Note: the “stock up, stock down” doesn’t necessarily refer to trade stock, but is a way to review how the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players have been performing.
As we near the halfway point of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a dismal 8-30 and in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. This week it was hard to find any “stock ups” since the team has been playing such ugly basketball.
Stock Up: Tristan Thompson
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One of the NBA’s few iron men, Tristan Thompson missed 10 games (in which the Cavs were 1-9) due to a reported foot sprain.
Thompson returned this week against the Miami Heat and was able to log 23 minutes and while shaking off the rust, put up 14 points.
While he only grabbed two rebounds, his presence was a much-welcomed return. Unfortunately, the Cavs lost by 25 and only had 22 rebounds as a team, per ESPN.
Since the 1979-80 season, a team grabbing 22 or less rebounds has only happened 39 times, per Ti Windisch of The Step Back. Regardless, it is good to have Thompson back on the floor.
Stock Steady: Jordan Clarkson
At this point, we know exactly what we’re getting with Jordan Clarkson. He will come off the bench, often play around 30 minutes and put up between 15 and 20 points while shooting in the neighborhood of 45 percent and that is fine.
Clarkson has been one of the few consistent Cleveland Cavaliers this year. Clarkson is far from a perfect player, but for the Cavs he is a veteran who provides much-needed second unit scoring and on the rare occasion the Cavs are in position to win, Clarkson serves as a closer.
Stock Down: Collin Sexton
After a solid stretch of basketball, Collin Sexton has had a few rough weeks. Over the past 10 contests, the rookie guard is averaging 11.7 points and 3.1 assists a night while shooting just 33.6 percent from the field and a chilly 19.0 percent from three-point range, per NBA.com.
Sexton had been playing better, but has struggled recently, as have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sexton takes a very high percentage of his shots (34.2 percent) beyond 16 feet but inside the three-point arc, per Basketball Reference. You’d like to see him be a little more aggressive and have a higher free throw rate, which is only 18.3 percent (again, per Basketball Reference).
Stay tuned for the next installation of “Stock Up, Stock Down” on the Cavs.