Disappointing? Wacky? Weird? Uncharacteristic? Those are just a few words that can be used to describe the first eight games of 2023-24 Cleveland Cavaliers basketball. A thesis could be written on how interesting the start of the season has been. From the injuries to the subpar defense to the inconsistency on offense, the Cavs have not been the team they can be for a consistent stretch to start the year, and this teetered into their second loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
The Cavs lost 128-120, and gave up 43 points to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Cavs also had an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers, making it the second game in a row where they had that number. Donovan Mitchell also picked the wrong time to go colder than a Nick Wright take, as he was eight-of-23 from the field and a chilly one-of-nine from three-point range. Darius Garland also had a subpar performance, as he had eight of the Cavs’ 18 turnovers, which didn’t help their cause defensively.
On the bright side, Evan Mobley, and Caris LeVert were kind enough to show up for the Wine and Gold. Mobley had a strong 22 points on nine-of-16 shooting, and LeVert had 29 points, including 13 of them coming by way of the free throw line. Max Strus and Jarrett Allen also chipped in with 12 points apiece.
Yes, there were some positives, but this is not the way the Cavs wanted to start their road trip. Here are two takeaways from the Thunder loss.
Ladies and gentlemen, we might be witnessing Evan Mobley take his leap right before our very eyes. This season, Mobley seems to have a different mentality. He has the same level of fire game in and game out, and while it does not lead to gaudy scoring numbers all the time, his motor has been more relentless than it has been for the past two seasons.
The key thing for Mobley in year three was consistency. Coming into the Thunder game, Mobley only had two games this season with fewer than 10 rebounds. He finished with only five against the Thunder, but he was a man on a mission on offense, specifically in the paint.
Mobley was attacking the rim, and finishing strong. He had had six dunks in the game, and two and-ones as well. Coming into the year, the talk was all about whether or not his improved offseason strength would translate on the court in real games. It is safe to say that it has so far.
Mobley looks stronger, unafraid, and ready for a bigger role in the Cavs’ offense. Hopefully, the team continues to find a rhythm, and when they do, expect Mobley to be at the forefront. He may not become a 25-point-per-game scorer this season, but his impact goes far beyond that. He just needs to be consistent with that impact on a nightly basis if the Cavs want to get where they want to be.
36 turnovers. In two games. Halloween was almost two weeks ago, and the Cavs are giving the ball away like it’s candy. Instead of being one of those kids that takes the whole bowl of candy left outside a house, the Cavs are sharing way too much. They have to take care of the ball.
Teams cannot win games in this league when they turn the ball over 20 times. Just because the Cavs did it against the Warriors Sunday, does not mean it is their recipe for success. Against the Thunder, it just seemed like the Cavs were being lackadaisical, reckless, or both, particularly point guard Darius Garland. Every time Garland drove into the paint it felt like a turnover waiting to happen. He seemed indecisive and was moving faster than the ball in his hands.
He was not the only culprit of the turnovers though. Garland was one of four Cavs players with at least two turnovers. Guys like Dean Wade and Tristan Thompson played between 10 and 13 minutes each and coughed the ball up twice apiece. That is unacceptable, especially for a team that is supposed to be an Eastern Conference contender. The Cavs have to fix this right away if they want to turn the page over on this rocky beginning to the season.
The Cavs had a rough start to their four-game road trip, but the good news is that they have three games left on the trip to make things right. With a rematch against the Golden State Warriors on tap for Saturday, the Cavs will look to bounce back and clinch their fourth win of the season.