The Cleveland Cavaliers are a dominant 45-10 and own a five and a half game lead over the defending Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell remains the top guy in town, but Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are also carrying a large share of the offensive responsibilities. Jarrett Allen continues to be one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and trade acquisition De’Andre Hunter is the Cavs’ potential missing link.
Coach of the Year favorite Kenny Atkinson has expertly accentuated the strengths of an already talented squad and perfectly melded the components together. President of basketball operations Koby Altman wisely addressed the Cavaliers’ weakness versus the Celtics and acquired Hunter to slow down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the playoffs. This franchise is firing on all cylinders, mapping out a championship-worthy blueprint.
But until Cleveland puts it into effect in the postseason, many fans will remain skeptical. NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins does not have sympathy for the Cavs. He will not crown them before seeing concrete postseason proof that they are indeed the next king of the NBA.
“They haven’t earned respect,” Perkins said on NBA Countdown. “And name me a time when a Donovan Mitchell-led team has reached the NBA Finals or the Conference Finals. The month of Neveruary. It’s never happened. Respect is earned, not given. I get that they have the best record, they have to go out and prove it. Do they have the personnel to get it done? Absolutely, but again it’s just like the Oklahoma City Thunder, they got to show it.”
