Cleveland Cavaliers: Underrated.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Underrated

Imagine a team with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. One of their star players is having an MVP season. Yet that team isn't talked about enough. All the fans and media could talk about is where the franchise player wants to go. Instead of appreciating what the team is achieving on the court, Well, that is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who have been on a nine-game winning streak. It is odd to see why people in the NBA circle hate Cleveland. They have a loud, blue-collar fan base who will die supporting the team. Since LeBron James left, it seems like the fans hope worse for the franchise.

The Cavs have done one hell of a job post-championship era. They drafted one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference, Darius Garland. Traded for the best shooting guard in the NBA, Donovan Mitchell. Then went on to draft forward Evan Mobley, who is a talented defender. traded for All-Star Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. Some people might dislike Dan Gilbert for how he acted when LeBron left the first time. But there's no denying that he's done a good job in this rebuild. Koby Altman has been great at his job, as he signed Max Strus this offseason. The Cavs are not healthy. Yet, credit goes to Donovan Mitchell, who has been special this season.

Donovan Mitchell has been special this year. He has taken over the Cavs like a storm, despite the injuries that the Cavs have faced throughout the season. It is annoying that no one has talked about Mitchell. He is having an MVP season with averages of 28 points per game and 6.3 assists per game on 59 percent true shooting. That is a crazy-ass stat line that isn't getting much love. He has done one hell of a job, leading Cleveland to the second seed. When Dono has the ball, he can create his own shot out of nothing. And people have underrated his passing.

 Since coming to Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell has exceeded all expectations. He made All-NBA team last season and is now starting in the NBA All-Star game. Despite all that he has achieved, all fans and the media want to talk about is where he should be. They don't appreciate the greatness of Dono or how the Cavs have moved on from the LeBron era with success. The franchise has done a hell of a job of improving their roster every off-season. Along with an MVP candidate, they have one of the best point guards in Darius Garland.

Darius Garland has been one of the best point guards in the East over the past few years. Earning himself an All-Star spot. Due to his injury, he's become less talked about. Due to the rise of Tyrese Haliburton, Maxey, and Brunson, The talks around Garland have been quiet. That is also due to his health and lack of availability. He has only played 28 games and has dealt with injuries throughout the season. Garland is good at finishing at the rim and is a master at creating his own shot. Though he is a career-good three-point shooter this season, he has struggled as he's 33 percent down the arc. The hope is that he picks it up as the end of the season approaches. The hope is that he comes back to his All-Star form so the Cavs can go past the first round. Darius Garland hasn't been healthy this season. The same goes for All-Star Jarrett Allen.

One of the best big men and rim protectors in the league is Jarrett Allen. Since coming to the league, he's been an elite-level big man. The former Longhorn is great at finishing around the rim. He is a very talented rebounder, as he is seventh in the league. He has been a consistent center who earned himself an All-Star spot. Unfortunately, for the Cavs, it's a sad tale of health. Allen missed the early parts of the season due to injury. Now, he has been a key player in helping Cleveland win in the past month. Jarett Allen has been a talented player, along with his frontcourt duo Evan Mobley.

One of the most underrated young players in the league has been Evan Mobley. He is a talented shot blocker and a great perimeter defender. He is strong as nails and earned himself the nod for All-defensive team last year. Though, the problem is the lack of his offensive jump. As last year one of the reason for the Cavs lost was due to the lack of offensive spark. Defensively the big man duo of Mobley and Allen is awesome, but offense wise its been tough. Now, since the injury Evan has shown improvements from the three point line. He has been knocking down threes which has opened the floor up for Donovan Mitchell on offense. Evan continues to show he is one of the best up-and-coming players in the league. Additionally, there are many great role players on this team.

Max Strus has been a good role player for the Cavs. He can shoot and defend very well, and he is all over the court hustling. He has been the perfect role player for the Cavs, as he opens the floor for the team and is always a threat to the defender. His passing ability is what helps the Cavs, as he is able to move the ball. Max Strus has been the perfect offensive weapon, along with Caris LeVert.

Caris LeVert has been one of the best six players in the league. He is a talented scorer who is great to have when you want to bench Donovan Mitchell or Garland. Due to Garland's injury, he has embraced the bigger role given to him. He has demanded attention from the defenders. This has created more shots for the bigs on his team. He's been a good defender for Cleveland. LeVert is a talented player, along with Isaac Okoro.

Isaac Okoro has been great on defense this year. He is a lock-down player for Cleveland and is great at fighting through screens. He is one of the reasons why Cleveland has had success at the defensive level. This season, he's 46.7 percent behind the three-point line, which opens up the floor for the Cavs. He is due for an extension soon, and the expectation is that he will get paid for the bag. If he continues to develop, he will get the paid this offseason. The success of Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley reflects how talented the Cavs management is.

Dan Gilbert and Koby Altman deserve credit for the success they have had. They achieved this by drafting and trading for players. JB Bickerstaff has done a good job of establishing a culture in Cleveland, which has led them to success. I always viewed Cleveland as an incompetent franchise, but they proved my ass wrong. Cleveland has been one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the NBA. They have lost players due to injuries throughout this season. Also, the Cavs eye on talent has been impressive, as guys like Georges Niang, Dean Wade, Craig Porter Jr. and Sam Merrill have been huge.

The Cavs have done everything right. They have drafted right and signed good free agents . Yet, all the media wants to talk about is whether Donovan Mitchell wants to leave. It's stupid how they make the conversation about the future. They should talk about what Cleveland has produced on the court. I don't know if it is because of the way Cavs fans and media treated LeBron after he left. Or they aren't fond of Dan Gilbert's ownership. But the fact that the Cavs have some of the best fans in the world who are all blue-collar and passionate. It is a joke that they do not get the respect they deserve. The media needs to show love to the organization, or else it makes the league weak, as there is no purpose to root for a team. We should highlight the success of the rebuild. Now, they are the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

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