The Cleveland Cavaliers know the road they must navigate as they attempt to reach their fourth straight NBA Finals following Monday's schedule release.
There is additional urgency for Cleveland in the 2017-18 season because LeBron James can become a free agent in the upcoming summer with a player option. The potentially limited window to compete for championships also stands out after a tumultuous offseason
The Cavaliers didn't bring back general manager David Griffin, and James was reportedly "frustrated" with the team's ability to keep pace with the Golden State Warriors after Griffin's exit and a failure to trade for superstars like Paul George and Jimmy Butler, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.