The Cavaliers are undoubtedly the biggest dark horse of the season, and when the outside world is not optimistic about them, this young team has played a very good performance with a group of young people who have just entered the league, the team has been in the top four in the East for a long time, and their record has been a very big improvement compared to last season.
However, in the game against the Pelicans, Rubio suffered a serious injury, and then he withdrew from the game, and since that game, the team has missed a core guard, the Cavaliers have won three consecutive games so far, suffered three consecutive losses, the record and ranking have also declined, and the playoffs are not so stable.
In the game against the Hawks, the two teams played very stiffly, only to divide the winners in the last minute, and after the Cavaliers played a wave of 7-0, they narrowed the point difference. Unfortunately, in the final moments, Trae Young hit a key free throw, and the Eagles eventually won the game on the road with a three-point advantage, while the Cavaliers lost the game and suffered a three-game losing streak.
In this game, Luck performed well, he had 35 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and shot 7 three-pointers on the outside line, which was very brilliant. However, The Luxurious 35+11 data for Love was useless, and the Cavaliers did not perform well in the backcourt defense, allowing Trae Young to get 35 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists, and in the final quarter, he hit consecutive long-range three-pointers and scored 13 points in the individual quarter. The Cavaliers lost the game, mainly because of the poor defensive performance in the backcourt.
And if Rubio can play in this game, then the Cavaliers are very likely to win the game, because when Rubio appears on the team, the overall strength of the Cavaliers will be very obviously improved, Rubio can act as the team's offensive strength, but also can play the role of the core of the organization, his skills are very comprehensive, while the defense is also very tough, when he is on the court, the team's offensive fluency and backcourt defensive efficiency will become better.
Unfortunately, Rubio suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and is expected to be reimbursed for the season. And if Rubio can't play this season, then the team's strength is undoubtedly a sharp decline, and the Cavaliers in order to fill the impact of Rubio's absence on the team, they got Rondo from the Lakers through a trade. So the question is, can Rondo's addition help the Cavaliers improve their strength, and will his role on the team be better than Rubio's?
In the author's opinion, from the perspective of personal ability and state, it is obvious that Rubio is better than Rondo, so far this season, Rubio has been able to average 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, the personal performance is very good, the Cavaliers can rise to become a dark horse this season, Rubio's play is crucial. Rondo, on the other hand, has averaged only 3.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, shooting 32.4 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three-point range. Compared to Rubio, Rondo's performance this season has been somewhat disappointing.
But from another point of view, Rondo is a very good passer, and when it suits his tactical system, he can help the team with his own passing. In terms of assist ability, Rondo is actually stronger than Rubio, and after joining the Cavaliers, Rondo will play with a group of young players, if he can adapt to the Cavaliers' tactical system and understand the way each Cavaliers player plays. Then Rondo is also expected to have a new look at the Cavaliers, helping the team in the assists end and making up for the impact of Rubio's absence on the team. At the age of 35, Rondo came to a young team, what kind of performance he will have in the game, and the Cavaliers after getting Rondo, the team can get out of the current predicament, which is worth looking forward to.