To open the 2022-2023 NBA regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 105-108 on the road to the Toronto Raptors after Darius Garland went down with an eye injury early on. From there, Donovan Mitchell showcased his offensive prowess by propelling the Cavaliers on an eight-game win streak, three of which came from grueling overtime showdowns. Going into the All-Star break, Cleveland went on a seven-game win streak before losing the final game before the break.
So, where are the Cavaliers after the All-Star festivities? What are the differences in these two win streaks?
To begin, the Cavaliers went on their seven-game win streak before the break without any overtime battles or stressfully close games. Secondly, these wins came with a majority of games ending in double digit leads. Cleveland did not just win these games; they dominated nearly every quarter.
Not every win is equal. At the start of the year, the Cleveland Cavaliers won games from behind constantly, even after Darius Garland came back from his eye injury. To be a true contender, Cleveland needed to win convincingly against their opponents game after game. Now, the Cavaliers are a truer force to be reckoned within the East, looking more confident with every dribble of the ball and every scored basket off a beautiful assist.
Two players have been most influential in this boost to Cleveland’s season: Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro.
Evan Mobley’s leap
Mobley’s offensive leap has given the Cleveland Cavaliers another threat for opposing defenses to have to plan for. In the early eight-game win streak for Cleveland, Evan Mobley averaged 14 points, 2.4 assists and 6.9 rebounds. In the recent seven-game streak, Evan’s averaged jumped to 18 points, 2.9 assists and 9.3 rebounds.
This offensive jump is not from inefficient playing, either. Evan has continued playing smart, looking for his best shots and most open teammates.
Instead, he has begun pushing the intensity every time he gets the ball in his hands, showing off a growing ball handling talent and blowing past defenders with a Giannis-esque determination.
Defensively, Evan has not fallen off as his offense improves. His effort on both ends is not slipping, showing glimpses of that two-way juggernaut Cleveland has hoped Evan could develop into ever since his first game in a Cavaliers uniform.
While Evan’s game still has ways to grow, especially at the free throw line and behind the three-point arc, his determination to improve is showing promise for the last third of games of Cleveland’s regular season.
Okoro’s offensive growth
Okoro has always been known as a lockdown defender for Cleveland’s roster. There has never been a question about his ability to hold back even the toughest of assignments, and he’s made further improvements this season on that end of the floor. His offense, conversely, especially three-point shooting, has been a constant area of criticism for Isaac’s game.
In order to compete for a deep playoff run, the Cavaliers know Okoro needs to become a three-point threat and force defenses to respect him on the perimeter. And along those lines, for most of this season, Okoro’s long range talents continued lacking until recently.
Over the last eight games before All-Star Weekend, Okoro sank 40% of his three-pointers on 3.1 attempts per game. This is a significant jump from his previous seasons, proving that his off-court efforts are showing results.
The rest of the Cavs roster has spoken about Okoro’s extra practice and work ethic often, especially working on his corner threes. His newly found three-point accuracy is showing this work can pay dividends, and that has to have given his game some momentum for what’s to come.
Okoro’s potential as a 3-and-D wing is coming to fruition, giving the Cavaliers the exact kind of starting 3 they have been searching for since LeBron’s exit to Los Angeles.
What’s next for the Cavs this year?
With players making the necessary growth Cleveland needed to see, these final 21 some games for the squad are looking promising.
Their recent surge needs to continue, though. The Cavaliers cannot grow comfortable, and it will be crucial that they continue running plays for Evan Mobley in order to get another long win streak. Complacency needs to be avoided at all costs.
Currently, the Cavs are only two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the three seed in the East. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers will likely go into the first round with home court advantage and as favorites to win the series.
Next for the Cavs season will be a push to improve their seeding before the regular season closes in April. If Cleveland manages to end the season with the third-best record in the East, their chances for playoff success improves drastically.
Overall, there is nothing stopping Cleveland from coming out of the Eastern Conference Finals except themselves. They lack playoff experience and will have to hope the recent addition of Danny Green can make up for Kevin Love’s absence. While Donovan Mitchell is sure to win the Cavaliers a few games solely on his own once the postseason arrives, Darius Garland and company will need to elevate their game if they plan to compete for anything other than a second round exit.
Next for the Cavaliers is an exciting end to a phenomenal season. General Manager Koby Altman swung for the fences this past offseason by trading for Donovan Mitchell, and the bet has turned out fantastically for the team.
Mitchell has completely adopted Cleveland his home, and the Cavaliers now have an even brighter future as their young core improves every year.