Cleveland Cavaliers Stay Close to Top of NBA Power Rankings

The Cleveland Cavaliers are slowly finding their way back towards the top of the Eastern Conference after winning their last three games.

The Cavs have won five of their last six and are re-establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the league. That is reflected in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's power rankings as the Cavs landed at No. 10 for the second week in a row.

"The Cavs have been without Darius Garland for the last five games, but they’re now seven games over .500 for the first time. They’ve won five of their last six, a stretch that includes three huge road wins over the Sixers (twice) and Magic," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Cavs are one of two teams – the Sixers are the other – that have yet to play in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. After finishing their home-and-home set with the Magic and hosting the Lakers, they’ll begin their longest road trip of the season (five games over 11 days) in Phoenix."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell drives past Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Cavs Stay in Top 10 For Power Rankings

The teams that ranked ahead of the Cavs are the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons, who are the new No. 1 team this week.

The Cavaliers have struggled to figure out how to play without Darius Garland, but their play over the last week has proven that they are beginning to turn the corner.

"The Cavs are 13-6 when they have Donovan Mitchell in the lineup without Garland, but they’ve outscored their opponents by just 11 total points in those 19 games. They include their two worst losses of the season, including a 32-point defeat at the hands of the Thunder last Monday. Overall, they’ve scored just 113.8 points per 100 possessions in those 19 games, though they’ve still been very good (plus-8.4 per 100) in Mitchell’s 1,038 total minutes on the floor without Garland," Schuhmann wrote.

This could mean the Cavaliers might feel more comfortable trading Garland, who has been thrown into rumors all season long due to his large contract and Cleveland's inevitable tax payments.

The Cavs are back in action against the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. ET inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on Peacock as part of the streaming service's doubleheader.