Altman’s Presser Said Little, But His Moves Over The Years Say A Lot

Press conferences these days are really becoming obsolete. In today’s world, teams want to control the narrative, so they give the press very little, be it after games and after seasons.

We get it, let’s say after a Browns’ loss, we found it laughable that fans and media alike were angry when Kevin Stefanski didn’t come out and say, “our wide receivers can’t catch a cold”. As for Todd Monken? Well, we don’t know yet.

That’s why we believe little of what Cavaliers’ President of Basketball Operations Kobe Altman said in his post-season comments on Friday. And if Altman was telling the truth, then we would think his job will be in jeopardy following next season.

We have been a frequent critic of the way Altman has constructed his roster. When J.B. Bickerstaff was let go following a five-game series loss against Boston in the conference semi-finals in 2024, we felt the blame shouldn’t be put solely on the head coach.

Altman gets a lot of credit among fans because he built the Cavs back up pretty quickly after LeBron James departed for Los Angeles following the 2018 Finals. After three terrible seasons (19, 19, and 22 wins), Cleveland was back in the play-in tournament in 2022 with a 44-38 record, with a team led by Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen.

But if we look at individual moves, how good has Altman been? His first big move was trading Kyrie Irving to Boston with the big prize being the Nets’ unprotected first round pick in 2018.

That trade was a bust as the two players acquired from Boston, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas were both moved during the season and the draft pick, which people figured would be a top five choice, ended up being 8th because the Nets performed better than expected.

The Nets’ coach that year? Yes, it was Kenny Atkinson. And instead of getting a player like Deandre Ayton (1st), Jaren Jackson Jr (4th), or even 3rd overall pick Luca Doncic, Cleveland picked Collin Sexton with the pick.

As for Allen, yes, Altman picked him up in ironically, a James Harden transaction, where the Cavs gave up a second-round pick for a then 21-year-old center who averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game in his third year in the league. We think any GM in the sport would have done that.

After drafting Sexton, he doubled down the following year, picking another small guard, Garland with a top five choice. Garland has been one of the better players in that draft, but it is the duplication on position that is the issue. And the lack of size.

He drafted a defense first wing in Isaac Okoro with another top five pick the following year, which is frankly his worst selection. We wanted Obi Toppin, but Dino Avdija, Devin Vassell, and Tyrese Haliburton were still on the board.

The next season it was Evan Mobley, who has been an all-star and Defensive Player of the Year, yet people are wondering now about his progression as a player. In his fifth season, his scoring average has always been between 15.0 and 18.5 and his rebounding always hovers around 9.0 per contest.

His signature move is the trade for Donovan Mitchell, in which Markkanen was the biggest (literally) piece going to Utah. The trade for Mitchell, no doubt a proven scorer in the NBA, boosted Cleveland to a 50 win team and the least number of wins for the Cavs since Mitchell arrived has been 48.

But then we have the playoff performances. In each of the last four seasons, the series that sent the team home have been blowouts. Five games to the Knicks, Celtics, and Pacers, and this year’s sweep in the conference finals.

And most often the reason can be pointed to a lack of size on the roster despite what the “analytics” tell them.

Does Altman correct that problem this summer? That should be the focus on what the Cavaliers do this off-season. Or maybe he is like Bickerstaff, a guy who can rebuild, but can’t get you over the top.

Some Thoughts On The Cavs Following The Sweep

So, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season came to a thud in the Eastern Conference finals, getting swept by the New York Knicks, including home losses by 13 and 37 points.

There were a lot of crazy things said toward the end of the series angering both fans and the media, both local and national, so there was a lot of speculation that Kenny Atkinson would lose his coaching gig as a result.

To be honest, we are glad Dan Gilbert and the front office took a deep breath and looked at the big picture and decided to keep Atkinson in place, and he kept president of basketball operations Koby Altman as well.

The Cavs did win 116 regular season games over the past two seasons under Atkinson’s guidance, and they did advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2018. We cannot erase that accomplishment.

However, the things we have talked about concerning the roster over the past several seasons came to bear in these playoffs, even though they won two series.

We are hoping both Altman and Atkinson are staying because there is an understanding that the current roster is not geared to winning in the playoffs and in Altman’s case, he knows the league continues to evolve and he needs to get more size both in the post and on the wings.

Today’s NBA requires more players who can play on both ends of the floor, can create their own shots and guards and small forwards are getting taller every year.

If that’s the understanding, the roster will have to go through a series of changes.

Atkinson took heat during the season for his four guard lineup, and we agree the coach could have done a better job spacing out minutes for his big men, but the reality is out of the top nine players on the roster, six of them are guards, and we are talking about the roster after the trading deadline.

To be fair, Altman did bring in Thomas Bryant and Larry Nance Jr. in the off-season, but the coaching staff didn’t believe they were playable during the post-season. Bryant played just 41 minutes in the 18 playoff games and Nance just five. We felt both could have helped more during the regular season.

There is no argument about getting bigger, versatile players who can create their own shot. The Cleveland roster has too many players who are one-dimensional. Dean Wade is a very good wing defender that apparently refuses to play offense. Sam Merrill is a three-point shooter and though he’s a better defensive player than given credit for, if his shot isn’t falling, why should he get minutes?

Toronto’s length gave the Cavs troubles. The Knicks’ versatility was a problem. That’s what Altman and the front office have to combat this summer. They definitely need another big man to back up Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, assuming no trades involving them, and some bigger wing players.

We thought De’Andre Hunter would be the latter, but he just didn’t work out.

They also need some tougher players, not physically, but mentally. Players who can handle the playoff atmosphere. There were far too many games in the playoffs where there didn’t seem to be a match of the opponent’s intensity.

The defense also has to improve. We have asked over the last half of the season who is responsible for coaching the defense, and we still don’t know. What we do know is it wasn’t very good. The Cavs allow a very high percentage of three point makes, and a lot of that is there are a lot of wide-open looks from long distance.

So, the management stayed the same, but you would think there has to be better results in the 2026-27 season or there could be a complete cleaning of the people running the wine and gold.

One should hope for a busy summer for the Cavaliers.

Can Cavs Rebound After Devastating Loss

Our first thought after Tuesday night’s Game 1 collapse by the Cleveland Cavaliers was how do they come back from that? With a 22-point lead over the New York Knicks with just under eight minutes to go in regulation, two things came into play: First, Cleveland had no answer for Jalen Brunson, and two, they couldn’t make a shot.

Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth, making 7 of 9 shots as the Knicks hit 59% from the floor, and perhaps even worse, made just 5 of 17 from the floor, and no player in a Cleveland uniform made more than one shot from the field.

The problem for us was the lack of adjustments. If James Harden is making shots, then he is worth having on the floor, because he was who the Knicks were targeting on the defensive end. But he wasn’t, making just one of six, in addition to dribbling the clock down so the Cavs took a lot of bad shots down the stretch.

And we know Kenny Atkinson trusts Harden because of what he has done in the league and his veteran status. But when New York made it a single digit game, he needed to be on the bench, in favor of either Max Strus, Dean Wade, or even Keon Ellis.

Harden isn’t the Cavs’ best player so there isn’t a need to defer to him. The Cavaliers needed to win the game. Simple as that. And besides, it’s not as though Harden wouldn’t start tonight.

And Atkinson should be called out for doubling Brunson when the score got closer under three minutes to go. After Evan Mobley hit a three, the Cavs still had a 97-89 lead with 3:09 remaining. After OG Anunoby split free throws, followed by a weird loose ball foul on Sam Merrill, New York’s next four field goal attempt were threes.

The first make was with Cleveland up by seven. You should be defending the three, not allowing an open look. They missed with the Cavs up six, but on the next possession, they allowed another three point make and then another up three.

Defend the long range shot and if the Knicks are going to score, give them twos.

We also don’t want to hear the fatigue excuse. Cleveland was dominating this game, and there were plenty of opportunities to get some rest for the primary players. Jaylon Tyson didn’t even play. Ellis played just five minutes.

If the Cavs were tired from back-to-back seven game series, they should have gone into the contest with a plan to dust some guys off the bench and give them some court time.

We do want to single out Mobley, who has showed he can raise his game. He was outstanding with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. And even Dean Wade decided to shoot the ball, hitting 3 of 5 threes and scoring in double figures for the first time since game six of the first round.

But the big question continues to be, can the Cavs come back from a devastating defeat. Yes, they did win game seven against the Raptors after the RJ Barrett shot to win the game. And they came back after getting blown out on their own floor in game six against Detroit.

This could be different. They dominated the Knicks for 40 minutes. Unfortunately, this isn’t college and the pro game is 48 minutes. Can they pick themselves off the mat again?

Cavs Pull It Off, Now Get Ready For The Knicks

It was the one outcome we didn’t figure was possible. We thought it was possible for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Detroit Pistons, but we surely did not foresee a blowout win.

Kenny Atkinson’s squad returned the favor from Friday night, dominated the Pistons in a 125-94 win and advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2018.

The opponent will be the New York Knicks, who started the questions about this basketball team a few years ago when they beat up Cleveland in a five game first round series win.

What it made us think is why can’t the Cavs play like that more often? Cleveland came out and Donovan Mitchell got his big guys involved early. Evan Mobley had five points, four rebounds, and three assists in the first quarter, while Jarrett Allen scored six. And the cherry on top was the wine and gold knocked down 6 of 13 from long distance, including a halfcourt buzzer beater by Mitchell at the end.

The Cavs also needed someone to step up off the bench and Sam Merrill, who we admit we would have lessened his minutes before the game, turned out to be that guy, showing we don’t know as much as we think we do.

Merrill hit his first two threes, which we have seen before, but he kept it going, ending with five makes in eight attempts and 23 points. Cleveland only made 32.4% from three, but Merrill had the hot hand.

We also have to mention the impact Mobley made in this series. We have always wondered about the physicality with Mobley, but for the series, he scored 15.9 points, grabbed 7.4 boards, and perhaps most surprisingly, dished out 4.9 assists, second on the team to James Harden. He shot 52% from the floor and more importantly was a force inside, blocking 19 shots.

He looked like the player Cavs’ fans have been hoping for since Cleveland became a playoff team.

So, now the wine and gold go from one former coach in J.B. Bickerstaff to another in Mike Brown, now the head man with the Knicks. It is important to point out the Knicks won just one more regular season game than the Cavaliers, finishing at 53-29.

But they have had an easier road in the playoffs, winning the first round in six games and sweeping the 76ers in the semi-finals. The don’t have a big height advantage in the starting lineup, with just one player over 6’7″ in Karl-Anthony Towns, but they do play physical on the perimeter with 6’5″ Josh Hart and 6’7″ OG Anunoby. And of course, their star is 6’2″ Jalen Brunson, who we would say, plays a lot like Harden.

The two teams met three times, but only once after the trade deadline. Opening night saw the Cavs drop a 119-111 decision with Anunoby scoring 24 and Brunson getting 23. On Christmas Day in New York, the Cavs blew a big lead, up by 12 after three quarters before losing by two, 126-124. Mobley came off the bench that day, his first game back after an injury.

Mitchell and Brunson each had 34 points.

In the lone game at Rocket Arena, Cleveland won 109-94 behind 23 from Mitchell and 20 from Harden.

Can the Cavs beat New York and get to the Finals without LeBron James for the first time in team history? Sure, the Knicks are far from a perfect team, they have flaws like the Cavaliers. But the Cavs have to play with the same energy, physicality, and attention to detail as they played with in both Game 7s.

That seems to be a tall task for this group although we don’t know why.

Don’t Know What To Expect From Cavs Tonight. That’s An Issue

The Cleveland Cavaliers seized home court advantage in the conference semi-finals against Detroit with a stirring overtime victory in Motown. All they had to do was win at home and they would advance to the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks.

But the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this team came out and they were dominated in game six at Rocket Arena. Now, either they win tonight or they clean out their lockers tomorrow.

Perhaps the tone was set in the first quarter when the Cavs forced three consecutive missed shots and Detroit kept the possession alive with three offensive rebounds, and after the third Cade Cunningham hit a three.

The Pistons had 13 offensive rebounds and Cleveland had just 24 on the defensive end. Add in the Cavs’ 39% shooting from the floor and you can see why Kenny Atkinson’s squad lost by 21 points.

There is an old saying in the NBA that role players play better at home because they are more comfortable, but Cleveland got little off their bench, getting just 5 of 19 shooting from Max Strus, Dennis Schroder, and Sam Merrill, while Duncan Robinson, Marcus Sasser, and Paul Reid scored 40 points.

And remember, Sasser and Reid didn’t play much early in the series, so kudos to JB Bickerstaff for trying something different. Atkinson has gone away from Jaylon Tyson and Keon Ellis.

So, Atkinson isn’t using anyone taller that 6’5″ off his bench right now. The fact that Bickerstaff has been able to move off Isaiah Stewart and go to Reid talks about roster construction. Atkinson’s third big man, Thomas Bryant has been of no use in the series.

But the thing that sticks out about the Cavaliers’ team is simply the sense of urgency. We have heard people blaming the coach for this, but really, it’s not up to Kenny Atkinson to let the players know a potential series clinching game is important. If they don’t understand that, it’s a big problem.

However, with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland offense comes down to one-on-one play, with the guards breaking down their defender off the dribble. And if both aren’t playing well, the Cavs are in trouble.

Mitchell shot 6 of 20 Friday night and has shot just 28.3% from three in the series, compared to the 36% in the regular season. Harden had eight turnovers. Detroit’s Ausar Thompson has been a defensive menace, but the Cavs don’t seem to realize he is shooting gaps looking for deflections and steals and are still throwing lazy passes on the perimeter.

And one reason Thompson can be disruptive is because Cleveland gave someone 22 minutes who has absolutely no interest in playing offense. We know. We know Dean Wade is a tremendous perimeter defender, but Thompson has managed to put up 39 shots in the series. Wade has taken just 14.

That’s unacceptable.

So, which Cavaliers’ team will show up tonight? We wish we knew. Before the playoffs started, we made the observation that we wouldn’t be surprised if the Cavs lost in the first round, nor would we be shocked if they went to the NBA Finals.

We’ve seen nothing to make us change that opinion. After 13 playoff games, that’s not optimal.

When Will Cavs Play A Complete Game?

This playoff season for the Cleveland Cavaliers is becoming very frustrating to watch. Outside of Game 1 of the first round series against the Toronto Raptors, Kenny Atkinson’s squad hasn’t played a complete good game.

They won Game 2 despite not playing well and were victorious in Game 5 because Dennis Schroder willed them to a triumph in the fourth quarter and won Game 7 because Jarrett Allen had an epic third quarter. They simply have not played well, not at the level a team wanting to make a deep run in the playoffs should be.

Another maddening trend is the falling behind early. In Tuesday night’s loss in Game 1 against Detroit, they fell behind by 16 after the first quarter, trailing 37-21.

Despite all that and a slew of turnovers, James Harden being the main culprit in that area, the Cavaliers fought back and tied the game with 5:28 remaining. They had a chance to take the lead after Cade Cunningham missed a three, but Harden’s floater was blocked by Jalen Duren at 5:01 left.

By the way, we read a lot of criticism of Harden, some of it justified, but to us, without the trade, Toronto wins the series. The small backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland get eaten up by the Raptors’ length.

After Harden’s shot was blocked, Cunningham drove to the basket twice in a row and found Duren for a pair of dunks, and then after Evan Mobley missed an ill-advised three, he dunked again and with three minutes left, the Cavs were down six.

We don’t like to blame coaches too much, but there are definitely things to question. Atkinson allowed Jarrett Allen to pick up his third foul in the first quarter, so he played just six minutes in the first half. However, he only played 12 minutes in the second half and fouls weren’t an issue then.

The Cavs need Allen available because at least in Game 1, Evan Mobley seemed to be not strong enough to guard Duren. Again, the lack of size, in this case, bulk is a problem.

We understand Dean Wade is an excellent defender and a darling of the +/- crowd, but we are sorry, but when he’s on the court, Cleveland is playing with four offensive players. He played 27 minutes and took three shots, a tip in, and two threes. As for being a “connector”, he had just one assist.

In 200 minutes of play in this post-season, Wade has taken 42 shots, 29 of them threes, and has just five assists. It’s not that he can’t shoot, it’s that he refuses. And that puts a burden on Donovan Mitchell and Harden, who face double teams because opponents know Wade is not an offensive threat.

By contrast, Jaylon Tyson, who is also a solid defender, who can also pass and score, has played just 127 minutes, taken as many shots as Wade, and has 16 assists.

It’s only one game, that’s what we keep telling ourselves, but this is the playoffs, and a team can’t expect to win playing in spurts. They must be able to play well for an extended period.

Just when are the Cavaliers going to play with some force and urgency? That’s the big question going forward. They have to win one game in Detroit. Tonight, would be a good time to do so.

A Game 7 Win And A Date With The Pistons

The nice thing about the NBA playoffs is that after every series, you start with a clean slate. So, that the Cleveland Cavaliers had a tougher time than expected with the Toronto Raptors means nothing when they start the Eastern Conference semifinals tonight against the Detroit Pistons.

As for game seven, the Cavs found themselves down 47-38 with 2:58 left in the second quarter. Max Strus drilled a three, got a steal which led to two free throws from James Harden. After an offensive foul drawn by Strus, Harden knocked down another three, and after another turnover, Jaylon Tyson hit another three and the home team went into the locker room tied.

The third quarter was the Jarrett Allen takeover. Allen scored 14 points and grabbed 10 boards in those 12 minutes, and Donovan Mitchell added nine more as Cleveland outscored the Raptors 38-19 and basically put the game away.

You can’t minimize what Strus, Tyson, and to a lesser extent Sam Merrill did in that quarter although Allen was clearly the star.

Strus did a little bit of everything, the all-around game the Cavs need, scoring 12 points with 8 rebounds and five assists. And we are a fan of Tyson (and would like to see him get more time) for the same reason. He had 7 points, 9 boards, and 4 assists.

And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Evan Mobley’s aggressiveness in the first half. He wound up in foul trouble, but he had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in 27 minutes. At times, his passiveness drives us crazy, but he came out to make an impact.

So, now it is on to the top seed in the East, the Pistons, who also needed seven games, and had to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the series, to defeat the Orlando Magic.

Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris took almost half of the Pistons shots in the first round series win and were the only Detroit players to average more than 11 points per game. By contrast, Mitchell and Harden, who took the most field goal attempts for the Cavs, combined to take 41% of them and Cleveland had four scorers who average more than 11 points per game, and Strus scored 10.3.

The Pistons did not shoot the three ball well in round one, knocking down just 32.7% of them, and Cunningham and Duncan Robinson made 40 of the 68 conversions. We would point out though that Toronto didn’t shoot the three well in the regular season, but the overhelping Cavs defense provides opponents with some wide-open looks, so Detroit may do better in the series.

Another challenge will be the physicality the Pistons play with, particularly their big men, Jalen Duran and Isaiah Stewart. Duran had 28 offensive rebounds in the Orlando series and Ausar Thompson had 25 more. The Cavaliers outrebounded Toronto for the series, but that was a result of the 60-33 advantage in the deciding game.

They will have to keep Detroit off the offensive glass.

Hopefully, the Cavaliers learned a lesson Sunday night and will come out with more intensity and physicality, especially on the defensive end in this series. And they don’t have homecourt advantage, meaning they will have to win at least one in the Motor City.

For all of the complaints we had about the Cavs’ play in round one, that all gets erased. It’s a new series and a new set of challenges.

A Game Seven For The Cavs And Perhaps A Mandate?

We will repeat, before the NBA playoffs started, we were asked about the chances of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and we replied that we could see them getting to the NBA Finals and we could also see them losing in the first round.

Today, one of those things could come true.

In we were scoring this series as a prize fight, we would score it as the Cavs winning the first round (Game 1), and every other game would either be even or in favor of the Raptors. No, Kenny Atkinson’s crew hasn’t played well in this series.

We figured Cleveland had the two best players in the series in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, but we were wrong. Scottie Barnes has been that, averaging 24.2 points, 9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. He has been to the line 47 times in the series, compared to just 14 for Mitchell, and that is not a complaint about the officiating. Barnes has been the most aggressive player on the floor.

And remember, Immanuel Quickley, Toronto’s starting point guard, has not even played in the series, and Brandon Ingram, who we felt would be another problem for the Cavs, missed the second half of game five and all of game six.

There is a game seven today, because the Raptors have exposed what is wrong about the Cleveland roster.

We have complained for several years about the lack of bigger wings, and certainly Atkinson has no one to really combat the 6’8″ Barnes, and really 6’6″ R.J. Barrett and 6’7″ rookie Collin Murray-Boyles have also given the Cavs fits. Although part of that could be giving their most physical wing, Jaylon Tyson, who is 6’6″, just 15 minutes per night.

Atkinson is giving one-dimensional Sam Merrill and Max Strus more time than Tyson, and frankly, we don’t understand it. Strus started out strong in the first three games but has made just 2 of his last 11 long range shots. For the record, Tyson has outrebounded and out-assisted Merrill in the series, despite playing less minutes.

And we didn’t mention all three are getting more minutes than Dennis Schroder, who saved the wine and gold in game five with a tremendous second half performance.

The other problem with the roster assembled by Koby Altman is there are too many one-dimensional players. The Raptors have much more versatility.

Dean Wade, who is 5th in minutes in the series, is a great defender, particularly on the perimeter, but an unwilling and inconsistent shooter on offense. Sometimes it appears he can’t wait to get the basketball out of his hands.

Merrill works hard defensively, but let’s face it, if he’s not making shots, he’s a liability on the floor. Strus always brings hard-nosed play and toughness, but he’s not reliable in his shooting.

And none of them have the ability to create shots for themselves, outside of Schroder, who attacks relentlessly.

Compare that to Toronto. Heck, Jamal Shead is scoring just 8.2 points per game, and shooting just 37% from the field, but he’s made an impact with his defense. Ja’Kobe Walter, who averaged just 7.4 points per game in the regular season, is scoring 10.8 per game in the series.

There is simply more energy off the Raptors’ bench.

Part of this is the style of offense used by Cleveland since the Harden trade, which features more isolation and one-on-one play. Toronto is basically double teaming the ball, figuring no one else can make a play. And it’s working.

Can the Cavaliers win today and advance? Sure. But, the next round, be it against Detroit or Orlando will likely present the same challenges.

And by the way, we didn’t even talk about the lack of toughness…

Raptors Bringing Physicality. Can Cavs Answer It?

To quote the great Jim Nantz, “it’s a tradition like any other”. Nantz, of course, is talking about The Masters, but we could use the same line to describe the performance of the Cleveland Cavaliers in their series against the Toronto Raptors.

It started with the first-round loss to the New York Knicks four years ago, when the Knicks started playing a physical brand, some might say, playoff brand of basketball and the wine and gold just never matched it.

Opponents play with force, a physicality, and the Cavaliers simply don’t match it. And that’s what has happened up north, and the two teams come back to Cleveland with the series tied at two games apiece.

To be it simply, Scottie Barnes bullied the Cavs in the two games in Toronto and Kenny Atkinson’s crew hasn’t answered back. Following Friday’s game three loss, Atkinson switched Dean Wade on to Barnes, moving Evan Mobley to Brandon Ingram, and to some extent it worked, they held the Raptors to 93 points, and the two Toronto forwards shot 12 of 37 from the floor.

But Barnes got to the line 14 times, had nine rebounds and six assists. Wade and Mobley were just 7 of 16 from the floor, and the latter had nine rebounds.

Barnes is attacking and the Cavaliers haven’t seemed to have challenged him all that much. Conversely, especially in game four, the outside shot wasn’t falling for Cleveland, yet they kept hoisting the three, taking 40 of their 87 shots from beyond the arc. They made just 10.

The Cavs looked to take control of the game in the middle of the second, third, and fourth quarters, only to see the Raptors close each time. In the second quarter, Cleveland led by seven (33-26) with 1:40 remaining, only to see Toronto close the half on a 12-3 run.

In that quarter, Dennis Schroder and James Harden started taking the ball to the basket and combined for 11 of the team’s 19 points, going 5 of 9 from the field. The rest of the team went 3 for 14.

Cleveland led 56-48 with 3:53 remaining in quarter three only to see the Raptors go on a 12-2 spurt to lead after three 60-58.

And of course, in the fourth quarter they had an eight-point lead at 84-76 with 4:55 on the clock, but the Raptors closed the game on a 17-5 run.

We hate to blame a coach, but we have to wonder what Sam Merrill is giving the Cavs, especially if he isn’t making shots. He did make 3 of 7 on Sunday, but prior was 3 for 10 in the series. And in game four, didn’t have a rebound or an assist.

In the playoffs, we think you need more all-around players. We felt down the stretch the Cavs needed someone else who could take the ball to the basket. Jaylon Tyson is willing to do that and he’s also a stronger rebounder and defender than Merrill.

This is the playoffs. The physical play is enhanced. As for the rotations, the coaching staff needs to go with the hot hand(s). Thomas Bryant needs to play if for no other reason than he’s a big body. Atkinson seems to have gone away from Keon Ellis, who hasn’t done much, but Schroder should get more time. There is no reason he should have played less than Merrill.

We understand Harden is taking a lot of heat nationally, but to us, it’s clear Mobley has to step up from both a physical standpoint and be more aggressive offensively. And Wade needs to shoot if Toronto is ignoring him.

They are doubling the guards and several times Wade took the ball into the paint from the wing, then turned around and passed the ball back outside. He has to be more aggressive offensively.

The Cavaliers can still win this series and really must win the series. They didn’t get Harden to lose in round one. But they have to be more physical.

What we don’t know is are they capable of doing that.

Cavs Take a 1-0 Advantage Over Toronto

The Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off their playoff series with a 126-113 over the Toronto Raptors to take a 1-0 series lead in the first-round best-of-seven series.

It was a sluggish first half for Kenny Atkinson’s squad, but a huge third quarter in which the Cavs outscored their opponents by a 36-22 count gave the wine and gold (or blue in yesterday’s case) a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, which was more than enough for the win.

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, and James Harden added 22 more with 10 assists, but the x-factor for Cleveland was Max Strus, who provided a big spark towards the end of the second quarter and throughout the third. Strus made 8 of 10 shots, four of six from three, scoring 24 points and also provided tough defense on Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.

In the first half, the Cavs had no answer for Ingram who hurt them in the mid-range game, particularly when Jaylon Tyson guarded him. Tyson is just too small and got in foul trouble immediately, picking up three very quickly.

If we were Raptors’ coach Darko Rajakovic, we’d be wondering how to get the ball to Ingram more often. For the game, the former second overall pick took just nine shots, less than Barnes, R.J. Barrett, and Jamal Shead, who started in place of the injured Immanuel Quickley.

The Raptors couldn’t get their running game going, mostly due to Quickley, who averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game, shooting 37.4% from three, being out. His availability for Game 2 is still up in the air.

On the other hand, Toronto shot 35.4% from three as a team during the regular season, but knocked down 13 of 27 yesterday. If they return to form Monday night, that is definitely advantage Cleveland.

The home team had a huge advantage inside as Jarrett Allen (5 of 7) and Evan Mobley (6 of 9) had several dunks against the foes from The Great White North. With Harden continuously looking the duo rolling to the basket, that is something Toronto needs to find an answer.

Atkinson went with ten players until garbage time, and many referred to the cliche about team’s rotation shrinking in the playoffs. In reality, the number of players getting time lessens because of usually one or two aren’t playing well. Until that happens for Cleveland, we would continue to look for Atkinson to play ten. The Cavaliers have a deep roster.

The thing that is different about the playoffs is you play the same team over and over, and adjustments are made on a game-by-game basis. My guess is Toronto will want Harden to shoot more, stopping the rim runs by Allen and Mobley. Make Harden a high-volume shooter.

We also think they will make Sam Merrill and Tyson have to make shots. They combined for 1 for 8 yesterday.

And they will take to get Ingram going and keep him going, especially if Atkinson put Tyson and/or/ Strus on him. The latter did a solid job, but Ingram still has a height advantage.

This game figures to be a tougher challenge for the Cavs, but if they win, they have a huge leg up in the series. So again, it’s a big game.

If Quickley’s hamstring allows him to play, expect the Cavs to go at him defensively.

This is a #4 vs. #5 matchup. It’s not supposed to be a sweep. That doesn’t mean it can’t be though.