A fourth of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season is now in the books. They are one of the deepest teams in the Eastern Conference and have a handful of quality wins to back that up.
Cleveland is third in the conference, holding a 13-8 record, and #3 in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 38%.
Not everything is rosy, though. The Cavs are 5-5 in their last 10, below .500 on the road (5-7), and their All-Star backcourt isn’t stopping anyone at the point of attack because of skill on that end and size. The weaknesses covering the outside aren’t just on them.
The unit gives up 36.6% efficiency from 3-point range to the opponent on 32 shots, with the league average being 35.5%.
Why am I making a big deal over this? In the Cavs’ eight losses, they are losing by an eight-point margin on average and giving up 44.3% shooting on triples to the opponent in those games. Eight points are three or four possessions. A strong or poor finish to a quarter could make the difference.
In their defeats, Cleveland has seen four playoff teams from last season, but two of them twice, in the Toronto Raptors (with the latest loss on Monday), and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Yet, offensively, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are as explosive as tnt. They’ve been superb, feeding off one another and might be the best backcourt not named Ja Morant-Desmond Bane.
Each can set two feet in the lane whenever they choose, and their three-way scoring touch is a luxury. But they shouldn’t have to shoulder as much of the scoring load; Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley should get more touches in the halfcourt.
The Cavaliers need more from Allen and Mobley on offense.
Allen earned an All-Star nod last season for a stellar campaign as a rim protector and finisher at the cup. Of Cleveland’s best four guys, he is the most limited offensively, and though his percentage of shots made via the assisted variety is up, he should have more opportunities. This is when Allen is back from being out with a lower back injury, for clarification, of course.
In any case, with all the screening Allen does, he should be rewarded more often on rolls to the rim with a lob or setup. Garland and Mitchell often attract multiple defenders after wrapping around a pick. There aren’t many teams with the personnel to bother Cleveland’s vertical spacing if used properly.
Garland and Mitchell are fast enough not to always need a screen, but the frontcourt’s work to get them open makes their lives much easier, which translates to the stat sheet.
Next is Mobley. He must get stronger, as many pointed out before he was drafted, but the talent for Evan to be a world class difference-maker in the NBA is there.
By my estimations, if he keeps working hard, he could enter the top 10 players’ conversation and stay there long term. 21-year-olds aren’t usually this effective on both sides of the ball.
Now Mobley is getting better as a screener, although he’s not nearly at the level of Allen, however, he’s got a deeper bag of offensive skills. He posts up and finishes with a hook shot, and he can get open after pick-and-rolls and finish for a slam. He’ll also hit floaters.
Mobley’s jumper outside of 10 feet has misfired most of the season, but his willingness to take these shots is part of the growing pains of player development. For the season, he’s connected on 54.5% of his shots from the field, and nearly 92% of his attempts have come from inside the arc.
The key, anyway, has been that 11 shots a game is not enough for someone with this high ceiling. It would be a coaching error for the season to continue without more reps on this end, and the regular season is the perfect time to experiment and build confidence.
He has also been one of the best at keeping possessions alive. Mobley is tied for 10th in total offensive rebounds (59) and tied for 20th in overall second-chance points (57), both per NBA.com.
Don’t just take my word for it, though. Listen to Giannis Antetokounmpo. In recent media availability, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Antetokounmpo said, “He can be better than me,” when speaking about Mobley.
Antetokounmpo, of course, knows more hoops than I ever will. His street cred as one of the league’s all-time greats of the modern era gives weight to his comment.
It’s on Mobley to fulfill the prophecy.