LeBron James is long gone, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are once again looking like NBA championship contenders. The Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in a showdown of former rivals who have reinvented themselves to be elite again, ending their young season at 10-0. Cleveland became the 14th team in league history to start the season with 10 straight wins, which doesn’t seem like a fluke.
The Cavs defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night to improve to 11-0.
The Cavs won 99 games over the past two regular seasons, but were eliminated early in the playoffs due to scoring troubles. Cleveland made no major changes to its lineup during the offseason, but replaced head coach JB Bickerstaff with Kenny Atkinson. So far, Atkinson has had better results (and better health) among the same group.
The Cavs are No. 1 in offensive efficiency, scoring a whopping 122.7 points per 100 possessions. Their defense ranks eighth in the league by forcing turnovers, protecting the rim with their Twin Towers frontcourt, and cleaning the defensive glass. Cleveland ranks only 16th in 3-point percentage (percentage of three made field goals), but when they make shots, they don’t miss. The Cavs’ 3-point percentage of 42.7 percent is the best in the NBA by a mile.
The last time an NBA team started the season 10-0 was the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors, who won a record 73 games before losing to James’ Cavs in the NBA Finals. Of the 13 teams that have started the season with 10 straight wins, 10 have advanced to at least the conference finals, and three of them have gone on to become NBA champions.
Here’s the complete list of longest undefeated starts in NBA history:
Longest undefeated start in NBA history (currently includes the Cavs)
2015-16 Warriors: 24-0 (lost in the Finals) 1993-94 Rockets: 15-0 (NBA Champions) 2002-03 Mavericks: 14-0 (lost in the Conference Finals) 1957-58 Celtics: 14-0 ( ) 1996-97 Bulls: 12-0 (NBA Champions) 1982-83 SuperSonics: 12-0 (Lost in the 1st round) 1997-98 Lakers: 11-0 (Lossed in the Conference Finals) 1997-98 Hawks: 11-0 (1990-91 Trail Blazers: 11-0 (lost in conference finals) 1964-65 Celtics: 11-0 (NBA Champion) 2024-25 Cavaliers: 11-0 (current) 2000-01 76ers: 10 – 0 (Lost in the Finals) 1993-94 SuperSonics: 10-0 (Lost in the 1st round) 1972-73 Celtics: 10-0 (Lost in the Conference Finals)
What does the Cavaliers’ schedule look like going forward?
How long will Cleveland’s opening winning streak last? There are a lot of winnable games on the upcoming schedule. The Cavs’ next opponents are:
November 11th @ Chicago Bulls November 13th @ Philadelphia 76ers November 15th vs. Chicago Bulls November 17th vs. Charlotte Hornets November 19th @ Boston Celtics November 20th vs. New Orleans pelicans
Are the Cavs really the favorites to win?
If I were to re-rank the NBA right now, I would put Cleveland as the third or fourth best team in the league behind the reigning champion Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Phoenix Suns also deserve to be in Cleveland’s league, and they would have put the Warriors in there before losing to the Cavs.
Cleveland has four All-Stars in the starting lineup, who have now played together for three straight seasons. Donovan Mitchell is Cleveland’s mainstay, but his minutes and scoring output have both decreased this year as the Cavs have moved to a more egalitarian system. His backcourt mate Darius Garland is looking phenomenal after suffering a broken jaw last season. Garland shoots well off the ball (48 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per game) and gives the Cavs another talented ball handler and playmaker.
The Mitchell/Garland backcourt concern has always been a size issue in playoff matchups. It remains to be seen how that will play out, but it’s certainly nice to have two talented 7-footers behind them.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have a rare twin-tower look in today’s NBA. Allen is a classic player who plays as a rim roller/rim protector in the middle and finishes plays on both ends. In his fourth year as a pro, Mobley has taken a big leap forward as a more versatile offensive player, which is helping Cleveland’s offense move forward. Mobley has been getting on-ball more to start this season and seems to be getting more comfortable playing through contact. The former No. 3 overall pick has always been very talented, and now he’s finally made the transition from prospect to offensive player. Cleveland could indeed select three All-Stars this year.
The Cavs’ role players also deserve praise. Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome have been unconscious since the 3rd. Isaac Okoro is a lockdown defender on the wing and currently looks more comfortable shooting from the outside. Dean Wade is a versatile forward on both sides, and Sam Merrill is a quick-trigger shooter that defenses will need to pay close attention to.
The Celtics still have the edge in the East, but Cleveland looks like the clear second-best team in the conference right now.
