8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

Indiana Pacers and the week ahead: Road trip drama

By Ethan Krieger

SAN ANTONIO,TX - JANUARY 21 : LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs has the ball stripped by Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers at AT&T Center on January 21, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO,TX - JANUARY 21 : LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs has the ball stripped by Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers at AT&T Center on January 21, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 8: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-season game on October 8, 2018, at Quicken Loans Arena, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 8: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-season game on October 8, 2018, at Quicken Loans Arena, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers – Saturday, 7:30 PM

If you’re unaware what the drama surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers was this offseason, you truly have been living under a rock. Like, a Mount Everest-sized rock. LeBron James is a Laker, and the Eastern Conference no longer has to go through Cleveland to get to the Finals (but try telling that to Tristan Thompson).

So with the King of the NBA now chilling with Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo on the West Coast, Cleveland is now relying on the talents of the rejuvenated Kevin Love and young gun Cedi Osman to keep this team afloat.

That’s right, Cedi Osman is one of the top options for the Cavs now, which is not meant to be a knock against him, but just to point out that things in Cleveland will be very different this season, to say the least.

There’s still some talent on this roster, to be sure. Collin Sexton, the rookie point guard, has shown he has tons of upside, and former hometown hero George Hill is still his typical, reliable self. But besides those guys, the Cavs will live and die this season on the shoulders of guys like Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson.

Guys that can score in bursts on occasion, sure. But these are not players Cleveland can depend on night in and night out. In short, the Cavs are not deep at all, especially in comparison to the Pacers, who have a bench unit that is capable of outscoring the starters any given night.

Cleveland had some tough scheduling luck to start the season against Kawhi and the Raptors and the Butler-led Wolves, so they expectedly dropped both of those games. The third game of the 0-2 Cav’s season was against the 0-2 Atlanta Hawks, the team that finished at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference a year ago. Even without arguably their best player, John Collins, the Hawks dismantled the Cavaliers 133-111 on Cleveland’s home court. This game is absolutely winnable.

Prediction: Pacers over Cavaliers 124-105

Next. NBA season preview: The Western Conference. dark

If these predictions hold true, going 2-1 on the first road trip of the young season will be an awesome accomplishment that could serve to build even more confidence in this Pacers squad. The Blue and Gold would be sitting at an impressive 4-2 to start the 2018-2019 campaign. Here’s to hoping the Indiana Pacers can cause even more drama for their three opponents this week.

Home/Pacers News