The Toronto Raptors were the first challenger of the Cleveland Cavaliers to strike on the pre-deadline trade market last week, acquiring power forward Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic.
Whether other Eastern Conference teams follow suit with big deals remains to be seen, but LeBron James, as always, is keenly aware that the Cavs have a target on their backs.
(The Eastern Conference) is always tough," James said Saturday, per SI.com's Ben Golliver. "There's no easy routes to get to the Finals. You've got to play. If you don't show up and play, you can be beat by any team."
While conventional wisdom would suggest the Raptors' addition of Ibaka isn't a game-changer in terms of challenging Cleveland's dominance in the conference, Toronto did become a better team on paper with the trade, addressing a positional hole on their roster.
"Ibaka is a tremendous player and I've had the opportunity to compete against him when he's been in the league and in the Finals (in 2012) before," James said. "He definitely adds some experience to them, some playoff experience, some toughness, some rebounding, some shot-blocking, and he can also make a shot. He helps their team out a lot."
The Raptors' recent swoon, however, has dropped them to fourth place in the East. The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards currently sit between themselves and the first-place Cavs.
"The East has been good all year," James said. "It's been competitive. I'm just happy to be a part of the East for 14 years now. It's great. It feels like home."
