Sports – FiveThirtyEight — Jarrett Allen RSS



The Cavaliers Bet Big On Donovan Mitchell. Here’s Why It’s Working.

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were arguably the NBA’s most improved team. After going just 22-50 during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign, Cleveland improved its record all the way to 44-38, making the second-largest season-to-season jump in winning percentage behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. And on a per-possession basis, the Cavs lapped the field in improvement with […]

Continue reading



Cavs Rookie Evan Mobley Is Doing A Little Bit Of Everything

When the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted current Rookie of the Year favorite Evan Mobley third overall last July, it marked the franchise’s highest selection since the 2014 NBA Draft. That year, the Cavs traded top overall pick Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love as Cleveland built a Finals mainstay around the […]

Continue reading



The 3 Kinds Of Defensive Players Now Running The NBA

For much of NBA history, building an elite defensive team came down to simply employing one of the league’s handful of generational defensive bigs. Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics regularly lapped the field defensively. David Robinson instantly made San Antonio a top-three defense during his rookie season in 1989-90; the Spurs wouldn’t dip below the top […]

Continue reading



The Nets Go All-In With James Harden, But The Move Has Risks

After a month of drama and no shortage of trade speculation, the Houston Rockets finally dealt disgruntled superstar James Harden on Wednesday, shipping him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team megatrade that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. The haul for Harden? Three players (headlined by Caris LeVert, whom Houston sent to […]

Continue reading