One of the best stories in the NBA over the past two seasons, has been about the Cleveland Cavaliers. I believe part of the story stems from the team coming out of the shadow of current basketball star LeBron James, who, for a long time was the face of this franchise.
But over the last two seasons, the Cavaliers have created their own identity, one that includes a group of young stars on the rise. Those stars include Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. This group was able to add a fourth member in Donovan Mitchell, who was traded for this past offseason from the Utah Jazz.
If you look at the big picture of where the Wine and Gold are at this moment in time, you have to smile because all signs continue to point up. There will be hiccups, highs and lows, rough moments and struggles, but overall, the team is moving forward and improving.
Let’s look at a few things about this team that have Cavaliers fans excited to see what happens next.
The Cavs are contenders, not pretenders.
The Cavaliers are truly contenders this season. They sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They have been in that position for a while, though the New York Knicks have been playing very well recently, and potentially could catch the Cavs if they falter a game or two. However, unlike a year ago, where Cleveland started sputtering in February, and finished with a record of 44-38 and out of the playoffs, this year they are currently 42-26 and have won the last three in a row.
Cleveland is now playing for a playoff series where they have the homecourt advantage, and with their young core leading the way there is a lot to look forward to. The Cavs last hosted a playoff series back in 2018 when LeBron was still playing with the team. If this current squad can keep winning down the stretch, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will be on fire when that series begins, and it could carry them into their next playoff series.
As mentioned previously, the Knicks are gaining ground on the Cavs, but either way it’s looking more and more like these two teams may battle it out in that first round, and Cleveland could definitely use the homecourt advantage.
The fact that we are just talking about the Cavs being in a playoff series and being the fourth seed is truly excellent news for the future of this franchise.
This team will continue to be led by not only the youthful core of Garland, Mobley and Allen but most importantly, at this time of the year, Mitchell. Mitchell has been outstanding all season long and has taken on that leadership role that you need to be a successful basketball team. Considering that Mitchell has gone off for a 71-point performance already this season and has had multiple games scoring 40 points or more, you never know how far that can carry you in a playoff series.
Consistency matters
Consistency has to be practiced and learned by a basketball team, and the Cavaliers have been improving in this area all season long. They have not been getting down early in games and having to struggle to fight back, like they have in the past, and they are learning how to play better from the start, generally.
While there are some moments where there are struggles, Cleveland is typically staying in games and competing. As I mentioned before, a year ago, the Cavs were really struggling to win games down the stretch. Having Donovan Mitchell this year and the other core of players learning how to keep their composure better is very valuable.
Case in point is Garland, who, while he still tries to launch three-point shots from a distance that are out of range, he doesn’t do that quite as often anymore. The team is learning how to play better with one another all the time.
Evan Mobley is another player that is coming on strong all the time. He’s only in his second year, but he has made the biggest difference for this Wine and Gold squad and has them where they are now. Cleveland now has an established big man with a skill set that is only getting better with every dribble.
While a year ago, Mobley had stretches where he might not score in double digits or get as many rebounds as we thought he would, this year, especially in the last 20 games, he has been outstanding where he’s consistently scoring close to 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds a night.
All these factors are building this team into something special, and the rest of the NBA knows it. We’ll have to see how far they go this year, but regardless of where they end up landing, they will continue to get better, so stay tuned.
Best show in town
The best part of the Cavs over the last two seasons is that they have become the city’s favorite team and one that with every game it seems like Cleveland has a chance at the win. And the truth is that they are winning a lot and that is a great feeling for the fans.
Cleveland is selling out games in the middle of the week, or nearly doing so, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. They are worth the price of the admission and the fan base is growing more excited as this team approaches the playoffs.
This town and the Cavaliers fans were somewhat spoiled over the past 15-plus years having James around for plenty of that. The team made five NBA Finals appearances, including four of them in a row from 2015-2018, so there is reason for that spoiled feeling but now the team has reemerged with new talent and a new leader in Mitchell.
With Mitchell being the elder of the group at the ripe old age of 26, this team is built to grow stronger and more confident. Mobley is still only 21 years old, Garland is only 23 and Allen is still only 24. This is why the rest of the league knows something special is brewing on the shores of Lake Erie.
Sit back and enjoy the best show in town and the best part of this tale is that there are many more chapters to go and the adventures will only get better.