Might be a tad too early for that honestly.

Brother, it’s been 7 games. I’m not saying it won’t be a success, but it’s too early to make any determination just yet.

Not quite. They’ve been really good, but the Pistons are still the top dog in the East right now until someone knocks them off

I’m a Cavs fan and I’m saying it is way too soon. Teams have hot streaks especially after trading for Harden

I’m more concerned about the Knicks. They are a first round exit or second round sweep waiting to happen

Send me another series against James Harden, please

They probably have the highest offensive ceiling when looking towards the playoffs. Mitchell is at his best playing off of a superior ball handler and passer; they have that now. The question will be, as it is every post season, whether or not their bigs get pushed around again.

Very rarely do I subscribe to the idea of “choking”, but I don’t know how else to describe the Mobley/Allen experience in the playoffs. They’re slow to adjust to their opponents’ schematic changes (across two different coaching staffs) and they simply wilt when the physicality is increased. I worry that neither are quick/intuitive enough decision-makers on offense when their opponents have time to really study them on tape.

First time seeing the Harden Honeymoon phase?

Harden is 15-5 in his last 20 games this year.

“Absolute Success”

NBA fans need to be studied for their fish memory. Every season people praise James Harden for being good in the regular season, and then act slow when he disappears in the playoffs.

Mike brown lmao

“Harden trade was a success” nobody doubted Hardens ability to carry a team in February. Gonna have to see it in the playoffs unfortunately

It’s not like the competition is struggling. Detroit, Cleveland, and Boston are all 8-2 in their last 10 games.

The argument for Cleveland is that they’ve been better over the last 18 games. The argument for Detroit is that they’ve been better over the entire season, and the argument for Boston is that they’ve been just as good and are adding Tatum within the next couple weeks.

Pistons have earned the right to hold that title until the playoffs or a crazy fall off from them imo. Great stretch of ball from the cavs but idk if you can definitely claim they’re the best in the east yet

JH is the goat

Yeah I think so.

I favour them over the Pistons because their offensive ceiling is higher since the Pistons are an inconsistent 3 point shooting team.

The Cavs also have substantially more playoff experience from their key rotation pieces, especially after adding Harden, even if he’s renowned for underperforming in the playoffs.

This game says a lot more about the Knicks than the Cavs I think, the Pistons have blown out the Knickz multiple times this season. The coming matchups between them should tell us a lot

Just wait for the 5-24 and 15 points for James Harden in Game 7 of the 2nd round of the playoffs before you make proclamations like this.

says more about the Knicks than the Cavs

the knicks are an early playoff exit away from blowing it up

Can we not do this

Yes.

I don’t want to jump the gun, but I do believe they’re the best team in the East IF they’re healthy.

Given harden’s playoff stinkers, it’s way to early to make that kind of statement. Detroit and Boston are two teams with limited weaknesses, the Cavs might find out the hard way with Harden just like the Nets, Sixers, Clippers, and Rockets.

I mean if we’re talking regular season, maybe.

Until they show something in the playoffs I’m not sure teams will take them serious.

I think it’s a little soon. Detroit is scary.

Cavs are definitely scary and have the best chance of taking down the Pistons out of any East team. 

Let’s wait and see harden in the playoffs first

I mean the Knicks have been playing like absolute shit this game

With Harden cavs def have the best roster on paper esp with what he brings to the table. issue is playoffs and given harden’s age, cavs can not rely on him entirely. this is whats going to be interesting. this team is actually really solid and one of the best rosters harden has played with that has depth recently.

if cavs do win it will impact harden legacy wise in the all time rankings as he has a ring and will stop haters from talking abt his past playoff L’s

Mobley is the most overrated player in the league. Mitchel is good but he has limitations. Harden will likely win 1-2 games by himself in each series but will also lose 1-2 games. Allen is easy to be dominated. I think Pistons, Cavs and Knicks are at very similar levels. I think that the best three teams in the league are still in the West (OKC, Spurs and Denver) unless Tatum comes back with 80-90% of last year. Then Celtics all the way!

I dunno, the pistons have been incredibly consistent and the Thunder kind of showed that physical play can really make life hard for the Cavs

Harden trade depends on playoff success hes always good in the regular season and then disappears when it matters

Possibly but the east is definitely not as wide open as the commercials would make you believe

Nah I don’t trust that perimeter defense from the starters

They play Detroit twice soon  let’s see how those games shake out

They were trending that way anyway, so yes. We’re not too far behind but we have the occasional awful game so I’ll give them the benefit here.

The Harden Honeymoon Phase™️is still in full effect

I’m waiting til the Playoffs before I speak on whether or not this is a good trade

Lol 🤣🤣🤣 negative playoffs Harden is lurking 😂😂😂 very soon and Mitchell don’t make anybody around him better good player tho just not a playmaker or passer

People need to put more respect on the Dennis and Keon trade. Dumping Hunter (both his contract and his terrible season) for guys who so far have been key contributors is great. Even if on the scoreboard there numbers aren’t anything great, they have both been such great additions and really help this team

As a Cavs fan, nothing in the regular season matters anymore. Cavs never shaking the soft allegations until they smack a legit team in the playoffs.

Just wait for the damn playoffs man we already seen this stuff with Harden

Have you seen the Maine Celtics?

We have rebounding leader Baylor Sheierman, DPOY candidate Neemy, ROTY candidate Hugo, MVP Derrick White, and an actual 6MOTY Payton “Caitlyn Clark” Pritchard

Until Harden’s inevitable flame out in the playoffs.

Wait until playoff Harden shows up 

I love how everyone is pretending like the Celtics aren’t clearly the best team in the East (especially when Tatum is back)

Definitely not. Anyone saying a team with Harden is the team to beat, especially come playoff time, must have started watching basketball in the last 2 weeks

Relax, playoff Harden might load.

Cavs have excelled in the regular season but have yet to prove themselves in the playoffs. It’s what all fans are nervous about, no matter what the Cavs finals record is

Addition by subtraction with Garland’s bum ass gone.

They are definitely the team Pistons fans are most worried about in the east.

I’VE PLAYED THESE GAMES BEFORE!!!

I said I played these games before.

R E L A X

Too soon, ask me tomorrow

Yeah sure

This Team’s Fool’s Gold A first Round/Second Round exit away from blowing the whole shit up

Jalen Buns

Sure, when they become the best team in the east.

Player and team that usually do well in the regular season are doing well in the regular season? Shocker.

Playoffs are where the success of this trade will be determined.

They still need time to gel. It’s why they lost to the Thunder. I think Harden raised the hell out of the ceiling but who knows if they reach it.

They’ll get a chance to prove it against the Pistons in a few days.

Still think Detroit is better

Why does everyone shit on Allen? The best praise you can come up with is “I’m not that high on Allen but he’s been okay”?

Allen over this recent win streak (nine games): 21.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 1.3 BPG on an absolutely absurd 74% eFG%.

NOPE

No player in any sport has baited me this much. I’m in again on Harden?

Rating trades is funny.

Every month they switch back and forth between team A or team B winning

Little soon for that but early signs are promising

It depends on the goal of the trade.

Honeymoon Harden always brings the best takes that look awful after another playoff collapse.

No

Not yet. They’re still being scouted with harden. Give it 10 games with him and then you’ll see how teams respond. But do think they’re clear top 2

Wait until playoff Harden

As a Pistons fan they are the last team I want to face in the playoffs.

Couldn’t beat a pretty injured Thunder team. I wouldn’t count those chickens yet. Charlotte is scarier than Cleveland right now.

Donovan Mitchell and James Harden: godly regular season players but they choke come playoff time

No! The Knicks built a brick house tonight. Still 2-1 on the season. Im bias, but Im sure the Knicks would win a series

Have you ever seen harden in the playoffs? No one has he goes missing.

All they need is Bron now at SF playing 20 min a night during reg season.

I would take Cleveland 1. I also think Boston is the team to beat them if Tatum comes back and plays ultimate glue guy (which I expect). Detroit is going to be a pain in the ass but they have to be able to score and I don’t see that happening. It’d be a rock fight but cleveland beats them unless the refs completely swallow the whistle. NY is worse than the sum of their parts

West fan can you explain what has happened to the Cavs this year awesome last year kinda meh this year

Current. 36-22

Last year (same time). 55-10

How is it a success? I understand your excitement, but Cavs were dominant af last regular season.

You can determine if it’s a success by how they do in the playoffs.

yeah and i’m donald duck

I think they have the best shot out of anybody out there of making it out of the East this year. The Pistons are my second favorite team behind them, but this current lineup with Harden and Spida is just so dynamic offensively that I think it will be what they need to make it to at least the ECF and from there just win another 7 game series against the very good but still relatively inexperienced (at least in the postseason) Pistons

Wait til playoff harden shows up..

I don’t trust Harden in the playoffs so no…I watched him fail in multiple playoffs…I won’t be fooled again.

When does Harden sit to miss the playoffs?

The east is a crap shoot to me. Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, and New York are all good times with some flaws that are exploitable. If I had to pick a team to come out of the east, im not sure who it would be

Still too early to say and the playoffs are a whole different beast compared to the regular season

just imagine signing lebron in the summer , that’s a championship team right there

That backcourt is crazy.

Both Mitchell and Harden can score, but they like passing.

Add the fact that the Cavs have the most versatile bigs, and that combination is crazy efficient.

You can call them that if you want but we all know when it’s hardens turn to step up he’s gonna be MIA

see y’all in April and may

Lose one game to a playoff contender, and suddenly everyone acts like you’re not in 1st by 4.5 games. The only team that closed the gap on the Pistons in the last 10 games are the Celtics and they only gained 1 game.

It’s funny how everyone knows the narrative, but yet ppl still fall for it. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. One is guaranteed to disappear when you really need him and the other has yet to get past the 2nd round for his entire career. Yet here we are.

Until the playoffs where he will inevitably choke in a game 6 or 7 going 2 for 15 or something.

Playoffs Harden enters the chat.

No teams are scared by this + Jarrett Allen becomes a no name in the playoffs.

I’m also still doubtful about real Evan Mobley potential.

They are top 3 no doubt, but regardless of who makes it out of the east I’m going with the west. Much stronger conference this season imo

Lol just like that? No thanks, I’ll keep the Pistons for now, let’s see again in the future.

See you for the inevitable playoff drop.

Cavs have choked for what seems like 3 consecutive years. They have to earn “best in the East” title.

Who’s gonna tell them about playoff Harden? It’s an old school Folgers coffee commercial: “We’ve replaced regular season Harden, with playoff Harden. Let’s see if any of the fans can tell the difference…”

Wait until Harden disappears in the playoffs.

No

The Cavs are much better but NY isn’t very good. I don’t know that they are the measuring stick I’d use.

Cavs, Celtics and Pistons, everyone else is below them.

Way too soon. It’s still the Pistons and Celtics. Knicks are not as good as their record shows though.

Best team in the east can’t even beat an okc team missing 2 of their best 3 players, but when I say this eastern conference is objectively horrible I’m just a hater.