Even after another loss last night to the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a pleasant surprise in the NBA this season. If you would have told all 30 general managers that the Cavs would be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the season, they would have laughed in your face. Now, while the Cavs were much better positioned for the playoffs about a month ago, this season is still a success no matter how it ends.
The third-year leap from Darius Garland has been special. It continues to confuse me as to why he’s not getting more MVP-love or even some more recognition in the Most Improved Player department.
The third-year floor general out of Vanderbilt is averaging 21.5 points per game this season, while also becoming a better facilitator. He leads the league in assists per game since the All-Star break with over 11. However, Garland hasn’t been the only bright light on the Cavaliers this year, as the whole team has played well.
After signing Jarrett Allen to a new deal this past offseason, the first-time All-Star was having a great season before fracturing his finger, forcing him to miss the last three or so weeks. The timing of Allen’s injury couldn’t have been worse, as all of us can now see, they really need him down the stretch of the season.
Even more impressive than Allen, has been Rookie of the Year frontrunner Evan Mobley. The 7-footer out of USC has stayed atop the rookie rankings nearly all year, and I would be shocked if he doesn’t walk away with the coveted award. Ricky Rubio was a perfect signing for the Cavs this offseason, before he got injured and his deal was ultimately traded. The Spaniard was pivotal for the Cavs second unit.
And finally, the addition of Lauri Markkanen this past offseason is turning out to be one of the most underrated moves of the season. The “Finnisher” has averaged 14.5 points per game this season, and has been a huge help for the Cavs since returning from an ankle injury after the All-Star break. Plus, now-president of basketball ops Koby Altman even made a move at the deadline to acquire Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers. He has been a great shot creator for the team, but they still need to find a two-way wing player.
Adding LeVert was crucial at the deadline, and even if the Cavaliers fall into the play-in tournament, he’ll be vital. But, the Cavs were not the only team to get better before the trade deadline, as the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia Sixers swapped All-Star guards, among other assets. The trade involved the Nets sending James Harden to the Sixers, in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, and picks. Seth Curry and others were a part of the deal as well.
With that being said, in my opinion, the Sixers look like one of the best NBA teams we’ve seen since Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors. Not only did they get better in the present, but also down the line as well.
I firmly believe that the Sixers could definitely be the Cavs’ biggest rival in the Eastern Conference over the next five years.
Even though the Sixers ended up with the best player from the trade, the Nets got a lot better as well. However, the difference between the Nets and Sixers, in my opinion, is that the Sixers will likely be able to retain Joel Embiid for the next five years.
Personally, I think when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s deals are up (with Irving potentially heading elsewhere this offseason), they will head to greener pastures. Both of those players have moved from team to team pretty rapidly in the NBA, but so has James Harden. Even before the trade, there were rumors that Harden would want to become a free agent this summer anyways. Well, while that hasn’t been confirmed, it was being reported by some pretty reputable sources at the time.
Even if James Harden does end up leaving the Sixers, they will likely be able to retain Joel Embiid. So, when you look at the Sixers and Nets rosters in five years, I think the Sixers have the best chance of hanging on to at least one of their superstars. On top of that, the Sixers have drafted pretty well as of late.
He had an underrated season last year, but this year Tyrese Maxey is really proving that he’s going to be a very good player in the NBA. The guard out of Kentucky was the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has become a phenomenal scorer at the NBA level. This year he’s averaging over 17.4 points per game, while shooting over 48% from the field, and an incredibly efficient 42% from three. Now, I know I take some criticism for my harsh takes on Collin Sexton, but in my honest opinion, Tyrese Maxey is just a much better version of Collin Sexton.
He’s more of an efficient scorer and he’s a better playmaker. Sexton has missed basically the entire season, so he could still prove me wrong, but I think Maxey will be the far superior player once Sexton is back healthy.
Honestly, the NBA landscape changes so often that it’s pretty hard to try and nail down who the best team in the Eastern Conference will be in 2027.
However, I stick to my thought that out of the teams in the conference right now, Philadelphia has the best chance of holding onto at least one of their superstars, making them a tough out for the next five years or so.