Our Cavaliers last night became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the NBA this year, about half an hour before the Celtics joined them in Clinchville. At 48-12, our guys wrapped up their fourth straight playoff berth with more than a month left in the season, and if they can hold off Boston (48-14) and the Lakers (49-12) for the league's best record, I predict they'll win it all. I know L.A. is the only team that's beaten the Cavs at home, but if we've got home-court for four of seven, I think we can take them, especially if they can get everybody healthy for the playoffs. As Terry Pluto pointed out in his column on Sunday, the Cavaliers are 26-4 in games started by the regular group, which is LeBron, Mo, Z, Big Ben and Delonte.
I've said before that this is the best team in franchise history, and they will soon prove me right by winning more regular-season games than any Cavaliers team has before. Their best regular-season record in history is 57-25, which the Price-Daugherty-Nance Cavs did in 1988-89 and again in 1991-92. This bunch will have to go at least 10-12 the rest of the season to top that, which is about as close to a foregone conclusion as you can get at this point in the year. This team is playing extremely well right now.
The Dery Brothers Guardians Cast S6:E8 – Home sweep!
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Matt and Todd are in a great mood coming off the sweep of Oakland. Your
first-place Guardians are on fire. The boys talk rotation worries, Josh […]
3 weeks ago
2 comments:
Steve, I definitely agree this is the best team in Cavs history, regardless of record. THIS is the year for them to win the title... not last year, not next year, but THIS year. Z and Big Ben are in the final moments of being impact players given their age, and while the King will be awesome for years to come, he needs help to win a title. Plus, they're hungrier than the Celtics now that Boston won the title last year.
I don't quite agree with you, Jeff. Obviously, if LeBron were to leave after next year, the window would snap closed, but he's only going to get better, and if they do lose the effectiveness they've gotten from guys like Ben and Z, I have confidence that Danny Ferry will find some pieces to make up for that loss. Especially if LeBron and Mo both stick around, I think we'll have many chances in the years to come.
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