The NBA world has been trying their hardest to overlook and dismiss what the Cleveland Cavaliers have done this season, perhaps because they are the antithesis of the modern NBA.
They are not a top heavy team that fires up 50 threes per game.
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They don’t have a single top 10 player on the roster, they are near they bottom of the league in three-point attempts, their offense is predicated on ball movement instead of isos and they have two big men in their starting lineup.
Every aspect that has made the Cavs so deadly this season is almost frowned upon by the rest of the league.
Many fans, analysts and even players thought that Cleveland would falter in the playoffs, but they are proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) and guard Donovan Mitchell (45) wait along side head coach Kenny Atkinson to enter the game during the first half against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesCredit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
They matched up with the Miami Heat in the first round in what was expected to be a hard fought series due to both teams’ defensive aggressiveness.
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However, the Cavs made quick work of the Heat in one of the most lopsided series of all time.
Miami lost games one, two and four by a combined 113 points including an embarrassing 55-point loss in the elimination game.
This game was played on TNT and a certain “Inside the NBA” host had a brutally honest take on it.
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said on national TV that the Heat quit and it is hard to argue with him.
Miami has prided themselves on the patented “Heat Culture” but the Cavs proved that it is much more of a catchphrase than anything.
The culture has been built on the backs of all-time great players like LeBron James, Dywane Wade and Jimmy Butler carrying lackluster rosters to give the illusion of a concentrated winning formula.
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The Heat have a lot to figure out with summer with no more Butler to lead them on fairy tale finals runs.
After James snubbed Cleveland to make the move to South Beach in 2010, they may have finally gotten their revenge on Miami in the most sinister way possible, by breaking up their franchise as they know it.