The Cleveland Cavaliers have their doubters going into this season, and HoopsHype is just the latest in what has been a long line.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ over-under win total this season was put at 30.5 by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, which seemed a bit low for a team with Kevin Love back and some good young talent and veterans who are capable of big nights. ESPN projected the Cavaliers to just get the over in regards to that mark, and they have Cleveland slotted to finish 11th in the Eastern Conference. Recently, HoopsHype’s Jorge Sierra took it one step further, projecting Cleveland to finish as the East’s 12th seed. To me, that’s a stretch; the Cavs probably won’t be that bad with their depth around Love and with head coach Tyronn Lue able to implement more of his uptempo philosophy this year.
Cleveland won 50 games last year, and that won’t happen in 2018-19, but in a weaker Eastern Conference and with talented young pieces in Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman and Collin Sexton playing more minutes in the backcourt this season, I don’t think the Cavs are 20-plus games worse.
That’s essentially what HoopsHype and ESPN are projecting, and I don’t see it as being that bad. Cleveland’s philosophy this year without LeBron James still involves making the postseason, per Basketball Insiders’ Spencer Davies.
Lue on not having LeBron around: We have new challenges, a new chapter. Our young guys, our old guys, a mix with a goal to make the playoffs I don't see this as a rebuild. #Cavs
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) September 24, 2018
Cleveland’s players, especially the veterans, understand that media and fans alike have their doubts about the team this year. That seems to be fueling the Cavaliers right now as they’re going through a very important training camp. Tristan Thompson, who many have criticized throughout the last few seasons in Cleveland (despite playing well in the postseason), had this to say at Cavs’ media day in regards to the constant naysayers in recent years, per Davies.
Thompson on perception that Cleveland won't do well: "I think they've been writing us off since probably since we got together since... 2014?" #Cavs
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) September 24, 2018
The Cavs have an All-Star player in Kevin Love who should elevate the play of others around him more this year with Cleveland getting him in more playmaking positions on the floor, and Cleveland has a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate in Collin Sexton, who will probably start games fairly quickly into the season. Sexton as our own Quenton Albertie illustrated, is going to have his own legacy here with the Cavs, and is not trying to Kyrie Irving or anybody else for that matter.
He had this to say at media day, per Ben Axelrod of WKYC.
Collin Sexton asked about following in Kyrie Irving’s footsteps. Points out that “Mo Williams also wore No. 2”
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) September 24, 2018
I know these kinds of team and conference projections probably won’t be acknowledged publicly by Sexton or others, but it’s hard for me not to think those don’t add fuel to the Cavaliers’ fire. Lue wants to prove his doubters wrong, and Love wants to show he can still be one of the best forwards in the league without James again.
He’s averaged 18.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for his career and had a true shooting rate of 56.9 percent and a PER of 21.9, per Basketball Reference. He can still be a number one guy in a less-talented East.
It’s hard for me to guarantee a Cleveland playoff birth, but I don’t see them winning less than 30 games in the East.