The level of confidence you have in the Cavaliers…
…may depend on what goal it is you think they’re chasing.
Cavs Cruising Towards Hardware?
What Happened: The Cleveland Cavaliers are 12-0, the best record in the NBA. The Cavaliers also will not win the NBA Title.
But that doesn’t mean we should discount Cleveland’s chances of winning any trophy this season. Let us explain…
Why It Matters: Last night marked the start of the NBA Cup, an in-season tournament that culminates with, you guessed it, a team winning a cup.
For teams such as the Celtics, their season begins in April. But for others, winning a tournament and adding something to the trophy case is plenty of incentive. It’s not the Larry O’Brien Trophy, of course, but it still provides some validation.
Right now, you can get the Cavaliers at +800 to win the Cup over at ESPN Bet. With the cup final taking place in mid-December, it’s entirely possible the Cavs are still humming along enough to capture that crown.
Sure, some teams won’t want to exert any extra energy on saying they are the 2024 NBA Cup winners. That’s fine, and it also opens the door for a mid-tier team (hello, last season’s Lakers!) to end up on top. Cleveland, this could be your path to greatness.
What We’re Watching Today
Pelicans at Thunder (7:30 PM ET) – This game was probably more appealing to ESPN before all the injuries. Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray are all out for the Pels, and the Thunder are missing Chet Holmgren. On the bright side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a 45-point performance and looking like a potential MVP.
Grizzlies at Lakers (10:00 PM ET) – JJ Redick and the Lakers have won two straight, both by double-digit margins. Speaking of double digits, if LeBron keeps pulling down 10+ boards and dishing out 10+ assists a game like he has recently, this team is going to be awfully dangerous.
Kings at Avalanche (10:00 PM ET) – Both of these teams put the puck in the back of the net at above-average rates, and Colorado has won back-to-back games as it tries to pull itself up the standings after a sluggish start to the season.
The Look Ahead
Darius Garland POINTS + ASSISTS – We like Garland to feast on this Sixers team tonight. Tyrese Maxey is out, and who knows what the 76ers will get from the duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George, who have been ticketed to not play many back-to-back games after both featured in last night’s loss. Garland’s line for tonight is 24.5, and with the Cavs guard posting 5+ assists in six straight games to go along with his 20.2 PPG average, he’ll have no problem popping off against Philly in this spot.
