Cavs set a franchise record in the Big Easy, and they make it look kinda easy

We have a fruit-fly infestation in our home, and the Cavaliers set a franchise record by starting the season 9-0.

I’d rather talk about the Cavs.

The Cavaliers fell behind early, tied it at halftime and then overpowered the Pelicans in the second half. They’re absolutely rolling.

I’d like to tell you it wasn’t easy in the Big Easy, just so I can use that line, but … it kinda was. At least in the second half. Even with the Pelicans outscoring the Cavs 34-32 in the fourth quarter – and even with the disparity in foul shots – it never felt like the win streak was in serious jeopardy. The Cavs are just too locked-in right now.

Here are some initial thoughts. With my ADHD brain, it’s hard to corral all of them.

1. I think it’s safe to say that this is a really good situation for Kenny Atkinson, who now holds the record for the longest winning streak by a coach in their first year with a team. Atkinson inherited a team that made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. But he also got a group that must be a coach’s dream: talented, no-nonsense, unselfish. There’s great chemistry, and not a whiff of any LeBron-size egos. Most of them have been playing together for a few years, so there’s familiarity, continuity and trust. And they’re mostly healthy.
2. Atkinson brings “a calm sort of confidence,” Caris LeVert told reporters after the Cavs won their ninth straight to start the season. “He never panics. I think he just fits perfectly with the group. It’s kind of been a seamless transfer.”
3. That calm confidence was palpable when the Cavs fell behind early in the game. They steadily chipped away at a 12-point Pelicans lead, tying the game at 59-59 by halftime.
4. The Cavs are a team that looks ready to take the next step, and Atkinson – after three years as an assistant to Steve Kerr in Golden State – looks like he’s ready to take his coaching career to the next level. He’s in the perfect spot to do that.
5. One of the kids left an open smoothie bottle on the kitchen table. When we came back from a five-day trip to upstate New York, there were fruit flies everywhere. When I saw a cloud of fruit flies enveloping the smoothie bottle, it was clear that something comparable to an orgy had taken place in there.
6. Speaking of smoothies, it seemed like there were a lot of empty seats at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The official attendance was 15,694, but the margin of error is a couple thousand, right?
7. Atkinson was a hot topic of conversation during the Cavs postgame show. On Atkinson’s decision to pass up potential head-coaching jobs so he could continue working with Kerr in  Golden State, Austin Carr opined: “[Atkinson] knew he had to have a little bit more polish on his coaching game.” It sure seems like things are clicking for Atkinson now.
8. LeVert picked up right where he left off after missing the last couple games with knee soreness. LeVert had 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over New Orleans.
9. “It’s just a fun group to play with,” LeVert told reporters after the game. “We enjoy being around each other. And we’re getting better every game.”
10. I can’t say enough about Ty Jerome. He had 11 points, five assists and two steals in 15:48 of game action. “His IQ is through the roof,” Atkinson said of Jerome, who missed all but two games last year with a severe ankle injury. Not to be overlooked on his list of compliments, Atkinson added: “I’m really happy with his defense too.”