"Toronto is currently 3-0 against the Cavaliers this season. Granted, Cleveland was dealing with injuries to key players in all three games, and those matchups took place before the Cavaliers made their midseason trade for James Harden. That trade for Harden was a big, but risky, swing for Cleveland."
"Harden has famously underwhelmed in the postseason throughout his career. As recently as last season, he scored only seven points in a critical Game 7 for the Los Angeles Clippers. Adding Harden to a core coming off a disappointing playoff run may be setting this Cavaliers fan base up for more frustration."
"The Eastern Conference is a tightly packed race for playoff positioning. That makes it difficult for fans to predict who Toronto may face in a first-round series. The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers currently make up the 2-6 seeds respectively in the conference and are separated by only 7.0 games."
The NBA regular season is entering its final month with the Eastern Conference playoff race tightly contested. The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers occupy seeds 2-6, separated by only 7.0 games. If playoffs began today, Toronto would face Cleveland as the fourth and fifth seeds respectively. Toronto holds a 3-0 record against Cleveland this season, though those victories came when the Cavaliers were dealing with injuries and before acquiring James Harden. The Harden trade represents a significant but risky move for Cleveland, involving the departure of Darius Garland. Harden's history of playoff underperformance, including scoring only seven points in a critical Game 7 last season, raises concerns about Cleveland's postseason viability.
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