The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a shaky 13-11 start to their 2023 campaign. The story of the 2023 Cavaliers so far has been the team’s lack of tertiary scoring.
On a night-to-night basis, the Cleveland Cavaliers know they are getting high output from their All-Star duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. The question for the Cavs has been, where is the rest of the scoring going to come from?
The Cavaliers Need Their Third Scorer
The Cleveland Cavaliers are averaging 110.6 points per game through their 24 contests. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are averaging 48.2 points between the two of them. Almost 44% of Cleveland’s points are coming from two players.
Outside of Garland and Mitchell, Max Strus and Evan Mobley have taken turns with the role of the team’s tertiary target offensively.
Evan Mobley is currently third on the team in scoring with 16 points per game. Max Strus is fifth behind Caris LeVert with 14.1 points per game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have seen some good performances from Strus but the forward has been largely inconsistent for the majority of the season. Evan Mobley is slowly coming into his own offensively but struggles to take games over the way other third options around the league do.
Mobley’s forte lies on the defensive side of the ball but was widely regarded for his potential offensively coming out of USC. Evan Mobley has displayed decent shot-making ability in his young career but hasn’t been able to string it together for consistent stretches.
Bench Depth Concerns for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Another reason for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offensive struggles is their lack of depth on the bench. Caris LeVert is the only Cavs reserve player posting more than 10 points per game with his 14.6 points off the bench. LeVert is having a great season but he needs help off the bench.
The Cavaliers’ second unit is currently dead last in the entire NBA in offensive rating. Adding shooters and guard depth is key for Cleveland as they look to right the ship following their 13-11 start.
Options for Cleveland’s Bench
The Cavaliers saw solid play from Craig Porter when he was in the rotation. From November 17th to November 25th, Craig Porter appeared in five games, averaging 14.4 points in 24 minutes per game in that stretch.
Porter has since fallen out of the rotation after a solid six-game stretch that saw the Cleveland Cavaliers go 4-2. Craig Porter has appeared in just three games since November 25th, seemingly losing his role with no explanation.
Options are out there for the Cavaliers though, as the Bulls and Raptors are both reportedly looking to tear down their rosters to tank. Alex Caruso and OG Anunoby are interesting trade candidates for Chicago and Toronto.
Other potential trade candidates, like Lonnie Walker and Seth Curry, are veteran guard options who become trade-eligible on December 15th.
Looking Ahead
The Cavaliers have a rematch versus the Boston Celtics on Thursday and will once again be without defensive anchor, Evan Mobley.
Mobley has left a void for a Cavaliers team that is 1-2 without him. He last played in Cleveland’s 121-111 win over the Orlando Magic on December 6th.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will have to find consistency out of a third-scoring option to gain some traction offensively. The Cavaliers have a playoff-ready roster and are looking to compete for a championship in 2023. Finding their tertiary scorer will be key for building momentum down the stretch of the season.
