Cleveland Cavaliers Will Be the Team to Beat in the East
Since the news came out this summer that Donovan Mitchell decided to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, besides the fact that everybody was surprised by that, all of us thought that Cleveland found the missing piece to an already very good roster formed by young players who showed us last season that they can straight out ball. Donovan also gave us reasons to believe that he can lead a team since his Utah days, where he averaged 24 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in those 5 years spent there. He was named an All Star in three of those five years.
So, we have to take in consideration the fact that he could lead his Jazz team to the first place in the heavy concentrated West conference only two seasons ago. It’s true that they fell short in the playoffs every year, but I don’t think it was Mitchell’s fault for all of that, and now, being in a young, talented stacked team, he could have what he didn’t have in Utah.
Last night, they beat the finalists of last year, Boston Celtics, for the second time already in this season. It was Darius Garland who scored 29 points and dished 12 assists in his return after missing five games. Donovan also got 25 point and 6 assists. Currently they sit on the second place in the Eastern Conference, with a 6-1 record, and they don’t give signs of slowing down anytime soon.
What makes the Cavaliers interesting is their multitude of firepower and a strong presence under the rim, in Jarrett Allen, who is well underrated at the moment. Caris LeVert scored 41 points in the first clash with the Celtics, along with Mitchell. The last two Cavs teammates who both made 40+ points in a game were… well, you guess it, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving. Even though LeVert is known for his inconsistency, scoring only 1 point after his 41-point game, to prove this point, because of the Cavs multiple talented guys, you will always have an option for a go-to guy. As I mentioned, they are still young and learning, so they can be inconsistent at times, so having a heavy rotation can be the key factor for a winning franchise. Also, having a veteran with championship pedigree like Kevin Love helps a lot in the locker room, and not only there, as he can still shoot the ball pretty well. Last season he averaged 13,6 points, 7,2 rebounds and shot almost 40% from the 3-point land, coming in as a center.
If they continue to work hard and progress, the Cavaliers will be a top-4 team in the East for years to come, and who knows, maybe they can surpass what Lebron did in his time spent in Cleveland. Only time will tell…
