One of the most surprising developments unfolding over the first month of the National Basketball Association’s 2021-22 campaign has been the Cavaliers’ competitiveness. They weren’t supposed to be good, regardless of the relative strength — or lack thereof — of their schedule to date. Yet, they’ve more than held their own despite their seemingly talent-challenged roster; notwithstanding losses in their last three games, they’re a heady nine and eight, good for eighth in the tough Eastern Conference, where others have likewise enjoyed hot starts.
To be sure, it’s hard to draw any lasting conclusions from a small sample size. After all, the Cavaliers were similarly positioned last year, only to go on a swoon the rest of the way; they were eight and seven through their first 15 matches, but managed to win in just 15 of their final 57 outings. That said, there can be no doubting the strides they have made; even casual observers would concede that they looked, well, cohesive on the court — perhaps at no time since one LeBron James left the scene in 2018, and after which they predictably looked lost.
The question, of course, is whether the Cavaliers can sustain their outstanding play for the duration of the season. It isn’t simply that the odds favor a regression to the mean. It’s that they’ve been hit by significant injuries to vital cogs. Starting point guard Collin Sexton is lost for the foreseeable future, having just gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Meanwhile, overachieving rookie Evan Mobley figures to be sidelined for up to four weeks due to a ligament strain in his left elbow. The developments will definitely cramp head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s substitution preferences.
All told, the Cavaliers have made progress, but the league’s usual grind figures to throw a monkey wrench to their hopes of exceeding preconceived notions. Perhaps the turn of events will prove beneficial to them in the final analysis; there’s nothing worse than middle-of-the-pack slates that sacrifice draft positioning for one-and-one stints in the postseason. Which is not to say they won’t survive — or thrive in — the challenge before them. How they respond to it should either underscore their resiliency or put them in their place.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
Cavs resiliency
Source: Bantay Radio
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