It’s been a sad season for all the NBA betting fans of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. No team in NBA history has won the tittle after being below .500 this late in the season. Currently, Cleveland is 0.487 after their most recent loss.
Despite their sub-.500 record, the Cavaliers are now 3rd in the Central Division and 6th in the Eastern Conference standings. They are still in playoff position in the weak Eastern Conference, but things are looking complicated for them.
Ever since his return, with the help of Irving and Love, the expectation of the Cavaliers were very high. It was “The Return of the King,” the perfect flip side to the “The Decision.” In hindsight, you might even say the expectations were a tad unrealistic. But Cleveland is still in it, and epic stories are about people who do what others have not done before. Can the Cavs contend for the title?
If you look at the standings in the league, you will notice that the teams leading the pack are not the teams that were predicted to be at the helm of the standings. NBA betting fans have seen the rise of the Hawks, Wizards, Blazers, and the Golden State Warriors, while teams like Oklahoma City, the Spurs, Heat and Indiana are slumping. So much so that if the playoffs were to begin today the Pacers and the Thunder would not qualify. In the midst of it all, the Cavaliers with James are trying to bring a championship to his hometown, but they are barely hanging on.
LeBron, following two weeks of recovery, came back to the roster and played with his team against the Phoenix Suns. He played for a total of 36 minutes, looking pretty healthy. He finished the game with 33 points, but the Cavaliers loss 107-100, victims again of a very questionable defense.
As much as they produce on the offense, the Cavaliers have a problematic defense that needs serious work if they plan to make an impact and gear themselves for a playoff run. It is still early in the season, and NBA betting is just warming up, but unless a attitude change comes from the Cavaliers, they might be setting themselves up for an early exit during the playoffs.