Roughly six weeks ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers were left for dead sitting at 13-12 amid a three-game losing streak when crushing news dropped that Evan Mobley and Darius Garland would be out for an extended period.
Two of the team’s best players would be unavailable for a team that was middling out in the Eastern Conference. Fast forward six weeks later and the Cavs are one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Since December 16, the Cavs have the best record in the NBA at 15-4. They are 13-1 in their last 14 games. They are a half-game ahead of the New York Knicks for third place in the East and one game out of second place. Over this same period, they have the best defensive rating in the NBA and are tenth in offensive rating as well. The offense is the most interesting aspect of this stretch as they were missing the playmaking of Garland, yet the rating spiked.
Final numbers for the Cavs offensive rating without Garland and Mobley courtesy of my friend @nikhil_chinchal. The Cavs completely remade their offense without two of their stars and went 15-4 in that stretch. Now the goal is maintaining this efficiency with their return. pic.twitter.com/D5yWaSKDkK
— Izzy Sy (@izzy_syy) February 4, 2024
The Cavs' offense spiked without two of their biggest offensive contributors. No onlooker could have seen this level of play coming. Now, it is all about maintaining it, and in the two games since the return of Garland and Mobley, Cleveland has not missed a beat. Since their returns, the Cavaliers are tenth in offensive rating and also lead the NBA in three-point attempts in that same span.
Even with Garland and Mobley back, this Cavs team is not yet complete. With the trade deadline this week, there is still time to make a move. They could use some extra depth as they gear up for the second half of the season, making these two potential deals worth the call.