With the help of their bench unit, the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 12-0, making history in the process. Following their win against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers are only the eighth team in history to start the season with 12 wins and 0 losses. Five of those previous seven teams went on to make the Finals. Will the Cavs follow suit?
Cleveland Cavaliers Destined to Make the Finals
It is hard to imagine the Cavaliers breaking the 2015-16 season record set by the Golden State Warriors with 24-0, but they can certainly rack up a few more wins. Only seven teams before have started the season 12-0, and five of them did it after the ABA-NBA merger. Five teams that won their first 12 games, went on to make the Finals, and two of them, won the whole thing.
Here are the previous teams that have started the season 12-0:
- 24-0 record, 2015-16 Warriors, lost in the Finals
- 15-0 record, 1993-94 Houston Rockets, won the Championship
- 15-0 record, 1948-49 Washington Capitols, lost in the Finals
- 14-0 record, 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks, lost in Conference Finals
- 14-0 record, 1957-58 Boston Celtics, lost in Finals
- 12-0 record, 1996-97 Chicago Bulls, won the Championship
- 12-0 record, 1982-83 Seattle Supersonics, lost in the first round
History would suggest that the Cleveland Cavaliers should at least make the Conference Finals. If they get there healthy and rested, they have a chance to make it to the Finals as well.
Why Record Matters
If we look at the Eastern Conference, only three teams are 50% or better: the Cavs, the Boston Celtics, and the Pacers, who are 5-5. As of November 12th, the Cavaliers have built at least a six-game cushion between them and the third seed.
Considering that getting the first or second seed means you probably don’t have to play the defending champions until the Conference Finals, seeding is quite important. With the second seed, the Cavs will have an easier opponent in the first round, a team coming from the play-in tournament, and then have home-court advantage against the third team in the conference.
Barring a devastating injury to some of their starters, the Cavs have built enough cushion to feel confident they can get the second seed. Yes, it is early in the season, but if we look at the Eastern Conference, it is a mess. The Knicks are the sixth seed, and Philadelphia and Milwaukee, two teams considered contenders, have won only two games so far.
Cavs Getting Contributions from Every Player
One of the main reasons the Cavs are 12-0 is that they are playing with a bigger rotation and are getting contributions from all over the place. For example, against the Chicago Bulls, Ty Jerome, a player who averaged less than 10 minutes per game last season, led the charge in the third quarter. Jerome is one of the biggest beneficiaries of coach Kenny Atkinson’s rotation plan. Caris LeVert is in the discussion for Sixth Man of the Year.
Up until that Chicago game, the Cavs had no player averaging more than 30 minutes per game. Now, Donovan Mitchell is at 30.3 minutes per game and Evan Mobley is at 30. Eight players get between 20 and 30 minutes per game. The rotation will probably shrink as the season goes, on and when the playoffs begin. Yet, so far, so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
What About the Upcoming Schedule?
If everything goes well, the Cavaliers should be at least 15-0 before they play the defending champion Boston Celtics on November 19th. Their next three games are in Philadelphia (Sixers without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and maybe Paul George), at home vs. Chicago, and at home vs. Charlotte. All three games are winnable, and none is a back-to-back.
