CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: 50.5 WINS – OVER
Key Additions
- Max Strus (trade)
- Georges Niang (free agent)
- Emoji Bates (draft)
Key Subtractions
- Cedi Osman
- Ricky Rubio
Rotation
- Guards
- Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome
- Wings
- Max Strus, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro
- Forwards
- George Niang, Dean Wade, Emoni Bates
- Bigs
- Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley
Random thoughts, opinions, comments, declarations, queries, editorials, etc.
Strong Over for me. The team won 51 games last year and then got better this offseason. Yet their line is at 50.5 Wins? Makes no sense to me. The Donovan-Darius-Evan-Jarrett core all stay together, along with key rotation players LeVert and Okoro. The Cavs had one of the worst half court offenses in the league last season. Pick & Roll after Pick & Roll after Pick & Roll. With the 2 Bigs in the starting lineup, unless they have shooters, it’s going to get pretty mucked up. Queue Strus and Niang. I’m excited to watch how Bickerstaff uses Strus’ off-ball movement to open up paint touches for Mobley and Allen. I think their starting 5 will be one of the best in the league.
Last Year – Interesting Stats:
- 51-31 record last year, 4th in the east
- Def Rating: 110.6 (1st in NBA)
- Opp PTS/G: 106.9 (1st in NBA)
- Donovan Mitchell regular season: 28.3ppg on 48% FG
- Donovan Mitchell postseason: 23.2ppg on 43% FG
- Evan Mobley regular season: 16.2ppg on 55% FG
- Evan Mobley postseason: 9.8ppg on 46% FG
Keys to Success:
Strus’s presence makes life easier for the 4 other starters, their halfcourt offense takes huge leap without hurting their halfcourt defense, Donovan’ and Darius’ chemistry improves into their 2nd season together, Mobley gets bigger and can guard opposing 5s, Mobley starts hitting the corner 3
Potential Obstacles:
Bickerstaff’s lack of offensive creativity fails to incorporate Strus’s gravity, Mobley isn’t a threat from the short corner, though they’re over the Tax they need to upgrade from Ty Jerome at backup PG.
Hot takes:
- Max Strus is team’s 3rd leading scorer
- Mitchell doesn’t sign extension
- Jarrett Allen’s name is in trade rumors
- So is Isaac Okoro’s
- Bickerstaff is on the hot seat if the team is straddling .500 by new year
STANDINGS PREDICTION: 2ND IN THE EAST
