realistically they are at least a year away from fighting for a playoff spot, and when you look at the conference as a whole, no one will challenge for the Cavaliers' reign atop the standings this season barring something drastic happening in Cleveland.

Can you name every Cleveland Cavaliers first round draft pick since 1985?
SCORE:
0/32
TIME:
5:00
1985: 9, PF/C, Virginia Union
Charles Oakley
1986: 1, C, UNC
Brad Daugherty
1986: 8, SG/PG, Miami (OH)
Ron Harper
1987: 7, PG, California
Kevin Johnson
1988: 22, SF, Southern Mississippi
Randolph Keys
1989: 25, SG/SF, Seton Hall
John Morton
1991: 11, PG, Oregon
Terrell Brandon
1993: 22, SF/PF, Arizona
Chris Mills
1995: 17, SG/PG, Florida St.
Bob Sura
1996: 12, C, Wright St.
Vitaly Potapenko
1996: 20, C, Lithuania
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
1997: 13, SG/SF/PG, Kentucky
Derek Anderson
1997: 16, PG, Stanford
Brevin Knight
1999: 8, PG/SG, Utah
Andre Miller
1999: 11, SG, Duke
Trajan Langdon
2000: 8, SG/PG, Michigan
Jamal Crawford
2001: 8, C/PF, Senegal
DeSagana Diop
2001: 20, C, UNC
Brendan Haywood
2002: 6, SG, Memphis
Dajuan Wagner
2003: 1, SF/PF/SG, St. Vincent-St. Mary (HS)
LeBron James
2004: 10, F, Oregon
Luke Jackson
2006: 25, SG, Mich. St.
Shannon Brown
2008: 19, PF/C, NC St.
J.J. Hickson
2009: 30, SF, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Christian Eyenga
2011: 1, PG, Duke
Kyrie Irving
2011: 4, PF, Texas
Tristan Thompson
2012: 4, SG, Syracuse
Dion Waiters
2012: 24, SG, Ore. St.
Jared Cunningham
2013: 1, PF, UNLV
Anthony Bennett
2013: 19, SF/SG, Russia
Sergey Karasev
2014: 1, SG, Kansas
Andrew Wiggins
2015: 24, PG, Duke
Tyus Jones

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