The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had the league’s toughest schedule thus far. They opened against an expected playoff team with the Toronto Raptors, then followed with two mid-tier Eastern squads and then the rebuilding Orlando Magic Wednesday.
Even so, many “good” teams have stumbled against teams they were supposed to beat. The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the San Antonio Spurs; the same Chicago Bulls team the Cavs beat has notched wins over the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. Going 3-1 against that slate is solid even if they haven’t been truly tested yet.
That will come soon, with the Celtics on the schedule twice in the next week. Yet for now it’s time to reflect back on the first eight days of Cavaliers basketball, when the Cavs have looked like one of the best teams in the East. Some things have gone about as expected, from Donovan Mitchell scoring well to Dean Wade providing solid play whenever he is called upon.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a strong start at 3-1 to begin the year. What have been the unexpected takeaways from the first week of Cavs basketball?
Other things have been very surprising; most are in the “good” category but some fall under the bad. Let’s look at five key and unexpected takeaways from the first week of Cavs basketball, starting with a player providing value in every area of the game.