The NBA’s Eastern Conference is so wide open that at least half-a-dozen teams have the potential to get to the Finals, and possibly even win it. After the trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ stature on that list has enhanced all of a sudden.
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Looking at the dynamics in the East, the Detroit Pistons have gone wire-to-wire as the top seed, but they have no playoff experience outside of last year’s first-round loss to the New York Knicks. Well, talking about the Knicks, they fired Tom Thibodeau after last year’s conference finals loss. But they have not given any indication that they’re more prepared to go deeper this year.
There are plenty of checks in both the pros and cons columns for the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cavs, as well. But of those teams, Cleveland is the only one that took a big swing at the trade deadline, sending Darius Garland to the Clippers in exchange for James Harden. It has just been two games, but early signs from the Beard are promising.
The Cavs came back from a double-digit deficit to win at Denver last night. It was their fourth straight win and their ninth in the last 10 games. Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and dished out 10 assists, while Harden chipped in 22 points, 7 assists, and 10 rebounds. The performance has prompted one question: Is this the best backcourt in the NBA?
The Cavs were the top seed in the East last year but got bushwhacked by the Pacers in the conference semifinals. And Harden has his own playoff demons to contend with. Yet according to DraftKings, the Cavs are now favored to represent the East in the Finals, above the Pistons and everybody else.
On this morning’s episode of Get Up, Monica McNutt and Kendrick Perkins laid out the case for and against the Cavs. McNutt cited Harden’s impact, even pulling out advanced analytics to show how the former MVP manipulates opposing defenses better than almost anyone else in the league.
Perkins replied to that, saying, “I believe the Cavs’ ceiling is the Finals. Do I have them going to the Finals, absolutely not.”
He then went on to say that by trading for Harden and Dennis Schroder at the deadline, the Cavs front office has done more to help Donovan Mitchell than they ever did for LeBron James when he was in town. Still, there’s one big reason he’s not picking them to match up against the top team in the West.
“I’m looking at the Cavs, and I’m looking at Donovan Mitchell, and I’m saying minimum, you better get to the conference finals,” Perk said.
McNutt then spoke about how a potential Pistons-Cavs playoff matchup could be a lot of fun. Well, Perk had a hilarious response to that. “There [are] three things that I’m scared of in life, and that’s healthy foods, reality shows, and the Detroit Pistons,” he said.
“I’m terrified of the Detroit Pistons,” he reiterated, and for good reasons that Perk was happy to elaborate on.
“Look, they’re the most physical team in the league. They have an identity. When you talk about strapping up and going old-school, especially on the defensive end, that’s them. And they have a leader and a rising young superstar that can close and be the best player in any series, against any player, in Cade Cunningham,” explained Perkins.
The Cavs have hit the ground running with their new star. And they have another 28 games before the playoffs to fine-tune what was already a well-oiled machine before Harden got there.
Still, it won’t be easy, not with the Knicks and their pedigree in the way. In addition to the Celtics, of course, who look like they’ll be getting Jayson Tatum back, and the Pistons, who have really stood out above everyone else.
Keep those salads away from Big Perk, and don’t show him any episodes of Survivor, either. Whatever you do, though, don’t put him alone in a room with the Detroit Pistons. He likes what the Cavs have in Harden and Mitchell, but it may not be enough to beat the boogeyman.
