The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a very solid start to the 2022-23 NBA season with a record of 3-1 after their latest win over the 0-4 Orlando magic. The Cavaliers made a huge move this offseason when they acquired superstar guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz via trade. Mitchell has fit in perfectly with Cleveland as he scored 100 combined points in his first three games as a Cavalier.
The Cavaliers look scary early and they are not even at full strength as their all-star point guard Darius Garland went down with an eye injury in the second quarter of the Cavs’ season opener vs. the Toronto Raptors and has not played since.
Last year Darius Garland was a breakout player for the Cavaliers as he averaged 27 points per game and had his first-ever All-Star game appearance alongside his teammate Jarrett Allen. Garland was the heart of that Cavaliers team and they were lost when he was not on the floor.
No Garland vs. Boston
There was some hope that Darius Garland would be able to return on Friday when the Cavaliers take on the defending Eastern Conference champs the Boston Celtics, but it has been reported by CBS Spots.com that Darius Garland (eye) will not play in Boston on Friday.
This matchup with Jayson Tatum and the Celtics will be the first real test for these young Cavaliers that are looking really good under the leadership of Donovan Mitchell. Donovan has been holding this team together during Garland’s absence and has led the Cavaliers to three straight wins along with the great play by Cedi Osman and the Cavaliers’ frontcourt duo all-star Jarrett Allen and second-year player Evan Mobley.
This Cavaliers team is very deep and a force to be reckoned with as they play team basketball and play for each other night in and night out. The season is still very young but these young Cavs look scary and should scare any team in a seven-game series. The Cavaliers will look to make it 4 wins in a row as they face off with the Boston Celtics Friday night in Boston.
Playoff matchup?
Will Mitchell have a bounce-back game? Will Mobley and Allen continue to be dominant forces in the paint? Only time will tell as we all await Friday night for this Eastern Conference matchup between two great teams. Tip-off will be at 7:30 Eastern Standard Time as the hype continues to grow about what could be a future playoff matchup later this season.
Image Credits: Flickr.com.