Cavs will be the #1 seed in the East

[Dr No]

I can't believe this post has been up for several hours and nobody is telling me I'm out of my effing mind. I thought I would get a lot of scoffing and pushback but none so far.

Obviously a lot things are going to have to fall into place perfectly for the Cavs to end up with the best record in the East and that's unlikely to happen, but I can't get over the fact that 71% of the way through last season they were just 2.5 games out. This year's team should be significantly better than the team that would have almost surely won 48 if Garland and Allen had been healthy for the last 24 games.

There is a weird quirk to our schedule that might really help us. 6 of our last 7 games are against teams that will likely be tanking mightily in hopes of getting Wembanyama. While those are games we probably ought to win anyway, it's pretty nice to be able to chock up 6 nearly guaranteed w's at the end of the campaign.

 

[chuck0609]

I can't believe this post has been up for several hours and nobody is telling me I'm out of my effing mind. I thought I would get a lot of scoffing and pushback but none so far.

Obviously a lot things are going to have to fall into place perfectly for the Cavs to end up with the best record in the East and that's unlikely to happen, but I can't get over the fact that 71% of the way through last season they were just 2.5 games out. This year's team should be significantly better than the team that would have almost surely won 48 if Garland and Allen had been healthy for the last 24 games.

You highlighted reasons for optimism, including the acquisition of Mitchell and internal growth.
I will add that the depth should remove some of the wear and tear off Garland, which only helps health.
Honestly I’m not expecting much from Rubio this year with the 2nd ACL and his age. His contract is more for next year.
But with Mitchell and Garland and Neto, they have playmakers.

 

[Omar The Horse]

The Miami Heat hype only exists because of the respect that Spo carries.

They have large gaping holes on their roster and a lack of size.

Oladipo already has health issues.

 

[Rich]

The Miami Heat hype only exists because of the respect that Spo carries.

They have large gaping holes on their roster and a lack of size.

Oladipo already has health issues.

Didn't this very roster just, ya know, get the 1 seed last year and make it the game 7 of the conference FInals?

That doesn't matter at all?

 

[Omar The Horse]

Didn't this very roster just, ya know, get the 1 seed last year and make it the game 7 of the conference FInals?

That doesn't matter at all?

They lost Tucker and Oladipo is still struggling to get healthy.

Lowry is getting close to being done and they are small all around. Herro & Duncan will have to play solid D being apart of their top 8.

On top of the roster improvement in the NBA.

I’m not buying into it.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

They lost Tucker and Oladipo is still struggling to get healthy.

Lowry is getting close to being done and they are small all around. Herro & Duncan will have to play solid D being apart of their top 8.

On top of the roster improvement in the NBA.

I’m not buying into it.

The Bulls beat them last night in Miami without LaVine and Ball. Lowry had 2 points in 35 minutes. A 36-year-old point guard playing 35 minutes?

Butler played 37 minutes and they still lost by 8. Not looking good for the Heat.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Here are four games the Cavs would have won at the end of last season had Allen not broke his finger on the rim.

1. Philly (home) 118-114. Mobley moved over to center and Lamar Stevens started. Goodwin and Moses Brown combined for 25 minutes off the bench. With Allen out Embiid went for 35/17/5 and the Sixers won by four points.

2. Chicago (home) 98-94. Mobley at center, Marky at PF, Okoro at small forward (6 points in 35 minutes). Garland played 44 minutes as JBB dared not take him out for Rondo or Goodwin.

3. Philly (home) 112-108. Moses Brown started at center and played 20 minutes. Stevens, Rondo, and Ed Davis combined for 44 minutes. Embiid got 44 points and 17 rebounds and we lose by only four.

4. Orlando (away) 120-115. Moses Brown starts at center and is a -12 in 28 minutes. Mobley is out; Rondo and Stevens combine for 36 minutes. Okoro has 5 points in 29 minutes and we lose by five points.

If Allen isn't hurt we win those games and end up with 48 wins. If Allen can stay healthy this year (and that was a fluke injury) and with the addition of Mitchell we should win more than 48. Also, LeVert only played in 19 games this year, if he plays in 70 this year that will also help (although he tends to be injury prone).

Robin Lopez did not play last night - when Allen was down Mobley moved to center and Love or Wade came in. I assume that is JBB's plan and the addition of Lopez won't be much of a factor unless Allen is injured.

I also don't expect to see Neto in the rotation unless there's an injury. For now I think Garland, Mitchell, LeVert, Cedi, and Okoro will split the minutes at positions 1-3 while Allen, Mobley, Love, and Wade will divide up the 4-5 minutes. That's a nine-man rotation. When Rubio comes back they will start easing him in little by little.

So with everybody healthy the team will be the same as the second half of last year except Mitchell replaces Markkanen and we'll have LeVert for more than 19 games.

 

[The Oi]

Currently in last place.

 

[2 For The Brew]

#1 seed is a reach. 53 wins again being enough for #1 seed is a reach.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

#1 seed is a reach. 53 wins again being enough for #1 seed is a reach.

I agree on both counts. But it looks to me like the East is pretty tight - I don't see any teams except maybe Boston and Milwaukee that are head and shoulders above the rest. If anything happens to Tatum or Giannis those teams would be in the same scrum as the rest of them.

We could see six teams in the 46-54 win range.

 

[ShawnKempIsMyDad]

The Bulls beat them last night in Miami without LaVine and Ball. Lowry had 2 points in 35 minutes. A 36-year-old point guard playing 35 minutes?

Butler played 37 minutes and they still lost by 8. Not looking good for the Heat.

I find a healthy Bulls team more of a problem than Miami.

 

[SkyHook]

It is always funny when Cavs win and Bulls lose.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Miami lost to Sacramento last night. Brooklyn lost to Indiana. Chicago lost to Philly. Dallas lost to OKC. Utah beat Memphis. A lot of upsets.

I'm really seeing a lot of parity around the league, and some surprises. The Nets are in last place at 1-5. Miami is 2-5 while the Bulls and Sixers are 3-5. It's very early but who would have expected the Nets, Heat, Bulls, and Sixers to ALL be under .500?

That's why I said the Cavs could be the #1 seed. OK, maybe the #2. Milwaukee is 5-0, but if anything happens to Giannis they are in trouble. He's averaging 34.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. However, they're 5-0 and Kris Middleton hasn't played yet, so that is one really, really good team.

 

[jjvors]

Miami lost to Sacrmento last night. Brooklyn lost to Indiana. Chicago lost to Philly. Dallas lost to OKC. Utah beat Memphis. A lot of upsets.

I'm really seeing a lot of parity around the league, and some surprises. The Nets are in last place at 1-5. Miami is 2-5 while the Bulls and Sixers are 3-5. It's very early but who would have expected the Nets, Heat, Bulls, and Sixers to ALL be under .500?

That's why I said the Cavs could be the #1 seed. OK, maybe the #2. Milwaukee is 5-0, but if anything happens to Giannis they are in trouble. He's averaging 34.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. However, they're 5-0 and Kris Middleton hasn't played yet, so that is one really, really good team.

Yes, in my view the Bucks are the team to beat in the East and then the Cavs. The Celtics are even thinner than I thought. The combination of Giannis, Middleton, and Jrue is very tough, plus Lopez adds defense and offense.

But all except Giannis are in their 30s. We have youth on our side. And we haven't reached our full individual potential, let alone our full team potential.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Yes, in my view the Bucks are the team to beat in the East and then the Cavs. The Celtics are even thinner than I thought. The combination of Giannis, Middleton, and Jrue is very tough, plus Lopez adds defense and offense.

But all except Giannis are in their 30s. We have youth on our side. And we haven't reached our full individual potential, let alone our full team potential.

Bucks play drop coverage defense and the Cavs will completely demolish that scheme. They will shoot close floaters all day on high efficiency and expose the corner 3.

Defensively we match up well.