Chicago Bulls
Mid-season grade: C-
Even though the Chicago Bulls have been slightly better than expected so far this season, it's hard to give this team an exceptionally high grade at the midway point of the year because they still haven't made much progress on their biggest goal of the season. Heading into this NBA campaign, it was clear that the Bulls had made it a goal to move past their previous build and, specifically, to trade Zach LaVine. The NBA Trade Deadline is right around the corner and there's still a good chance that LaVine will still be on the roster beyond the deadline.
Because that's still very much a possibility, that alone is going to bump the Bulls' mark down a bit. It hasn't been a disastrous season for the Bulls but they also haven't taken any real tangible steps forward as a franchise. The Bulls get a passing grade but there remain some big decisions that have yet to be made by the front office. Chicago needs a clear path forward and it has to come somewhat soon. I have my doubts about this team being able to accomplish that between now and the end of the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Mid-season grade: A+
From start to finish, I'm not sure if there's a team that has looked more complete than the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's only the regular season and this team still has a ton to prove but there's no question that the Cavs have gotten off to a pretty great start to the year. Whether they'll be able to carry their regular-season momentum into the postseason is the big question for the team. However, on paper, the Cavs are playing at an absurdly good level and it would be foolish to not consider this team a great threat to win it all.
From a mid-season grading standpoint, there's little to be negative about for the Cavs. They've passed the first half of the season with flying colors and currently look like the best team in the Eastern Conference, at the very least. The argument could be easily made that Cleveland is the best team in the NBA right now. Again, it will be interesting to see how this team continues to evolve over the course of the remainder of the season but the Cavs have the look of a team that is ready to make a deep playoff run.