Still undefeated! 15 things to know about the 15-0 Cavaliers ahead of their Celtics clash

The Cavaliers are off to an historic start to the season. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

The holidays are coming up, and thus an enormous amount of stress inevitably follows. Presents to buy, food to prep, plane tickets to book, ways to avoid politics around the dinner table … it’s all a lot.

It’s only due to the mentally draining holidays you’ll be forgiven for not having noticed just how hot the Cleveland Cavaliers are, starting the season 15-0, and currently dominating their competition.

More importantly, outside of sporting the best record in the league, the Cavs are playing a fun brand of ball — one that’s highly recommended if you need a break from all the errands.

Here are 15 notes to get you up to speed on how exactly they’re doing it, what they’ve achieved and, of course, random observations that may or may not matter a month from now.

1. Kenny Atkinson has been a breath of fresh air.

When the Cavs fired J.B. Bickerstaff during the offseason, cries of “Atkinson!” quickly filled the social media sphere from fans who wanted to see the same roster under new leadership.

Well cried, Cavs fans. Well cried.

Atkinson has expanded the rotation, to avoid overusing his starters, and so far the balance seems to work. A whopping 10 players are receiving over 17 minutes per game, and the team’s best player — Donovan Mitchell — is barely breaking 31.

Atkinson is also emphasizing tempo, as the Cavs now rank seventh in pace, compared to 22nd last season, an inexplicably low number when you consider that Mitchell was joined in the starting unit by Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Max Strus.

The 57-year-old coach appears to have solved the issue of how to connect two dynamic guards, with two dynamic big men, without setting anyone aside.

2. Evan Mobley finally took a leap.

Right from the start of his career, Evan Mobley was good. He defended well, rebounded at a good rate, and despite not having a reliable outside shot, he still somehow found a way to produce offensively.

For a few years, Mobley remained good, but never really moved past that threshold and into excellent, much to the frustration of…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-18 19:27:00

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