Why the Cavaliers are the biggest threat to a potential Celtics dynasty

We're about a quarter of the way through the NBA season as we approach Christmas and the New Year, and the season is quickly passing us by. However, despite it being early in the season, some teams separated themselves from their peers in the pecking order of contenders.

In the Western Conference, it's Oklahoma City Thunder and everyone else. Still, in the East, many had the Boston Celtics running through the Eastern Conference again with their whole championship core returning.

Despite being the defending champions and starting with a 19-4 record, the Celtics still don't sit atop the East as there is one team currently ahead of them in the standings who have outplayed expectations early on and present the biggest matchup problem for the Celtics in the conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have premier shot creators to challenge the Boston Celtics.

Behind every championship team are dynamic shot creators. We've seen it throughout eras of NBA history. Whether it was the '67 Sixers team that had Hal Greer alongside Wilt Chamberlain or recent years such as the Celtics with their wing tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown or in 2023 with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets. You must have players who can get their own shot anywhere on the court and create for others.

The Cavaliers have this in their dynamic backcourt All-Star duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. First, let's get to Garland. After being limited to just 57 games last season due to a variety of setbacks, such as injuries to his eye and knee, Garland has seemed to round back into the All-Star form we saw him display in 2021-22.

He is finding his efficiency again on the offensive end and the shiftiness that made him special to switch and turn gears out of the pick-and-roll.

In fact, per 100 possessions, Garland is registering career-highs in true shooting percentage (63.0) and turnover ratio (2.9) while helping generate the Cavaliers to the best offensive rating (123.1) and pace 102.34) of his career, according to NBA.com. He has also been a midrange assassin, shooting a career-best 64% from 10-16 feet and 50% from 3-1 feet while still finishing 60% of his drives to the basket, per Basketball Reference.

In their recent matchup against the Celtics on Dec 1., Garland had 22 points and dished out eight assists in their 115-111 victory. Garland was instrumental in that win as he's a guard who keeps the defense honest due to his ability to shoot the basketball (shooting 44% from three this season).

Garland also has the elite ability to thread the needle in the pick-and-roll with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. That keeps the defense off balance due to his ability to beat opponents with a floater when driving to the basket or pulling up for a jumper.

His ability to maneuver and improvise finishes around the basket and find teammates through tight spaces is Kyrie Irving-esque. Having another dynamic guard to run the offense alongside Mitchell (who's dynamic in his own right) will give Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a lot to worry about.

That is due to their unpredictability and ability to score on all three levels that helped spark the Cavaliers to a franchise record best start (15-0) before losing to the Celtics in their first matchup back in November. The Cavaliers also rank at the top in these other offensive categories:

With Mitchell and Garland at the helm orchestrating the offense and driving the wheel, the Cavaliers should be a real threat offensively to the Celtics.