Similar to the 2023-24 NFL season , injuries have played a big role this season in the NBA. Lonzo Ball and Ja Morant are already gone for the season, and now Joel Embiid is out too. With Embiid missing time due to a torn meniscus, there’s a vacuum in the middle of the East. How’s this look for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Here’s an evaluation of the Cavaliers in the 2024 Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers have not been safe from injury, as nine players have missed a cumulative total of 135 games for this Cavaliers squad. The major injuries have been Darius Garland (24 games with jaw/neck/hamstring injuries), Evan Mobley (23 games with a knee injury) and Donovan Mitchell (9 games with a hamstring injury). Others include Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome who’s missed 44 games himself. In fact, before the season started JB Bickerstaff cited Garland, Mitchell, Strus, Mobley and Allen as his ideal starting lineup. Out of the 46 games they’ve played so far, that’s been the starting lineup 12 times.
Despite most of Cleveland’s roster being injured at some point, they’ve managed to play extremely well. Mitchell, who was just named an all-star, is averaging over 28 points a game. Allen fell one rebound short last game of racking up his 17th consecutive double-double. Along with Isaac Okoro being a consistent defensive anchor and Caris LeVert doing a little bit of everything, Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr have been surprise standouts off the bench.
This Cleveland bench can do more than score, though. Their current defensive rating off the bench is 18.5. The only teams with lower defensive ratings off the bench are the Minnesota Timberwolves (109.9) and the Houston Rockets (113.0). Not only are these teams both in the west (thus giving the Cavs the lowest bench defensive rating in the east), but their bench usage rates sit at 17.5 (Minnesota) and 17 (Houston) while Cleveland’s is 18.5. This is third highest in the conference, behind the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers, but the highest amongst current contenders in the east. So not only is Cleveland’s bench being more incorporated than any other eastern conference contender, they’re also out defending almost every other team in the league.
A high scoring starting lineup and a defensive juggernaut (second lowest defensive rating in the league at 111.4) with a reliable bench? Sounds like the recipie for a solid postseason team.
Currently fourth in the eastern conference, they trail only the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks. While the Celtics sit comfortably with a five game lead in first, the Cavs, Knicks and Bucks sit between 5.5-4.5 games back. Behind them are the Sixers at fourth and, although Tyrexe Maxey is phenomenal, they don’t seem to have a team that can sustain success after losing an MVP-caliber player. At fifth are the Pacers and they’re a relatively distant 10 games back.
The Cavs only play the Knicks and the Celtics one more time each in back to back games in early March, and they just wrapped up their season series with the Bucks. While this means they won’t have to worry much about playing these other teams before the playoffs, they do have to worry about these other teams winning more than they do. Or do they?
When looking at the remaining schedule strength of teams across the league Milwaukee sits at sixth, New York sits at 15th and Cleveland sits at 24th. On paper Cleveland looks good to keep their standing, and even has an opportunity to raise it.
When a player gets injured it’s never, ever a good situation. However these injuries do have implications for how the rest of the season will play out. It is a major shame to see Embiid miss the time he is, but it’s unlikely that Philadelphia will be able to keep their current rank in the standings. With the Pacers almost as far back from Cleveland as Cleveland is from Boston, it’s also unlikely that the Cers will play well enough to pass Cleveland in the standings.
With no real threat behind them, a solid path ahead of them to surge ahead and a team that can not only survive with injuries but seemingly thrive despite them, the future for this season’s Cleveland squad is bright.
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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com
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