Tired of the LeBron James-Michael Jordan comparisons yet? Better get used to them.

The Great LeBron vs. Jordan Debate will only grow stronger each year going forward as James continues to win and star. 

Winning seven straight Eastern Conference crowns is already something Jordan never accomplished. Conventional wisdom suggested the Cavs were headed to title No. 8 and yet another matchup with Golden State. 

But just like the Warriors have a major challenge ahead to win their conference, so too does Cleveland. In our weekly look at the real contenders, the discussion on who will win the East begins by looking north.

1. Toronto Raptors

Leading the conference, the Raptors have peaked at the perfect time. This is their best team under Dwane Casey, and their top opponents are either dealing with a new roster or missing one of their top players. 

Toronto is a top four team in offensive and defensive efficiency — the only NBA team ranked that high on both ends of the court. The Raptors' offense is keyed by dynamic playmakers who complement each other’s games. 

Kyle Lowry is an ultra-competitive point guard who has made himself into an excellent 3-point shooter. He attacks the middle of the paint relentlessly, resulting in layups, mid-range jumpers from the free-throw line, or options to pass to both sides of the court. It’s a huge part of their offensive success. 

DeMar DeRozan is a quiet killer, scoring from all over the court — but mostly inside the 3-point line. His lack of a perimeter shot is what most experts point to when discussing the Raptors' postseason failures. As opponents can lock in on what to do to slow Toronto’s offense, DeRozan’s inability to nail those deep shots has been problematic. 

#BenchMob takeover. @BMO Game Highlights: https://t.co/Ez99RkVIMd pic.twitter.com/KV3Wx5mSJ7

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 7, 2018

But, this year, the Raptors built an offense that features far more passing, and they can throw out an assortment of lineups that each have the potential to surge and give the team a lead it just has to protect down the stretch. That passing, and its “bench mob,” make Toronto far less predictable. Without a top five player like LeBron or Durant, the Raptors simply must have that newly acquired aspect to their offense to win a series against a top team. 

Being a pragmatic team doesn’t mean having multiple stars that can score. It means having multiple ways to create great shots by guys who can make them, and Toronto has that now. The Raptors are built to beat opponents even when they don’t shoot great. They are a high-passes-per-game/low-turnover team, and on defense, they are top 10 in steals and top five in blocks. In fact, Toronto is one of the top teams at defending the rim and a top 10 defensive team in guarding the 3-point line. 

It is not a fluke the Raptors have the third-best record and are third in point differential in the NBA. 

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Thanks to LeBron and his Eastern dominance, the Cavs are contenders. 

Despite being just three games above eighth place in the standings, they currently hold the third spot overall. It makes little sense to examine metrics today because this new team has just not played enough games to give us a fair indication, statistically, of what it is and what it can become. 

Here is what we do know; 

1. The Cavaliers have LeBron and he has been other-worldly. 
2. They added players that will give them a far more athletic team capable of making energy plays that didn’t exist last season. 
3. They did not add a player as good at creating his own shot or a great shot for others as Kyrie Irving. 
4. One of the three leading contenders for the East has Irving. 
5. The Cavs have been awful defensively for much of the season. 
6. They have been awful before and still been very good once the postseason began.

We really don’t know much about Cleveland. In two weeks we will revisit the Cavs and have at least a partially better picture of what they can become. 

In the meantime, this much is apparent: Larry Nance — who had his season high in scoring (22) and rebounding (15) when he started for the first time on Sunday — changes their future. When Nance is paired with Kevin Love, Cleveland can have its best defensive frontcourt alongside LeBron since his return. That fact has to give Cavs fans hope, and their team, too, as Cleveland’s defense this season just has not been close to what it will need to be to beat the top teams in the East.

3. Boston Celtics

Like any team, the Celtics have not been the same side all year. 

They started out 34-10 — which was incredible given they lost Gordon Hayward in game one. A four-game slide in mid-January started them off on a 50-50 run, which is more or less where they stand now since an overtime loss to the Pelicans on Jan. 16. 

No Hayward for the postseason, which is what the team just announced, suggests that Boston isn’t a likely contender for a title. But, before we break the Celtics down, there needs to be one simple understanding: Just making it to to the Finals gives any team a chance. The Cavs of two seasons ago are proof of that. That team was clearly inferior and down 3-1 heading into a Game 5 on the road. Some good fortune and made shots led them to be shocking title winners. 

So can this version of Boston at least get to the Finals and give luck that chance? Yes. 

KYRIE. ??? pic.twitter.com/8IpMwsL4Ls

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 1, 2018

The Celtics are a brilliant pick-and-roll team, thanks to the amazing Irving, the genius creativity of Brad Stevens, and some good shooters at every position. Among the playoff teams we will see in a month, they rank third in 3-point percentage and fourth in the number of threes they make on average per game. 

The value of great shooting is that, in any one game, a team that can create great shots all game has a real chance of having a great shooting night, and at the NBA level, this can translate into a win even if the other statistics in the game favor the opponent. 

When combined with Boston’s elite defense, it’s conceivable that the Celtics can find a way to win four games out of seven against the Cavs and Raptors. It’s a tougher road to slog through than perhaps Toronto's playoff draw as the likely top seed, but it’s one Boston can conceivably manage.

When the Celtics play Al Horford at power forward next to Aaron Baynes, with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart on the wings next to Irving, they field one of the best two defensive lineups in the league. Brown’s athleticism and length and Horford’s size and toughness/IQ work perfectly with the huge Baynes in the paint. 

That lineup has a better chance of slowing down LeBron in May than anything the Raptors can throw at him.