Cavs are on a hot streak that nobody saw coming
- col-aaron-dorksen
- January 24, 2024
- 988
A few thoughts from the week in sports …
The Cleveland Cavaliers started the week as the NBA’s hottest team. Raise your hand if you saw that coming. No hands in the air — I didn’t think so.
No one could have predicted the Cavs (26-15 as of Jan. 23) climbing up to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference when two of their top three players were sidelined with injuries last month.
When Darius Garland (broken jaw) joined Evan Mobley (arthroscopic knee surgery) on the injured list in December, the prospects for a playoff run didn’t look good.
Trade rumors surrounding All-Star Donovan Mitchell — under contract with the Cavs through the 2024-25 season with player option for 2025-26 — really started to swirl.
However, coach JB Bickerstaff’s Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 126-99 on Jan. 22 for their eighth straight win. That’s the best current streak in the NBA.
Even more impressive, Cleveland improved to 13-3 without Garland and Mobley, who were the team’s second- and third-leading scorers.
Mitchell has asserted himself as a scoring point guard with Garland sidelined.
Cleveland changed its strategy by stressing better ball movement, spacing the floor more and shooting more 3-pointers than ever before. And the trifectas are falling one after another.
Cleveland also has gotten the job done on the defensive end, holding teams to just 98.5 points a game during the winning streak.
During the last 15 games, Mitchell ranks fifth in the NBA in points per game, 10th in assists and leads the way in steals. Overall, Mitchell leads the Cavs for the season with 27.8 points per game, 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals.
It’s also highly impressive to see 11 players averaging at least 5.8 points a game and six over 12.8.
Center Jarrett Allen (14.8 ppg, 10.3 rebounds) has really asserted himself inside since Mobley went down. He had a franchise record 12th straight double-double against the Magic.
The Cavs are a fun team to watch, and fans never know which player will join Mitchell as the hot shooter that night. And it’s clear they all know their roles during the recent winning streak.
Mitchell is the first option, but he’s averaging career highs for assists, and they’ve moved the ball around in impressive fashion. The Cavs have a plethora of players who can knock down 3-pointers, which is critical in today’s drive and kick NBA.
Sam Merrill has been the breakout star during the winning streak and actually led the way against Orlando with 26 points.
Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Merrill and Mitchell can all knock down 3-pointers.
Normally, fans would say they can’t wait to get two All-Star caliber players back like Garland and Mobley, but with the winning chemistry the team has right now, I’m concerned how the rotation will work when they get back to the court. Mitchell and Garland are both players who like to have the ball a lot, and Garland’s defense is not a strong suit.
Whatever the case, the Cavs will be fun to watch down the stretch.
NFL Final Four
It will be championship Sunday for the NFL on Jan. 28.
The Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC title to start the day at 3 p.m., followed by the Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers at 6:30 p.m.
The AFC final will be a matchup of two incredible quarterbacks when Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs takes on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Baltimore also has the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL and looked outstanding in shutting down the Houston Texans in the divisional round.
Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce will be in the AFC Championship game for a record sixth straight year, which is an incredible feat. The Chiefs are coming off yet another win over Josh Allen and the Bills in the playoffs.
The Chiefs are 3-2 in AFC title games with Mahomes at quarterback, and they also have an outstanding defense this year.
The Pick: Chiefs keep rolling with Mahomes and the best defense he’s had, and the “Swifties” fan base moves on to the Super Bowl.
—I’ve decided to root for the Detroit Lions in the playoffs because they remind me the most of the Cleveland Browns. Neither team has ever been to a Super Bowl, nor even played in one.
Unfortunately, the Lions are a seven-point underdog against the 49ers.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff has been a surprise standout and looked strong with 287 passing yards and two TD tosses in the win over Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield, who would have been my backup team to root for.
The 49ers have an outstanding defense, and Brock Purdy will be out for redemption after being knocked out of the NFC title game last year with an elbow injury.
The pick: Even though I want the Lions to win, I think the 49ers will prevail.
Parting shots
John Carroll made it official last week and joined the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Blue Streaks joining the NCAC is a huge addition and a big loss for the Ohio Athletic Conference.
John Carroll will certainly raise the bar in most sports for Wooster and fellow NCAC teams.
Even though many people speculated the move was centered around football, JCU administrators stressed it was about positioning for the future with like-minded colleges in the NCAC.
—The College of Wooster will formally dedicate Steve Moore Court at Timken Gym following the men’s basketball game against DePauw on Jan. 27. Tipoff is set for 3:15 p.m. and will follow the Wooster women’s game against Denison.
This is a much-deserved honor for Hall of Fame coach Steve Moore, and a big turnout is expected.
—The Scots men’s basketball team is heating up at the right time. Wooster entered the week with a four-game winning streak, improving to 10-8 (6-3 NCAC).
It was a logjam atop the NCAC with Wittenberg leading at 13-5 (7-2) and DePauw, Denison, Wabash and Wooster all at 6-3.
Aaron Dorksen can be emailed at aarondorksen24@gmail.com.