Live Thread: Winning Ways, Turkey Days, and Hawk Daze

What can I say. The headline rhymes and the picture is of the venerable turkey hawk. Just sitting here on Thanksgiving Eve at the North Canton Winking Lizard waiting for the Cavs to tip off. I’m thinking of all the things for which I’m grateful. It starts with my family, gainful employment, friends, and health. Pretty high up on the list are all of you, and the ability to root for what seems like a decent set of dudes on the Guardians and Cavaliers. The Cavs being 15-1 and looking like the best regular season team I’ve seen since 2016 is something to give thanks for too.

When it comes to the Cavs, the depth has been something to behold. When then the season started, Ty Jerome was no higher than ninth on the depth chart and his health was firmly in the “nice to have” category. Of late, Ty Has been the Cavs’ Manu Ginobili: a super sixth man who can play three positions, pilfer the ball at will, and is just as good as any starter.

Ty is putting up 32/10/5 per hundred possessions with 3.2 steals and a net rating of +14.7. He’s helped the Cavs weather the injuries to Caris LeVert (who’s also been fantastic) and Dean Wade. In the last four in games, Ty has started two and is averaging 22/5/2 in 28 minutes, and frankly playing like an all star. He was key to dismantling the Pelicans and Raptors as no bench in the NBA is prepared to have a mix of Luka and John Stockton coming at them off the bench.

Meanwhile Donovan Mitchell  does not have to carry the load every night, but he’s there if you need him. In fact of the Cavs rotation players, the only blemish has been Three Gorges Niang, who was a 1-13 disaster against the raptors. Fortunately, he’s been the lone thing to complain about, with a juvenated Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley filling in the gaps.

Speaking of which, Dean Wade, Caris, Max, and Emoni are all out tonight with only Cody Zeller on the out list for the Hawks. We shall see what Trae Young, the NBA’s biggest fraud, has in store for Cleveland, and if the lack of whistles the Cavs have contended with remains a factor. Happy Thanksgiving, and go Cavs.