Kee On Sports Magazine Volume 1: “The Genesis”

The Cleveland Cavaliers season preview by Coy Price

The Cavs bolstered their young talent pool this offseason and it’ll be another year of growth and chemistry building for this developing squad.

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished last season with a lot of positives to take into consideration.

Players like Collin Sexton and the freshly acquired Jarrett Allen seemed to come into their own and show glimpses of the greatness that could be.

Sophomore and rookie guys like Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro flashed gobs of potential, just waiting to be realized. The veteran presence of Kevin Love was felt, empowering the young Cavs core to make their impact on the league.

In short, the culture in Cleveland began to shift. The feeling around the team was more of “let’s see what these guys can do” rather than “Cleveland needs LeBron to win”.  While there were still a ton of questions that needed to be answered, last season was a step forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

What To Look Out For

How will Evan Mobley perform in his rookie season? Will he have a Collin Sexton-Esque rookie campaign, starting off cold and gradually heating up after the all-star break? Will he win ROY? What’s his role within this team?

What happens with Collin Sexton? It was recently reported that the Cavs and Sexton couldn’t come to a contract extension agreement. What does that mean for his future in Cleveland?

Does Kevin Love get traded? He was rumored to be shopped around all off-season. However, he looked good in pre-season off the bench and seems to want to stay in the CLE.

How good can this Cavs defense be? Will new additions in Evan Mobley, Lauri Markannen, and Tacko Fall, Cleveland’s frontcourt is huge. Throughout the season, we’ll get answers to all these questions and   more.

Record Prediction  I think the Cavs’ roster is structured well, besides a lack of depth at the wing. Defense plays a huge role in the NBA and I fully expect this young core to make huge improvements on that side of the ball. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Cavaliers made this play-in tournament this year.

Predicted finish: 33-49

Projected Starting Lineup

Point Guard: Darius Garland – He improved his PPG from 12.3 to 17.4 and APG from 3.9 to 6.1. He’ll be looking to take that next step this year.

Shooting Guard: Collin Sexton – Established himself as the go-to scorer for the Cavs last season. Just needs to develop his playmaking and defense.

Small Forward: Isaac Okoro – Super athletic, he guarded the best opposing player every night in his rookie season. Expect him to become a big part of the Cavs defense.

Power Forward: Lauri Markannen – He’s been balling out in the pre-season. I expect Evan Mobley to shadow him off the bench, kind of like benching a rookie quarterback behind a veteran to ease them into the pros.

Center: Jarrett Allen – A big man on a bigger contract. He’ll be the anchor for the defense, deterring opposing players from entering the post.

Contributing Off The Bench

Evan Mobley – I expect Mobley to be a game changer for this Cavs team. Whether he starts or not, he’s going to provide high IQ play, stifling interior and perimeter defense, and exceptional playmaking for a big.

Kevin Love – The old man/mentor of the team. He was cooking in the pre-season; his 3 point jumper is looking clean and he looks happy to teach and be a part of this young team.

Ricky Rubio – A fantastic pick-up for the Cavs this off-season. Along with K Love, Ricky will be able to mentor the younger guys and help them grow into their potentials; especially the guards – Sexton and Garland.

Food for Thought

Since the 2018-2019 season, the Cavaliers have slowly but steadily increased their Win/Loss Percentage each year. It’s went from 23.2% in 2019, to 29.2% in 2020, and then 30.6% in 2021.

This year, Cleveland will be looking to continue that upward trajectory and start stacking up the wins.