Cleveland Cavaliers Faces Challenges in the New NBA Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers have appeared in the NBA Finals for three consecutive years, all against the Golden State Warriors. Two years ago, they defeated the Warriors to win their first franchise title, but this June they lost again by a resounding 4-1, relinquishing the crown.

The team from Ohio has dominated the Eastern Conference since LeBron James returned to the city in 2014, and has been the toughest opponent for a legendary team like the Warriors. However, for this new season, number 23 will have new supporting players.

Kyrie Irving, with whom he formed a duo that resulted in a championship, has left for Boston, and Cleveland will have to reinvent itself.

In addition to LeBron, who has been named MVP four times, Kevin Love remains on the team. Love increased his scoring average to 19 points per game, up from 16 in the 2015-16 season, and he could have an even bigger role on offense without Irving, who was the team's second-leading scorer.

The rest of the team will be new faces. In exchange for Irving, the Celtics sent their starting point guard and star player, Isaiah Thomas, who will be out until January due to a hip injury, and Jae Crowder, who will contribute nearly 14 points per game.

But those are not the only changes. LeBron will be reunited with his great friend and former teammate in Miami, Dwyane Wade, after a forgettable year in Chicago. He will also have another MVP alongside him, Derrick Rose, who won the award in 2011 before injuries derailed his career.

Cleveland also retains Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, and Kyle Korver, with the goal of once again challenging Golden State for the NBA title. But first, they will have an interesting few months to secure their division.

The Central Division of the Eastern Conference had four of its five teams in the playoffs last season, as Milwaukee, Indiana, and Chicago advanced alongside the Cavs. Only Detroit finished their year with 82 games.

The Bucks took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's breakout season to make a return to the playoffs. The Greek player improved his numbers from 16.9 points in 2015-16 to 22.9, in assists from 4.3 to 5.4, and in rebounds from 7.7 to 8.8, ranking among the top 20 players in the NBA in those categories and in steals (1.6).

On the other hand, the Pacers lost their star, Paul George, in the preseason. He was in the final year of his contract and was traded to Oklahoma City. In return, Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis arrived, who will have more prominence away from Russell Westbrook.

Myles Turner will take the lead as the new figure of the Indiana Pacers in his third season in the league.

In Chicago, a divided locker room with Wade, Jimmy Butler, and Rajon Rondo found a way to reach the playoffs but couldn't overcome Boston. After so many internal problems, the three players left the team. However, the Bulls will not start from scratch as they acquired promising players like Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn from Minnesota, who will complement what Robin Lopez and Nikola Mirotic bring to the paint.

Detroit let go of Marcus Morris in exchange for Avery Bradley from Boston, who will be their new star alongside Andre Drummond. However, the basement seems to be their likely destination.