The Cleveland Cavaliers have been successful in the first 36 games of the 2022-23 NBA season. They have his 22-14 record, which puts him fourth in the Eastern Conference as of December 30.
September’s blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell proved its worth. With Mitchell on the court and in the locker room, Cleveland’s play has improved and continues to build on the defensive foundation the team built last year. The Cavaliers also struggled at times. They have lost his third straight game, his second loss of the season.
Wrap up 2022 and head into 2023 with some predictions for the second half of the season. Last year I was 2 to 7 of him in my predictions. Not good. Hopefully my percentage will be better this year. Remember this is for fun. Have a safe and happy new year!
Donovan Mitchell Named All-Star Starter
Mitchell has been named to the All-Star Game three times in his first six years and should earn his fourth nomination after getting off to a career-best start with the Cavaliers this season. Mitchell is averaging his career-high 28.4 points per game and has career-highs shooting 48.8% from the field and 41.9% from 3-goal.
Mitchell has already made his long-awaited return to Utah on Jan. 10, but returning to Salt Lake City as an All-Star starter will be an unforgettable opportunity for him.
Evan Mobley named to first All-Star
Many continue to believe that last year’s Rookie of the Year should have been Mobley, not Toronto’s Scotty Barnes.
Through 36 games, Mobley is averaging 14.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 55.7% from the field. Throughout this season, there have been moments and certain fourth quarters when Mobley was the best player in Cleveland. Where he made the biggest impact was grabbing important offensive rebounds, setting up teammates with assists, and scoring threes. in this way against the Orlando Magic.
“It’s a very unique situation for a guy his age, and even last year, to have a win impact like he did,” coach JB Bickerstaff said earlier this month. I don’t care. He doesn’t care about numbers and averages and all the little things some guys get involved in. All he cares about is helping his team win.
These factors make Mobley an All-Star for the first time. His all-around and diverse impact night after night has helped the Cavaliers skyrocket up the East standings, and coaches will notice and vote for him to represent Cleveland in the All-Star Game.
Cavs won’t make big moves before trade deadline
We should see a small move before the trade deadline looms on Feb. 9. But the Cavaliers won’t be able to make major changes to their roster.
With a pretty solid frontcourt and backcourt, Cleveland can make changes at the small forward. They also need more shooting. But those qualities will be hard to find this season for the Cavaliers, who don’t have a first-round pick available in a trade. They are also approaching the luxury tax, just under $2.5 million.
With these factors in mind, the Cavaliers could make small roster moves, but nothing major that would have a significant impact on the season. , I predict will rely on the play of younger players and the star power of Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
Cavaliers close out season with winning road record
After losing to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, the Cavs are just 6-10 away, as opposed to 16-4 at home. 500 record from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, he would need to win 15 of his last 25 road-his contests.
Coach JB Bickerstaff recently said the Cavaliers must figure out how to end games away and stick to their style of basketball. Players know it too. Jarrett Allen has acknowledged how important it is to do right on the road.
“It’s big,” Allen said recently. “We have an aspiration to make the playoffs. Half or more of our games could make the playoffs. is.”
As the calendar shifts to 2023, the Cavaliers head out on a five-game trip to the Western Conference in early January. They start the game with a strong defensive presence, play their brand of basketball from there, and learn how to close out the game in the 4th quarter.
Cavaliers advance to Round 2 of playoffs
The Cavaliers are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 22-14 record, but look to be one of the top teams in the league. FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR and ELO models each predict the Cavaliers to finish with his 47-35 record, placing him fifth in the East with a 90% and 89% chance of making the playoffs respectively. is. FiveThirtyEight also predicts Cleveland to come fifth in the East.
Over the first three months of the season, the Cavaliers have had moments looking like a playoff-ready team. They used their defensive identity to dominate the edge of the floor, and Mitchell’s presence in the backcourt provided a level of shotmaking that was lacking last season.
For Cleveland’s playoff success, the Cavs will also rely to some extent on the playoff experience of Mitchell and Kevin Love, as well as Allen and Caris Levert. Gain experience and take the next step.
Kevin Love to re-sign with Cavaliers this summer
Love is in the final year of a four-year, $120 million deal, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. I predict he will re-sign with Cleveland and end his career as a member of the Cavaliers.
As athletic Jason Lloyd recently wrote that there is mutual interest in this result between the Cavaliers and Love. He has remained healthy and provided a veteran spark to the second unit after only missing a game due to health and safety protocol time. Since leaving, he has played with a level of joy he has never shown and has frequently mentioned how much he loves playing with this young core over the past season and a half.
(Photo by Evan Mobley: Lauren Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images)
