5 Cavs games that jump out in second half of 2022-23 season

Key Cavs game No. 1 of second half: Versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Jan. 16 @ 3 PM

The first second half matchup that I wanted to touch on is Cavs-Pels in an MLK Day tilt at a matinee time at 3 PM. This doesn’t get the national broadcast to come later at New Orleans on Friday, Feb. 10 at 10 PM Eastern, but here, it is an intriguing matchup a bit after the season’s halfway point.

New Orleans found a way to get into the postseason last year by way of winning two play-in games against the San Antonio Spurs and then the Clippers.

Them picking up CJ McCollum via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers gave the club a boost, and a key leadership presence that’s had his share of postseason battles, and former Cav Larry Nance Jr. was a meaningful trade pickup for defense as well.

Here, it should be intriguing to see matchups between Evan Mobley and Herbert Jones on both ends. Maybe Mobley draws some primary coverage on Brandon Ingram, as an aside, and not to mention, if Zion Williamson can stay healthy this year ahead, that’d add a whole other level an upstart New Orleans can seemingly get to.

It’d be interesting to see how Cleveland can fare against the driving and transition threat of a guy like Zion here, and at this juncture, how is the Pels’ chemistry then in playing with him?

Also, by this juncture of the season, I’d imagine that Ricky Rubio could be back in the fold, in coming back from injury. Does he look like himself yet as a bench difference-maker? There’s that element here, in what could very well be a free-flowing contest.

A storyline to watch here would seem to be how the Wine and Gold handle the ball pressure of Jose Alvarado, too, which could give Darius Garland and others some issues at times.

With a plethora of young talent on display here, this should be a fun MLK Day afternoon matchup.