The Cleveland Cavaliers have been arguably the best story of the 2021-22 NBA campaign so far.
Before the season started, very few people around the NBA thought the team was going to be a factor in the Eastern Conference.
Some folks were even willing to suggest that the Cavs had one of the worst rosters in the league.
But virtually all of Cleveland’s doubters have been silenced this season, as the team is working on a stellar campaign.
The Cavs currently have a 35-23 record, tying them with the Philadelphia 76ers for the third-best mark in the East.
There’s still a long way to go, but Cleveland seems like a lock to make the playoffs for the first time in a few years.
And while it’s already been an extremely successful season for the organization, the Cavs should still have a few goals in mind for the remainder of the campaign.
Let’s take a look at a few realistic boxes that the team should want to check.
3. Win 50 Games In The Regular Season
Right now, the Cavs are on pace for 49 wins in the 2021-22 regular season.
It’s no secret that sports fans love round numbers, and when it comes to the NBA, winning 50 games is always an impressive accomplishment.
That’s a very attainable goal for Cleveland this season.
The Cavs will be the beneficiaries of a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, as the squad’s remaining slate ranks 24th in the NBA in terms of difficulty.
Needless to say, there will be plenty of winnable games from here on out for Cleveland.
If the team can take advantage of that, it could be looking at its first 50-win season since LeBron James‘ last year with the organization.
2. Win A Playoff Series
The Cavs are currently in position to land a pretty desirable seed in the Eastern Conference.
The idea of Cleveland having home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs is entirely on the table.
But whether that happens or not, the goal for the Cavs should be the same once the postseason rolls around: Make some noise.
The Cavs young core is impressive. I hope they can win at least one playoff series this year #NBAAIIStar #LetEmKnow
— jordan demi (@jordan_demi1) February 20, 2022
A series win in the playoffs would be a massive step in the right direction for the franchise, especially considering what preseason expectations were.
Just like the Cavs haven’t had a 50-win season since James’ last year with the team, they also haven’t won a playoff series since the 18-time All-Star left Cleveland to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s time for that to change.
1. See Continued Growth From The Young Core, Including In The Playoffs
It’s no secret that the Cavs are a very young team.
The Cavs best players are younger than 25 years old btw.
Evan Mobley – 20 years old
Jarrett Allen – 23 years old
Collin Sexton – 23 years old
Darius Garland – 22 years old— ᴀᴘ | 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝘀 | 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 (@blackthorfinn) November 2, 2021
Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley — arguably Cleveland’s three best players this season — are all 23 years old or younger.
That trio has been phenomenal, but each player still has plenty of room to grow.
With a little less than two months left in the regular season, some continued signs of improvement from those youngsters would be a welcome sight.
Then, of course, once the playoffs roll around, it’ll really be time to see if the team’s young core is ready for the big stage.
Allen is the only player in that aforementioned trio with any playoff experience.
So far in his career, he has seen action in nine postseason games, and he certainly rose to the occasion in those contests.
But when it comes to Garland and Mobley, it’s probably safe to call them wild cards regarding how they’re going to perform in the playoffs.
The Cavs would obviously be ecstatic to learn that their young stars are all capable of getting the job done in the postseason.
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