It’s been a very eventful couple of weeks for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Multiple injuries, COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and a trade had shaken up the team, leading to funky games as of late.
The Cavs were only able to secure a win in one of their last five games but Friday night’s bounce-back win against the Portland Trail Blazers helps to put the team back on track.
Against a depleted Trail Blazers team without the likes of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and former Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr., it was the perfect time for the Cavs to get Cedi Osman, who had missed time in health and safety protocols, back in the rotation as well as get newly-acquired trade acquisition Rajon Rondo acclimated with the team. The two were the main bucket getters off the bench, scoring 25 of the team’s 39 points from that unit, with Osman having a big fourth quarter from three-point range.
Looking at the game as a whole, despite a resilient fight from Portland, the Cavaliers were still able to come away with a comfortable win due to timely runs and steady contributions. Looking at statistics, six of the nine players to play in Friday night’s game scored in double figures for the Wine and Gold.
The leading scorer in this last win was none other than Darius Garland, who was the stud of this latest victory for the Cavs, and looked to be in great command as a lead playmaker and key scorer for the team throughout the contest.
Cavs stud versus the Blazers on Friday: Darius Garland
It feels as if every time a stud-dud article is made, Darius Garland is the one receiving praise from writers. “DG the PG” continues to impress not only coaches and teammates but, the national media as well. A potential first-time All-Star this season, Garland’s game seemingly takes a leap with each new obstacle thrown at him.
The losses of Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio haven’t phased Garland. Teams have continuously thrown multiple people at him and yet, his ability to still find offensive success is prominent. Taking away his shot only opens up the pass to others and vice versa. It’s this type of leader that a team should build around and it’s no doubt in my mind that the Cavaliers will likely offer Garland an extension as soon as they’re given a chance.
Looking at this game specifically, Garland’s play started off slow in the first quarter where both teams would struggle. After some quality Rondo minutes, Garland would go on to erupt in the second quarter, scoring 11 points and he didn’t miss a single shot. It was from this moment on where the Cavs wouldn’t look back and Garland would ultimately seal the game for the team in the fourth quarter with an impressive defensive play and a dagger three-pointer.
The stretch in which Garland was in protocols showed his worth to the team. Though the Cavs were able to hang around in games during that span, not having that go-to shot creator really affected them down the stretch in games.
As the team gets healthier, wins should be easier to come by.
Cavs dud versus the Blazers on Friday: Lamar Stevens
It’s hard to look at the bad in a comfortable win but considering Lamar Stevens‘ rough night, it should be discussed. On the day that his contract became fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, Lamar had a pretty forgettable game against the Trail Blazers. In 16 minutes of play, Stevens had just three points, shooting one-of-five from the field and splitting his only free throw attempts.
An elbow sprain to Isaac Okoro has caused Lamar Stevens to occupy the starting shooting guard spot and so far, the change has been not so good. Despite both Stevens and Okoro having similar body types, the lack of burst from Stevens that Okoro possesses is obvious. For Stevens, if the shot isn’t falling, the offensive flow tends to worsen, which makes it easier for teams to really close in on Garland.
Defensively, Stevens also doesn’t have the same prowess or energy on this end that Okoro does and may project as a better team defender than on-ball one.
Overall, Stevens is much better as an energy guy and hopefully he can return back to the role where he had found much success in when Okoro returns.
Looking into the future for the Cavaliers, they have a date with the Golden State Warriors in a game that is the much-anticipated return of Klay Thompson. After that game, the Cavs look to have a four-game stretch that includes the Sacramento Kings on Monday, a Utah Jazz team that projects to be without Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, and finishing off with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
It’s games like these that’ll be most important to the Cavaliers in terms of seeding and it should be fun to see how the team fares.