Cavs tabbed as one of Pistons’ biggest rivals is on-point

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that does have a number of intriguing young pieces, and while they are looking to progress in their rebuild, they have a budding young core.

Darius Garland and Collin Sexton appear to be players on the rise, and Jarrett Allen being locked up long-term after having been a mid-season trade acquisition last year was a sensible move, with him still only 23.

Lauri Markkanen could shape out to be a quality sign-and-trade acquisition as well, given his shooting capabilities, and while he does objectively need to show more offensively this upcoming season, Isaac Okoro‘s two-way potential makes him a player to watch moving forward.

Along with the others mentioned, Evan Mobley, the #3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, looks to be a rare big, with his guard-like skill set, passing vision and defensive prowess. I’m pumped to see how he can mesh with Cleveland’s other notable pieces, too.

Nonetheless, the Cavs are a young team still, and it wouldn’t hurt to hopefully land a depth wing piece such as James Ennis III or Garrison Mathews, from a shooting standpoint, to aid those young guys.

In any case, although we’ll have to see how things shake out next season/looking onward seemingly, it will interesting to see if the Cavaliers can progress, hopefully make a push for the Play-In tournament and if so, possibly establish a few rivalries. A divisional foe such as the Indiana Pacers could be in that realm, or maybe an up-and-coming, but still pretty young team like the Charlotte Hornets.

Along those lines though, even with the Cavs a bit further down the road rebuilding-wise, I do understand why Aaron Kellerstrass of FanSided’s Piston Powered mentioned the Cavs as being one of the Detroit Pistons’ three biggest rivals to come from here.

The Cavs being tabbed as one of the Pistons’ biggest rivals is on-point.

Kellerstrass was on the mark here, as the Pistons, even with them having a ways to go, look to have some very promising young pieces. The Cavs, as we noted do too, and although Cleveland is in my opinion further along, these two clubs could be a rivalry to watch for years to come.

This past year’s #1 pick, Cade Cunningham, looks to have a very, very bright future and is likely the piece that Detroit looks to build around moving forward, and for the Cavs, Mobley could end up being that guy.

Now, I wouldn’t anticipate the two to be matched up against one another directly that often, but the likes of Isaiah Stewart and Mobley could make for matchups to watch, and Cunningham against Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens will be, I’d imagine. Perhaps Mobley here and there could be on Cunningham in big lineups with Markkanen and Jarrett Allen too, in fairness.

In terms of others, Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes and Okoro/Markkanen/perhaps Dean Wade, and Sexton, to go with Garland matching up with Hayes could add some juice to these matchups between division/regional foes as well.

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While Hayes’ rookie season was hampered by injury, he did come on some in the latter stages of last season, and he is a gifted defensive player and passer.

His transition abilities did pop at times last year, too, and throughout last year, it was clear that Garland was getting back to himself as a scorer and playmaker, of which he reportedly was not due to a variety of factors in his rookie year.

He was on quite the tear before an ankle injury led to him missing most of Cleveland’s closing games in May, additionally.

Anyway, when you factor in guys such as Ricky Rubio, if he were to stick around potentially with the Cavaliers after next season, along with pieces such as Dylan Windler, if he can stay healthy, and again injury guys like Stevens, there is reason to be optimistic about Cleveland. They have to tie things together, however.

And on Detroit’s side, wings such as Frank Jackson and Hamidou Diallo, too, are young pieces that look to give the Pistons some pop off the bench, and I’d imagine matchups from the Cavs’ side with them should make for a fun outlook for stretches on both ends.

Moreover, with how both of these young teams have plenty of players to watch in the near future, and with it being entertaining to see how both sides grow, and with the divisional element, I completely am with Kellerstrass here.

The Cavaliers look to definitely be one of Detroit’s biggest rivals to come in the near future, and that’s not even considering how the two clubs were rivals back in the 80’s to an extent, and even more so during LeBron James’ first stint with the Cavs.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on how these two clubs fare against one another for the foreseeable future.