Cleveland at New York
Time: 6:30 PM CT (NBA TV)
Spread: CLE -12.5
Total: 223.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
CAVS NOTES:
Much ado about the fate of free-agent-to-be LeBron James: Teams are already posting billboards and beginning their recruiting campaigns, while this season wanes and it could possibly be LeBron’s last in his home state. James got his way at the trade deadline when the Cavs basically restructured its entire team, but the results have been mostly mediocre. It may be the time in James career when he finally realizes that he cannot win without two superstars (like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) by his side.
While that is no knock on Kevin Love, James’ Cavs this year are less talent than the teams he played with in Miami, and though he did win a title two years ago, few are expecting a return to the Finals, never mind an improbable win over the stacked Golden State Warriors. It is no fault of James, though, really.
He has played excellent basketball and is still arguably the most dominant offensive force in the league. His stats obviously support that, as he is averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and nine assists per game while posting an extra-worldly PER of 28.0.?Love has been a solid second-fiddle with 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, but in order for Cleveland to really contend, he would nearly have to revert to the form he once showed as a Minnesota Timberwolf. The Cavs did make a couple nice additions at the trade deadline by adding former Cavalier legend Larry Nance’s son, Larry Jr., as well as Jordan Clarkson.
The Cavs also parted ways with the declining Wade, sending him back to Miami to finish his career. Perhaps the most clutch additions were those of George Hill and Rodney Hood, but neither has been outstanding since coming to Cleveland. The Cavs now have the odd task of adding so many players and trying to gel and reach form in a matter of a month and a half before the postseason.?One-time MVP Derrick Rose is firmly out of the picture, and perhaps now Cleveland is done adding washed up veterans in hopes to keep LeBron afloat. Maybe the Cavs just let LBJ walk and rebuild their team around Hood and Nance, and whatever lottery picks they obtain with the pick it picked up at the deadline.
To be certain, it would require a near-miracle for James and company to usurp the Warriors’ title hopes, and few are picking Cleveland in any respective series against Toronto or Boston.
New York Knicks notes:
New York has a much less rosy outlook with Porzingis’ career hanging in the balance. Porzingis has the unenviable task of rehabbing from an ACL injury, which is the type of injury that can cast a permanent shadow over one’s career.
Given that he was really the best thing the Knicks had on its roster since Patrick Ewing, Knicks fans are understandably crestfallen and downtrodden. New York is just 7-23 on the road this season, and the remainder of the year will serve as little more than a chance to get big playing time for the younger players on the roster.
Combo guard Emmanuel Mudiay came to New York Via Denver, and he now auditions with Frank Ntilikina for the point guard job. Although, the pair is playing extensively together. Given that the Knicks only can hurt themselves by winning games, expect Jeff Hornacek to tinker a lot with the lineup and just attempt to find things that work.
Center Enes Kanter will keep getting buckets, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is a threat always at the 3-spot but other than that New York’s roster is full of holes and question marks—and poor defense. The losses likely will pile up as the Knicks position itself for a high lottery pick, sans Porzingis.
