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Cleveland Cavaliers: Why the Cavs are still the favorites to come out of the East

By Cai Owen

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks up at the scoreboard during a stoppage in play in the second quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Oklahoma City defeated Cleveland 148-124. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks up at the scoreboard during a stoppage in play in the second quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Oklahoma City defeated Cleveland 148-124. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ struggles have been well documented over the past few weeks, but they should still be considered the favorites in the East

Following Wednesday’s dramatic 140-138 OT victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers embarked on a complete roster overhaul at the trade deadline.

Six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Jae Crowder, were shown the door. Four newcomers arrived, headlined by George Hill and Rodney Hood. It’s difficult to determine how much better the Cavs got after making these deals, but there’s one thing for certain; they got better.

Despite their early season success, highlighted by a stretch of 18 wins in 19 outings, it was clear that this group had run its course. There was no cohesion, no chemistry, and most notably, no defence. It was obvious that tensions were at an all-time high within the locker room.

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Their new arrivals will certainly be a breath of fresh air. The youth and length that comes with the trio of Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood along with the veteran savvy of George Hill will almost inevitably steer Cleveland’s season back on track.

Defensively, Cleveland can’t get any worse. They currently have the 29th best defence in the league, giving up a porous 110 points per game.

Clarkson and Nance arrive from a Laker team with the league’s 9th best defence (104.6 ppg), and Hood arrives from a Utah squad giving up just 104.2 ppg, good enough for 8th in the association.

George Hill, arguably known as the best defender out of the quartet, found himself on the 30th best defensive team in the Sacramento Kings. However, it’s fair to say that figure isn’t indicative of Hill’s defensive prowess, rather the youth of the Kings roster. Hill has been part of stellar defensive teams in the past, with Utah (3rd best) and Indiana, where they lead the league in defensive rating for two straight seasons (12-13 and 13-14). From these numbers, I think we can conclude that defensively Cleveland will improve.

On the offensive end, the Cavs haven’t really missed a beat. They’re putting up 109.5 points per outing, good enough for 5th best in the league. It’ll be up to the newcomers to simply acclimatize themselves to the system in place.

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All are capable on the offensive end, with 3 out of the 4 being average to above-average 3-point threats. Larry Nance should also find his groove fairly quickly, by running rim-to-rim and getting out in transition. In essence, it shouldn’t take the new guys too long to fit in.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers can improve their defence, it’ll translate to easy fast break buckets. Potentially taking their offence to unforeseeable heights this season. In doing so, they’ll find themselves in the driver’s seat once again out East, and potentially punching their ticket to a fourth straight NBA Finals.

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