Cleveland was 35-21 last year before the injuries were just too much. That is a 51.25 win pace or you know in that 3 way tie for the 2nd seed. They basically just swapped Mitchell for Markkanen so a major upgrade. They should be a mid 50's win team especially as Mobley gets a lot better in year 2. Now, I don't think they have the pieces to truly co tend in the post season, but they are going have a very good record.
No way do they sniff the mid-50s. 49 wins tops.
I see them winning about 50 games, but if they won upper 40's that would be a nice outcome.
Garland, who will start the season as a 22 yr old and Allen, who is 24, made the All-Star team last year and they are the 3rd and 4th best players. Mobley just turned 21 and is going to be an all-NBA level big within a few years.
So they have a core of 4 really good, really young guys, and most importantly, they fit. Mobley and Allen worked. They could start Okoro and there will be plenty of shots for the other starters. This is a very young core and Mobley is the youngest of the bunch. They are going to improve. A lot.
They also have an extremely good bench. Levert, Love, Osman and Rubio all could be trusted in a close game.
It may take a year or two, but these guys are going to be passing Philly and Miami soon enough. It's just a matter of how quickly Mobley and Garland progress. This is Cleveland. I think they made a smart decision to go for it now. If I were Mitchell I'd be thrilled.