Pelicans, Hawks, Heat, Celtics, Spurs - These are Cleveland's next five opponents post All-Star break. That's not the way this very young Cavs team should approach it though. One game at a time should be the lens that they see things through moving forward. Although much has been made of the incredibly arduous schedule ahead of every single NBA team in this second half of the season, the Cavaliers have a big opportunity in front of them. Not since before the team's 10 game slide were they in position to make the post season for the first time in either post-Lebron era. They were clawing back into contention heading into the break as was showcased by a subsequent 4 game winning streak with a close loss in which Cleveland albeit gave away following that. This recent play could signal a shift towards a playoff push instead of number 1 pick territory.
One Game At A Time
Cavs(14-22) at Pelicans(15-21) should be a great game against another up and coming playoff hopeful. New Orleans boasts a young core centered around bouncy PF Zion Williamson (25.6 PTS) SF Brandon Ingram (23.9 PTS) and PG Lonzo Ball (14.5 PTS 5.1 AST.) While they haven't lived up to pre-season expectations with Head Coach Stan Van Gundy at the helm, they are still a very dangerous team capable of winning tough games. Cleveland, much like New Orleans, features a team fostering youth in abundance. Collin Sexton and Jarrett Allen appear well on their way to stardom with both approaching All-Star status(next year fingers crossed!) With both teams on the outside looking in, changes may be made to both rosters in the coming weeks before the NBA trade deadline. Players such as Andre Drummond, Cedi Osman, JJ Reddick, Nicolo Melli, and Josh Hart could find themselves in new digs post deadline whether that be via trade or in Drummond's case, a buyout. So, with that being said, both teams could look drastically different when the dust settles.
NBA Cellar Dwellers?
Following the Pelicans, a rematch against the Atlanta Hawks awaits. It will be the third and final game against the Atlanta-based team and presents Cleveland with a chance to do something it hasn't often had the chance to do. Sweep the season series. In the last meeting between the two, Cleveland was able to pull out a last second victory by the score of 112-111 punctuated by a Lamar Stevens game-winning dunk. The Cavs could look different as mentioned before although it's been little over a week since they last met. The Hawks' Trae Young, whom some felt, was snubbed from the All-Star game, is nearly an offense all unto himself. He's surrounded by some of the best pick and roll partners in today's NBA in Clint Capela ( 14.7 PTS 14.2 REB) and John Collins (18 PTS 7.6 REBS). Coming into the season, the thought was that with the additions of veterans such as Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo, this team would be able to compete for a playoff spot in what many consider a "weak" eastern conference. If the playoffs started today, neither team would be in but they aren't far behind the rest of the field. Cleveland is 2.5 games back and the Hawks sit a mere .5 game back from the 10th seed in the standings. Still, progress is progress because both teams were picked to finish near the bottom of the standings before the season.
Are They Overachieving?
Did the Miami Heat overachieve last year? I guess it depends upon who you ask. They had quite a run through the Eastern conference playoffs en route to the NBA Finals to take on the heavily favored Los Angles Lakers. While that matchup went as expected, it was quite the development and step forward for the Heat. This season hasn't gone as expected though as the team is off to a disappointing start to the season. Mid-way through the season they sit at 18-18 and in the 6th seed in the eastern conference. Injuries to some of the franchise's most important pieces (Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler) at times combined with the abnormally short period of time between last year's finals and the start of the season have helped contribute to their slow start. This will be the first of three second half meetings between the Cavs and Heat and should serve as a good litmus test for how well the Cavs can matchup against one of the league's best modern big men in Adebayo. Cleveland's last meeting with Miami resulted in an overtime win by the score of 125-119 on Feb. of 2020. A game in which former Cavalier Kevin Porter Jr. totaled a career high 30 PTS and 8 REBS. With no KPJ this time around, Cleveland will have to hope for a similar performance from leading man Collin Sexton.
No Longer Contenders?
It's hard to formulate a true feel for the Boston Celtics (19-17) at this point in the season. The 4th seed in the east as of right now, it's clear that Boston hasn't quite lived up to the off-season hype. Although they're being represented by two all-stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, they seem to have regressed thus far. The off-season addition of former Cavalier iron man Tristan Thompson has been some what of a let down in terms of spacing. While not known as a floor spacer in any sense of the word, his defensive switch-ability was a big selling point of his signing. Kemba Walker hasn't quite aided the team as much as the team would have liked. He's averaging 23.5 PTS in his last four games (all wins) to go along with 6.5 AST which points in the team going in a good direction. The Cavs will have their hands full trying to contain a team full of very talented wings in Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart. With the Cavs' recent winning streak snapped, look for the team to come out ready to battle and right the ship.
Old Guard vs. New School
The last of Cleveland's next five opponents is none other than the San Antonio Spurs (18-14) . Head coach Gregg Popovich has been the man in charge for the last 25 seasons. Cleveland's head honcho J.B. Bickerstaff has been at the helm for what amounts to just half a season's worth of games. Don't let the Cavs' record fool you though as Bickerstaff has his team playing as well as he can with injuries factored in. Cleveland has been decimated by injuries all season as they are currently without 5x All-Star Kevin Love, their best defender Larry Nance Jr. and backup PG Matthew Dellavedova. They are on track to get at least Love and Nance Jr. back after the break though and could go on a second half tear. The Spurs on the other hand continue to be lead by steady mid-range shooter DeMar DeRozan (20.0 PTS 7.2 AST) and all-around PG Dejounte Murray (15.8 PTS 7 REBS 5.4 AST) They will be right in the mix of western conference playoff contention.
Playoffs?
Cleveland has a tough road ahead of them with three of their next four coming against presumed playoff participants. At 14-22, the road ahead is not for the faint of heart but if they are able to get completely healthy, they will control their own destiny as they look to make their first post season appearance in the post-Lebron era. Guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland as well as forwards Isaac Okoro, Kevin Love, and Larry Nance Jr. and last but certainly not least Center Jarrett Allen will all play a role in the team's success moving forward. There is still much work to be done and as the team's mantra says they must "Be The Fight."
Photos courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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