What To Make Of The New-Look Cav's

By Muk

Heading into the All-Star break, are the new-look Cav’s for real? 
 
As everyone knows, the Cav’s went crazy last week at the trade deadline, dumping more than half of their roster and bringing in new blood.
 
The Cav’s traded Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and their 2018 first-round pick to the Lakers, for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., then they traded Dwyane Wade back to Miami (thank you Cleveland #WadeCounty is back) for a protected second-round pick.

​Finally, they engaged in a trade with the Jazz and the Kings, sending Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to the Jazz, with Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert and a 2020 second-round pick to the Kings, and the Cav’s received George Hill and Rodney Hood.
 
In two games with their new roster, against two current NBA powerhouses in the Celtics and Thunder, the Cav’s have combined for 241 points, with huge contributions from their new acquisitions.
 
In their blow-out spoiling of Paul Pierce’s Jersey Retirement Night, they got 12 points from George Hill, 15 points from Rodeny Hood, and 17 points from Jordan Clarkson, and they shot a whopping 53% from 3PT range, with all of their new acquisition’s contributing in that fashion.
 
The Cav’s responded from the thrashing they received from last time they played OKC, and they did what they likely will have to do to run the table in the Eastern Conference, rallied behind a dominant performance from The King himself, with LBJ dropping 37 points and adding 8 boards & assists. Clarkson and Hood added 14 a piece and Larry Nance Jr. contributed 13 as well.
 
More importantly than what they did on the scoreboard, the Cav’s looked like a team that could mesh very well, and their newly developed 3PT talent will be vital in for their playoff run.
 
Now, while these two wins are impressive, they are nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Cav’s have this All-Star break to begin to truly establish their chemistry, and if they can hit the ground running after the break, they may have a slight chance at making some noise and giving the Celtics, Rockets and Warriors a real run for their money.
 
Do I think the Cav’s will now win the East? Yes. Will they beat the Warriors? Absolutely not. Next question.