Is this the end of LeBron James’ run in Cleveland?


 Is this the spring where The King and his Cavaliers fall behind a surging pack of younger, hungrier contenders?


 Is Cleveland’s quest for a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals as perilous as it appears, or is LeBron just toying with everyone?


 Those are just some of the questions lingering around the opening of the NBA playoffs this weekend. While everyone knows the best basketball [...]

Kevin McNamara

Is this the end of LeBron James’ run in Cleveland?

 Is this the spring where The King and his Cavaliers fall behind a surging pack of younger, hungrier contenders?

 Is Cleveland’s quest for a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals as perilous as it appears, or is LeBron just toying with everyone?

 Those are just some of the questions lingering around the opening of the NBA playoffs this weekend. While everyone knows the best basketball is played out West, the only bit of intrigue there centers on the health of the champion Warriors’ Stephen Curry (MCL injury). If Curry is back for what is an expected showdown series with the Rockets in the conference finals, they’ll be the best in the West yet again.

 

 The Eastern Conference is another matter entirely. The East is wide open, or at least that’s the way things appear after James and the Cavs slumped to 50 wins and a fourth place regular season finish. Cleveland is trying to become only the fifth team to play in four straight NBA Finals (yes, the Celtics of the 1960’s and `80’s made this list) in league history.

 As usual, everything in the East will run through LeBron. The incomparable, 33-year old James has owned the conference for what seems like forever. He’s looking to lead his team into the Finals for an unbelievable eighth straight season, four straight in Cleveland after four in a row in Miami.

 To add a healthy dose of drama to that chase, James is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Would he dump his hometown team and head to Los Angeles after an early playoff exit? Will he leave town on top?

 Only LeBron knows.

 "We would like to give our best shot to make it to the Finals and win an NBA championship," co-star Kevin Love told ESPN.com "I think that's been the goal really ever since 'Bron came back and I got traded here. So I don't think that changes. I think even with the new guys getting experience, younger guys getting experience and our savvy veterans stepping up to play, I think we have a really good shot. But the East's gotten a lot better."

 That is the complicating factor in the Cavs’ playoff path. They haven’t been the same since the summer trade of Kyrie Irving, plus the rest of the East is better. Toronto is the top seed and its duo of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry dearly craves its chance to take down the Cavs in a likely semifinal round series.

 

 If they fail, there are other contenders. The snake-bitten Celtics have to be shaking their heads. With Kyrie, they were once again pointed towards the Finals. But without him they’re looking at a playoff run that will be a difficult one from the very first game. Anyone who hasn’t watched Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo for long stretches is in for a treat. In four meetings with the Celts during the regular season, the Greek Freak averaged 33.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5 assists.

 The Celtics young core of Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum, plus the veteran hand of Al Horford, should trump the Freak but then the East’s most exciting team comes into view. Even without star center Joel Embiid (bone fracture, left eye) the Sixers finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak. Eight of those wins came without Embiid. The 24-year old big man could miss a first round series with Miami but return for the semifinals and start to turn the fortunes of a franchise that has flipped the switch from tank mode to rising star.

 After drafting Embiid third in 2014 and spending the first overall selection on Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz in each of the last two drafts, the Sixers cracked the 50-win mark for the first time since 2000-01.

 We’ll find out if The Kiddie Corps really is ready for prime time if they meet up with the Celtics. Brad Stevens will throw all sorts of looks at the young guys and while the absence of Irving and Gordon Hayward will hang over the team, these Celtics won’t start looking ahead to next year without a fight.

 That takes us back to the Cavaliers. James and Love will need old friend Jeff Green to play with some consistency and much will ride on playoff newbies Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and Larry Nance.

 Does the King have enough help to push back the Sixers, the Raptors or even the injured Celtics?

 Take LeBron and his sidekicks. Again.