The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing at an extremely high level this season, and it should result in some award recognition. Over at Bleacher Report they picked some early candidates for the NBA’s actual awards, from MVP to Clutch Player of the Year. Two awards went to the Cleveland Cavaliers: Coach of the Year to J.B. Bickerstaff, and Koby Altman won Executive of the Year.
There is no question that both have performed their duties excellently. Altman swung the Donovan Mitchell trade that was both unexpected and has been a wild success; compared to teams like Atlanta and Minnesota struggling after their big swings, the Cavs’ success stands out. Bickerstaff has the Cavaliers playing at a league-best level, integrating Mitchell seamlessly into the league’s No. 1 defense and continually reworking lineups given the myriad of injury absences.
Not to be outdone, we handed out some awards of our own to various Cavaliers, highlighting the MVP, LVP and more.
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King James Gospel also praised a number of players who have exceeded expectations this season. A successful team is driven by successful players, so we looked at three who have played better than expected this year. And that’s without counting Ricky Rubio who should return soon.
The NBA Draft is always an interesting topic to follow, but with the Cavs’ first-round pick headed to Indiana this season the direct impact on the Cavs is muted. That doesn’t mean it’s not interesting to keep tabs on, so here is a two-round mock draft from Bleacher Report.
Victor Wembanyama goes first to the Detroit Pistons, Scoot Henderson second to the Charlotte Hornets. The Indiana Pacers take Derick Lively II, a center from Duke, with the Cavaliers’ pick at 28th. The Cavs’ second-round pick ends up as Judah Mintz, a freshman shooting guard out of Syracuse.
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It was a light slate on Thursday night with only two games. First, the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs to halt a four-game skid. CJ McCollum dropped 40 points playing without Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram.
In the nightcap, the Utah Jazz took down the floundering Washington Wizards 120-112. Potential Cavs trade target Malik Beasley led the way with 25 points, while former Cavs Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson had 23 and 21 points, respectively.
Coming up: Tonight the Cavaliers hope to continue their winning streak when they host the Toronto Raptors.