NBA scores 2017: Why’d we ever doubt the Cavaliers, and 8 more things from Thursday

LeBron James and Cleveland are doing just fine. Ha, remember when we were worried?

Dec 1, 2017, 12:30 PM UTC

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Once, in high school history class, they taught us to be worried about the Cleveland Cavaliers. That was a simpler time, back when you could trust the Cavaliers to be the team they appeared to be. Over the past few regular seasons, they’ve proved that’s a silly notion. Once again, I believe Cleveland is proving just that.

For 12 games this season, as they started 5-7, the Cavaliers appeared to be a team that had serious problems — even personnel problems, not just we’re-not-trying-that-hard problems. Not anymore. Cleveland has rattled off 10 straight wins, and despite the dismal start, the Cavs are tied as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference and not that far (3.5 games) behind the conference-leading Boston Celtics.

Since the team’s 10-game winning streak started, the Cavaliers boast the league’s fourth-best offense and sixth-best defense. Cleveland is the only team without a loss dating back to Nov. 11, and a reinvigorated bench is an enormous part of that.

Here are Cleveland’s two most devastating lineups, ones that have played at least 10 minutes over this 10-game win streak: Dwyane Wade, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, LeBron James, and Channing Frye; and Dwyane Wade, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, LeBron James, and Kevin Love. Those two lineups are plus-51 in 57 minutes played.

Wade can play point guard if James stays in the lineup, something I suggested before the season even started. If you add three more shooters around James and Wade, it’s like you’re giving them an even better version of what worked in Miami. Sure, Wade is nowhere near the player he was with the Heat, but that’s why he’s coming off the bench.

Cleveland keeps winning because Wade works as the point guard, the bench unit thrives, and James is still sensational. The defense is good again, while the Cavaliers are blitzing opponents offensively. Everything’s going right.

And just wait till Isaiah Thomas finally gets back!

Al Horford, Boston’s MVP, roasted the 76ers

I haven’t explicitly argued for Al Horford being the leading Celtics MVP, but it’s time for that to change. I believe that Horford is the most important player on the Celtics — and his 21-point outing on 9-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists prove it.

Horford has been sensational defensively, while still chiming in consistent and valuable minutes on the other end, ones that frequently end like this: 21 points on 75 percent shooting. What about Boston’s other leading man? He has been great...but not too different from years past, specifically last season:

Please note that’s not a knock on Irving, but just a reshaping of the narrative that has carried talk about Boston so far this season.