Cavaliers push through adversity to jump in standings and into title contention
Cleveland has overtaken Milwaukee for the No. 2 spot in the East by winning 14 out of 15 games since Jan. 3.
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell surveyed the crowd surrounding him like he was dissecting a trapping defense.
Backed up against a wall inside the locker room Monday night following the Cavaliers’ sixth straight win, a 136-110 rout of the Sacramento Kings, the All-Star guard couldn’t help but notice the growing number of media members hanging around him and his teammates lately.
“It’s insane,” expressed Mitchell. “No offense intended to many of you, but several of you weren’t present when we were struggling.”
The Cavs have flipped the script on a season that seemed destined for failure.
Since Dec. 16, Cleveland has achieved an NBA-best record of 19-4. This surprising surge began one day after the team disclosed that two of its core players, starting point guard Darius Garland (who has a broken jaw) and forward Evan Mobley (who underwent knee surgery), would be benched indefinitely due to injuries. These injuries kept them off the court for six weeks.
Since then, everything has changed within and surrounding the Cavs.
Talk of coach J.B. Bickerstaff facing dismissal has subsided and has been supplanted by conversations about his potential Coach of the Year title. The speculation around Mitchell’s future in Cleveland has shifted focus to the present, questioning if this version of the Cavs, who are performing at a peak not witnessed since LeBron James’s tenure, are serious contenders for the 2024 championship.
Donovan Mitchell is rapidly propelling the Cavaliers up the East standings. What’s the highest they can go in Cleveland?
Everything occurred swiftly and surprisingly, but not for everyone.
The Cavs have consistently held the belief that their talent is on par with the top teams in the league, it has just taken them a bit more time to unlock it.
What’s happened is that Cleveland has become a more dynamic, deeper team than anticipated.
“Everyone has stepped up when they’ve been needed,” Mitchell stated, who is making a strong case for MVP with his most comprehensive season yet. “We’ve observed this in training camp and during the summer workouts. The main challenge was just trying to harness this collectively as a team.”
Cleveland has taken over the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference from Milwaukee by going 14-1 since Jan. 3. The team will play its next three games on the road, beginning in Washington on Wednesday.
The team has experienced a swift and impressive ascent, but they still need to make amends for their previous year’s playoff failure, where they were crushed in the first round by the New York Knicks. However, that’s a matter to be addressed later.
“Firstly, we understood each other as we practiced together,” said Bickerstaff, before his team hit 23 3-pointers and outpaced a fast-paced Sacramento team. “There is a clear picture of our game style and what we excel at. Now, when we play Cavs basketball, everyone knows what that entails and players can comfortably step into their roles,” he added.
Surprisingly, the Cavs only discovered their offensive identity after Garland and Mobley got injured.
Garland’s playmaking and Mobley’s dual-threat abilities became even more critical to ball movement without their combined contribution of 36 points per game. In a trend seen across the league, the Cavs, who bolstered their lineup with shooters Max Strus and Georges Niang in the offseason, are attempting more 3-pointers (37 per game) and successfully making more of them (13.4).
“This is fantastic. We’re playing excellent basketball, but what’s most important to me, and to us as a team, is figuring out how to maintain this momentum. How can we continue to improve?” – Donovan Mitchell
Due to his team being short-handed, Bickerstaff, previously criticized for his rotations, had to utilize reserves such as Craig Porter Jr. and Sam Merrill. Both have performed well to earn more trust and playing time.
Bickerstaff will reluctantly expand his rotation for now, even though it will tighten in the postseason.
“He expressed his dislike for the number 10,” he stated. “He prefers nine, but acknowledged that ten guys have deserved it.”
Bickerstaff is receiving accolades as the Cavs have slowly entered into championship discussions. This comes as Cleveland’s victories have accumulated, with their only defeat since January 1 being a 10-point loss at Milwaukee.
“J.B. is underappreciated,” said Kings’ coach Mike Brown. “They faced some early challenges, which in my opinion, are beneficial. Overcoming such adversities with your team signifies a genuine chance of success. They’re proving to everyone that they’re genuine contenders capable of surmounting any obstacle in their path.”
Naturally, having Mitchell take the lead is beneficial.
The 27-year-old has exceeded all expectations the Cavs had when they traded for him in September 2022. Averaging 28.2 points, he’s also hitting career highs in assists (6.4), rebounds (5.4), and steals (1.9). Furthermore, Mitchell consistently delivers crucial plays when most needed.
He tossed the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk on Monday.
Although Mitchell is optimistic about Cleveland’s progress, he is not overly excited about it yet.
“He said, ‘It’s good, yet it’s February. We simply wish to maintain our current style of play. The key factor is to play together as a team. It’s about remaining here and retaining our unity as a group.”
“This is wonderful. We’re playing excellent basketball, but our primary concern is how do we maintain this momentum? How do we improve further?”
