Liberal Arts Blog — Cleveland Cavaliers (Aka “The Cavs” And “The Cavalanche”) — One Of The Best Seasons In The History Of tThe NBA
Liberal Arts Blog — Saturday is Sports, Dance, Fitness, and All Things Physical Day
Today’s Topic: Cleveland Cavaliers (aka “the Cavs” and “the Cavalanche”) — one of the best seasons in the history of the NBA
The Cavaliers just won their 16th game in a row! And they won at least 105 points in each of the games — “which is tied for the second-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only the 1971–72 (Los Angeles) Lakers.”
What team in what sport are you watching most closely? Why?
The general principle in this series is that the more you know about the more things others care most about the greater your chance for a moment of shared joy with anyone you meet anywhere.
Last time (3/8), the third of a three part series on college basketball in which we focused on the Kentucky Wildcats, the team with the highest winning percentage in college basketball history and its coach Adolph Rupp (1901–1977), under whom they won 4 national championships. The week before (3/1), we took a close look at the University of Connecticut Huskies, their legendary coaches Jim Calhoun and Dan Hurley, and players Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo. Three weeks ago, UCLA and the winningest college basketball coach of all time (in terms of NCAA championships): John Wooden.
Back on May 14, 2022 we took a close look at Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s coach for 42 years. Four weeks ago, the topics were the National Basketball Association’s race for regular season Most Valuable Player and the teams with the best odds of winning the national championship in June. Prior to that, two weeks on the Super Bowl.
Back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, their coach Keith Atkinson, and their superstar Donovan Mitchell.
Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE CAVS NOW HAVE THE BEST RECORD THIS SEASON IN THE NBA AT 56 AND 10 They began this season with 15–0 winning streak. Their top star is Donovan Mitchell (below who averages 24.2 points per game)
1. Second is the Oklahoma City Thunder at 54 and 12.
2. Third is the Boston Celtics at 48 and 18.
3. Fourth are the Denver Nuggets at 43 and 24..
NB: The Cavs are 2–2 against the defending champions Boston Celtics. The last time the teams played the Cavs eventually triumphed after being down 25 to 3.
COACH ATKINSON ATTRIBUTES THE TEAM’S SUCCESS TO ITS DEPTH — they wear down opponents by bringing in fresh troops (below coach Atkinson)
1. Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley.
2. Bench Players: Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, De’Andre Hunter, Isaac Okoro
3. “The Cavaliers have multiple players who can step up and lead the team in scoring, as seen in their 14-game winning streak where five different players led in scoring.”
NB: “The Cavaliers’ bench is averaging 39.7 points per game, the third most in the Eastern Conference and boasts a +/- of 3.9, which is the best in their conference and second-best in the NBA.”
DON’T FORGET LEBRON JAMES (now with the Lakers) WHO BROUGHT THE CAVS THEIR FIRST NBA TITLE IN 2016
1. “Over two stints, James played 11 seasons with the Cavs. He won one championship, one NBA Finals MVP (most valuable player, two regular season MVPs, the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, one scoring title, and he earned 10 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, two All-Defensive selections.”
2. “He is the franchise leader in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and three-pointers.”
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44257530/cavs-win-franchise-record-16th-straight-top-grizzlies
https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/cleveland-cavaliers-win-streak-ad814bb0
https://www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/news/cleveland-cavaliers-tie-boston-celtics-wild-nba-record
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan_Mitchell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Atkinson
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My spin — then periodically review, re-rank, and exchange your list with those you love. I call this the “Orion Exchange” because seven is about as many as any human can digest at a time. Game?
For the last four years of posts organized by theme:
PDF with headlines — Google Drive
ATTACHMENTS BELOW:
#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).
#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, (11/17/20)
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned this week related to sports, dance, fitness. Or the coolest thing you learned about Sports, Dance, of Fitness in your life — whether on the field, on the dance floor or in the gym, whether from a coach, a parent, a friend, or just your own experimentation.
This is your chance to make someone else’s day. Or even change their life. It’s perhaps a chance to put into words something you have never articulated before. And to cement in your own memory something cool you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart.
