Cavaliers Going to the Finals According to Stephen A. Smith

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 8:22 PM ET

It has been a dream season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it seems like every day it gets better. They improved to 55-10 on Tuesday night after a tight victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

While they probably should have won more handily than they did, their All-Star shooting guard, Donovan Mitchell, missed the game so all was forgiven.

It seems as though people discredit the season that Cleveland is having because of how last season ended.

It is true that the roster is more-or-less the same, but new head coach Kenny Atkinson has the team firing on all cylinders, something that was never achieved last year.

After spending much of the season ignoring the Cavs, the national media is now turning their attention to the history being put on display.

Stephen A. Smith specifically has been one of Cleveland’s biggest supporters this year, and he recently made a daring declaration about the team.

On a ‘First Take’ segment Wednesday morning, the topic of a potential Cavaliers-Thunder finals matchup was discussed, and Smith didn’t hold back on his belief of the team with the best record in the NBA.

The decorated ESPN host expressed his belief in the Cavs making the finals, just so long as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis isn’t playing in the expected Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

Smith has unwavering faith in Cleveland getting to the finals, he just doesn’t want to make any guarantees since he respects that Boston is the defending champions. After all, a very similar Cavaliers roster just got dismantled by the Celtics last season.

However, this year feels different and Smtih outlined some of the many reasons why. He detailed the Cavs incredible depth, rare frontcourt size, and star-studded backcourt. This year’s iteration is much more unselfish and much more balanced.

There are still about 20 games left to play this season, but it is already the best season in Cleveland history. However, because everyone expects them to lose to Boston, nothing they do in the regular season matters at this point.

The Cavaliers must beat the Celtics and advance to the finals at least, or this entire season was all for naught.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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