When the 2021-2022 schedule came out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, my immediate reaction was that the Cavs had gotten absolutely screwed. The schedule looked absolutely daunting, especially the month of December, but the Cavs have somehow, some way overcome the odds to be in the top 6 of the Eastern Conference. Since the Cavs are in the top 6 (they’re currently fourth), it means they would qualify for the playoffs without taking part in the play-in tournament.
Up to this point, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and the Cavaliers have passed almost every test that’s been put in front of them. One of the tests that they failed on was the three-game road trip they embarked on to close out pre-All-Star play (at the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks). But the Cavaliers have one more test to pass in order to really prove themselves. That test is…the month of March.
March will be the Cavaliers final test in their push for the playoffs.
In the month of March, the Cavs only get three games against teams who are completely out of the playoff picture (at Indiana on March 8, home against the Detroit Pistons on March 19, and home against the Orlando Magic on March 28). Every other game is against a team that’s in contention for either the play-in tournament or the actual playoffs.
One of the first challenges that March will be presenting to Garland, Mobley and the Cavs is a set of back-to-back road games against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. On March 11, the Cavaliers will be in Miami taking on the Heat, who are currently in first in the East. On March 12, the Cavs will be in the Windy City taking on the Chicago Bulls, who are currently second in the East. Both of those are measuring stick games, and Chicago handled the Cavaliers last month at home behind big runs.
The Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers will matchup twice in March as well. The 76ers took Round 1 last Saturday in Philly by a score of 103-93. Round 2 will be March 4 in Philadelphia and Round 3 will be on March 16 in Cleveland. Based on the conference standings at the moment, it appears as though these two teams will be duking it out for playoff position. Perhaps these two games will give us a preview of a possible first-round series.
And then in the middle of the month, Cleveland gets a crucial five-game homestand (March 14-21). Interestingly, the opponents will alternate between the West and East. The homestand will go as follows: the LA Clippers (March 14), 76ers (March 16), Denver Nuggets (March 18), the Pistons (March 19), and Los Angeles Lakers (March 21). Just because these teams are coming to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse doesn’t mean they’re going to give the Cavaliers a free win. That’s not how things work in the NBA.
The last major game in the month of March is on Sunday, March 6. For the first time in a while, the Cavs will be on ESPN when they play host to the Toronto Raptors. As of right now, Toronto is sitting just outside of an official playoff spot but they’re right in the thick of things. The Cavs are trying to prove that they’re playoff contenders. With those two points as a background, it should be a fantastic game.
Nobody was expecting this type of play from the Cavs (35-23) this season. You could make an argument that they’ve been the most surprising team in all of the NBA. It feels inevitable that they’re going to make the playoffs, however, they’re going to have to get through the month of March first.