This past week was an up-and-down one for the Cleveland Cavaliers, a prevalent theme in what has been a wacky start to the season. They started off by laying an egg at home in a playoff rematch against the New York Knicks, albeit they were short-handed. They then bounced back on the road with a win against those same Knicks, but then followed it up with a close In-Season Tournament loss to the Indiana Pacers. They finished off their hectic week with a home win against the Golden State Warriors.
It was good to see the Cavs pick up steam towards the end of the week, as they welcomed back Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen from injury, and got their first home win of the season in an impressive win over the Warriors. The second half of the Pacers game, and the entirety of the Warriors game showed how good a healthy Cavaliers team is. The team is only scratching the surface, and with a big four-game road trip coming up, it is imperative they keep the good vibes rolling. Here are three takeaways from Week Two of Cavs basketball.
After Allen was a vanishing act during the Knicks playoff series, and his stunning admission that the lights were too bright in the postseason, the pitchforks came out, and trade rumors started swirling around his afro. However, his return has proven one thing: those rumors were silly, and he is still one of the most impactful players on the roster.
Not only is Allen another lob threat on offense, and has a two-man game with Evan Mobley that is budding before our very eyes, he is also the defensive communicator of this team, and the backbone of the rim protection along with Mobley. While Mobley is stellar in his own right, his play is elevated with Allen alongside him, as he can roam more freely, and use his length to disrupt more shots. The Cavs can dominate the paint a lot more with Allen on the court, which is exactly what they did against the Warriors.
Allen is also reliable from a statistical standpoint, as he has averaged 11 points, and eight rebounds through two games, and he was on a minute restriction in his first game back. It’s understandable to have concerns of having him and Mobley on the court together as two non-shooting bigs. Even with that in mind, it now seems like the Cavaliers have the right personnel around them to mask those deficiencies. Allen is going to continue to play a huge role in Cleveland’s success, and the trade rumors can be put to rest for now.
The same way Jarrett Allen elevates Evan Mobley’s game, Darius Garland elevates Donovan Mitchell’s, and the entire Cavs offense as well. Garland is one of the best true point guards in the NBA today, and his court vision and dynamic playmaking is what makes this Cavs offense go.
Garland was the only player in the league last season to average 20 points, seven assists, and shoot 40 percent from three. That is how efficient he is. Whenever he is out of the game, or is missing the game in its entirety, the Cavs offense stagnates at times.
As great as Mitchell is, he does not bring the playmaking Garland brings. When Garland is out, Mitchell has a lot more on his plate. He becomes focused on carrying the scoring burden, and while he playmakes too, the Cavs offense just becomes too isolation heavy.
With Garland on the court, there is a lot more movement, and flow to the offense, as his shifty handle, and ability to manipulate the defense with his passing elevates the offense. An assertive DG is a dangerous one, and once he finds his rhythm, expect that to correlate in the Cavaliers winning more games in the near future.
Mitchell has been in an entirely different stratosphere this season, and he continued his scorching start to the season by averaging 31 points per game last week, including three straight games of 30 or more. We all thought his debut season was absolutely stellar. He did finish as a member of the All-NBA Second team, averaged a career-high in points, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. Maybe that loss to the New York Knicks in the playoffs hurts him more than he is letting on.
Through seven games (of which he’s appeared in six), Mitchell looks like an MVP candidate. He is tied for the league lead in scoring at 32.5 points per game, while shooting a scintillating 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. Add to that him averaging six assists and two steals per game, and Mitchell has the numbers to back up his case.
The Cavs are also now fully healthy, so expect them to start stacking wins here in the early going. Yes, the season is only seven games young, and this is a marathon, not a sprint. That said, it’s clear Mitchell has his running shoes on, and only seems to be getting stronger as the season continues.
The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be turning a corner from a health perspective, and player perspective. They finally showed signs of the team they can be this season this past week. Now, it is all about keeping the train rolling as they embark on a four-game Western trek for Week Three.