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NBA power rankings 2012: Cleveland Cavaliers moving up despite three-game skid

Recent close calls have experts feeling better about the Cavs' standing in the NBA.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

Despite winning just one of their last ten games, the Cleveland Cavaliers are being viewed in a slightly better light by NBA experts across the Internet.

The Cavs' biggest move upward comes from Sam Amico of Fox Sports, who has moved Cleveland up two spots to No. 27. Amico is giving the Cavs the benefit of the doubt in two areas: "[The] Cavs have spent the majority of the early season on the road, and a portion of it without the injured Kyrie Irving."

Marc Stein of ESPN moves Cleveland up to No. 28, pointing out a road win against the L.A. Clippers and a near-win at the Miami Heat. But NBA.com's John Schuhmann isn't as impressed with the almost-wins at Miami or at the Orlando Magic. " [The Cavs] couldn't get enough stops down the stretch in those last two, because the D still stinks," Schuhmann writes.

Seth Rosenthal of SB Nation has also moved Cleveland up one spot to No. 27, citing a " moderately un-terrible" bench as a culprit for the apparent improvement. "C.J. Miles and Omri Casspi have finally had some moments and Jeremy Pargo -- the hero of that win over the Sixers -- should be a genuinely solid back-up once Irving returns," according to Rosenthal.

Check out the SB Nation Channel on YouTube

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.