BELIEVE THE HYPE: The Cleveland Cavaliers are LEGITIMATE NBA Finals contenders
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 6-0.
Everything is working right now for Kenny Atkinson’s squad. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland can’t miss. Evan Mobley has made the All-Star jump. Jarrett Allen is the most underrated player in the NBA. Caris Levert has found his groove. Sam Merrill, Ty Jerome, Georges Niang and Isaac Okoro are leading the NBA’s top bench right now.
If you haven’t bought in yet, now’s the time to believe the hype about the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Darius Garland scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 6-0 with a 120-109 victory Friday night over the Orlando Magic, who played their first game without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero.
The Cavs are the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. The last time Cleveland started 6-0 was in 2016 with LeBron James. The club’s best start was 8-0 in 1976.
The early meeting between Orlando and Cleveland was a rematch of last season’s tense opening-round playoff series won by the Cavs in seven games.
Banchero is expected to miss at least a month — and maybe longer — with a torn right oblique. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft was on an early tear, averaging 29 points with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists before getting hurt Wednesday.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Franz Wagner had 17 points.
Cleveland rookie Luke Travers made his NBA debut. The Australian scored four points in garbage time.
22 comments
"We can never know about the 'games' to come…but "these are the good-old-days"
Mcnuggets quickly becoming one of my fav cavs coverage guys. Can tell he played and has a great understanding of the game. Asks great question in post game
I'm with ya Mikey. It's been a lot of fun watching them these first couple weeks. Let's enjoy the moment. Go Cavs!
50 wins last two seasons. So yes, too soon to be talking about a chip or matching up with the Cs. Looks like east got worse. So maybe, but pass on koolaid rn.
I'm loving this start! Im just curious to see how we look against the Celtics… 🤔
So far, so good!
This roster a onion @ Outback Steakhouse, it’s blooming !
Ty Jerome aka Baby Luka.
When Luke Travers is our SF with the core 👀!!!
Two words. Luke Travers
GO CAVS!!!!
The roster construction and coaching is clicking and it’s dominant and sustainable! Dark horse dynasty out the Land, ECF game 7 to the Celtics going either way is very likely
Look if they're undefeated at the All-Star break then we can talk
I like how aggressive Evan has been. I just get a little worried when he's dribbling too much. He dribbled a lil too much a few times, which led to a few turnovers
Great time to be a Cavs fan with yall I love all you guys every one of us ✊🫡
Okc this season👀
Still early
MvNuggets you are 100% right, Evan does still look a like Bamby
Great content McNuggets. Go Cavs!
do you like lean wade starting all season or should max strus start when he gets back?
Go cavs. Great work mcnuggets and great show. Love what Atkinson is doing and we are hitting shots
Ive been the biggest optimist on the Cavs since they drafted Mobley, even through the Knicks series and slumps last year: we gotta pause this enthusiasm. The Cavs have taken care of bad teams for years. Its consistent stretches of wins versus healthy good teams where the problems lie. Give it until the 20 game mark or else we could all be setting ourselves up for massive disappointment