How the Cleveland Cavaliers revamped culture after James Harden trade
By Tony Pesta
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers have become one of the league’s most promising teams. So, how did we get here?
Before the 2020-21 NBA season began, it was general knowledge that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be one of the worst teams in the league. They were in the bottom-three of most power rankings and assumed to be bound for another top lottery pick.
Then, the team rattled off three straight wins to open the season. And, a few weeks into their campaign, they remain the second-best defensive team despite injuries putting their inspiring run to a grinding halt.
With their involvement in the recent James Harden trade, in which they snatched Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince for basically nothing, the consensus around the Cavaliers has changed drastically, going from a team with no direction, to a squad with a promising young nucleus.
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Cleveland has been the NBA’s biggest surprise this season and many are wondering how it all happened so quickly. Just a few months ago, the backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton was a hopeless pairing. Now, they are regarded as one of the top combos under-25 in the NBA.
This same reversal goes for the team as a whole. How is it possible that the Cavs are a top-ranked defense after consecutive seasons of posting the worst defensive rating in the NBA? The core roster hasn’t changed much from last season, yet the entire narrative around this franchise has shifted.
Today, let’s break down all of the key moves the team has been making under the radar, how they are in the position they are, and what’s next for the growing Cavaliers.