Mid-Season Report Card: Cavs

Ohio freeze. The Cleveland Cavaliers started off the year in spectacular fashion. What happened?

Evaporated "success"

Every year, a team with little to no expectations comes blazing out of the gates to begin the NBA season. Whether it's those baby Lakers from a few seasons prior or what seems to be the Orlando Magic for the past few years, that success usually ends up being short-lived. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland put up incredible numbers to start the year, but as their record started to balance out following a three game win streak to start the season, those averages became empty numbers that only resembled a positive impact on fantasy owners.

Cleveland started the season 3-0, but fell back down to Earth in mid-January with a 6-7 record. What happened next was just shy of impeccable. After facing the Knicks on January 15th, they had a home and home mini-series with Brooklyn five days later.

Brooklyn who?

Being the juggernaut that the nets are this year, and at full strength with their big three at the time, Cleveland was destined to be sent back down to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The nets proved their offensive arsenal that night, with Durant pouring in 38 points in a near triple double, Kyrie dropping 37 points, and Harden facilitating with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Impressive game from that three-headed monster in an all but certain victory, right?

Slight problem. Collin Sexton might have had the most underrated performance of the season that night when you consider that his 42-point night in a double overtime win over the favorites out east wasn't even the biggest part of the Cavs upsetting Brooklyn. Remember that young stud in Cleveland a while back who torched the Pistons, scoring the last 25 points in an ECF game 5? Now, I'm not comparing Collin Sexton to the self-declared "chosen one," but I'd be lying if Sexton dropping in 20 consecutive points at the end of this game through double OT wasn't anything short of incredible.

The East's play-in race is still close

Despite this win and beating the Durant-less Nets two days later, Cleveland has since fallen to 13th place in the east with a 14-21 record as of March 2nd. Luckily for the Cavs, if they can string together a run after the All-Star break that resembles anything close to how they started this 72-game season, they might just make the play-in tournament. They currently sit only two games back of the 10th seed, which would give them a seat at the table for legitimate playoff contention.

Grade:

B-