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Life has been very good for the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>. Once 17-16 and barely staying afloat this season, they have now won five games in a row, and 10 of their past 11. Overall, they are 17-5 in the past 22 games.<\/p>\n Most importantly for them, they have not lost since the trade deadline. Bringing in James Harden<\/a>, Dennis Schroder<\/a>, and Keon Ellis<\/a> has served to improve some of the team\u2019s depth, energy, and defense. And now Cleveland, once the #8 seed in the East, is just 1.5 games back of the Celtics<\/a> for #2.<\/p>\n In their latest win over the Wizards, they got a legendary shooting performance <\/a>from Sam Merrill<\/a>. As Evan Mobley<\/a> has been out of the lineup, everybody has stepped in and contributed to the victories.<\/p>\n Going back to Ellis, he heard good things about the city of Cleveland when the trade went down. Let\u2019s dive into that.<\/p>\n Former Cavs Champ Texted Keon Ellis After Trade<\/p>\n During his rookie year with the Kings<\/a>, Keon Ellis overlapped Cavs legend<\/a> Matthew Dellavedova for a year. He was the third-string point-guard for the team during his lone year there. Having had two tenures in Cleveland, he knows exactly what to expect here.<\/p>\n He heard some words of endearment, via text, from his former teammate:<\/p>\n \u201cI heard from others that the fans are really good here. Matthew Dellavedova texted me when I was traded, \u2018Yeah you\u2019ll love it.\u2019 It\u2019s definitely a sports city.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Ellis has immediately fit in with the team. Playing 27 minutes in just his fourth game, he has emerged as a serious difference maker on both ends of the floor. He\u2019s brought some of the heart that Dellavedova had during his own time in Cleveland. A guy that is integral to winning and momentum, Ellis has instantly bought in and it looks like this team won the midseason trade<\/a> by a mile.<\/p>\n Ellis has never logged minutes in a playoff game before, but this isn\u2019t something he will be able to say for much longer. A hard-nosed defender that can get into his matchup, he\u2019s instantly energized a team that already had a guy in Jaylon Tyson<\/a> bringing it every day. He and his Kings teammate he came with, Dennis Schroder, have been perfect for the culture.<\/p>\n He of course, couldn\u2019t wear 23 in Cleveland because of the legacy of LeBron James<\/a>. But he has made 14 look great<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keon Ellis, Cavaliers, Head into Break on High Note<\/p>\n Winners of five straight overall now, the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked exceptional of late. No other team in the East has been as hot as they have been, though the Knicks<\/a> have been pretty close. Kenny Atkinson has been able to push all the right buttons, and things are trending way up.<\/p>\n The fully guaranteed contract of Nae\u2019Qwan Tomlin<\/a> will enable them to now have their high-motor big man around through the playoffs. The imminent return of Evan Mobley, who should play right after the All-Star break puts the reigning DPOY back on the floor with the new guys.<\/p>\n And of course, James Harden<\/a> and Donovan Mitchell<\/a> have been meshing very nicely with one another. It has gone from major disappointment to team right in the saddle to compete for the title this year.<\/p>\n Watch for these Cavs. Keon Ellis is bringing it on defense. Mitchell and Harden on the other side. Plus, Jarrett Allen<\/a> has been a monster of late. They are sporting a 34-21 record, and are showing no signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tZach Weiss<\/a> Zach Weiss is a sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy. He also hosts a podcast about the Cleveland Cavaliers, “Across the Cavs,” and serves as a sports broadcaster for various institutions in the Greater NYC Area. He wrote for Knup Sports for six years. More about Zach Weiss<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Cavaliers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t