Currently 31-21 on the season and just 1.5 games out from first-place in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a sneaky good team in the NBA this year. Losing Collin Sexton to a meniscus tear in his left knee and Ricky Rubio to a torn ACL in his left knee definitely hurts this franchise, but the young Cavaliers have exceeded expectations by a lot and are only getting better.
Obviously, their length is a key talking point for this team, as only six players on their roster stand below 6’6”, but one of the main reasons why this team is as good as they are is because of how they have bought in defensively.
Cleveland currently sits third in the league in defensive rating and they are only allowing 102.5 points per game to their opponents, the best mark in the NBA this season. Evan Mobley (1.7 blocks per game) and Jarrett Allen (1.4 blocks per game) are their anchors in the frontcourt, but overall, this whole team moves so well together on the defensive end of the floor.
However, their main problem right now and one that could hold them back from being a real threat in the playoffs is their offense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest On Cavs’ Trade Pursuit Of Caris LeVert, Eric Gordon
The Cavaliers play at a very slow pace and without their two key guards inthe backcourt in Sexton and Rubio, this team has really been searching for answers outside of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Adding another backcourt piece is something GM Koby Altman has shown interest in doing for the Cavaliers this season, but they have also been in the market for another high-level wing scorer. Rockets’ wing Eric Gordon has been mentioned as a possible trade deadline target for the Cavaliers, as has Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert.
The 19-34 Pacers currently sit 7 games back from the 10-seeded Atlanta Hawks right now and with all the injuries they have on their roster, it is hard to imagine that they will be able to eclipse 30-35 wins this season, leaving them on the outside of the playoff picture in a stacked Eastern Conference.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest On Cavs’ Trade Pursuit Of Caris LeVert, Eric Gordon
Indiana is going to be active at the trade deadline and while they don’t necessarily want to fully “rebuild”, they are fielding calls on Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert.
Does Cleveland have what it takes to put together a lucrative enough offer to acquire LeVert from Indiana this season? Let’s take a look at an ideal trade proposal from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
