The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the season as one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. Even after their playoff collapse, their status as last year's top seed was worthy of respect, especially given the plethora of injuries in the East.
Kenny Atkinson's team didn't necessarily live up to those expectations in the first half of the season. That said, they've been one of the hottest teams in basketball since the trade deadline, and they still have a strong chance to finish the season with a top-four or maybe even a top-two seed.
That's why, as threatening as the rising Charlotte Hornets might look, the Cavaliers shouldn't lose any sleep over Charles Lee's team. In fact, the Hornets are 16-4 in their last 10 games, and two of those four losses have come at the hands of the Cavaliers.
The Hornets are good, but the Cavaliers have them under control
While everyone should acknowledge that the Hornets are going through one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds in recent NBA history and that they have a bright future, they're still a little too green. That's not to say they won't be a menace for years to come, but, unlike the Cavs, they haven't been battle-tested yet.
The Cavs have gotten the best of them in three consecutive games. Granted, those wins have been much closer than anticipated, coming by single-digit margins each time, but the Cavs have taken care of business when it matters most.
Keeping Kon Knueppel out of rhythm will be a tall order. The Duke sharpshooter has become the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year, even ahead of fellow Blue Devil and first overall pick Cooper Flagg. That is all while setting new records for most 3-pointers as a first-year player.
Then again, with the Cavs' addition of Keon Ellis, they have a dynamic perimeter stopper who can run through screens and stay in front of him all over the 3-point line. They also have a bigger body in Dean Wade, who has proven to be a prime wing defender when needed.
The Hornets also have two prime scoring threats in Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball. However, Miller can go hot and cold from game-to-game. While Ball is one of the most gifted and crafty scorers and passers in the game, his decision-making and basketball IQ have hurt his team more often than not.
At the end of the day, anybody can beat anybody in this league on any given night. That's the beauty of the NBA. That's also not to say that the Cavaliers should look past one of the hottest and most entertaining teams in the game.
However, even if the Hornets sneak their way into the playoffs, they will likely face off with the first or second seed as a Play-In team. The chances of crossing paths with the Cavs is slim, and even if they do, they've already shown that they can handle them.