Game Night Observations: When a Great Start Just Becomes a Great Team, Flipping a Defensive Switch, and Ty Jerome: M-V-P

The Cavs moved to 17-1 on the season with a win over the Raptors on Sunday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 122-108 on Sunday night to move to 17-1 on the season. 

At a certain point, it begs the question: When is this no longer just a hot start, but instead who this team actually is? 

I think that time on the calendar has arrived. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t off to a great start. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a great team. Sunday night against the Raptors was just the latest example.

Beating the Raptors isn’t an impressive accomplishment. They’re 4-13 (to be fair, they’ve lost seven games by six points or less and entered tonight 2-3 when Scottie Barnes plays). That’s a game the Cavs should win almost every time. 

What impresses about the Cavs is the way they frequently control the game the way they did on Sunday. Every time Toronto made a run, the Cavs pushed right back, keeping the short little dinosaur arms at a distance. If there’s a stretch where the Cavs are inadequate, they fix it and return to crushing the will of the opponent.

Whether it’s a good team, a bad team, or a good team with a bad record, that’s been the common theme of this season so far.