Despite losses to the Heat and the Lakers, the Cavs have a lot to be thankful for this week. A big In-Season Tourney Win and an emerging undrafted rookie are some of the bright spots. The last two matchups taught the Wine & Gold a lot about their team. Let’s hope they can take these lessons with them going forward.
Cavs fail to close out Lakers
The Cavs dropped a closely contested one to the Lakers 121-115 Saturday Night. To make things worse, Darius Garland left the game in the 1st half with a neck injury. The game stayed close until about 6:44 left in the 4th quarter where the Cavs shot down the stretch 4/13 (31%). Hopefully Donovan Mitchell & Co. can close out these kinds of games in the future.
The Cavs went 2-2 this past week and they have 4 games for week 6. Let’s look back at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of week 5.
The Good
Pick ‘n Roll Offense: Darius Garland and Craig Porter Jr ran very effective pick ‘n roll sets this week. They both were aggressive and attacked the other team’s big (namely Jokic and Embiid). Both guards got into the paint over and over again feeding Mobley and Allen. This has led the Cavs to be 9th overall in Points In The Paint/ Game with 52.9 (including scoring 68 PITP on Tuesday).
The Bad
Turnovers: In the last 2 games the Cavs turned over the ball 19 and 15 times. This led to a lot of point-off turnovers for their opponents including the 26 for the Heat. Darius Garland is averaging 4.5 TO/Game and that is 2nd highest for an individual. The Cavs already don’t play at a very fast pace (19th out of 30). Therefore, each possession is very meaningful, and limiting the turnovers is a must going forward.
The Ugly
Trade Rumors: It’s nice clickbait to say, ‘Cavs need to improve their roster by trading away big pieces’ (i.e. Donovan Mitchell). If the Cavs want to advance far in the playoffs, this squad needs Donovan Mitchell. It might right now seem that Craig Porter Jr, Caris LeVert, and Darius can carry the team in most games. Let the Heat game be an example of when the going gets tough, they need a proven veteran scorer to keep them in games.
Cavs Looking Forward
The Cavs start the week on Sunday against the up-and-down Raptors at home. Then on Tuesday the final In-Season Tournament Group Stage game against the high-flying Hawks. A win by a big margin there could give the boys a chance at the Knockout Stage of the Tournament. Then, the Wine & Gold play the Blazers and Pistons to round out the week. Let’s hope the Cavaliers can play up to their level and get the job done this week.
