King James Gospel
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1 stud, 1 dud from Cavs’ demolition last night of the Pistons

By Justin Brownlow

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 24: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on February 24, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 24: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on February 24, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images /

Dud: Isaac Okoro

It’s becoming more and more clear that Isaac Okoro is a player that really provides little value to this Cavalier team. I’m not saying they should move him for nothing, but I do think Koby Altman and Mike Gansey put out some feelers for him in the trade market. Last night, with the opportunity to start, Okoro didn’t do much to impress. He finished with 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting while missing his only attempt from three.

This season is crucial to Okoro and his career with the Cavaliers, though it is looking like he may not be destined to be a Cavalier for very long. The biggest thing that Okoro provides is his perimeter defense, and he’s not making that many plays that warrant him much playing time.

Donovan Mitchell has come from Utah with a great attitude and has been one of the best, if not the best, Cavalier perimeter defenders. With that being said, Okoro is still a tough guy to score on, but on the offensive end, he just doesn’t provide enough. Outside of scoring, Okoro grabbed four rebounds and had one steal. Okoro probably still has a good amount of time to prove himself to the front office and coaching staff, but as of right now, his place in the rotation is starting to slip.

Overall it was an incredibly impressive win for the Cavaliers, They dominated from the tip, and looked like a true contender in the Eastern Conference, even without Garland and Mitchell. Evan Mobley’s defensive play was incredible, and he’s a real candidate for defensive player of the year. After the game, Bickerstaff had some high praise for his young big man.

"“It wasn’t just eight blocks — it was eight blocks that retained possession and he did it without committing a foul,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s old school Bill Russell stuff we’re talking about.” JB Bickerstaff (ESPN)"

Next. Hot starts for these Cavs trade targets could grease the skids. dark

The Cavaliers will travel all the way across the country to play the struggling Lakers on Sunday afternoon. It will be LeBron’s first chance to look at how good his hometown team can actually be now, and in the near future. It’s still up in the air as to if we’ll see Mitchell and Garland back on the court together on Sunday. However, even if the Cavs have to play without both of their guards, they have shown that they are capable of playing well without them.