Cavaliers Power Ranking Position Coming Out Of All-Star Break

NBA.com ranked the Cleveland Cavaliers as the fourth-best team in the league coming out of the All-Star Break.

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the break as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, but they weren't treated as such in NBA.com's latest power rankings.

The list rated the Cavaliers as the fourth-best team coming out of the All-Star Break. This was down three spots from their previous position in the standings. 

Here's NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's reasoning for placing the wine and gold where he did:

The Cavs’ eight-game winning streak came to an end last Monday with a loss to the Sixers, their worst defensive performance (123 points allowed on 96 possessions) since Christmas. But they went into the break with a win, are 18-2 since early January, and have a four-game lead in the loss column for second place in the East.

I suppose this is a fair assessment of Cleveland's stint heading into the break. Their loss to the 76ers could be attributed to the team's abnormally slow start and their near victory against the Bulls was another anomaly in terms of Cleveland's recent play.

Feb 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) dribbles around the pick of center Jarrett Allen (31) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY

However, let's not forget the run this team has been on since the turn of the calendar, the roster is finally back to full strength, and Donovan Mitchell continues to play like an MVP candidate. 

As it stands now, the Cavs are the second seed in the Eastern Conference, hold a 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, and are 6.0 games back of the Boston Celtics. Sure, they may have fallen according to these power rankings, but they're still one of the most dangerous teams in the league.