Cleveland Cavaliers guaranteed first winning season without LeBron since 1997-98

Darius Garland (YouTube)

There is no doubt that LeBron James will forever be remembered for what he was able to accomplish during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his initial time in Cleveland before heading to Miami, and then his second time in Cleveland before heading to Los Angeles, James was a 10-time All-Star with the Cavs, led the NBA with 30 points per game during the 2007-08 season, was the NBA’s most valuable player in 2008-09 and 2009-10, and led the Cavaliers to their only championship in franchise history in 2016.

In the time period when James has not been with the Cavaliers (first from 2010 to 2014, and since 2018), Cleveland has had difficulty generating success. They have found it challenging developing an identity away from the shadow of James. That was the case until this season.

In 2021-22, the Cavaliers are the most surprising team in the NBA. On Monday, the Cavaliers guaranteed themselves a record above the .500 mark this season with a 107-101 win over the Orlando Magic. At 42 wins and 33 losses, Cleveland is guaranteed to be no worse than 42-40, and in the process will have their first winning season without LeBron James since 1997-98.

The Cavaliers’ leading scorer this season is Darius Garland of Gary, Indiana, who has 21.5 points per game. In Cleveland’s win over Orlando, Garland led the Cavaliers with 25 points, and in the process had a double-double as he had 12 assists too.

Cleveland also has a balanced attack. They have nine players averaging double-digits in scoring. The Cavaliers have also been great defensively as their 104.6 points against is the third least in the NBA. Meanwhile, J.B. Bickerstaff needs to be given consideration for the NBA Coach of the Year.

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