Pregame Dribbles: Cavs Targeting 13-0, Face Irritated Sixers In City Of Brotherly Love

November 13, 2024

Random dribbles ahead of the Cavaliers’ road game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. …

1. It still seems a little surreal to say: 12-0. When you think about how the Cavs have arrived here, well, it truly is impressive. As Darius Garland has said, “It’s hard to get one.” But 12? Yeah, remarkable.

2. If the Cavs can beat the Sixers, they’ll be just the SIXTH team in NBA history to go 13-0. Again, the NBA has been around since 1946.

3. For me, it’s always been less about the streak and more about how the Cavs are playing. But I’ll be honest. Now it’s about the streak. Forget Cleveland and the Cavs, I get the sense that a lot of basketball-loving souls nationwide don’t want it to end, either.

4. The Cavs have become the NBA’s biggest story. That says a lot, because all the national media ever wants to talk about is the Lakers. But the Cavs are better and more fun and have a real chance to go places. No one really believes those things about the team in LA.

5. Anyway, enough about that and on to the Sixers. It’s been a messy start for president of basketball operations Daryl Morey — a product of Medina Highland High School — and the rest.

6. So far, center Joel Embiid has told off the home fans, shoved a reporter and played just one game. That came last night in a loss to the Knicks in the NBA Cup. Paul George has been just OK. Tyrese Maxey is hurt. The Sixers are 2-8.

7. We won’t know if Embiid and George are playing until this afternoon, perhaps just before tipoff (7:30 p.m.). Either way, Philly is no normal two-win team. It sounds silly, but the Cavs will really have to bring their A-game. You always do on the road.

8. But I’m not about to predict the Cavaliers to lose. They’ve just been too determined, had so many contributions from everywhere, and continue to make all the right moves at winning time. It starts with Kenny Atkinson and his creative lineups — and goes right on down the line to Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Georges Niang, Sam Merrill and whoever else I forgot to mention that will probably get mad.

9. Anyway, pregame dribbles are supposed to be kept short. So I’m ending this here. If the Cavs play the right way … keep it close … and Garland keeps delivering in the clutch … yeah, this is going to 13-0. The entire hoops-loving universe outside of Philadelphia has its fingers crossed.