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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (left) and guard Darius Garland (right). Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

NBA futures: Cavs a nice price (not Mark Price)

By Matt Wiesenfeld | Last updated 10/18/23

Milwaukee gathered a lot of attention when they traded for high-scoring guard Damian Lillard. He and Giannis are a formidable duo, but I am not sure they are a recipe for regular-season success. There is definitely going to be a feeling-out process for the Bucks and they have to lean on a first-time head coach to sort it all out. It might not be a smooth ride and that is why I am not assuming they are going to win the Central Division.

NBA Futures Bet: Cleveland Cavaliers +270 to Win the Central Division

Last year the Cavaliers won 51 games. That was good enough for second in the Central and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, that was followed up by a quick exit in the playoffs. As a result, the markets are a little down on the Cavs heading into the season.

Here are 3 Reasons I am not

1. Continuity

Cleveland returns all five starters from a year ago and all are at a point in their careers where there is no reason to expect any decline. I am not saying they are going to win the NBA title but if you look at the likes of Denver last season, and even Golden State in their dominant run, you can see the value that continuity has. Cleveland is the one contender in the East that should not experience any "growing pains" this season.

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2. Incremental improvement

This is the main reason to like the Cavs a lot coming into this season. Players like forward Evan Mobley and guard Darius Garland have improved every season they have been in the league and there is still more room to grow. Mobley is a potential Defensive Player of the Year who is still expanding his offensive game, while Garland is still mastering being an efficient scorer and playmaker. Both could have leaps this season.

3. Top defense

Last year, the Cavs had the best defense in the league. Building on the two points above there is no reason to expect anything less than that this season. Playing strong defensively always helps with consistency and in a regular season, where some teams are overly focused on playoff success, it gives them an advantage. The Cavs are not quite the Heat in terms of toughness but they have shown they know how to win in the regular season.

Right now the price is good, but if you wait a little it could get even better. The Cavs start on the road and have a West Coast trip including Golden State and Sacramento in the first 10 games of the season. They might get off to a slow start and see the price grow a little more.

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