On November 6th, 2024, two unbeaten teams remained in the National Basketball Association. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was until the Thunder lost a heartbreaker to the division rival, Denver Nuggets. Now, the Cavaliers stand atop of the league for now with an impressive 9-0 record. While the season is still young, the Cavaliers have shocked some peers with how dominant they have looked to start the new campaign.
However, it should not be too surprising when one takes a close analysis of the makeup of this Cleveland squad. They were a top-four team in the Eastern Conference last year and that was with them dealing with nagging injuries to their core players throughout the season. Now that they are healthy, the Cavaliers are showing why one should consider them as serious title contenders. Continuity and chemistry have played a huge factor into Cleveland’s hot start.
Cleveland Cavaliers Only Undefeated Team Left After Oklahoma City’s Loss to Denver
The Cavaliers’ Hot Start to the Season
With the “core four,” back and healthy, the Cleveland Cavaliers are showing why they were not broken up this offseason. This group consists of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Garland was inconsistent last year but was also dealing with a facial fracture in the middle of the season. He once again looks like one of the better up-and-coming talents in the league. The team kept their defensive identity last year and Donovan Mitchell even made strides with his perimeter defense. Everything seems to finally be coming to fruition this year. Mitchell looks like a legitimate MVP candidate averaging 23.8 points, 1.4 steals, and 4.1 assists per game.
As a team, the Cavaliers are leading many key statistical categories. They rank first in points per game (123.2), third in steals per game (9.4), first in team field goal percentage (52.6 percent), and second in three-point shooting percentage (42.1 percent). As if that was not impressive enough, Cleveland also ranks second in three-point field goals made (138) and has a team defensive rating of 110.1 which is good enough for ninth in the Association. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen’s rim protection is a huge factor in their top-10 defense, but the team also possesses a solid supporting cast that has brought into their roles this year. The Cavaliers currently have odds of +2,200 odds to win the NBA Finals as of November 7th, 2024, per FanDuel. With how well they have played to start the season, one can make an argument they should have much better odds.
