The Cavs are playing their best basketball of the Donovan Mitchell era

The Cleveland Cavaliers are thehottest team in the Eastern Conference, winning 14 of their last 15 games. The Cavs arecurrently 32-16, which is their best record through 48 games infive years.

With Monday night’s win over theSacramento Kings, the Cavaliers have climbed past the MilwaukeeBucks for second place in the Eastern Conference standings andfirst place in the Central Division. They are now just five gamesbehind the Boston Celtics for first in the East.

This is somewhat unchartedterritory for ‘The Land’ as they have not been on any kind ofstreak like this before. Since 2024 began, they have the league’sbest record at 15-2 to surpass the franchise record for the beststart to a calendar year. LeBron James’ 2008, 2010 and 2016Cavaliers teams previously held the record with 12-3marks.

Two of those James-led teamslost to the Finals-bound Celtics (2008 and 2010) while the 2016squad won it all, which bodes well for this version of theCavaliers with championship aspirations.

Their next 10 games to close outFebruary include six teams below .500 and two games against aPhiladelphia 76ers team without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, meaningthis hot streak could continue. Their upcoming schedule isat Washington, at Brooklyn,at Toronto, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Chicago, vs. Orlando, atPhildelphia, at Washington, vs. Dallas and at Chicago.

The key to Cleveland’s hotstreak has been their main cog, Donovan Mitchell. Recently named tohis fifth straight All-Star Game, the 6-foot-3 guardis averaging 28.2 points, 6.4assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this season.The superb Mitchell has been willing the Cavs to win.What’s more impressive is that Mitchell started this hot streakwithout fellow centerpieces Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in thelineup (although they have since returned frominjuries).

Now, with Garland and Mobleyback in the fold, the Cavaliers are even more lethal offensivelyand defensively as they look to contend in the EasternConference. Mobley’s returnhas been impactful for Cleveland as they are tied for the bestdefense in the league in 2024, having a defensive rating of 105.4along with the new-look New York Knicks.

The Cavaliers also filled a bigneed in the offseason by adding shooters Max Strus and GeorgesNiang in free agency. In last year’s playoffs, they were exposed bythe Knicks as they lacked outside shooting to complement Mitchelland Garland’s drives and pick-and-roll actions with non-shootingbig men Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

This season, the Cavs’ offseasonsigning of Strus has been huge, with the 6-foot-6 wing providingthe necessary spacing. Strus was immediately inserted into thestarting lineup over mainstays Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro and ithas done wonders for Cleveland.

Off the bench, Niang alsoprovides the same threat from outside in certain situations. TheCavs also rewarded Sam Merrill with some playing time, and he’sbeen balling and shooting the ball at a high clip as of late,helping the team go on this amazing run.

Speaking of LeVert and Okoro,both wings have made noticeable improvements from last season witheach playing a specified role suited to their strengths. LeVertcomes in as a secondary playmaker and shotmaker to ease the burdenon Garland and Mitchell, while Okoro plays lockdown defense on theopponent’s best perimeter player as well as providing timely cutsto the rim and knocking down the occasionalthree-pointer.

Moreover, head coachJ.B. Bickerstaffhas found his ideal rotation nowthat they’re fully healthy again. Garland, Mitchell, Strus, Mobleyand Allen are the team’s usual starting five, and then off thebench comes Dean Wade, Okoro and LeVert. The Cavs always leave onebig on the floor at all times (either Mobley or Allen) when thebench players come in while Garland and Mitchell’s minutes getstaggered in the middle of quarters. Niang and Merrill are theirninth and 10th men, providing a deep bench whenever they need extrashooting on the floor or when Strus struggles fromoutside.

Now, the Cavaliers will try tofinish the season strong and hope that their regular-season successwill translate to the postseason.