I just think they don't care about the regular season all that much. I'd still expect that once the playoffs start, they will be more focused and will perform better. That said, they have never been a great defensive team and that has always been a weakness.
Do you not have some doubts that their defense can really magically ramp up in the post season?
I think having an extra perimeter defender off the bench last year in Delladova was helpful for them.
Also just the age of their team. You never know when players have a steep age decline but consider these guys having played 30 more games the last two seasons that most teams and and the majority of their rotation is 32 or older...I have last confidence in them blowing through the conference than they did the last few years. There is a big difference between 30 and 32 in the NBA.
I have no doubts at all at Cleveland being more focused in the post season and thus better. As I said, they aren't going to magically become some sort of lock down defensive oriented team, that is not their game, but they will be better.
Also, once they go into playoff minutes, and the starters all playing in the 40 mpg range, it will shrink the bench problems a great deal. They also have a lot of flexibility depending on matchups. I mean they can play Shumpert or Deron at the backup PG. Shumpert, Korver, or Jefferson at backup SG. Derrick, Korver, or Jefferson at backup SF. Frye at either backup big and they have a lot of small ball lineups including putting James at PF. The Cavs weak point continues to be in the post with really just 3 "bigs" on the roster in Love, Thompson, and Frye. That said, the Raptors are really the only team in the East that can realistically take advantage of that size issue (Detroit with Drummond can be problematic, but they really are only Drummond and not much else so Cleveland can minimize the Drummond advantage). Out west the Spurs are the only team that can cause size problems for the Cavs (at least of the teams that could conceivably reach the finals).
I'd be very surprised if the Cavs are relatively healthy and aren't in the Finals again (frankly if James is healthy, they would be a tough out even without Love and Irving). I'd favor the Warriors and possibly the Spurs against the Cavs, but wouldn't be surprised if the Cavs beat either team in a series (again assuming relative health for all teams).