Being a Cleveland sports fan can be a tough thing. The Browns are a dreadful 2-7, and a losing season seems all but guaranteed. The Guardians had a successful season, going all the way to the ALCS and proving almost every baseball analyst wrong, but now that their exciting season is over, Cleveland fans are looking for a new sports team to root for. Luckily, they don’t need to look any further than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland sports fans have something to smile about recently, as the wine and gold are off to an historically great start to the season, looking unstoppable so far. 

The Cavs are off to an astonishing 14-0 start to the season and show no signs of slowing down. It has been a true team effort for the Cavs, with every player contributing significant minutes in nearly every game. The team has been led by the star guard duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, averaging 23.6 and 20.5 points per game respectively. In the past, the two had struggled to play together on-court, but their chemistry this season has helped propel the teams’ offensive prowess. The emergence of Darius Garland has been especially impressive, as he looks like a completely transformed player in his fifth year in the league. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have also formed a formidable big-man team, both in the paint on offense and defense.

One of the biggest reasons for the Cavs’ perfect start has been the performance of the reserves. The team’s sixth-man Caris Levert has been a key player off the bench, averaging 11 points per game and 4.4 assists. Guard Ty Jerome, who missed most of last season due to a right ankle injury, has sparked the comeback in several games so far and has been a true firecracker on the court. For example, in a close win against the Bulls on Monday, November 11th, the Cavs looked like they were struggling, and couldn’t really find a spark. They were down nine points late in the third quarter and needed to get something going. Atkinson chose to put in a team of all bench players, led by forward Dean Wade and Caris Levert, to try and get some momentum going into the fourth quarter. This team of five was able to spark a comeback, and the Cavs went on to win the game. This is the kind of play that has propelled the team to success this year.       

While a lot of the credit has to go to the players, the Cavs would not be off to a perfect start without one important offseason acquisition: Head Coach Kenny Atkinson. With his fast-paced play philosophy, the former Warriors assistant and Nets Head Coach has transformed the team into a true NBA Finals contender, and more impressively with a nearly identical lineup as last year. His smart in-game lineup changes have helped the Cavs recover from deficits during several games, smartly utilizing bench players and matchups to his advantage. While the team did find relative success under former coach and current Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, they were never truly able to crack into the elite teams of the NBA. However, Kenny Atkinson’s complete transformation of the team’s play has sent shockwaves of fear around the league, as the Cavs are now the team to beat. 

Looking forward, the Cavs hope to build on their perfect record, and possibly chase history. The Golden State Warriors have the record for the best record to start a season, at 24-0 in the 2015-16 season. While the record is far away, the Cavs have looked incredibly strong so far, and the record is certainly in the back of the team’s minds. However, they could have some challenges ahead. Notably, the Cavs take on the Celtics in Boston on Tuesday, November 19th, which should prove to be a close and exciting matchup between two teams who have both had fantastic starts to the season. However, if the Cavs can continue their fast-paced gameplay on offense, there could be no team capable of stopping them on their quest to the top of the NBA.