The Cleveland Cavaliers head into the All-Star break with a 38-14 record. 3.0 games clear of the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference. Despite their success, the Cavs still fired head coach David Blatt at the end of January, replacing him with assistant Tyronn Lue.
With all this in mind, let's assess Cleveland's first 52 games in 2015-16 with our Midseason Report Card.
Offense: A
Cleveland has put an increased emphasis on playing at a faster pace under Lue, but they've been one of the better offensive teams in the league all season long. They rank eighth in the NBA in points per game (102.9), but rank fourth in offensive efficiency. LeBron James has been as dominant as ever, yet it wasn't until point guard Kyrie Irving returned in late December that Cleveland's offense really got going.
Defense: A-
For every bit as good as the Cavs' offense is, you could argue that their defense has been even better. They're one of four teams allowing less than 97 points per game and rank seventh in defensive efficiency. Cleveland is in the bottom five in both steals and blocks, and while they need to improve on that, the fact that their defensive numbers are so good in spite of their inability to create turnovers shows how good they are at simply defending opponents and forcing them into tough shots.
Intangibles: D
The ever-changing and puzzling dynamic between LeBron James and Kevin Love is problem enough, but the fact that all of the turmoil in the locker room led to the firing of David Blatt tells you all to need to know. It always seem like something is going wrong in Cleveland for whatever reason, and that is a BIG problem.
Championship Potential: B
Cleveland is still the overwhelming favorite to win the Eastern Conference, and no one thinks they'll have much trouble getting to the Finals. However, what will happen when they get there will be a problem. Golden State is far and away the best team in the league, and San Antonio isn't far behind.
It would definitely be a major upset if the Cavs were to win the title this year, but they're going to give themselves a chance by cruising through the postseason until then. And all you can ask for is the chance, right?
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