Keeping top spot, consistency Cavs' current order of business
With just more than a week left in the regular season, everything is set up for the Cavaliers to claim the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
All they need to do is keep doing what they've done lately.
The Cavs have clearly displayed a playoff mindset in the previous two games -- beating the Hawks in their own building, then drubbing the Hornets at home.
Each opponent was seeded third entering its game against the Cavs. Each dropped a couple spots as soon as the game had ended.
So the Cavs are playing playoff basketball against some playoff-quality teams. And that's good. The playoffs are, after all, just around the corner.
So if you're gonna get into a playoff mindset, this is the time to do it.
Entering Monday, the Cavs held a 3.5-game advantage over the No. 2 Raptors in the East.
"If the playoffs started tomorrow, we'd be ready," Cavs forward LeBron James told FOX Sports Ohio.
James has been particularly effective lately (no shock there) -- averaging 22.2 points, 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds over the previous five games.
"He's been doing a great job of setting the tone for us," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of James.
Meanwhile, Kevin Love is at 20.0 and 9.6 rebounds in that same span.
And Kyrie Irving, who's occasionally struggled shooting the ball, is still scoring 20.3 in the past three games (he missed Sunday's win over the Hornets with a bum ankle).
Overall, the Cavs just resemble a more-well-oiled machine in recent weeks.
None of this to say things are perfect. There have been some huge leads that have been whittled down to nothing (or even lost completely).
There have been some lapses on both ends, and under the boards. There has been some inconsistency, especially for a team that has surpassed last season's overall win total, last season's win total at home, and a team that is favored to represent the East in the Finals.
In fact, this final week will tell us even more about the Cavs -- who hit the road for games against the Bucks, Pacers and Bulls.
The Bucks always play the Cavs tough, especially since the Cavs can occasionally play down to their competition.
Meanwhile, the Pacers and Bulls are fighting just to get in the playoffs. Getting a win over the beasts of the East, not to mention a Central Division rival, could be exactly what those teams are looking for.
After that, it's the Hawks and Pistons. Season over and the real thing begins.
Bottom line? Everything is indeed set up for the Cavs to hold on to the top spot in the East. But they know no one is gonna just hand it to them. They will have to go out and take it.
