Against the transformation of Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs are broadly unsettled. This is mostly a good thing.
After two years of Jokic carrying a largely sundry crew through the woods, the Nuggets have finally formed back into a true showcase squad, worthy of many more grand stages. They are a basketball team worth falling in love with.
Whether the Raptors try to regroup with what they have or make a rebuilding step backwards will have a lot to do with how difficult they think the battle is to win, and whether it’s even worth fighting while the Bucks and Celtics peak. The Knicks, ever-beleaguered, are just happy to be where they are; as they should be.
