There’s been a renewed buzz in the air surrounding the young and talented Cleveland Cavaliers this season. After returning from an anticipated long road trip, first out west and then traveling back on a flight to Charlotte to play the Hornets, the team returned home and beat the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night. These latest wins have some fans of the Cavs ready to crown them champions. I’d just like a trip to the postseason first.
There are many questions that surround this team. At this time the questions are mostly very positive with several possibilities. Winning always helps and the Cavs are doing that in ways that are making this Cavalier season one where, just maybe, we are turning the corner on three seasons of blah.
Question #1: How good are these Cavs?
The NBA regular season stretches 82 games and won’t wrap up until April 10 of 2022. The Wine and Gold stand at 5-4 on the season and a very respectable start. This got me researching the last couple of seasons just for some perspective on the year to date.
Last season, the one that was shortened slightly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, started just before Christmas. The Cavaliers actually won three in a row to start the season, were also 5-4 and actually were at 10-11 before the wheels fell off the bus. The Cavs lost 10 in a row. They sprinkled in a few wins here and there but, regardless of injuries, to close the year at one point lost 11 in row and 18 of their last 21 to go 22-50. Yikes.
So here we are again at 5-4, but this season and this team, knock on wood, seem better prepared, more skilled and more in tune with each other, their coaches and seem to maybe have figured out how to take a lead in games and keep it for victories.
The Cavs are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, for now. If the season were to end today the team would be in play-in territory with a shot at the postseason from there. If I can keep writing that every week about this team, then what a great season and improvement over previous years. What has impressed me so far this season as a team, the Cavaliers, even though they’ve lost a couple games in a row, have bounced back.
The win at Charlotte on Monday was impressive for a couple reasons and shows just how much the team has improved already over a season ago. The Cavs had lost to the Hornets in their home opener. In that game they played close for much of it before the Hornets ran away late, winning 123-112.
Conversely, in this past week’s game in Charlotte, the Wine and Gold took a commanding lead in the first half. Though the Hornets made a strong comeback, the team, including players like big Jarrett Allen and guard Darius Garland came through in the clutch with big shots and free throws to seal the deal, winning, 113-110.
A year ago, how many times did the Cavs enter the final quarter in a close contest only to get run out of the gym by the final buzzer? That hasn’t happened yet and I don’t get that sense that that will happen on a regular basis this season.