The Cleveland Cavaliers were down 97-82 early in the fourth quarter of their game with the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Past Cavs teams would have started emptying the bench and allow the opponent to cruise to victory. This year’s Cleveland team is virtually in every game right down to the wire, so the fact that the Cavaliers stormed back as a team and tied the game up late 97-97 is a testament to how this squad of the Wine and Gold is very different than the previous three seasons.
These young bunch of players played the Jazz right down to the last second and lost 109-108. The final shot attempt by the Cavs emerging star point guard Darius Garland was a bit off and the Cavs new rookie big man Evan Mobley couldn’t quite get the ball to go over and through the basket for the win. However, what this team is producing on a nightly basis is so inspiring, and it has me exhausted after watching these battles.
The Cavaliers were coming into the game against Utah winners of four in a row and those games were very much lopsided wins. They beat the Orlando Magic by 13 points, the Dallas Mavericks by 18 points, the Miami Heat by an impressive 26 points in Miami and then crushed the Washington Wizards 116-101 after being up at one point by 36 points.
So, they came down to Earth a bit after the close loss to the Jazz, but this team is playing like that, and it certainly has this group headed in the right direction. Let’s launch a few more big questions for the Cavs as they get to take on the Milwaukee Bucks and defending NBA champions Monday night.
#1: Are both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen All-Stars?
Boy, it sure looks that way. Both Garland and Jarrett Allen are having career seasons 24 games into the year, and they certainly don’t look like they’ll be cooling off anytime soon. After I gave Allen a bit of hard time in a previous article I wrote early on in the season where his production and efforts seemed a bit off, he has gone off the charts with his energy and his talents have been on full display for all of the NBA to take notice.
The big man, who used to play for the Texas Longhorns a while back, scored another double-double, his 13th on the season. He recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds Sunday in the loss to Utah. He actually has recorded seven double-doubles in a row and also scored 25 points or more in three games during that stretch. For the year he’s averaging 17 points and 11 boards. His presence around the rim defensively is helping scare opponents from trying to work into the lane.
These types of numbers for Allen are all career-bests and it doesn’t seem like there will much of a drop off.
Darius Garland is emerging as not only one of the best point guards in the NBA but he’s becoming a deadly scorer too. He finished with 31 points on Sunday. That included going 5-for-8 from long distance. The last missed three-pointer was just off that would have won the game against the Jazz. His season scoring average has ballooned to nearly 20 points a game. He is still dishing out an impressive seven assists a game as well.
In the game down in Miami Garland tallied 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Where have we seen triple-doubles from a former Cavalier great? Oh, that’s right a one LeBron James. Garland is certainly not James, but his game on a nightly basis is taking on a different feel and his confidence is growing. You can also see the game slowing down for him and that is creating problems for his opponents.
His ability to either get into the lane and make a tear drop shot or give a lob pass to one of his big men like Jarrett Allen are keeping teams on their toes and usually having them make mistakes as Garland shreds their defenses.
Cleveland’s disadvantage over the years with All-Star games has been the teams have been terrible. This year, with the game in Cleveland and this team playing tough and winning I’d definitely look for Allen and Garland to be representing the Cavs.
#2: Do the Cavs need Collin Sexton?
With this new resurgence of the Wine and Gold squad, and the production of the previously mentioned Darius Garland as a legitimate scoring threat, how badly would the Cavs be without Collin Sexton returning with the team?
Sexton will be a restricted free agent and the Cavs and him/his representation did not come to an extension agreement this past offseason, so would he be missed that much, or at all?
I’ve thought over the three-plus years that Sexton has been with the team he’s been a big part of the team’s success, though rare successes at that. Prior to the injury Sexton was considered the shooting and scoring machine and Garland was to be the distributor of the basketball at the point guard spot.
The Cavaliers though have added a couple huge pieces to the puzzle with the addition of players like Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen and Ricky Rubio. The scoring of Mobley and Markkanen have helped counter the need for Sexton’s points. Rubio has been able to help the youthful Garland calm down and learn the game in a much less rushed view.
Sexton couldn’t do that because he is Garland’s peer and not looking at helping his teammate primarily because he didn’t know how to help. Whereas Rubio is more of an elder to Garland and has the skill to teach these players more because he has the experience.
I honestly look for the Cavaliers to not keep Sexton around and move forward with this emerging group of young stars. I never got the honest feeling that Sexton was ever all in on the “team” game.
Maybe I’m off on the assessment but this talking point for Cleveland and keeping him around with the Cavs will be around for a while, especially if the Wine and Gold keep winning.
#3: Are the Cavs the next feel-good story like the Milwaukee Bucks of last season?
I’m not suggesting the Cavs are on the cusp of winning an NBA title, like the Bucks did last season. However, they have all the makings of the next darlings of the NBA and certainly have the image of a small market team with an underdog mentality.
The Cavs drafted a very talented big man in Evan Mobley this year and he has come to play and is one of the major pieces to this team’s makeup that is helping it win with much more regularity than previous seasons.
Similarly, the Bucks drafted their big man and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo back in 2013 and the Bucks have had years of success ever since. The team won the title last year and have made the playoffs six times since the Antetokounmpo arrival. In those playoff years Milwaukee lost in the first round of the playoffs three times, so climbing the mountain to the championship took time.
The Cavaliers have a super young team when you consider a player like Mobley is only 20 years old and Darius Garland is only 21 years old.
Cleveland sits in the #7 spot for the playoffs as we speak. It’s very early in the year, but the Cavs certainly are playing like a playoff team right now. The race in the NBA Eastern Conference is pretty close from the top spot held by the Brooklyn Nets to the Boston Celtics in the eighth spot. There’s only a four-game difference in the loss column.
All this is to suggest that if the Cavs keep up the good work, then they should get into the playoffs.
How far they go from there is mystery today. But a run of years with this young Cavaliers team going to the playoffs and challenging for a crown is all very plausible.