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From time to time, writers at NBA.com will discuss significant narratives or popular subjects within the league.
Cleveland has emerged victorious in 20 of their last 22 matchups. How do you interpret the Cavaliers’ supremacy this season?
I have confidence in Cleveland, not only for the regular season but also for the playoffs. This wasn’t the same sentiment during the previous two years when they faltered under the pressure of their own expectations built over a full season.
Currently, the Cavaliers are not just robust; they have the versatility to employ different playing styles, shifting from a traditional two-big setup to a faster, smaller approach, largely thanks to the adaptable Evan Mobley. Donovan Mitchell is definitely earning a spot on my Kia MVP ballot. Darius Garland has become one of my favorite players in the league due to the zest he brings combined with his impressive skills.
Labeling Ty Jerome as a candidate for Kia Most Improved Player only scratches the surface of his remarkable transformation. Additionally, securing De’Andre Hunter at the trade deadline was a significant acquisition, providing another wing player to counter formidable opponents like that Boston team. Let’s also acknowledge Kenny Atkinson, who has transformed his career from coaching in Brooklyn to crafting a masterpiece with the Cavaliers.
I didn’t foresee this happening. In our preseason predictions for the conference standings, I projected Cleveland to secure the third seed in the East, estimating they would win around 50 games. Their astonishing 15-game winning streak to kick off the season was surprising. However, their most recent run — despite already holding a solid lead in the Eastern standings — has been even more noteworthy. The Cavaliers confronted stiffer challenges, took on more road games, achieved victories by larger margins, and did all of this while their top scorer (Donovan Mitchell) missed four of those games.
The Cavs have ticked all the boxes this regular season. They’ve won convincingly (16 games by over 20 points, tied for the league lead with OKC), triumphed in close games (22 clutch victories, second to Houston), and nine different players have topped the scoring charts at various points. The remaining question is whether this regular-season triumph will carry over into the playoffs.
While surprising, this success isn’t without justification. It stems from a perfect convergence of factors: Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year extension last offseason to remain with the Cavs, Kenny Atkinson was brought on as head coach, Evan Mobley made significant strides, Ty Jerome emerged as a Kia Most Improved Player contender, and the midseason acquisition of De’Andre Hunter has bolstered the team. Furthermore, the Eastern Conference has experienced a down year (with no Philly, issues surrounding Jimmy Butler in Miami, and Orlando’s injury struggles), which has played to their advantage.
Overall, the Cavs find themselves in a situation reminiscent of the 60-win Hawks who reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014-15—right team, right place, right time. We will learn more about them when they potentially face Boston in the spring.
It seemed reasonable to assume that the Cavaliers’ early-season offensive output was not sustainable and that they would eventually taper off. That dip never occurred, and boasting an average of 8.1 more points per 100 possessions than the league norm, they are currently the best offensive team in the past two decades. Rather than declining offensively, they have enhanced their defense as the season progressed.
In the history of the NBA, only six teams have outscored their opponents by an average margin as impressive as these Cavaliers (11.0). Of those six, five went on to win championships, while the sole exception (the 1971-72 Bucks) lost in the conference finals to the best team in NBA history by point differential (the 1971-72 Lakers). Statistics indicate that the Cavaliers are unmistakably the favorites in the East, yet it is often challenging to fully trust a “new” contender until they face significant trials. That trial awaits in the form of a playoff series against the defending champions.
