The Cleveland Cavaliers won the most games in the Eastern Conference last season.
They will bring back their core and improved their second unit with their offseason moves.
That, plus the big-time injuries on other teams, makes the Cavs the favorite to get the No. 1 seed in the East again.
With that in mind, Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave them a B grade for the moves they’ve made.
“We’ll see how much the Cavaliers get from Lonzo Ball, limited to 35 games last season by wrist injuries after 2-1/2 years off the court due to his left knee. Ball was a low-cost pickup for Cleveland to help replace Ty Jerome, lost to help manage the Cavaliers’ sizeable tax bill. So, too, was bringing back Larry Nance Jr. as a third center. Despite the loss of Jerome, Cleveland looks like the favorite to win the East,” Pelton wrote.
The Cavs entered the offseason with little wiggle room to make moves.
They essentially had to choose between re-signing Sam Merrill or Jerome.
The only way that could’ve been different was if they decided to trade Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland, but they never seemed sold on that idea.
Allen and Garland have been their weakest links in the playoffs for years, and there was a strong case to be made for moving on from one or both of them.
Then again, the front office has always been high on the core four, including Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, and it’s hard to disagree after watching them win the second-most games in franchise history.
Now, if they can keep Ball healthy, the team should be much more dangerous, as he’s a relentless defender and an elite passer.
As for Nance, he might not be as talented as Allen, but he’s arguably tougher, and he’ll bring some much-needed grit to the court in the playoffs.
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