![]() None of its core players have entered their primes, and its range of immediate and longer-term outcomes is elevated by the addition of Caris LeVert, the eventual return of Collin Sexton (restricted free agent this summer) and any moves swung over the offseason. Cleveland's neither looks nor feels temporary, though. He has always tilted toward suffocatingly versatile on defense, and his improved ball skills on offense are more of a gradual development than abrupt aberration.Ĭollective one-year mega-leaps can often be anomalous. Jarrett Allen might be right there with him, and even if he isn't, this season's success is not a flash in the pan. ![]() Darius Garland just made the first of what should be multiple All-Star appearances. If your hand is in the air, congratulations on being much smarter than me. Granted, the Cavs are a revelation even for the most longstanding optimists.Įvan Mobley is on a transcendent trajectory. Raise your hand if you saw the Cleveland Cavaliers turning in a top-five defense and tracking toward their first playoff berth without LeBron James since 1998. That is far too low for a team that will only get healthier, and that may have a unique knack for guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo.Įven if you aren't fully sold on how the Bulls' success will translate to the postseason, let's at least acknowledge that they've done enough to curry more championship favor than the Utah Jazz. The Bulls currently own the ninth-best title chances over at FanDuel Sportsbook. 1 seed.Ĭan we appreciate this a little bit more? And maybe even see it reflected in 2022 championship odds? The Bulls' defense has fallen off an early-season scorcher without Lonzo and Caruso. And yet, Chicago remains neck and neck with the Miami Heat for the East's No. Limited availability from key rotation players is a red flag. Patrick Williams has missed most of the season with a left wrist injury, Lonzo Ball (left knee) and Alex Caruso (right wrist) are recovering from surgeries, and Zach LaVine is dealing with a sore left knee that recently required a cortisone shot. "Fragile" was in consideration for these Chicago Bulls. And for any "Dust off Bouknight" agitators, there's a chance he'll get more run now that Ish Smith is out of the picture. Climatic pressure comes later-perhaps this offseason. ![]() They're in the thick of East's play-in race, and there is value in bringing kiddies along slowly when they aren't solutions to any of your roster's most glaring issues.Įnjoy the Hornets for what they are now: entertaining as hell, with a tentpole star, on an upward trajectory. The Hornets aren't operating on the most immediate timeline, but they also aren't the Detroit Pistons or the Houston Rockets. It didn't need to mortgage the future to improve a defense that has overachieved by escaping the bottom 10 in points allowed per possession.Ĭalls for head coach James Borrego to increase the workload for rookies James Bouknight and Kai Jones are similarly misguided. Charlotte has yet to reinvest in Miles Bridges, a restricted free agent this summer. No, their center rotation isn't built for the long haul. This sometimes gets lost in the larger Hornets discourse. Acquiring Montrezl Harrell at the trade deadline was a perfect encapsulation of the Charlotte Hornets' situation: They are good, not great, and they shouldn't be in any rush to try climbing the ladder.
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