The Cleveland Cavaliers regular season has officially begun with a half-week of action, starting off 1-2 in their first three contests.
In their first showing, the Cavs went on the road and beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-113 after heroic efforts by Max Strus and Donovan Mitchell, who both scored 27 points. Specifically, Strus’ performance was not only a leading force in the win, but he set a franchise debut record with seven 3-pointers made.
While Cleveland won their first game, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley came out of the gates sluggish with a combined 25 points between the two Cavaliers. Garland played through a left hamstring strain, an injury that sidelined him in games two and three. For Mobley, he scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but his overall demeanor suggested that he was not yet fully comfortable in the offense.
As great as it was to start their season with a win, the Cavaliers’ game against the Nets felt as though the Nets lost the game more than the Cavs won it. It was clear that Cleveland was not in rhythm outside of Mitchell, Strus and Isaac Okoro. Entering Game 2, the additional loss of Darius Garland exasperated these issues, and the team began to fall apart. Max Strus had a slump from beyond the arc, and Georges Niang continued a poor start to his Cavaliers tenure.
The Oklahoma City Thunder visited Cleveland, Ohio for the Cavs’ home opener, but the theatrics quickly faded away as the absence of Garland quickly affected the team’s flow on offense. Since his breakout season two years ago, Darius Garland has transformed into the leader for the newest era of Cavaliers basketball, so missing him was a substantial blow to a team in need of a real coordinator.
Diving deeper into the first three games, the offensive gameplan and individual performances of the Cavaliers are the first areas in need of improvement.
Against the Thunder, Donovan Mitchell assumed the responsibilities as the primary ballhandler and facilitator. Quickly, the Cavs reverted to their predictable offense from a season prior, though Max Strus still managed to infuse some level of energy. Throughout his career, Donovan Mitchell has never spearheaded a fast-paced offense. Mitchell’s teams have consistently ranked in the lower third of the NBA in pace other than two seasons in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Tremendous players such as Mitchell naturally find themselves playing whatever style they know best, and he has done best as a playmaker on slower teams.
This Cavaliers roster will suffer with a slow pace, though. The bogged down offensive approach led to numerous mistakes in the first two games with rushed passes out of a failed Mitchell drive, giving the Nets and Thunder easy transition baskets that should have been avoided. While Evan Mobley became a major playmaker in the preseason, his usage was significantly lowered in games one and two, often relegated to setting a high screen and not much else. On Mitchell’s drives, Mobley would often leak out to the 3-point line, leaving no help for offensive rebounds if Mitchell could not convert.
Continuing the season, the commitment to a fast offense is something to continue watching. The Cavaliers’ messy play will surely be addressed once healthy, but these concerns must be at the forefront going forward. A concerted effort to involve Evan Mobley in both scoring and playmaking will pay dividends for this team, an aspect that has shown great strides already this year and will be covered further shortly.
Max Strus and Georges Niang were the top two names the Cavaliers acquired this summer as answers to their dreadful 3-point shooting from last season.
While Strus has been exceptional in two of his first three games, Niang did not connect from deep in his first two outings. Thus far, Niang is shooting 1-of-12 from long range. As a career 40-percent sharpshooter, this sort of start to a season is not the expected result. The frustration in Niang is visible, too, as he has come to the Cavaliers bench during timeouts clearly frustrated with the offensive execution.
Niang thrives in fluid offenses, knocking it down from the corner at an amazing rate. When an offense is hampered like the Cavaliers so far, it is hard to involve Niang properly. A slow start is not the end of the world for the Minivan, however. In the 2020-21 season, Niang did not score from deep until the eighth game of the year. Niang followed this up with his best shooting season of his career, ending with a 42.5 3-point percentage on 4.1 attempts per game. As difficult as it has been for Niang to start this season, the Cavaliers should be confident in his ability to return to form and make a winning impact going forward.
For as many woes as Cleveland faced this week, there are plenty of highlights to cover. With a 1-2 season start, it is necessary to recognize the areas of needed improvement, but that growth can only materialize by embracing the positive aspects.
Three Cavaliers shined the brightest amidst the painful start, and they deserve their crowns.
In every weekly roundup, three Cavaliers will be awarded “Crowley’s Crowns” in which I highlight their efforts and positive performances for Cleveland in the past week of action.
The first crown of the 2023-24 season has to go to Max Strus, the newest wing player in Cleveland. Not only was his franchise debut record a marvelous showing, he coupled his scoring with a team-high 12 rebounds and strong defensive effort.
Over three games with the Cavaliers, Strus is averaging 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1 steal with a 39.4 percent of his 3-point attempts hitting. Before joining Cleveland, Strus only averaged 2.7 total rebounds per game, and though his near double-double will likely not continue throughout the whole season, the effort is commendable and undeniable.
The production Strus brings has not gone unnoticed, with Donovan Mitchell comparing his new teammate to a former wing and legendary shooter Mitchell played alongside in Utah.
With Jarrett Allen’s injury keeping him out of action, having Strus commit to getting the Cavaliers started in transition and prevent the opponent from getting second chances has been exactly what Cleveland needed in these first few outings. Additionally, Strus has not shied from jumping into passing lanes, deflecting passes and shifting the momentum in the Cavs’ favor.
Entering the season, Strus was going to be able to help the Cavaliers in a lot of ways, but defense was the one caveat and cause for concern. He has quieted these worries and is making a great impact right away.
Isaac Okoro was one of the best players in the Cavaliers preseason, showing a killer instinct on both ends of the court and knocking down the open 3-pointer that came his way.
Over the first three games, Okoro has been electrifying for Cleveland, punishing poor perimeter coverage with a 42.9 3-point percentage so far. Although he did not shoot from deep at all against the Indiana Pacers, Okoro is showing a confidence from beyond the arc the Cavaliers have desperately waited to see.
In addition to his offensive growth, Okoro has continued to be one of the best defenders on the Cavaliers. His unwavering competitive nature forces his teammates to play with heart. Whether Okoro is making a play on offense or coming back into the game after taking an elbow and foot to the face (and subsequently being called for a foul?), the Cavaliers have felt Okoro’s impact every minute he spends on the court.
Finally, a slow start has not deterred this final Cavalier from growing into a bigger role.
It is no secret that the Cavaliers expect Evan Mobley to grow into a franchise cornerstone. This summer, President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman said that Mobley will have a larger offensive role this season, and he showed those glimpses in preseason. In games one and two, Mobley was not as pivotal for the Cavaliers as he was this summer, and his lack of confidence hurt Cleveland’s versatility heavily.
Entering game three, it seemed to be the perfect storm for Evan Mobley to enter his own with Mitchell, Garland and Allen all out with injuries. Only Mobley and Strus remained of the Cavaliers’ projected starting lineup.
Against the Pacers, the two-man game of Max Strus and Evan Mobley was the best part of the night for Cleveland. Despite the loss, this game might be the best one of the season so far. Mobley’s 33 points capped off a strong effort to show assertiveness in his game that he has not had often. He and Strus developed an instant connection together, running crafty dribble-handoffs followed by a pick-and-roll to set Strus up for a myriad of options either to score or pass it off to Mobley for an easy post play.
The duo of Mobley and Strus is the biggest factor in showcasing the dynamic offense J.B. Bickerstaff wants to implement this season. This summer, Strus pushed Mobley to study Strus’ former running mate Bam Adebayo, suggesting the same synergy they had in Miami could immediately transfer to Cleveland. The two-man game of Strus and Mobley might be the first example of this synergy and the value it can bring to the Cavaliers as they attempt to bring a better pace and versatility.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will face off against the New York Knicks on Oct. 31 at home. This game might be the best chance for the Cavs to showcase the growth they made this summer, playing against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs. If everybody is healthy, the Cavaliers should be the favorites entering this matchup, especially if Mobley continues his dominance.