Cavs Picked To Finish Second In Central, Sixth In East

The latest example that the Cavaliers’ floor has raised comes from Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype, who wrote that the addition of Donovan Mitchell should help them rise even quicker.

So much so that Gozlan picked the Cavs to finish second in the Central Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. That’s an improvement from last season — when the Cavs placed eighth in the East and just missed the playoffs.

Of course, injuries had something to do with that, especially the injury to Jarrett Allen, who missed the final few weeks and the first play-in game.

The Cavs have shored up the frontline, of course, adding Robin Lopez to back up Allen. But it is the Mitchell move that has everyone talking. That’s particularly the case when you consider he’ll be paired with All-Star Darius Garland in the backcourt.

“The Cavaliers ranked 20th in offense last season. This was mostly a result of their lack of offensive personnel, which led to their unconventional style that heavily featured lineups favoring defense and length,” Gozlan wrote. “Now with Mitchell, the Cavaliers not only have a second legitimate scoring threat, but also one of the best shot creators in the league. While both Mitchell and Garland will start and close, both should be staggered enough to keep their offense afloat as often as possible.”

Of course, as we relayed here, the Cavs are still on the lookout for reliable perimeter shooting. Perhaps that can be someone already on the roster, but whoever that person may be will have to prove themselves fairly quickly.

“The Cavaliers still lack 3-and-D players, as they currently have players that are good at shooting or defense but not necessarily both,” Gozlan wrote. “Their starting 3 spot is as open as any other starting job in the league and it could go to someone like Isaac Okoro to provide defense or a mid-to-high thirties shooter like Cedi Osman. They could also try to replicate the success they had with Lauri Markkanen last year with a big like Kevin Love or Dean Wade to provide length and shooting. They should be fine during the regular season, but this could be an issue against the best teams in the playoffs.”

Gozlan predicted that Caris LeVert will be the starting small forward next to Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Allen.

We have lots more on our Cavs page, so check it out right here.