Cavs: 1 stud and 1 dud from their first win of 2021-22 over Hawks

Cavs dud: Lauri Markkanen

It’s hard to look at the negatives in a win, especially one against a worthy opponent but Lauri Markkanen‘s first three games with the Cavs have been rough. In the win, Markkanen shot just 3-of-15 from the field and 1-of-6 from three.

Similar to how the first two games went, Atlanta made a point in attacking Markkanen whenever they could and oftentimes, Lauri’s lack of defensive aggression led to tons of offensive rebounds and points in the paint for the Hawks.

The expectations weren’t high defensively and it’s the lack of three-point success that should be more worrisome. In an article/report from before Cleveland’s first game, Fedor hit on how Markkanen can help the Cavs spacing/shooting, and projected him to start at the 3, even with defensive questions. But with the negative results so far, one could question how long of a leash Markkanen has.

It would be unfair to not give Markkanen more opportunities but the front office’s lack of aggression in acquiring a reliable wing player once again shines bright here. Starting a 7-footer at the small forward position isn’t ideal unless you are Kevin Durant and time will tell if this is Markannen’s primary position for the remainder of the season.

While it’s still very, very early on, Markkanen has not looked comfortable with Cleveland, so we’ll have to see.