Cleveland Cavaliers Fans Will Be Fired Up Over This Massive Take

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers actually compete for an NBA championship next season?

Nov 2, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) quiets the crowd as guard Darius Garland (10) attempts a free throw during the second half against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers won 48 games before being eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last season.

Given that the Cavaliers haven't really done anything to improve the roster this summer, many are imagining a similar fate for the club next season.

But are we sleeping on Cleveland?

Bleacher Report's NBA staff compiled a list of 10 wild-card teams that could potentially compete for a championship in 2025, and the Cavs made the list.

Not only did the Cavaliers qualify, but B/R's Dan Favale seems pretty bullish on their chances.

"Next year's Cavs are better and deeper than its opening-year iteration," Favale wrote. "There's no way a team with four All-Star types all in or approaching their primes peaked during their inaugural season. And if the wildly flawed version of Cleveland managed to squeak out 48 victories and a playoff-series win last year, imagine what a healthier, more talented and better optimized version of that team can do.

Favale cites Cleveland's continuity as a big reason why it could end up being a much better team next season and also mentions the terrific net rating of the "core four" during the 2022-23 campaign, which was certainly a much healthier year for the team than last season.

The Cavs were definitely hampered by injuries in 2023-24, with all of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley playing in under 60 games apiece.

Of course, the question is whether or not the Cavaliers can overcome their shortcomings in an improving Eastern Conference.

Cleveland still has some notable issues, such as questionable floor spacing up front, a lack of size on the wings and limited shot-creating ability outside of Mitchell and Garland.

The Cavs did not really address any of those problems this offseason, instead focusing on extending Mitchell, Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Re-upping with your own players is certainly fine, but ignoring some obvious glaring problems is not exactly a recipe for success, either.

We'll see if the Cavaliers can have a more fruitful season in 2024-25.