The Cleveland Cavaliers have shown an ability to compete with some of the NBA’s most talented teams this season, and it looks like confidence has already begun to build in Northeast Ohio.
Per a recent report from Joe Vardon of The Athletic, one Cavs player said earlier this season that he believes his team will finish the season just outside of playoff contention with the ninth or 10th seed.
According to that unnamed baller, the only things that would keep the Cavs from that level of competitiveness are potential injuries and the possibility that they ultimately trade away valuable veterans such as Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.
“Earlier this year, one player whose name I won’t share was asked for a realistic expectation of what the Cavs could be this season if they held everything together,” Vardon wrote. “Looking at Love and at Thompson, the player said if they’re here and healthy, Cleveland could push for ninth place or 10th and play some games of consequence after the All-Star break, which would be huge for the likes of second-year scorer Collin Sexton and rookies Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr., and Dylan Windler, who’s yet to play.”
It seems that player knew exactly what he was talking about. At the moment, the Cavs currently sit at 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 4-8.
Earlier this season, they were just one game away from owning a .500 record on the year when they lost to the star-studded Philadelphia 76ers, 98-97. Since then, the Cavs have dropped two games in a row by double-digit margins.
While a ninth or 10th place finish may not be what fans want to hear, it is both realistic and optimistic. That’s especially the case when compared to last season, when the Cavs finished in 14th place with a record of 19-63.
For reference, last year’s 10th place team finished the season with a much more respectable record of 39-43. That same team, the Miami Heat, now enjoy the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
As for the Cavs, they’ll get a chance to add another one to the win column tonight when they take on the New York Knicks who currently sit dead last in the conference with a 3-10 record.
