Coming off a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the third consecutive NBA Finals matchup between the two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers look to ascend to the top spot in the league once again.

In the offseason, a flurry of moves were made to help the team return to its newly found glory. In perhaps the biggest move, all-star point guard Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics. In return, the Cavs received point guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first round pick.

In addition to the trade, the Cavs signed guards Jose Calderon and Derrick Rose, and forwards Jeff Green and Cedi Osman. A move days before the start of the preseason also reconnected LeBron James with his former teammate with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade.

However, none of these moves could be made without a general manager. After parting ways with David Griffin, the team promoted assistant general manager Koby Altman to the head role in July.

While it may seem as if the Cavaliers will have an easy trip to the 2018 NBA Finals, the rival Boston Celtics will provide a tough competitor in the Eastern Conference. In addition to their acquisition of Kyrie Irving, the team also signed free agent Gordon Hayward from the Utah Jazz. The Celtics travel to Cleveland on Oct. 17, while the Cavs head to Boston on Jan. 3, and Feb. 11.

Other key matchups include two games each with the Western Conference top of the crop: Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs.

Senior Joe Greve, a noted Cavs fan, is looking forward to the upcoming season.“The season will definitely be different since a lot of stars [in the league] ended up moving to the Western Conference,” Greve said. “A lot of core players for teams are now gone and with plenty of the teams trying to rebuild with young guys, the Cavs are going to be the most dominant force in the East without a doubt.”