I'll agree that the Cleveland Cavaliers have overachieved, but to me their success isn't surprising. This is what happens when you mix a talented roster with a bit of luck (i.e. the injury to Colin Sexton; the rapid development of Evan Mobley). The Cavs may not be an instant superteam like the 2008 Celtics, nor am I going to jump out of the window by calling them contenders, even if they are currently tied for third in the East and have a couple of All-Stars on their roster. But this is a well-constructed squad out of nowhere, even though both the pre- and post-Lebron Cavs were garbage. And that's something that the team's execs should be applauded for, i.e. bringing in a crew of compatible 7footer-ish players buttressed by small, quick guards.
The one thing that does disturb me about the Cavs is the way they traded away Ricky Rubio. I'm not saying that they sh*tted on him in the truest sense of the word, but when a team does overachieve, that usually means they have an identity/soul. And it was Ricky Rubio, perhaps moreso than any other player on the roster this season, who helped instill that don't-give-a-flyin-fuck on-court mentality in the Cavs. In fact I saw them play recently post-Rubio, and it seems they lost that a bit, i.e. that level of basketball wildness that can only be developed in places like Europe or South America. Karma can be a bitch sometimes, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cleveland is eventually recompensed for stabbing Rubio in the back like that, especially if Caris Levert doesn't prove to be as good of a fit as he appears on paper.
To me, the team that's really shocked my trousers off is the Memphis Grizzlies. On paper, even with Ja Morant, this isn't an overly-impressive roster. Their biggest star besides Ja is Jaren Jackson Jr. - a draft pick who, when he was being heralded as the new face of the franchise, seemed as if he would be bust. And then there's Desmond Bane, who looks more like a Revenge of the Nerds villain than a basketball player and popped up out of nowhere. Also let's not forget Kyle Anderson, who feels like he's been around forever, and the likes of Brandon Clarke, a young dude who like Jackson and Morant was actually drafted by the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have also proven that they can bust ass even sans Morant. That run kinda reminded me of how the Bulls remained contenders even after Jordan retired the first time. It's like a residual effect or something. And no, I'm not trying to compare Ja Morant to Michael Jordan just yet. Instead, what the current success of the Grizzlies also illustrates is what a young, talented and confident team can accomplish against older, even more-talented squads.
CONCLUSION
The caveat to being young and talented tho is that cats also aren't too bright. For instance, a few days against the lowly Blazers you have the Griz expending all types of energy on some type of pregame dance routine more reserved for a club than a basketball court, and then losing the game. So it would be cool to see them score a quality, veteran bigman not only in the name of becoming stronger in the paint but also to add an extra degree of seriousness to the squad. But that said, I don't think there's any quality bigmen set to hit the buyout market.
Also I wouldn't be totally surprised if the Griz made it to WCF and, if not for the Suns (or maybe Mavs) all the way to the Finals even. The way the Lakers have unexpectedly fallen off this season is what's really opened the door to such possibilities in the West.
No comments:
Post a Comment