CLEVELAND — Did you really think you would care this much about the Cleveland Cavaliers in December? Be honest.
I'll give you full disclosure that at the start of this season, my expectations for the Wine and Gold were low. Low as in another year of missing the playoffs, another year of wondering if the lucky ping-pong ball would bounce our way to give the Cavs a shot at the first overall pick in the draft. Exactly what we've all gone through each year since LeBron James departed for Hollywood.
A funny thing happened on the way to the NBA Draft Lottery, however. The Cavaliers started to gel. The Cavaliers started to go toe-to-toe against the league's best teams and not get blown off the court. The Cavaliers started to win.
Through 28 games, J.B. Bickerstaff's team is 16-12. They've won three in a row and seven of their last nine games. The Cavs have a record of 9-5 on the road. They won a total of nine road games for the ENTIRE 2020-21 season.
And then there's this: Basketball Reference released its latest Playoff Probabilities Report Thursday, using 10,000 simulations to predict the final records for each of the league's 30 teams as well as the results of the postseason. The numbers currently show Cleveland finishing third in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record with a 93.6% chance to just make the playoffs, while their odds of winning the entire conference stand at 19.5%.
So how is this happening? Who are these guys? Let's take a look, shall we?
A new "Big 3"
The Cavaliers have an emerging core of young stars in Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. When they're on the floor together, it just works.
Garland is trending upwards toward being one of the best point guards in the NBA. The 21-year-old is averaging 19.2 points and 7.4 assists per contest. He has become the leader of the Cavs, creating situations for his teammates to succeed, while improving as a scorer in his own right.
Allen is a double-double machine. He's averaging 17.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and shooting a ridiculously awesome 71% from the field. The 23-year-old is a great rim protector and hard worker on the defensive side. The best news? The Cavs have him locked up long-term.
How good can Mobley be? I'm not sure we know his ceiling yet. He's evolving every night out on the floor. We know that he's a shot blocking machine that can make even some of the NBA's best players look helpless.
We know Mobley has a nice touch from the outside and is a good passer. He is only 20 and still has to get a little stronger, but the sky is seemingly the limit. And alongside Garland and Allen, Cavs fans have a group of young stars that they can look forward to watching play together for years to come.
Wolves reunited
Cavs GM Kobe Altman had a very good offseason. He drafted Mobley, locked up Allen, and made two important trades. One brought Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland as part of a three-team, sign-and-trade deal. The other was an under-the-radar trade that brough Ricky Rubio to the Cavs from Minnesota.
Rubio has been the perfect compliment to Garland off of the bench. The 31-year-old is averaging 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. He knows his role and performs it beautifully. And he has brought a jolt of energy to the entire roster, including his former Timberwolves teammate Kevin Love.
You remember Kevin Love, don't you?
It was hard to know just what we would see from the five-time NBA All-Star who has had three frustrating, injury-plagued seasons since James departed for the Lakers. The Cavs seemingly were stuck with Love, whose contract makes him difficult to trade, and who apparently had no interest in a buyout.
Instead of pouting, Love has accepted his bench role like a professional. Now, as my friend Dennis Manoloff would say, he doesn't get a cookie for that. But I appreciate that Love has fit in with the team's concept and been productive. He's generally not being asked to play more than 20 minutes a night, so he's staying fresh. And when he's playing, Love is hitting shots and grabbing rebounds, just like in the old days.
Balance
Despite the fact that Collin Sexton is out for the year with a torn meniscus in his knee, the Cavaliers are still scoring. A lot.
Seven different Cavaliers are averaging double-figure points per game. Seven.
If you're scoring at home, that's Garland, Allen, Markkanen, Mobley, Rubio, Love, and Cedi Osman. And I still hold out hope that Isaac Okoro will continue to emerge. Remember, he's only 20-years-old as well.
The point is, you can't just key on one or two players when defending the Cavs. They have several guys who can put the ball in the basket. And remember when we laughed about how many 7-footers would be on the roster? Well, that's working out well, isn't it? The floor is being spread wide open, allowing Garland and Rubio to create with ease.
Now, do I think the Cavs are going to make a deep playoff run this coming spring? Probably not. They have hung with teams like the Suns, Bucks, and Jazz, but haven't beaten them yet. It's a long season, meaning injuries are always knocking at the door. The Cavs are only about eight or nine players deep, so they can ill afford to have anyone out for a significant length of time.
However, I do know that for the first time since 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers are relevant. I do know the Cleveland Cavaliers are fun to watch. And I can't wait to see how this season unfolds.
Honestly.
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