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Amid historic start, Cleveland Cavaliers could chase NBA record 73 wins, 2015-16 Warriors
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- Amid historic start, Cleveland Cavaliers could chase NBA record 73 wins, 2015-16 Warriors
CLEVELAND — In the last 20 NBA seasons, the list of teams to win at least 31 of their first 35 games is rather short.
The first team to start on such a hot streak was the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors , who went on to win a record 73 games in the regular season before LeBron James , Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers beat them in Game 7 of the NBA Finals .
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The second team to fit that description is this current edition of the Cavaliers in Kenny Atkinson's first season with Cleveland.
That's the entire list.
With a 115-105 win over the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night , the Cavs became just the eighth team in NBA history to start 31-4 or better. It's a 72.6-win pace, positioning them right between the 2015-16 Warriors and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls , who held the record for 20 years.
It's also difficult for the Cavs to take a moment to appreciate that kind of a start when they're in the middle of the season, and with so much still in front of them.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen shoots over Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams in the fourth quarter, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cleveland.
When asked about realizing what the Cavaliers have done to this point in terms of the historical significance, Atkinson shook his head and said, "Absolutely not."
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"Not until you guys remind me or if I read something … but, man, it is good to hear," Atkinson said. "But, no, I think what'll happen is probably in 10 years when I'm retired, I'll look back at the scrapbook and look at what this team has done. But it's really hard in the NBA to celebrate in-season."
That's especially true when the Cavs' next test is a Wednesday night home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder , owner of the NBA's second-best record and one game off the pace at 30-4.
"We know big-time playoff games are coming. We've got OKC coming up," Atkinson said. "We got some real tough games. So it's tough to get ahead of yourself or get to feel good about it."
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cleveland.
Cavaliers on pace for 72 wins, could challenge for NBA regular season wins record
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick recently said teams have to play "near-perfect basketball" to beat the Cavs and their elite offensive style right now.
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Atkinson wasn't aware that Redick had delivered such a line, which as a coach he called the "ultimate compliment." But the record won't matter. All that does is how the Cavaliers prepare for the playoffs, which makes it easy to continue to nitpick which details upon which the Cavs can improve.
"I'm a coach, there's always stuff [to focus on]," Atkinson said. "I'm thinking OK, Oklahoma City , Boston , when we play these great teams, we have to be more perfect. I mean, literally. I think the group has an appropriate fear for what's coming, and any slippage you can pay for later."
Namely, that means knowing they can answer the bell when it comes to their physicality.
"I think we have lapses where teams start getting to us and getting into us, and we don't cut as hard, we don't screen as hard, we don't get open like we should," Atkinson said, identifying one point of emphasis. "So just having that edge to us on both ends in terms of physicality, playing with more force, I think that's the big one."
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That "appropriate fear for what's coming" is a respect for what the Cavaliers hope to accomplish in the playoffs after the last two years, which ended with series losses to the New York Knicks and then the Celtics . This group hasn't reached its summit, particularly Donovan Mitchell , who has yet to play in the Conference Finals.
Because of that, the chase for 73 or 74 wins might never become the lead focus.
"I really don't think it'll be important, to be honest with you," said Darius Garland when asked about chasing the record. "I mean, we all know what it feels like to win regular-season games. Our next step is to win the Eastern Conference Finals and go to the [NBA] Finals. It's nothing you take for granted. We'll take it for sure, we'll love it. But our next step is to win playoff games and get to the next rounds and get to the Eastern Conference Finals."
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (second from left) reacts in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets, Jan. 5, 2025, in Cleveland.
Cavaliers still have long odds to win NBA title despite league's best record
Even with the blisteringly hot start — and aside from Redick's compliment as a rival — not everyone has gotten in line as believers in these Cavaliers.
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The Celtics and Thunder remain heavy betting favorites. The MGM Sportsbook , as of Sunday night, has Boston to win the title at +225, Oklahoma City at +325 and the Cavs at +1000, virtually tied in odds with the New York Knicks at +1100.
Despite the second-best start in the last 20 seasons, the Cavs feel they have work to do to earn respect on a national scale.
"I wish I had an answer to that because I think that we deserve to have recognition for being the best team in the league," Garland said. "Especially with the group that we have, the brand of basketball that we play. I think it's really exciting. It's fun. … But I guess a small market, that's the only thing I can really think of to be honest with you."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers start 2024-25 season with NBA's best record in playoff prep
