The Cleveland Cavaliers had an insane start to the 2024-25 NBA season. They started at a historic 15-0 record and haven’t looked back since.
Cleveland sits at a damning 31-4 record, which is at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Although they’ve been dominant, people have questioned their ability to go far in the postseason. It’s simple, the Cavs are not pretenders, they are contenders.
Why They Are Contenders
Donovan Mitchell is a superstar player who has injected life back into a Cleveland Cavaliers organization that was trying to find hope again. He’s averaged 26 points over his Cleveland tenure thus far.
The improvement of Evan Mobley has shocked the world. He’s averaging 18.8 points a contest and has become one of the most versatile forwards in the association.
Jarrett Allen is continuing to hold the fort down in the interior, averaging a double-double with a steal and a block per game.
Darius Garland has found his rhythm once again after a down 2023-24 season. He’s the point guard of one of the best offenses in the league.
With this unit, Cleveland is leading the NBA in margin of victory of 11.9 points.
The bench cannot be ignored either, they average 38.3 points per game as a unit. They also have been shooting 46% from the field, which is a scary sight for opposing defenses.
Are They Ready For A Championship?
In the Eastern Conference, the main team that can go toe-to-toe with the Cavaliers is the Boston Celtics. The season series between the two teams is 1-1 right now, with one game remaining on February 4.
Other teams include the Knicks, Bucks and Magic. For now, the Cavs look significantly stronger than these teams. The playoffs are a different story though, and Cleveland hasn’t had too much success there, yet.
The Cavs haven’t even made a conference finals with their current core, and this is the year where this can change. They’ve looked like the best team in the league all season and they haven’t taken their foot off the gas.
