1 stud, 1 dud for Cavs in Wednesday’s close preseason loss to Sixers

The Cavs stud from this close loss to Philly: The new-look backcourt

The Cavaliers made a blockbuster trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell and from the get-go, you could see the potential the pairing of him and Darius Garland possessed. Garland is the best offensive threat that Mitchell has played with and vice versa. That statement ran true in yesterday’s game.

Both players benefited by not being the only offensive weapons that opposing defenses had to gameplan for. This allowed both to move off-ball, it allowed both players to find easier shots, and it allowed them to focus more on facilitating, which paid dividends for both and the team.

Their stats showed that. In just 18 minutes of play, Donovan Mitchell had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with 5 assists, including an incredible find to a cutting Isaac Okoro for an And-1 finish. As for Garland, he had 12 points and 4 assists in just 15 minutes of play, showcasing the same craftiness and playmaking that he accomplished last year.

This shifty, exciting young duo is one of the best in the league and should take the team far for many, many years to come. It seems like a match made in heaven, and they didn’t look to have any problems gaining chemistry with each other.