Cavs Reversing Regular Season Performance Would Be Perfect
Last year the Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to be great. The Cavs struggled on the court early in the season. Famously so. Last year they were 1 – 3 at this point with losses to the New York Knicks, Portland Trailblazers and Utah Jazz. Not exactly the toughest teams in the league. Everyone knows that they were under .500 for most of the early season.
This year, the Cavs are 3 -1 with wins over two teams expected to make the NBA Playoffs: Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. Their only loss on opening night, on the road against the Chicago Bulls. A tough loss, 97 – 95, but winning the next 3 games in convincing fashion has shown the true talent of the team.
The Cavs came on strong last year, dominating late in the season and all the way to the NBA Finals. Their early season struggles were left in the rearview mirror but the process to the Playoffs was a long one.
What if this year the Cavs reverse their Regular Season performance?
So far so good. Instead of having LeBron James take time off in the middle of the season, what if the Cavs are able to dominate early in the year. Kyrie Irving is bound to return at sometime but can be eased back in, instead of feeling the pressure to be a big contributor right away.
With Kevin Love and LeBron playing at a high level already, the return of Irving could help the wins come early this season.
Running out to a good record early in the season could set the Cavs up with a big advantage in the Eastern Conference standings come the new year. Instead of pressing for a good record, and seeding, the Cavs can then plan to have all of their players healthy moving into the NBA Playoffs. They can shift gears after establishing their record and performance at a high level.
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This will allow coach David Blatt to monitor minutes in the middle of the season before ramping up in the last two weeks going into the Playoffs. The Cavs have a lot of aging or injury prone players. LeBron has a ton of miles on his legs and back. Irving and Love have had their fair share of injuries. Mo Williams, Richard Jefferson and James Jones are aging players. Anderson Varejao has both age and injury concerns.
Instead of slow rolling through the early part of the season, it would be perfect for the Cavs to start the season fast giving them options for rest and development after the midpoint of the season. This could also be helpful to develop Jared Cunningham, Sasha Kaun and Joe Harris. If the Cavs are able to make a trade before the NBA Trade Deadline, a chance to incorporate the new player(s) would also be helpful.
Do you think the Cavs will reverse last season’s performance by winning early in the season?