Pick almost any category revolving around experience, and one won’t likely find the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ starting five high on that list.
The Cavs have one of the youngest starting fives in the NBA this season, with an average age of 23.2 years. Aside from Donovan Mitchell, none of the Cavs have meaningful playoff experience (Jarrett Allen has played nine games total and is currently riding an eight-game losing streak).
The Cavs know this. They know it’s easy to write them off come the postseason given their lack of experience.
“[Outsiders] looked at us as a young team, and you don’t expect a lot from a young team,” Allen told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps last week. “You expect them to come in and try to figure themselves out.
But Allen knows this Cavs team hit the ground running this season, putting any concerns over inexperience to bed after a strong showing in a loaded Eastern Conference.
“But I feel like we came in and made an impact on the league,” Allen finished.
Indeed, the Cavs picked up right where they left off last season when a string of late injuries derailed one of the feel-good stories of the year. The defense has remained sky-high and Mitchell’s addition propelled last season’s 20th-rated offense to No. 9 this season.
Cavs Still Not Considered Conference Favorite
Despite being one of three teams with a top-ten offense and defense, the “inner circle” of contention has seemingly eluded Cleveland this season.
In the East, the conference race appears to have crystalized around the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks. Indeed, the Cavaliers are a distant fourth in odds to win the Eastern Conference, according to FanDuel.
And the Cavs aren’t insulated from this fact.
“Obviously, it’s no secret that we lack the experience,” Mitchell said, per Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. “When people talk, we’re not in their top 3 or whatever it is, and that’s fine, but the biggest thing for us is we believe we can not just make the playoffs but make a deep run. It’s all a learning experience and about continuing to get better, so, when we get to the playoffs, whatever seed we are, we’re ready.”
Despite the Cavaliers facing skepticism, there are reasons to fear them come playoff time. The Cavaliers are .500 or better against the …read more
Source:: Heavy.com