Only four NBA teams have ever started a season 15-0, and the Cavaliers have a chance to join them today by beating Charlotte, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. This year’s Cavs have already set a franchise record with 14 straight victories, and they appear to have a legitimate chance to win the Eastern Conference. There weren’t any major roster changes during the offseason, but the team seemed to reset by hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach.
Atkinson has installed an up-tempo offensive system that emphasizes spacing, ball movement and creating open three-point opportunities. After serving as an assistant coach with Golden State, Atkinson has his team playing a style that’s similar to the Warriors.
“I was so thrilled when Draymond (Green) said that the other day,” Atkinson said. “He was just really impressed how we pinged the ball around. How we drive, kick, swing. We get it out of pick and roll. We get it in fast-break situations, and it is Warriors-esque. It’s really that type of ball movement. It’s beautiful to watch.”
The Cavaliers gained a sense of stability over the summer when Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150MM extension, Withers adds. Mitchell has been able to carry the team whenever it needs a scoring boost, including an 18-point fourth quarter outburst in Friday’s win over Chicago.
“That was him,” Atkinson said. “That wasn’t us. It wasn’t me saying it. He just senses what does the team need right now? And that could be him or it could be someone else. And that speaks to his IQ, just understanding of who’s on the court, who he’s playing with.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- An offseason trade for Josh Giddey and the return of Lonzo Ball pushed Bulls guard Coby White into a different role this season. He talks about that adjustment and more in an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “My career with this team has put me in multiple roles, especially as our roster changes,” White said. “Last year, I was more on the ball, but this year, with guys like Lonzo and Giddey, who are really talented passers, I’m adjusting. They make it easy because they’re willing to make the right play every time. It’s an adjustment, but it’s been a smooth one thanks to them.”
- Bulls forward Patrick Williams has been through an up-and-down career since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft, but he believes he has benefited from the experience, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘Where am I at in my career? I don’t know what other people felt it should have been,” Williams said. “I know that I feel I’m making my way toward it. You never want it to come easy. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that bloom early, blossom early. … Nah, I’d rather have it this way. Bumps and bruises, people talk [expletive] about me, ups and downs with an injury, ups and downs with everything. It builds an appreciation when I get where I’m going. It builds a resolve for when I do have a bad game, I can say, ‘I’ve been here before. Just move on.’’’
- Wendell Moore Jr. and Marcus Sasser helped the Pistons hold off Toronto Friday night and improve to 2-0 in the NBA Cup, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The two bench players had the team’s highest plus-minus ratings in the fourth quarter, with Moore at plus-10 and Sasser at plus-seven. “Wendell and (Sasser), they were huge for us,” Cade Cunningham said. “They came in, brought so much energy, made shots, were flying around, defended. That group just got us back in the game and then from there we just rode it out.”