I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but the Cleveland Cavaliers cannot stop winning. The Cavs finished off yet another undefeated week with a 133-129 comeback win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
The win against Portland was Cleveland’s tenth in a row and their third ten-game winning streak of the season. The Cavs also became the first team in the NBA this season to reach the 50-win mark. With all of the success, what were the big themes this week? Here are the three biggest takeaways from Week 19 of Cavaliers basketball.
1. Cleveland is building championship habits
Yes, I know the Celtics were missing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis on Friday night, but the Cavs showed that they have what it takes to take down the Celtics in the spring and are building championship habits.
Down 25-3 after five minutes, Cleveland methodically got themselves back into the game. The Cavs outscored Boston 59-42 in the second half and rode a big fourth quarter on their way to victory.
Yes, Donovan Mitchell was spectacular with 41 points. Yes, Evan Mobley’s fourth quarter takeover was brilliant. The one thing that stood out though was the Cavs’ resilience. They didn’t flinch in the face of adversity. They were down 17 or more at two separate points in the game and still kept fighting. Resilience is a habit championship-level teams have and Cleveland has a lot of it.
2. Cleveland or Virginia Cavaliers?
When the Cavs acquired De’Andre Hunter from Atlanta, no one was happier than guard Ty Jerome. Jerome and Hunter are best friends, going back to their days at Virginia where they won a national championship together. Their chemistry has been a huge benefit for Cleveland thus far.
In the 216 possessions Jerome and Hunter have played together, the Cavs have an absurd +30.5 net rating (132.9 offensive rating, 102.3 defensive rating). The duo has been the head of the snake for head coach Kenny Atkinson’s bench unit, often coming into games together.
Pairing Hunter with Jerome has made the Cavs even more dangerous and has allowed for Hunter’s integration into the team to be seamless. Both players are bonafide sixth man of the year candidates and are looking to win a championship in the NBA as well.
3. Elite defense
After having some defensive slippage during the month of January, the Cavs have gone back to their staunch ways and have maintained it over the last month.
Since February 1st, Cleveland has a defensive rating of 108.6, which is second in the league behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. They are also first in defensive rebounds per game (36.2), eighth in fastbreak points allowed (14.6) and 11th in points in the paint allowed (47.7).
Another reason for the elite defense has been the returns of Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade, along with the addition of Hunter. Having those three as part of the wing rotation has turned a weakness into a strength and has allowed for the Cavs to have more lineup versatility. Cleveland has made it clear that they have an eye towards the playoffs and their elite defensive play has shown that.