All-Star Weekend was just surface of what Cavs’ core can accomplish

All-Star Weekend has concluded and the players of the Cleveland Cavaliers came away as winners of the Skills Challenge, the Rising Stars Challenge, and the All-Star Game. During the coveted All-Star Game, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen combined for 23 points to help LeBron James‘ squad defeat Kevin Durant’s squad.

Overall, the game between Team LeBron and Team Durant, and the All-Star Weekend in general, was a success in Cleveland and the weekend should do wonders regarding the Cavs’ media talk. Shifting back to the regular season, the Cavaliers see themselves as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with the playoffs in their sights.

All season, everyone has been raving about the Cavaliers’ success story. A team that was projected to win 27 games has surpassed that mark by 8 with 24 games left to go. In three-and-a-half seasons since LeBron James’ departure, the Cavs have successfully completed a rebuild with little assets to work with.

We have yet to even talk about the Cavaliers’ leading-scorer over the last couple of seasons, Collin Sexton. A solidified 20-point scorer, Sexton had a solid chance of being the Cavs’ first All-Star in the post-LeBron era. A nasty losing streak ended those discussions but Sexton still put on a clinic last season.

A restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, it’s not certain if Sexton will remain with the Wine and Gold, but recent reports make me feel optimistic he could be back. Sexton would improve the team’s offense with his speed, downhill attack, and never-ending motor.

Two All-Stars this season and a great chance of an All-NBA player, the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in Evan Mobley, and a great assortment of role players to complement, the Cavaliers will be great now and in the future. Their core is still years away from reaching their primes so this type of success for a team this young is unprecedented.

With those things in mind, All-Star Weekend was just the surface of what the Cavs’ core can accomplish.

The continued addition of assets allows for aggressive moves by now-Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman. Two second-round picks for this upcoming draft can be used to add more young talent like we have seen teams like the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets do during the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Cavs’ resurgence has caught the eye of LeBron James, who, when talking about a possible third go-round with the Cavaliers in an interview with Jason Lloyd of The Athletic (subscription required) stated that door is “not closed.”

He didn’t say he’s definitely returning, and made it clear he wants to play in his last season where he his son Bronny gets drafted, which could be in 2024, though, and we’ll see.

The thought of a LeBron return seemed slim prior to this season but looks to potentially be a reality, either way. LeBron will be a free agent in the summer of 2023 so time will tell if a 38-year-old LBJ decides to make a return to the Land.

Koby Altman making calculated trades and looking at talent over fit has put the Cavaliers in this position. The team could be set to be the NBA’s next dynasty and it’ll be fun to see the heights that this team can reach.