After finishing the regular season as the first seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers are among the favorites to challenge for the 2025 NBA championship.
Kenny Atkinson’s team currently holds a one-game lead over the Miami Heat. They will face Erik Spoelstra’s squad in game two of their opening round matchup on Wednesday, April 23. And while the series against Miami is expected to be difficult, it could prepare Cleveland for what lies ahead.
According to an anonymous poll of over 100 NBA players conducted by The Athletic, the Cavaliers are seen as genuine front-runners for a title this season. Cleveland finished third in the voting process, earning 10.2% of the votes. They were behind the Boston Celtics, who finished first with 57.7% of the votes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who received 17.5%.
“Just the way they move the ball, the way they’ve got good players,” One anonymous NBA player told The Athletic. “The whole team is good and aggressive and confident, and every player on their team is shooting the ball at a high level. Pair that with two good guards and a good frontcourt, and it’s a scary team.”
It’s clear that Cleveland is among the most feared teams in the NBA. However, they are still expected to face an uphill battle if they make it into the deeper rounds of the postseason.
Cavaliers’ Darius Garland Praises Cavaliers
When speaking to the media following the Cavaliers’ game one win over the Heat, Darius Garland praised his teammates for their competitiveness.
“Our competitive spirit,” Garland said. “We actually played for 48 minutes tonight, the full game. With sending in runs and actually coming back and swinging ourselves. So we can withstand the runs, of course. We rebounded the ball pretty well. I think that’s what can really carry over to Game 2. Try to limit them to one shot a possession instead of two or multiple, period. Keep loading on their main guys, keep loading on Bam, keep loading on Tyler and keep loading on Wiggs. Try to slow them down as much as we can.”
The Cavaliers must keep that same competitive fire heading into game two. Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Heat will be well-prepared to counter Cleveland’s style of play.
Tyler Herro Praises Cavaliers’ Offense
The biggest issue for Miami will be figuring out how to contain the Cavaliers’ motion-heavy offense. Tyler Herro praised Cleveland for their approach during his own postgame news conference on April 20.
“They’re a historically good offense,” Herro said . “Obviously, they’re No. 1 in the East for a reason. I think we lacked a lot of communication, just mental errors that we can cover up. I think, obviously, the two days in between will give us time to watch film, have a practice and then clean up the things we need to clean up.”
Nevertheless, Cleveland must continue finding ways to improve. Miami has enough defensive talent to make life difficult for the Cavaliers. Therefore, Garland and the rest of Cleveland’s roster must remain locked in. After all, the goal is to fight for a championship, not claw their way out of the opening round.
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