The Eastern Conference playoff picture is wide open, and the Cleveland Cavaliers just kicked the door down.
After a relatively quiet trade deadline across the league, Cleveland made the loudest noise by pulling off a blockbuster: sending Darius Garland to the Clippers in exchange for James Harden. It's only been two games, but the early returns are eye-opening. Harden looks engaged, Mitchell looks energized, and the Cavs suddenly look like a real problem.
Let’s start with the facts. The Cavs just erased a double-digit deficit on the road in Denver-never an easy place to win-and extended their win streak to four.
That’s now nine wins in their last 10 games. Donovan Mitchell dropped 32 points and handed out 10 assists, while Harden added 22 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists of his own.
That’s a backcourt putting in serious work-and raising serious questions. Namely: is this the best 1-2 guard punch in the league right now?
Cleveland came into this season with a chip on its shoulder after last year’s disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Pacers. They had the East’s top seed, but they didn’t look like the top team when it mattered most.
That loss stung. But the front office didn’t sulk-they swung.
Bringing in Harden and Dennis Schroder at the deadline wasn’t just about adding talent. It was a message: this team is going for it.
And Vegas has taken notice. According to DraftKings, the Cavs are now the betting favorites to come out of the East-yes, ahead of the Pistons, Celtics, Sixers, and everyone else.
But let’s pump the brakes just a bit. There’s still the matter of Harden’s postseason track record.
And Cleveland’s own recent playoff history isn’t exactly spotless. Still, with 28 games left before the playoffs, there’s enough time to build chemistry and iron out the wrinkles.
The East is no cakewalk. The Pistons have been the wire-to-wire No. 1 seed, and while they’re light on playoff experience, they’ve got a clear identity.
Physical, defensive-minded, and led by Cade Cunningham, who’s looking more and more like a superstar ready to take over a series. Kendrick Perkins summed it up best on Get Up: “They’re the most physical team in the league.
They have an identity. And Cade?
He can be the best player in any series.”
Perk didn’t stop there. When co-host Monica McNutt brought up a potential Pistons-Cavs playoff clash, he delivered a classic line: “There [are] three things that I’m scared of in life-healthy foods, reality shows, and the Detroit Pistons.”
Jokes aside, he’s not wrong to be wary. Detroit brings an old-school edge that’s rare in today’s game.
They grind, they defend, and they don’t back down. That’s the kind of team that can make life miserable for even the most talented rosters.
Still, Perkins gave the Cavs their flowers, noting that this front office has done more to support Donovan Mitchell than the franchise ever did for LeBron James during his early years in Cleveland. That’s a bold statement, but it speaks to how aggressive the Cavs have been in building around their star.
McNutt, for her part, pointed to Harden’s impact using advanced metrics, highlighting how he still manipulates defenses at an elite level. And when he’s not scoring, he’s facilitating, rebounding, and controlling the tempo. That’s the version of Harden Cleveland is betting on.
As for expectations? Perkins laid it out plainly: “Minimum, you better get to the conference finals.”
That’s the bar now. Not just for Mitchell, not just for Harden, but for a Cavaliers team that believes it can win now. And with the East as wide open as it’s been in years, they just might be right.
The Celtics are looming, and they’re expected to get Jayson Tatum back soon. The Knicks are scrappy, even if they’re still figuring things out post-Thibodeau.
And the Pistons? They’re not just a fun story-they’re a real threat.
So yes, the East is a battlefield. But Cleveland has rearmed, reloaded, and reimagined what this team can be.
Harden looks locked in. Mitchell looks like a man on a mission.
And the Cavs? They look like contenders.
Just don’t tell Big Perk they have to go through Detroit to get there.