Longer break between games should enable Cavs to recharge a bit

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a rough stretch of games, but them having a longer break between games should enable them to recharge a bit going into December, which is important in such a long season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a really tough stretch of games in the last few weeks, and the month of November, where they played a bunch of likely postseason teams, was a bear to get through for a team playing so many young pieces meaningful minutes.

It’s good, though, that the Cavs, who fought their way back into the contest in a 119-110 loss in their last game on Friday against one of the NBA’s best teams in the Milwaukee Bucks, don’t play next until Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.

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The Cavaliers and head coach John Beilein seem to have been able to benefit from practice time in the last few days, which is so few and far between for NBA teams throughout a season.

Anyhow, it’s also a big positive in regards to practice time and honing in on the right habits to have a longer break between the games for Cleveland. The Cavs have played the third-hardest schedule in the league to this point, according to Basketball Reference.

It’s also nice for players such as Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., who have missed a few games due to reported back and thumb ailments, to get an extended rest.

Along with that, it’s nice for Beilein and the coaching staff to highlight what the Cavs have done well in recent games against the Brooklyn Nets, and more so, how Cleveland moved the ball against the Bucks, where they had a season-high 32 assists and that was a key reason why they clawed their way back into that one.

Though Cleveland and Darius Garland had a clunker on Wednesday versus the Orlando Magic, where the Cavs had a season-high 25 turnovers and Garland had a career-high eight himself, the second half against Milwaukee was definitely something to build on.

In that one in totality, the Cavaliers knocked in a season-high 17 three-pointers, and did so on 50.0% shooting from there, as shown by ESPN.

Garland, who was five-of-seven from three-point land and finished with 21 points and six assists, was a big part of the Cavs getting back into that contest. Cleveland was moving it well, even against the Bucks’ length, and it was great to see Nance, Love and Cedi Osman get quality looks as well from three, such as from Garland, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton.

This sort of sequence is something that Beilein and the coaching staff hopefully have put a spotlight on in film sessions over the weekend.

On Sunday, Clarkson in media availability touched on how the Cavs were emphasizing playing “the right way,” and that above clip is right up that alley in terms of unselfishness. That’s what Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for, and when Cleveland’s been right in games late, it’s been from making the right play, hustling on both ends and firing when open from deep.

Anyhow, here was what Clarkson said again.

Again, the Cavaliers are just 5-14, but they had a really difficult stretch of games in November, and a back-to-back upcoming on Friday and Saturday won’t be an easy task against the Magic and then the Philadelphia 76ers on the road.

It’s a big positive, however, that the Cavs were able to have a longer break in the last few days to rest up more and hopefully hit on what’s been working for them on both ends in practice and in the film room.

Garland has found his groove as a perimeter shooter in the last few weeks, too, and is now hitting 38.1% from deep on 4.4 attempts per contest in the 2019-20 season, as noted by Basketball Reference.

I’d imagine in this extended break, he and Collin Sexton can keep getting more pointers in practice and film sessions from Beilein and company to keep growing their chemistry, too, and I’d think this extended time between games could allow both to hit on their pick-and-roll decision-making, too.

I’d also think it could be a boost for the coaching staff in trying to help preach the right habits in relation to having more time for practice and film sessions with less travel days. Beilein seemed to hit on that sort of thing on Sunday, too.

Moreover, in this long season, especially for young players on the Cleveland Cavaliers, such as Kevin Porter Jr., too, these longer breaks between games can allow them to recharge some mentally and physically.

It’s also really encouraging to hear that the Cavs had their first practice this season where everyone was “full-go” on Sunday, as Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that even Dylan Windler and John Henson participated fully. Windler has not appeared with the Cavs yet this season due to a reported stress reaction in his left leg, and Henson has barely played at all due to a reported hamstring strain, but it seems that both could potentially play on Tuesday or in the next few games.

The task at hand for the Cavs next week against the size and rim protection of the Pistons, Magic and Sixers will be tough, but again, it’s nice for Cleveland to have a longer break with the way the schedule has been so difficult.

The second half against the Bucks could be something of a blue print for the Wine and Gold, and it’s really good to see Garland firing away, seemingly at the request of his teammates.

We’ll see if the Cavs’ longer break between games can have an impact on Tuesday, and realistically get them more well-rested mentally and physically going into December.