The Cleveland Cavaliers drastically shook up their roster at the trade deadline by swapping out former two-time All-Star Darius Garland for James Harden. That move wasn’t exactly popular among long-term fans at the time of the deal. After a month and a string of impressive play, opinions have shifted.
Earlier this week, we asked how Cavs fans would grade the Harden experience so far. And based on that survey, most fans couldn’t be happier. Almost three-quarters of Cavs’ fans surveyed said they would grade the experience an “A”
so far, with nearly the rest grading it a “B.”
It’s easy to see why that’s been the result. He’s fit in nearly perfectly with his new teammates, and the Cavs are 8-1 in games he’s played. You can’t ask for much more at this point.
The addition of Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis, in addition to getting healthier, has the Cavs vaulting up the standings. Currently, Cleveland is fourth in the conference, a game behind the New York Knicks for third. But, they aren’t far off the Boston Celtics for second.
According to Cavs fans, they believe the group is going to jump at least one of the teams in front of them.
The Cavaliers could also benefit from the schedule lightening up. They have the second-easiest remaining schedule in the league, with their hardest game coming up against the Celtics on Sunday. A significantly lighter schedule down the stretch could help the Cavs leapfrog one of the teams ahead of them.
FanDuel currently lists the Cavs as having the fifth-best odds to win the NBA Finals at +950. They have the second-best odds to win the Eastern Conference, narrowly behind the Celtics.
