This Is Why The Fourth Seed Is So Important For The Cavs

The best chance the Cleveland Cavaliers have for a deep playoff run is holding onto the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

There has been a lot of talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers and the "fourth seed" since the NBA resumed from the All-Star break. 

A lot of analysts, fans, and broadcasters have stressed the importance of the Cavs clinching this seed for the playoffs. But why exactly is it so important they do that?

Let's break it down.

The first reason is that if the Cavaliers are at least in the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference, they'll avoid playing in the play-in tournament and guarantee themselves a shot in a best-of-seven-game series. The play-in tournament was where Cleveland found themselves last season before being eliminated.

Anything can happen in those one-game matchups so giving yourself more games and chances is obviously the better scenario.

Playing more games and having more than one chance isn't the only reason that the Cavs should be shooting for one of these top seeds though. If they finish as the fourth seed or higher then they'll clinch home-court advantage in the first series this play.

This is especially important for this Cavs team.

Feb 26, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and guard Caris LeVert (3) celebrate beside Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn (22) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland is full of young and inexperienced players who haven't seen a ton of playoff experience. The only ones who have truly been a part of playoff runs are Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, and Danny Green. This would make starting the series off at home a comforting environment for the Cavs.

Plus, the Cavs have a home record of 26-7 which is among the NBA leaders. Beginning at Rocket Mortgage FeildHouse would immediately give them a massive advantage over their opponent.

Cleveland sits in a good spot as of now. They're currently fourth in the East, but they're being hunted by a number of teams. The Knicks have been on a hot streak and are 2.5 games behind the Cavs, the Hawks just hired a new head coach which could put a spark in them, and it's never wise to count out a team such as the Heat.

Maintaining that fourth seed or even climbing higher won't be easy but it's not an impossible task by any means. This last stretch of games will be their most important and fans will get to see exactly what kind of team the Cavaliers are. 

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