Darius Garland and Zach LaVine will go head to head as the Bulls look to be the 1st team to defeat the Cavs this season.
The Cavs and Bulls square off in a Central Division matchup. Here are 5 things to look for on Monday night (8 ET, League Pass).
1. Cleveland is the only undefeated team in the NBA
The Cavs had another comeback victory on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets, extending their franchise-best start to 11-0. Cleveland’s core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen remains strong, but coach Kenny Atkinson is seeing contributions from players up and down the roster. The Cavs have ten players averaging at least 16 minutes per game, and six of those guys are scoring in double figures on a nightly basis. This team is deep and confident, and they’re proving they have what it takes to be true contenders in the Eastern Conference.
2. Darius Garland getting back to All-Star level
Garland battled injuries in 2023-24, but the point guard appears to be out for revenge this season. He’s averaging 20.5 points and 6.6 assists in just 29.5 minutes per game, all while crushing his career-best marks in efficiency, with shooting splits of 53.8/47.5/95.0. The sample size is small, but Garland and the Cavs have been torching opponents with a league-best 122.7 points per game.
3. Evan Mobley is becoming a two-way force
Mobley is off to an incredible start after earning a max contract extension with the Cavs over the summer. Coach Atkinson came to Cleveland and has talked extensively about getting him more touches and being a focal point of their offense. In 11 games so far, the results have been stellar. Mobley is noticeably more confident and decisive in his approach. He is averaging a career-high 18.4 points to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks. He was huge in their win over the Nets to keep the Cavs undefeated, dropping 23 points (10-11 FGA) with 16 rebounds, four steals and one block in 35 minutes.
4. Josh Giddey off to strong start in Chicago
Giddey has had a solid start to 2024-25 after joining the Bulls via trade in June. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting over 42% from three-point range. In the Bulls’ win over the Hawks on Saturday night, the Australian guard stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals to end their four game losing streak. Giddey has scored in double figures in all but one game and has been contributing in a variety of ways for Chicago.
5. A healthy Zach LaVine
LaVine appeared in only 25 games for the Bulls in 2023-24 after having surgery on his right foot, but he’s back and playing well to begin 2024-25. After starting the first six games of the season, LaVine helped Chicago get off to a 3-3 start, but a right adductor strain forced him to miss three games, all of which they lost. In his return to the lineup on Saturday against the Hawks, he played 32 minutes, scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out seven assists in the victory.
