The beginning of the Cavaliers’ season has exceeded even the wildest of expectations for fans of the Wine and Gold. Sitting atop the Eastern Conference at 12-0, the Cavs have seemed an unstoppable force as they’ve navigated the early part of this season. No matter the opponent or odds the Cavaliers have continued to find a way to win, demonstrating the grit needed to be a championship contender. The issue is, that the NBA playoffs don’t begin until late April and with the majority of the season still ahead of us, the Cavs will have to continue to find ways to prove themselves and not rest on the laurels given to them so early in the season. Luckily for fans in Cleveland, the NBA has provided the Cavs with an opportunity to test their strength against the best talent in the league in games that matter: The In-Season Tournament.
The NBA introduced the In-Season Tournament (also known as the NBA Cup) last season. The tournament was envisioned as a way to improve the level of play in the middle months of the season when many teams’ stars seem eager to take breaks and viewership usually dips. The tournament divides the two conferences into three groups each, with each group containing one of the top three teams of that conference (determined via previous season record) and the remaining teams randomly assigned. Group play starts on November 12th and continues after that on Tuesdays and Fridays, with every team playing the entirety of their group once. The winners of each group as well as the team remaining with the highest record will then play a single game elimination style tournament in Las Vegas in December, with the Championship set for Tuesday, December 17th. All of the games of the tournament will be counted as regular season games save for the championship game, though for extra motivation each player on the championship team will receive a $500k reward from the NBA.
For the Cavaliers, group play will open at home on Friday against the Bulls. Despite the extraordinary start to their season, escaping the group stage will not be an easy task for Cleveland. While fellow group members Washington, Chicago, and Atlanta all sit comfortably below the .500 line on the season, for a chance at the NBA Cup the Cavs will have to beat the reigning champion Celtics. With that game set to be played in Boston against a team on the hunt for a second championship, the Cavs will be looked at as underdogs regardless of their record. It’s a sentiment that is hard to argue with. Both teams have returned all of the key pieces from their previous rosters and in their past matchup in the playoffs, the Cavs could not find an answer for the consistency of Joe Mazzulla’s team as they fell 4-1 in that series. That Cavaliers team didn’t have Kenny Atkinson as its head coach, however, and after a dominant win over a Warriors team tied for the lead in the Western Conference last Friday, there is reason for Cleveland fans to believe that we could defeat the “Goliath” of the Eastern Conference.
While the matchup against the Celtics will likely decide the winner of the Cavs group, records for the tournament are determined during group play. The Cavaliers cannot afford a loss if they want a chance at making it to Las Vegas and winning the NBA Cup. While an undefeated season is more than likely an unmanageable goal for a team, especially this early into the season, this will give the Cavs a chance to grow and further develop chemistry and comfortability in Atkinson’s offense. The In-Season Tournament has had a somewhat mixed reception as some fans saw it as heresy for the Lakers to raise a banner celebrating their championship in the inaugural tournament last season. Regardless of your views, you cannot deny that this tournament gives the Cavs an opportunity to test themselves and to play against teams that are truly fighting for a win. A tournament championship will never feel as good as hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, but it will feel good to prove to the rest of the NBA that Cleveland is undoubtedly the best team in basketball. Whether the Cavaliers continue their run or fail to escape this tournament unbeaten, this is a team that is built for a championship, and when the playoffs and April do finally come around Cleveland will be ready.
The post A Shoo-In For A (Mid-Season) ‘Ship – A Look Ahead At The Cavaliers Chances As They Look To Begin In-Season Tournament Group Play. appeared first on Cleveland Sports Talk.