2 studs and 2 duds for Cavs from loss to Bucks on Wednesday

The two Cavs duds: Kevin Love and Cedi Osman, but the bench had a rough night overall

While Garland and Mitchell scored 23 points, and Mobley went for 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, the Cavaliers thrive best when they get contributions from their bench.

The impact from Kevin Love last night was minimal in the scoring column, as he only shot the ball three times and scored just five points.

Love’s transition to the bench last season was part of the Cavaliers resurgence then, and over the past four games, Love is just 9-of-29 shooting, including 7-of-20 from beyond the arc.

Cedi Osman also struggled against the Bucks last night. Osman scored just four points while on the floor for 13 minutes and attempted just two shots.

Osman is a streaky shooter but displayed a willingness to shoot the ball last season and did give the team a lift on a number of occasions then. For Cleveland’s offense to perform consistently at a high level, they need Osman to contribute more than four points.

In fact, in November, Osman has topped double-digits in just two of eight games.

While it is too early to panic, Love and Osman should be expected to get out of their slumps. It would also be nice to see Lamar Stevens get more run with the reserves. He is a proven plus-defender, can guard multiple positions, and has shown he can score.

However, suppose the Cavaliers are going to compete with the Eastern Conference’s elite, such as Milwaukee. In that case, they will need their bench to play a more significant scoring role to take pressure off Cleveland’s backcourt in the long run.

The Cavs will look to get back in the win column on Friday as they return home for a four-game homestand.