Cavaliers 2020-21 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

Life in a post-LeBron James world has been a struggle for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team went 19-63 in the 2018-19 season and was on pace to better that mark last year, going 19-46 before the season was put on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

That doesn't mean there isn't hope in Cleveland. In Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, the team has a young and exciting backcourt. No. 5 overall pick Isaac Okoro was added to the young core. Veteran Kevin Love returns to lead the way. Center Andre Drummond is also back after exercising his $28.7 million player option for this season. 

Let's take a look at the schedule they'll face as they try to improve this season. 

2020-21 Cavs Schedule Details

Season Opener: Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET vs. the Charlotte Hornets (home)

Championship Odds: 250-1, per FanDuel

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers (First Game: Monday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Hey, anytime the Cavaliers play James, it matters. And what better measuring stick for how far along the Cavaliers are in their own rebuild than facing the defending champions? 

Nobody will expect the Cavaliers to win either of these games, but if Sexton and company could pull off an upset against the big, bad Lakers it would be a season highlight. 

But yes, highlighting this matchup is mostly about James returning to Cleveland, where he spent the majority of his career in two separate stints, winning the only title in franchise history. 

Atlanta Hawks (First Game: Saturday, Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET)           

Speaking of measuring progress, the Hawks—much like the Cavaliers—are amid a multi-year rebuild. Unlike the Cavs, they have already unearthed a superstar in Trae Young, who was an All-Star last year. And now that they've added Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn in free agency, the Hawks are a fun hipster pick to sneak into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference this year. 

These games will give Cavs fans and management a chance to see how the team's own rebuilding plans—and young talent—stacks up. There are rebuilds that explode after exciting young talent is added (see the Process Sixers going from 28 to 52 wins between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, thanks to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) and rebuilds that seem to aimlessly meander for years on end (see the New York Knicks). 

Both the Hawks and Cavaliers are hoping to be the former. These matchups will be a fun test of which organization is closer to that goal. 

Prediction

The Cavaliers don't look like a team ready to turn the corner and compete for a playoff berth this season, but wilder things have happened. If Sexton and Garland take the next step, or if Okoro hits the ground running, the Cavs could surprise some teams. 

More than likely, this is a team heading for the lottery yet again. But the expectation will be growth from the team's young core. 

Cautious optimism is the course of action for Cavaliers fans. There are too many good teams in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Cavaliers to assume they'll make a playoff push.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers are all playoff locks, barring major injuries. That's seven teams right there, while the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Hawks are ahead of the Cavaliers at this point. 

So no, the Cavs aren't going to the playoffs this year. But they should be better, however incrementally. 

Record Prediction: 20-52 

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