Dribbles: Cavs Show Collectiveness Yet Again, Work Wizards To Stay Unbeaten

October 26, 2024

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 135-116 road win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. …

1. Three up, three down and only 79 more to go. Can the Cavaliers win them all?

2. OK, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but the Cavs are 3-0, and they did win their first back-to-back of the season. Yes, the opposition has been just OK to downright bad, but a win is a win is a win. And the Cavs have three.

3. In this one, the Cavs looked a little sluggish. As if maybe they had some jet lag. Or maybe it was just because they played the night before in Cleveland, while the Wizards were simply sitting at home, waiting.

4. But just like the Cavs did in wins over the Raptors and Pistons, they came out in the third quarter and systematically put the Wizards away. Slowly, but surely, Cleveland built a 27-point lead.

5. It’s true that the Cavs have played three opponents that aren’t expected to make the playoffs, or even come that close. But these games haven’t been close, either. For the most part, the second half has been Blowout City.

6. That’s encouraging. So is the fact Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson seems comfortable going 10-11 deep in the rotation, not feeling the need to wear out the starters. Atkinson has been around the NBA for a long time. He understands the long game.

7. Donovan Mitchell was magnificent in recording 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, passing for five assists. He also went 6-of-11 on 3-pointers. Sometimes, you need your star to take charge when things are lagging, and Mitchell is one of the best in the NBA at that. He’s a pick-up-the-pace artist.

8. Or how about Jarrett Allen? He took 10 shots. He made 10 shots. He scored 23 and dominated the paint.

9. Then there’s Darius Garland, who also scored 23. He did so on a sizzling 9-of-11 from the field. So yeah, Allen and Garland were a combined 19-of-21. Throw in Mitchell and it’s 30-of-39.

10. In the world of the NBA, I believe that’s what they call “on fire.”

11. Evan Mobley added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and yet again, Ty Jerome managed to somehow get into the lane and quietly reach double figures in scoring.

12. Against the Wizards, Jerome made four shots (on six attempts), one three, five free throws and finished with 14 points. Like most everyone, Mobley and Jerome were pretty doggone efficient, forcing nothing.

13. Sam Merrill added 11 points and Caris LeVert scored 10. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but the bench looks improved.

14. Atkinson to reporters, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com: “We’re connected, playing well together on both ends. You just feel that energy when a team’s connected. It’s hard to define it, but you know it when you see it.”

15. The coach added that when you are talented and connected, “you can do some important things in this league.”

16. Now comes the fun part. Or the tough part. A game in New York against the Knicks looms (Monday night). The next week is more difficult on paper. After the Knicks, it’s LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, in Cleveland, followed by the Orlando Magic, also in Cleveland (Wednesday and Friday, respectively).

17. Win, lose or draw, it will be interesting to see how the Cavs stack up against opponents that are … well, much better than what they’ve faced. But you have to like how the Cavs have flat-out handled business so far. They’re playing the right way and getting results.

18. Allen explained Atkinson’s point a little further. “We all have egos, but nobody has an ego that’s going to overshadow the team,” he said. “Outside of basketball, we all enjoy each other’s company, we all fight for each other. It’s just a good group of people.”

19. Second-year wing Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 23 points. But forward Kyle Kuzma scored only 14 on a miserable 3-of-16 shooting.

20. It’s going to be another long year for pro basketball in our nation’s capital. The Wizards have played each of their first two games at home. They lost the first by 20. They lost this one by 19, and it could’ve been a lot worse.

21. Back to the Cavs. Yes, the competition has been far from stiff. But that’s beside the point. What you want to see is if your favorite team is showing signs of playing smart, playing hard and playing together. When that happens, you can accept the outcome, especially this early in the season.

22. Right now, that’s Cavaliers Basketball.