The NBA Trade Deadline has passed and with it comes the buyout season. The Cleveland Cavaliers decided to stay pay at the deadline despite being in prime position to climb the standings in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs have climbed to the second seed in the East and are in the drivers seat in terms of creating separation from the teams behind them. It’s because of this recent push that Cavs general manager Koby Altman was confident in staying the course at the NBA Trade Deadline, as per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
“We do think like we have the talent level to compete with the best,” Altman said. “I think we have shown that, this year and last year, we were able to compete with the best teams in the league, and we’re doing that now. We’re still young. Playoff experience is something we need to add to this group and go. . .past the first round or rounds in the playoffs. Those are really hard. The NBA is really difficult, the parity is difficult, but we feel we’re in the mix with some of the best teams in the world right now.”
With the Cavs recent push, Koby Altman might be on to something. The Cavs finished last season with a top four record in the Eastern Conference and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the No. 5 seeded New York Knicks.
The Cavs are currently 34-16 and two full games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Bucks inconsistent play and the Philadelphia 76ers injury issues, the Cavs have as good a shot as anyone at finishing with a top three record in the East.