As of November 13th, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still undefeated. The Philadelphia 76ers will challenge the Cavs’ perfect start, but for now, the Cavaliers are 12-0. While many NBA reporters and experts believe in the sustainability of this Cavs roster, it seems like the guys at the TNT studio do not.
Shaq and Chuck Do Not Believe in the Cavs’ Perfect Start
On the last episode of Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley talked about the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had no game on the schedule, but they came into the conversation as the crew was discussing teams that are playing better than expected this season.
Shaq and Chuck might not have disrespected the Cavs directly, but they certainly did not share words of encouragement for the Cavs. Shaq had some words about their coach Kenny Atkinson, while Chuck talked about Donovan Mitchell.
Kenny Smith was the one to begin the conversation, as he talked about three teams that came out of the gate faster than many people expected. Those are the Golden State Warriors, who are now 9-2, tied for first place in the West, Phoenix Suns, also 9-2, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, undefeated, 12-0 currently.
Chuck wanted to weigh in on the conversation and praise their coach, saying he wants to give Atkinson some love because he is doing a fabulous job. And that is when Shaq came up with some disrespect, saying,
“No He ain’t. Donovan Mitchell is playing amazing.”
Shaq also later said that he doesn’t believe in coaches. From there, the conversation continued to another important member of the Cavs franchise.
When Kenny said that the team reminds him of the Boston Celtics of two years ago, Chuck said,
“You just had to go too far. Are they better than Tatum and Brown. Donovan Mitchell is not better than Tatum or Brown.”
Can The Cavs Sustain This Playing Style?
The Cavs are playing superb basketball this season, in large part because of their increased rotation. Guard Ty Jerome is a huge contributor, alongside Sixth Man of the Year candidate Caris LeVert, and many other players who have a larger role this season.
Coach Atkinson has basically the same roster as last year, but he made changes to the way they play. Atkinson wanted the team to play faster, feature Evan Mobley more, shoot more threes, and attack the rim as much as possible.
To do all that, you need fresh legs, and this is where the increased rotation helps. The Cavaliers have seven players averaging between 20 and 30 minutes (Sam Merrill is just shy at 19.7). Mitchell is playing the least minutes of his career at 30.7. That has opened up the floor for Darius Garland, Mobley, and other players to contribute. That has led to the Cavs’ perfect start of 12-0.
As Kenny Smith pointed out during the Inside the NBA segment, they have fresh legs now, no bruises or anything. An injury here or there will shrink the rotation. Nobody expects the Cavs to go 82-0, or challenge some historic record. But for now, they have the best record in the league, and barring a huge injury, they seem destined to have at least the second seed in the East. They have a six-game cushion on teams below them and Boston, giving them enough breathing room. As a second seed, the road to the NBA Finals is easier.
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