It’s been a while since the Cavaliers were remotely considered as a good NBA team. With a 13-10 record highlighted by a four-game winning streak, it’s safe to say that they are playing beyond themselves so far.
They’re currently at sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and it remains to be seen on whether they can sustain their run given the fact that they own one of the league’s toughest schedules.
On the other hand, the Thunder were on the wrong side of the NBA 2021 news when they were destroyed by the Grizzlies on the road yesterday, while the Hawks are slowly moving up in the Eastern Conference standings thanks to the superb play of their key players.
Without further ado, allow us to keep you up-to-date with the latest edition of our NBA takeaways.
The young Cavs have a bright future
With the way they’re playing right now, here at SBOTOP we consider the Cavs as a late entry to our surprising teams list prior to this campaign.
It looked like the Cavaliers were bound to have another losing season since they don’t have a bona fide star, but the credit goes to head coach JB Bickerstaff for turning his young team into a cohesive unit.
Bickerstaff’s imprint with the squad is felt on the defencive end since they have one of the best defences in the league. Prior to their win over the Wizards a while ago, the Cavaliers only allowed 101.8 points per game (2nd) and they boast a defencive rating of 104.1 (3rd).
Their collective length has been a major problem for their counterparts as they have the frontline combo of Evan Mobley, Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen, and Jarrett Allen. Meanwhile, guards Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio, and Isaac Okoro have all stepped up their games.
Allen is becoming the main man in The Land as he has been a double-double monster with averages of 23.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, while shooting 74-per cent from the field in their last six matches.
Earlier this season, the Cavaliers were beset by health problems as Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen missed time due to the coronavirus, Evan Mobley had an elbow injury, and Collin Sexton was declared out for the season with a torn meniscus.
But those didn’t stop them to reach where they are right now, giving Cleveland fans a reason to be excited for the first time in their post-LeBron James era.
The Thunder are likely headed to the lottery again
Oklahoma City’s seemingly never-ending rebuild has been well-documented given their collection of losses and lottery picks in recent years. However, their visit to Memphis last night took it to a whole new level.
They were beaten 152-79 by the Grizzlies in what was the most lopsided loss in NBA history, breaking the Heat’s record from 30 years ago.
The Thunder were without star combo guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie Josh Giddey. But the Grizzlies were also without Ja Morant, who suffered a knee sprain not too long ago.
In the said game, Oklahoma City let Memphis shoot 63-per cent from the field and 53-per cent from three-point range and they had almost twice as many turnovers as their hosts.
Thunder supporters have a right to be frustrated since they don’t deserve to witness such a shambolic performance from their team. The only positive takeaway from this, however, is that their NBA 2021 odds of getting another high lottery pick increased even more.
Surprisingly, they aren’t the worst team in the league just yet since the Pistons hold that title with a 4-18 win-loss card. OKC are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 6-16 record.
Trae Young is carrying the Hawks on his shoulders
After stuttering with a six-game losing streak earlier in November, the Hawks are back on the winning track – having won eight of their last 10 games.
The common theme in their victories is that they’ve found their groove on the offencive end since they’re being led by their star floor general Trae Young.
Young has scored at least 30 points in four of his last five outings while he’s been getting great support from the likes of Clint Capela and John Collins.
Since their Cinderella-like run last playoffs, the Hawks have been trying to prove to everyone that their unlikely trip to the ECF was no fluke.
Atlanta still have a long way to go in order to consider themselves as perennial title contenders. But given their core of veterans and young stars, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’ll turn into one sooner than we think.
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