What’s up with the Cavaliers?
News flash: After a hot start, the Cavaliers are still scorching. They’ve won their last four games to raise their record to 35-21, moving one game behind the conference-leading Miami Heat (36-20).
And after the trade deadline, it seems that the Cavaliers are even more equipped to make a deep playoff run. The acquisition of Caris LeVert has given Cleveland a dynamic playmaker and an elite shotmaker. Take for example his last game against his former team, the Indiana Pacers.
Led by LeVert, as well as another huge night from Jarett Allen, the Cavaliers stormed back from a 21-point deficit to topple the new-look Pacers. Allen posted another double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. LeVert, meanwhile, handled the scoring reins down the stretch. He shredded the Pacers’ defense with a ton of midrange jumpers as his new teammates marveled at his clutch shotmaking. He finished with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting, five assists, and three steals in just his second game with the Cavaliers.
With the loss of Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio to injuries, the Cavs needed another threat from the perimeter. That’s why they went on to get LeVert in exchange for Rubio in a deal that was also peppered in with a handful of picks. LeVert joins a promising group of young talent and reliable veterans.
The Cavaliers remain a must-watch team and their upcoming game against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will be interesting.
What’s up with the Sixers?
We all know what’s up with the Sixers. After a monumental trade deadline headlined by the exchange between Ben Simmons and James Harden, the new-look Sixers morphed into a contender overnight. This is not to say that they were not a threat previously, especially with Joel Embiid’s MVP campaign, but adding Harden puts your team on a different pedestal.
The Sixers got a top-level shot creator and distributor in Harden, but they might feel the loss of Seth Curry on some level. The sweet-shooting guard provided a ton of firepower from the outside. Curry also had a strong two-man game with Embiid, churning points in a variety of ways like dribble handoffs and pick-and-pops.
Harden, of course, will bring a different and deadlier dimension to that two-man game. Nonetheless, the Sixers would have liked to have more shooting to complement the Harden-Embiid combination.
Harden is not expected to play against the Cavaliers, and it remains to be seen when he’s going to make his Sixers debut. In the meantime, the Cavaliers will still have their hands full against the transcendent play of Embiid.
