Chapter 302: The Birth of Joker.
December arrived in the blink of an eye.
The Cavaliers had wrapped up the first month of their season, finishing November with a record of 10 wins and 5 losses. They stood third in the East, behind the Heat and the Raptors.
While their record wasn't as strong as last season's, the Cavs had gained more than expected from this opening stretch.
Kyrie Irving delivered the best month of his career, averaging 25.8 points, 7.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Even more impressive than the numbers was his growing ability to handle double teams with composure.
It's a simple truth in basketball: give any player the ball for long enough, even a role player, and they'll look like an All-Star with enough media hype.
Kyrie wasn't just any role player, though. He had the talent, and now he understood what he needed to improve. With enough space to make mistakes and grow, his potential could be fully unleashed.
But Han's decision to share the ball wasn't just about Kyrie.
Nikola Jokić had an encouraging debut, struggled for a few games, but quickly showed his ability to adapt.
In mid-November, he recorded a career-high 4 assists against the Bulls. On Thanksgiving, he scored in double digits for the first time against the Bucks. And by the end of the month, in a game against the Magic, he posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. His progress was undeniable.
The Cavaliers' first game of December was against the Spurs.