The Cleveland Cavaliers have made a triumphant return to the NBA playoffs after a four-year absence without LeBron James. The Cavs, who had not made the playoffs since James left in 2014, have clinched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
The Cavs have been rebuilding since James left, and have had to make some difficult decisions along the way. They traded away Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in order to acquire younger players and draft picks. They also hired a new head coach, John Beilein, who is known for his ability to develop young players.
The team has been led by All-Star guard Collin Sexton and center Tristan Thompson. Sexton has been a consistent scoring threat, averaging 20.8 points per game this season. Thompson has been a force on the boards, averaging 12.1 rebounds per game. The Cavs also have a deep bench that includes veterans such as Jordan Clarkson and Matthew Dellavedova.
The Cavs have been able to stay competitive despite their youth and inexperience. They have been able to win close games and have had several impressive wins this season, including a win over the Milwaukee Bucks in February.
The Cavs have also been able to stay competitive despite injuries to key players such as Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. The team has been able to rely on their depth and experience to keep them in games.
The Cavs are now looking forward to the playoffs and are hoping to make a deep run. They will face a tough test in the first round against the Pacers, but they have the talent and experience to make a run. It will be interesting to see how far they can go without LeBron James.