Now THAT’S Cleveland Cavaliers basketball. With a potential 0-4 home start on the horizon, the Cavs went back to the identity that they have formed over the past few seasons: defense. Moving to 3-4 on the season after beating the Golden State Warriors 115-104, the Cavs played like the team they were expected to be at the start of the season.
Donovan Mitchell was slicing and dicing his way to another efficient 30 points. Darius Garland was attacking the defense, and setting up easy looks for others. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were dominating the paint on both ends of the floor. Even newcomers like Max Strus and Georges Niang made their presence felt with time shot-making and floor spacing.
The Cavs were firing on all cylinders, and it was their first complete performance of the season. The early part of the year had been rough, as the Cavs did not know what healthy bodies they had at their disposal. They now have most of their full rotation and are ready to make some noise at the start of the NBA season. This Cavs’ win against the Warriors was complete, so there are many positives. Here are two studs, and one dud from the Cavs’ first home win of the season.
The Cavaliers got back to the defensive brand of basketball they have been accustomed to playing over the past couple of seasons. The number one defensive team in the league last year, the Cavs channeled that ranking in the win against the Warriors. They held the Warriors to 15 points in the second quarter, and the Cavs scored 28 of their own. That quarter was crucial in getting the victory. They also held Golden State to 36 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
Additionally, the Warriors had 13 turnovers, and the Cavs scored 19 points off those turnovers. The Cavs also dominated the paint defensively, holding the Warriors to 24 points in the paint. Mobley and Allen were wrecking balls in the paint and were a big reason why they outrebounded the Warriors 54-44, with Frobley combining for 25 rebounds. When those two are in the lineup, the Cavs are hard to score against.
Cleveland also made things tough for Warriors superstar Steph Curry. Yes, he had 28 points and seven threes, but the Cavs were able to force him to turn the ball over six times, and did a good job of pressuring him all night. It was a much-needed throwback defensive performance for the Wine and Gold.
The Cavaliers have to find their rhythm on the offensive end of the floor now that they have all of their main pieces together, so they deserve some measure of patience. However, they are fortunate that they were so good defensively because the Cavs had 18 turnovers on the evening.
The Cavs were averaging the fourth-fewest turnovers per game coming into the game with the Warriors, so it was not refreshing to see them be so careless. Darius Garland had six of his own, and while he is still finding his rhythm, he needs to be better, considering the fact that he is the orchestrator of this offense.
He was not the only culprit though. Mitchell had four turnovers, and Mobley had five turnovers. That is a combined 15 turnovers from three of your offensive best players. If the Cavs want to have more offensive success, they have to take care of the ball. They want to play at a faster pace, take more shots, and have more early shot clock offense, but that cannot come at the cost of giving the ball away.
When the Cavs play the contenders of the Eastern Conference, like the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and others, they cannot give the ball away. Fortunately, turnovers have not been an issue to start the year for the most part, but it was the only dud in what was otherwise a great performance for the Cavs. Expect them to clean up this issue in their next game, a rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Are you not entertained? Man, oh man, where would the Cavs be early this season without Donovan Mitchell? Every game, he continues to amaze. The guy is more box office than Avengers: Endgame. Mitchell had his third straight 30-point game against the Warriors, and his fourth overall on the season. He is now averaging about 33 PPG, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals, on a ridiculous 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
Defenses do not have any means of stopping him, as Mitchell’s combination of strength, and speed make him one of the more complete scorers in the NBA. Last season, he had a career year that culminated with him being selected to his first All-NBA team. This season though, he is putting up MVP-like numbers, and yes, it is only six games in, but Mitchell is in the early-season MVP conversation.
He has the numbers, and now that the Cavs are healthy, expect them to start to string some wins together. The efficiency is the eye-popper though. Shooting 54 percent as a high-volume scorer is very impressive, especially one that takes a lot of jumpers. Mitchell shot 48 percent from the field last season, so he has shown his efficient side. Following up an amazing season like last year, with an even better one this year, would be an impressive feat for Mitchell. He is asserting himself as one of the best players in the league, and expect him to stay on that level.
This is the Cleveland Cavaliers team the NBA world is accustomed to seeing. Now that they are healthy, the Cavs are ready to begin taking the next step in contention. Is it their time to Let ‘Em Know? We shall see.