The Cavaliers are playing important games late into the season again for the first time in years, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
At 20-37, the Cavaliers are 3.5 games behind the Bulls for the tenth seed in the East. Should Cleveland make up that ground, the team would qualify for the play-in tournament this season. This would be the Cavs’ first postseason berth since making the NBA Finals in 2018.
“We have guys who have not, I want this to come across the right way, but have not played meaningful games down the stretch in an NBA season,” Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Obviously we have our group of guys who have played in the playoffs and those types of things, but we have young guys who haven’t experienced meaningful games at the end of a season.”
“We’re all in this cluster,” guard Darius Garland said of the competition among the Cavaliers, Bulls, Raptors and Wizards for the final play-in spot. “Every game matters right now. They’re in the cluster with us… They’ve got the 10th seed right now, they’ve got the target on their back.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons have played their hand as they focus on the future, opting to start their young players, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit News (subscription required). At 18-40, Detroit holds the worst record in the East by a half-game.
- James L. Edwards of The Athletic assesses the most exciting prospects on a developing Pistons roster, starting with a trio of rookies led by 22-year-old forward Saddiq Bey. The No. 19 pick in the 2020 draft out of Villanova tops the list thanks to his floor as a three-point-shooting wing capable of defending multiple positions.
- New Bulls starting power forward Daniel Theis concedes that he was surprised to be traded by the Celtics to Chicago, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “(The deal) definitely caught me off guard,” Theis confirmed. Currently on an expiring $5MM deal, the big man will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Theis is a nice rotation big. I don’t see him starting ahead of Markkanen in any league. You’d think with Vucevic a stretch 4 is a great mix.
Pistons had best draft last yr. Those three picks all will be starting. Amazing how in a supposedly weak draft. They pull out three starters with #7, #16, #19. Nice job.
Lol Theis is starting over Markannen right now. I haven’t totally given up on Markkanen but he doesn’t fit with Vuc much at all. Can’t dribble, can’t pass, can’t (wont?) rebound, can’t (wont?) defend, etc. If he doesn’t score 25 on a given night he’s a net negative. One of those guys who seems good in theory but isn’t good in actuality.
He needs a change of scenery for sure. He’s best utilized on a team where he can be an offensive vocal point, while also shielded defensively and not asked to do traditional big man things. He has a pretty limited skillset but I still hold out some hope he can figure it out elsewhere.
Theis plays defense. Markannen does not.
link to basketball-reference.com
Look at his first two yrs. He’s got plenty of skill. He’s more athletic right now than Dirk ever was. The physicality of league is what has stalled him some. But more damage has been done y Bull FO n coach.
He avg 19 n 9 in his second yr. He’s steadily gone down since. He don’t play D. They said that about Knicks. Yet they went from last to best in one yr cause of coaching. You got a 20 yr old who puts up those numbers plus shoots .87% FT and .361% 3PT. I make sure he learns team D at minimum. Bulls problems have always been a PG. It still is today. Markkanen should do all he can to get away from Chicago. And he will be an allstar.
Wendell Carter since leaving Bulls—-
12 gms, 28.3 mins, .567% FG, 8.8 reb, 14.3 pts,
Run Lauri Run …… Run Lauri Run
Will Zach run too …..
Al there are empty stats. Watching the games, he seems confused what to do when he isn’t launching threes. His on-ball d is still terrible in his fourth year, his off-ball movement is non existent, and he seems to have the attention span of a gnat without its persistence. He will always be all potential, no fruition. He has had his opportunity and blew it. Writing is on the wall. Nix can have him, you will see for yourself.
By the way, you should be Lauri’s agent. The one he has screwed up by refusing a too-fair offer in the offseason.
Yeah we are so bad it’s hard to watch. It’s so frustrating to see the lack of direction and discipline on both offense and defense, and it’s because of the coaching. You can call these last 14/15 games “meaningful” if you want J.B., but you are not coaching them in a direction that will warrant a push for the play-in games right now.
Detroit won again, putting them 3 games ahead of the Rockets and Wolves.
Houston’s chances of getting a top-4 pick are looking very good with an average winning percentage of .600 for the 14 opponents left on their schedule.
That and ya know, they’re horrible.
How terrible that a team paying a guy a max contract currently, recently signed a guy to over 15 mill a year, paying another guy over 15 mill, are playing for a bottom 3 finish. Terrible!
I think you got one too many over 15 mill contracts…
“The Cavaliers are playing important games late into the season again for the first time in years, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
At 20-37, the Cavaliers are 3.5 games behind the Bulls for the tenth seed in the East.”
Brutal couple of sentences. Bet the NBA wasn’t expecting the East to be this terrible.