Well, it’s here. Our final weekly takeaways column of the regular season. 82 games have come and gone, and the Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 of them. The class of the Eastern Conference all year, a wire-to-wire finish at the top. Now comes the ultimate test: the playoffs.
While Cleveland is using this week to recharge and ramp up for the postseason, a lot happened in their last week of the regular season. What were the big themes? Here are the three biggest takeaways of the final week of Cavaliers regular season basketball.
1. Darius Garland is alive and well
Garland was in the midst of a post-All-Star break slump and had his worst month of the season in March. Fortunately, the All-Star point guard found his rhythm in the final week to enter the playoffs with some confidence.
In two games this week, Garland averaged 27 points per game and nine assists. He shot 58 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range. He also exploded for 13 points in the fourth quarter against the Knicks, capping off a 23-point comeback and cementing his case as clutch player of the year.
In order for the Cavs to accomplish their championship dreams, Garland needs to be at his All-Star form. He has been starving for revenge and redemption all season. Now, he has the chance to do both on the biggest stage in the NBA.
2. Max Strus is peaking at the right time
Much talk has been made about De’Andre Hunter, Isaac Okoro, and Dean Wade emerging on the wing for the Cavaliers, but Max Strus is just as important to the wing playoff rotation and he has quietly been playing his best basketball lately.
Since March 1st, Strus is averaging about 11 PPG on 40 percent shooting from three-point range. He has 13 games of multiple three-point makes and nine games of three or more three-point makes in that span. His off-ball gravity opens up so much space on offense for Garland, Mitchell, and Mobley to operate in and him getting hot is a death sentence for most teams.
Strus peaking so close to the playoffs is promising for Cleveland. His ability to stretch the floor and provide toughness on both ends of the court will be paramount to a deep run.
3. Bring on the postseason!
82 games have come and gone and now the Cavs finally get the chance to redeem themselves. Their last two postseason runs have been underwhelming, but this year feels different.
Donovan Mitchell played the lowest minutes of his career to prepare himself for this time of year and allow his teammates to grow into the best versions of themselves for a deep run. Darius Garland has been waiting for his shot at redemption. Evan Mobley is ready to announce his arrival. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has been deploying playoff schemes and adjustments in spurts this season to prepare for the playoffs. These Cavs are hungry and ready to compete for a championship.
They may have had a rough March, but they still won 64 games. They finished 6-4 in their last ten, but the combination of resting players and the packed schedule, that should be taken with a grain of salt. Cleveland has waited all year for this moment and now it is up to them to seize it in the franchise’s most anticipated playoff run without LeBron James ever.