When Sexton Returns, He Has to Fit In

One thing that strikes us as strange is the amount of discussion Collin Sexton still carries among Cavs’ fans, even though he is out for the season with a torn meniscus.

The Cavaliers are winning, currently sitting with the 6th best record in the Eastern Conference at 26-18, and they were 7-4 with Sexton on the floor, so they have been good with or without him.

We get that it is easy to project Sexton’s 24.3 scoring average onto this team and think of what Cleveland’s record would be then.

But that’s not how it works.

First of all, we know many people would have ranked the fourth-year pro out of Alabama as the team’s best player a year ago. We would not have been one of those people, as we would have had Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland ahead of him.

No matter how others would have ranked the players, Sexton would have been no worse than third at the end of the season.

Certainly, J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad could use another scorer, but there is a different style of play for the Cavs right now, and it’s a winning style. That’s not to say Sexton was a reason they were not winning, but simply saying the team is much better and they are playing a different style of basketball.

Bickerstaff always points to defense for the team’s success, and Cleveland does rank 2nd in points allowed in the NBA and 3rd in defensive efficiency.

Sexton hasn’t been known for his defense in his brief NBA career, so he will need to be much better on that end of the floor when he returns.

He also had the ball in his hands a lot. The offense ran through him when Garland was off the floor, and sometimes when Garland was on the floor. The problem with that is Sexton isn’t a willing passer and when he does look for teammates, he’s not particularly efficient.

His assist to turnover ratio for his career is 3.3:2.5. By contrast, Garland’s is 5.7:3.0, and a veteran playmaker like Ricky Rubio has a 7.6:2.6 rate. For a guard to have a close to even rate of assists to turnovers is not good.

However, it doesn’t mean Sexton can’t change. After all, he is just 23 years old. He just turned 23 actually. And he played on bad teams for the first three years of his career, and they were bad because the teams didn’t have good players.

And we want to emphasize the Cavaliers were 7-4 with Sexton before he hurt his knee.

This Cleveland team is growing though, seemingly getting better every game. The Cavaliers now center around Garland, Allen, and rookie sensation Evan Mobley. Kevin Love has been a huge factor off the bench.

So, when Sexton comes back to training camp next fall, he will need to find a new role. Not because of anything he did, it’s the evolution of this basketball team. He will need to see where he can make the most impact.

Many folks have suggested he should come off the bench and be a dynamic scorer with the second unit. It might be a matter of just picking spots on when and where to attack.

Perhaps Sexton is the guy who when the shot clock is running down, you get him the ball and the possession is salvaged.

The obsession with him is crazy though, because right now, he’s injured. He’s not playing. And there is plenty to focus on with the guys who are performing at a high-level night after night.

If you do want to ask something about him, make that thought about whether or not he can find a new role with the 2022-23 Cavaliers.

How Things Have Changed For Koby Altman.

It appears the Cleveland Cavaliers have settled on long term stability, and we hope it works out.

On Christmas Day, the team announced an extension for coach J.B. Bickerstaff, keeping him as the head coach through the 2026-27 season. That would give Bickerstaff seven full seasons at the helm, putting him up there with Bill Fitch (9 years), Lenny Wilkens (7), Mike Fratello (6) in terms of continuous service with the team.

Then on Tuesday it was announced that GM Koby Altman would have the added title of president of basketball operations, and his contract was extended though the 2027-28 season.

So, the Altman/Bickerstaff duo will be running the professional hoops team in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

What a remarkable turnabout for Altman, who many (including us) questioned since LeBron James departed via free agency following the 2017-18 campaign.

There were back-to-back 19 win seasons (to be fair, the one year was shortened to 65 games by the pandemic), followed by 22 victories a year ago.

His first post-James draft pick, made with the precious lottery pick obtained in the Kyrie Irving trade, was Collin Sexton, a score first 6’2″ guard who isn’t a particularly good passer (some would say not willing either) and because of his height, is a defensive liability.

The next year, he doubled down on the guard position, taking another smallish guard in 6’1″ Darius Garland, and with other first round picks, he took swingman Dylan Windler, supposedly a good shooter, and the troubled Kevin Porter Jr., who has since departed.

The following first rounder was Isaac Okoro, another player with a limited skill set. He’s a very good defender, but offensively, he needs work.

Up until then, you can’t blame fans for wondering what was going on with the Cavaliers. Add in the head coaching chaos, bringing in long time college coach John Beilein, who was ill equipped to coach at the pro level.

Then during last season, Altman got involved in the big transaction involving James Harden going to Brooklyn, and came out with a young, talented big man in Jarrett Allen, and the Cavs signed the restricted free agent to a five-year deal.

After years of kind of ignoring size, Cleveland got some size. Allen averaged 13.2 points and 10 rebounds a game last year, and has upped that to 16.9 and 11 this season.

If he was playing, that move put Altman on a hot streak. Tayshaun Prince came over with Allen, and was used to get Ricky Rubio, a veteran playmaker the wine and gold needed, from Minnesota.

He used the 3rd overall pick to draft Evan Mobley (confession, we though he would be a project at this point) and made another trade to get Lauri Markkanen from Chicago. Bickerstaff likes size, and he decided to start the three seven footers together, giving Cleveland more size up front that most other NBA squads.

When Rubio went down, Altman almost immediately traded for Rajon Rondo, a very accomplished veteran to replace him.

There is no question Altman isn’t getting an extension and promotion without the moves made over the last year.

He also deserves credit for finding Bickerstaff and putting him in charge. Without a doubt, he’s a top candidate for coach of the year honors.

The Cavaliers are four years post-LBJ and they have made themselves into a playoff contender, not just a play-in tournament contender.

There is now pressure on Altman and Bickerstaff to keep progressing and get the Cavs back into championship contention.

It’s funny how things and perceptions can change in just a year. Koby Altman has become a rising executive in the NBA. That’s not something we would have said a year ago.

Cavs’ Depth Being Compromised, Need Others To Step Up.

The absences keep piling up for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they seem to be battling through them as they head into a tough, long trip to the west coast.

After the COVID outbreak hit northeast Ohio, the wine and gold have had several players missing, including starters Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland. The first two have already returned, and Garland is likely to be back tonight against Memphis.

Although the virus seems to be out of the locker room, the injuries are now biting the team. We have already discussed the huge loss of Ricky Rubio, and now, another member of the usual rotation, Isaac Okoro, looks to be out 2-3 weeks with an injured elbow.

Our guess is Lamar Stevens will take Okoro’s place in the starting lineup and the rotation, since as J.B. Bickerstaff usually does, he puts the player most like the one missing in his place. And by the way, that’s a very sound strategy, in that is keeps everyone else’s spot the same.

The biggest obstacle the coaching staff has had is the injury to Rubio occurring at the same time Garland was put on the shelf. Having to go to the third option at point guard, Kevin Pangos, was something Cleveland couldn’t overcome, and it caused Koby Altman to sign Brandon Goodwin, who actually might be an upgrade over Pangos.

The former Gonzaga player, Pangos, seems to really struggle against defensive pressure bringing the ball up the court, and although he has a reputation as a shooter, he’s not making shots either.

Goodwin hasn’t shown much as a shooter either (0 for 3 from three, 2 for 6 from the line), but he appears to get into the offense quicker, which is a great help. To aid both Pangos and Goodwin, Bickerstaff seems to run the attack through Kevin Love when he is on the floor.

The problem for some of these players getting extended time for the first time all season, is they have fallen into the trap of doing what the defense wants them to. For example, early in the second half of the New Year’s Eve game against the Hawks, Atlanta started leaving Pangos open, hoping he would shoot.

Instead of sticking to the gameplan, he took the bait, and Atlanta rallied.

That’s another reason Stevens is starting to grow on us. First of all, he plays with great effort and is a very good defender. On offense, for the most part, he doesn’t settle for jump shots when the defense allows them. Generally, he will attack the basket anyway, which is his game.

When everyone is healthy, the Cavs’ offense should run through Garland, Allen, Mobley, and Love. And in the win over the Pacers, they seemed to get back to that, pounding the ball inside most trips down the floor.

While scoring is fun to watch, at their core, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a defensive team first, ranking third in the NBA in defensive rating. No question, it helps to have Allen and Mobley protecting the rim.

One thing they do need is Lauri Markkanen getting out of his shooting slump from outside. That will also help open things up on the offensive end.

Altman Moves Quick, Gets Veteran Point Guard.

The mindset of the Cleveland Cavaliers sure has changed since the beginning of this season. When the campaign started, it figured to be a year to develop the young players the team has accumulated over the past few years.

However, the wine and gold got off to a very good start to the season, and suddenly the playoffs were in the view of both the players and coaching staff, but apparently also GM Koby Altman.

So, when Ricky Rubio went down with a season ending knee injury earlier this week, Altman decided quickly the Cavaliers couldn’t have Kevin Pangos as the primary backup for Darius Garland, who is currently out due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Altman wanted another veteran presence in the backcourt, so he traded Denzel Valentine, who wasn’t getting off the bench much anyway, to the Lakers, for veteran Rajon Rondo, who Cavs’ fans can remember as a key player on the Celtics teams that battled the LeBron James’ led wine and gold bunch in the late 2000’s.

Rondo won’t provide the court spacing offensively that Rubio did, mostly because he’s not an effective shooter. He’s a career 32% shooter from beyond the three point line.

However, he can pass the ball. He’s led the NBA in assists three times in his career, and he will be able to handle the point guard duties, so Garland can play off the ball and look for shots on the perimeter.

He’s been in only 18 games for the Lakers this season, averaging just 16 minutes in those appearances, scoring 3.1 points, but getting 3.7 assists per game. He’s taken just 32 shots and two free throw all year.

The moves signals that the Cavs are no longer in rebuilding mode and have decided to make a run at the playoffs. It doesn’t mean Altman will throw caution to the wind and start moving younger players to try to win a title, but the front office knows getting into the post-season and gaining that valuable experience for Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen is very important.

As stated before, the cost for Altman was minimal, Valentine played in just 22 games in Cleveland, getting just 9 minutes per night, and when the Cavs were fully healthy, he was firmly anchored to the bench.

He was the 14th overall pick in 2016 after an excellent college career, but it hasn’t translated. With Cleveland, we saw a player who took ill-advised shots, tried to force passes, and kind of played like he was a star, instead of a role player trying to fit into a team.

We would also guess Altman still will be looking to strengthen the roster, as he still has a trade exemption (from the Javale McGee trade last season).

The Cavs signed Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract, and frankly, he looked better than Pangos in his debut. Bickerstaff was basically playing eight men, with Rubio being one of them. And we doubt Rondo can handle the minutes Rubio was getting this season (28.5) right away.

And Cleveland still needs another productive wing player, even when Cedi Osman is back from the COVID list. Dylan Windler hasn’t done anything consistently on an NBA floor, and Dean Wade seems to regress when he is presented with a larger role.

Another brutal west coast swing comes in January, and we will have a clearer picture of whether or not the Cavaliers can be team that can have home court advantage in a first round playoff series or they are more like a contender for the play in tournament.

It will depend on what kind of play they get from their backcourt. And that’s in a better spot than it was when Rubio went down.

Rubio’s Injury Hurts, Can Altman Fill The Void?

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ worst fears came true yesterday as it was announced Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

When Koby Altman acquired the veteran right before the draft, we loved the move because Rubio “knows how to play” basketball, and a young team like the Cavs need more guys who can show them the correct way to handle things.

Although we felt it was a great move by Altman, we think we still underestimated how important the 5th overall pick in the 2009 draft would be to Cleveland.

Rubio has not only helped Darius Garland in his development, which was probably the main reason for the trade, but due to the injury to Collin Sexton, he has wound up playing along side Garland, freeing him up to do more scoring.

Meanwhile, the veteran has ramped up his scoring too. When the trade was finalized, coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Rubio he wanted the Spanish National Team version of the guard, and currently, his 13.1 points per game would tie his career high, set in 2017-18 with Utah.

He’s taking a career best 12 shots per contest (his previous high is 10.7 in his first two seasons with the Jazz), and he’s attempting five three pointers per night, way over his previous high of 3.7, also with Utah.

Right now, he’s the leader of the wine and gold’s bench, which has done a tremendous job all season. All three of the principles in this group, which includes another veteran in Kevin Love along with Cedi Osman, are averaging in double figures.

The Cavs have used a very balanced scoring attack this season, with seven players averaging more than 10 points (not including Sexton) and Isaac Okoro falling just short of that mark at 9.2 points per game.

Rubio’s loss would be a huge blow to the resurgent Cavaliers because he fills so many roles on the team.

As a backup point guard, he allows Garland to play just 34 minutes per night. Without someone of Rubio’s talent, his minutes will have to increase when he returns from the COVID protocols, and that might take a toll on him as the season wears on.

And because he can play with Garland, Cleveland’s leading scorer will not be able to play off the ball as often, which allows him to be a spot up shooter from deep. Rubio’s replacement would have to be someone who commands respect from opposing defenses, and that would be a tough find.

There is also the veteran’s approach the Cavs will miss. Again, when he came to Cleveland, the phrase we used is “he knows how to play”. While, some of that has rubbed off already on his young teammates, we are sure Rubio hasn’t showed all of his tricks at this point.

Can Altman fill this spot with one player? That’s doubtful, so he may have to make a couple of moves to fill the void left by Rubio. Most of the good ball handling guards who can score and provide veteran leadership aren’t probably available.

But right now, the Cavaliers should have playoff aspirations and they’ve earned that right. To keep their winning ways, they need to replace the veteran and as quickly as possible.

Yes, Garland shouldn’t be gone too long, but they need someone who can play with him and be a back-up to the third-year player.

There is a huge challenge ahead for both Altman and Bickerstaff.

Who knew Rubio would make this much of an impact on the Cavs?

Cavs Won’t Be Sellers, Should They Be Buyers At Trade Deadline?

We are sure when the NBA season began, the plan was for Kevin Love to play well enough that contending teams would be interested in adding his hefty contract to help push them toward a lengthy run in the playoffs.

Sometimes, plans go awry and it is for a good reason.

Currently, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a playoff contender, and Love is helping them win basketball games.

Does this mean Love won’t be traded? No, he could still be moved, after all, anything is possible, but it would seem doubtful that GM Koby Altman is going to get an offer that both makes this year’s edition of the wine and gold better, and frees up salary cap space by taking the veteran’s contract.

Cleveland should now be in the “buyer” category now. They sit with the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 19-12, and are one of the better defensive teams in the league. And defense plays once the post-season begins.

One thing the Cavs have going for them is chemistry, they play together and enjoy playing with each other. Even with Collin Sexton sidelined, Cleveland has eight players averaging at least 9.3 points per night, ranging from Darius Garland’s 19.1 to Isaac Okoro at the lower figure listed.

So, Altman should be looking for a player who fits with the current roster and can shoot from outside. And J.B. Bickerstaff likes to play big men, and if you can find another useful big, then why not get one of those too.

The problem is what could Altman give up to make such a move without disrupting the current formula for success?

The easy answer would be Sexton, who is out for the season, and did not sign a contract extension before the campaign started, so he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Our guess is that the front office has reached out to Sexton and his representatives to see if he is interested in staying with the Cavaliers long term at a smaller than the max deal number. Many basketball people have speculated he would be perfect in a sixth man role, providing instant offense off the bench for a contending team.

The question is would he accept that role?

Other than Sexton, and if you move him it would basically be for less than his value, but on the other hand, you get something that helps you this season.

And although the Cavaliers have a very young core, there is no guarantee about any other season except this one. It would seem the future is very bright, but in the NBA you never know about injuries, contract issues, etc., and how is affects a team.

Still, unless another team is interested in a player like Dylan Windler, Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade, and/or Denzel Valentine, the best course of action for Altman would seem to stand pat and see how far this group can go.

That’s not a bad plan either. You would see how these Cavaliers do in a playoff situation, and that would give the front office a good idea of what needs to be done going forward.

What will Altman do? All we can do is wait and see. There will be wings available at the trade deadline, but do the Cavs want to disrupt what is currently working? Normally, we would say yes, but that might not be the wise thing with this group wearing the wine and gold.

Love Is Back And Helping Cavs Win.

When LeBron James decided to leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers following the 2018-19 season, Kevin Love became remaining member of the franchise’s “Big Three”.

We know Kyrie Irving, the other player in the trio that led the Cavs to their only NBA title was dealt prior to that season, but the wine and gold made it back to The Finals for a 4th consecutive year anyway.

After the departure of both James and Irving, Dan Gilbert offered Love a boatload of money on a contract extension, and our guess would be the promise of continuing to compete here in Cleveland. After all, Tyronn Lue was still at the helm, and the franchise still had Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, etc.

Our comment about continuing to compete is speculation, because he don’t know for sure, and we have never met Kevin Love.

We are sure the organization thought rookie Collin Sexton, the 8th overall pick in the NBA Draft would be able to help the veterans as well.

But Love injured his big toe and missed most of the season, playing in just 21 games, scoring 17 points and grabbing almost 11 rebounds per night.

By the time training camp started in 2019-20, the Cavaliers had a new coach, longtime college headman John Beilein, and added another smaller young guard in Darius Garland, and the rebuilding phase of the team was in full bloom.

For an all star player who played six years in various rebuilding programs in Minnesota before being traded to Cleveland, coinciding with James returning to the franchise, we are sure it was a bitter pill.

It wasn’t what he signed (or re-signed in his case) up for.

We aren’t saying Love handled the frustration well. He had temper tantrums. He called out his coach, who had never coached at the NBA level before, and he was frustrated with his teammates, particularly the younger guys.

He still averaged 17.6 points and almost 10 rebounds per night, and many times was playing center, a position he was no longer big enough to play on a night in, night out basis.

We also believe Love was frustrated by the lack of accountability the younger players were held to. It was as if they were allowed to not pay attention to detail without consequences.

Last year was another injury riddled year, as the veteran missed all but 25 games with a calf issue, and only averaged 24 minutes a night when he did take the floor.

The drop in availability, temperament, and production made his contract an albatross on the franchise. No team wanted to make a move for Kevin Love.

This season, the Cavs are winning for the first time since James departed and Love is rejuvenated. Embracing a bench role, averaging just 20 minutes per contest, Love is scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 boards per game.

He can still rebound with the best and he’s back to looking for that long outlet pass that was his trademark. He’s more of a sniper offensively, looking for the three point shot, and knocking down 40% in the young season.

And his defensive effort is better with the reduced playing time. J.B. Bickerstaff has made playing the right way a mandate and Love no longer has to compete with bigger centers because of the presence of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

The man can still play. We aren’t condoning the attitude issues he showed the past few seasons, just saying we understand. Once you experience winning, it’s tough to not have it.

It’s funny how things look better to everyone when winning is in the equation.

Young Cavs Using Old Philosophies.

There is no doubt the Cleveland Cavaliers are approaching things differently in this NBA season. While there has been a trend toward “small ball”, mostly because of the success of the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs have decided to go big, playing three guys 6’11” and taller in their starting lineup.

One thing about the Warriors, while they used the small lineup mostly because of the defense of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, they always had a cadre of big men on the roster, players like Andrew Bogut, Zaza Pachulia, and Javale McGee.

And of course, let’s not forget that Kevin Durant is a seven-footer as well.

J.B. Bickerstaff can play the trio of big men, and we can extend the group to include Kevin Love, because they can all move very well, so they can defend on the perimeter as well as near the basket.

It also works because Lauri Markkanen is very good three-point shooter, knocking them down at a 36% clip, and lately, that number has been even better.

If the starting lineup had the mobility of say, Tacko Fall, it wouldn’t work. They would have a tremendous defense disadvantage. But Jarrett Allen helped win a game because he harassed Portland’s Damian Lillard on the perimeter.

But Evan Mobley’s ability to guard anyone anywhere has changed the dynamic. Mobley is not only emerging as the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year (with Toronto’s Scottie Barnes), but should make an all-defensive team, and we think he should get some MVP votes as well.

Bickerstaff also uses only nine men regularly, and some nights go with just eight players. That would seem to be a problem as the season progresses, but the Cavs currently do not have anyone averaging over 34 minutes per night and have eight players playing more than 20 minutes per game.

That would put no one in the top 20 in the league in minutes per game. The highest ranking Cavalier would be Darius Garland at 34.4 minutes. There are 19 teams whose leader in being on the court plays more than that.

For example, the Bulls have three players who play more than 35 minutes on an average night, and Toronto has the league leader in Fred Van Vleet and Barnes is also on the court for 36 minutes.

There haven’t been a lot of instances where anyone wearing the wine and gold have played 40 minutes in a given game.

As noted, Garland leads the team in minutes, but has played 40 minutes just once, and that was just 40:04 in the loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. Allen has played the next most, but hasn’t been above the 40 minutes threshold.

Mobley has logged one game over 40 minutes, and similar to Garland, it was just three seconds over the level.

From what we can tell, the most minutes in a game that a Cleveland player has is the 43 minutes Isaac Okoro played in the loss at home to Golden State. Dean Wade also played 40 minutes that night, and that is the extent of games where a Cavalier was on the court that much.

Of course, having seven wins by 15 points or more helps get rotational players out of games early, and that has been mode for Cleveland lately.

And we wouldn’t be surprised if Cedi Osman’s (22.8) and Love’s (19.9) time on the court increases slightly as both are playing very well off the bench.

What Bickerstaff and the Cavaliers are doing is turning back the clock in NBA basketball. Back to the days where height mattered, a shorter bench, and defense. As for the latter, as long as no player is being overused it shouldn’t be a problem, although we do have concerns about Mobley since he is a rookie.

It just goes to show there aren’t many new concepts in basketball, or sports in general. Just history repeating.

Getting Another Shooter Would Be Huge For Tall Cavs

Last Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost a very entertaining game to the Utah Jazz at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse by one point.

While we were watching the game, it struck us that the wine and gold were kind of playing an older, more experienced version of what they are. Both teams are from small markets, and neither is a destination location for free agents.

The young Cavaliers are taller than the Jazz, but Utah is the second highest scoring team in the NBA, and lead the Association in three point shots made per game, making even more than the poster boys for long range shooting, the Golden State Warriors.

The Jazz are also 4th in the league in percentage from beyond the arc.

Cleveland scores 10 points per night less than the Jazz, making 3.6 less threes than the league leaders (they rank 18th), and are 15th in the league in percentage.

Utah has four players making more than 40% of their long distance shots, and another making 39%.

By contrast, the Cavs have two over 40%, and one of them, Dylan Windler, doesn’t play much mainly because, in our opinion, he is hesitant to shoot the ball. The other is Cedi Osman.

Darius Garland is also making 39% of his threes.

Kevin Love is hitting 36% and Ricky Rubio is at 35%. The player who leads the team in attempts from three point land is Lauri Markkanen, making 33%, although he has made 38.2% of these shots since returning to the lineup from COVID protocols.

The latter’s outside is very important for the starting lineup, although he can do more than be a spot up shooter.

Watching the game, we had the realization that Cleveland needs more guys who can knock down open jumpers from deep, especially with the presence of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley inside.

One problem right now for J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad is lack of “pure” shooters. Collin Sexton made three pointers, but he was really more of a scorer than a shooter. And the man replacing him in the starting lineup, Isaac Okoro, is currently being left alone because teams don’t think he can make a shot from outside.

The second year player, the fifth overall pick a year ago, is making just 22% of his three point attempts, and our guess is until he can make them, he will get plenty more opportunities.

In Monday night’s loss to Milwaukee, Okoro played just 18 minutes, in part because he couldn’t make a shot, missing six shots, including three from distance.

He is a solid defender, make no mistake about that. But much like a good glove man in baseball, unless you can hit at an acceptable level, you don’t get on the field. In hoops, if you are an offensive liability, you can’t be on the floor that long.

Thank goodness for Osman’s development as a long range shooter, because the Cavs would have no one beyond Garland, Love, and Markkanen.

Windler was drafted for this purpose, but he and another reserve, Dean Wade, seem hesitant at times to pull the trigger when they are open.

And neither give you enough in other areas to be on the floor unless they are making shots.

The organization sent Windler to the G-League for a couple of games to see if getting some game time would unlock something. He would seem to be the guy to get more time, but he has to take and make shots when he is in there.

The Cavaliers have made a vast improvement this season and it is mostly on the defensive end. The next step is to get some shooters. Perhaps that will be something GM Koby Altman targets in the trade market if the current success continues.

Otherwise, teams will continue to leave Okoro and the others open and that will provide less room for Garland, Allen, and Mobley to operate inside.

Not Just Mobley, Other Cavs Are Stepping Up

So, Evan Mobley returns to the lineup last Saturday, and the Cleveland Cavaliers end their five game losing streak with a win and then go to Dallas Monday night, and blow out the Mavericks.

Seems simplistic to say the rookie is pretty important to the fortunes of the wine and gold, no?

While J.B. Bickerstaff’s team is 12-6 with Mobley in the lineup, it should be pointed out that during the those five contests without a win, the Cavs were at various points, missing Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen as well.

Cleveland is 12-7 when Allen plays, and 7-6 when Markkanen is on the court. And to be fair, they are 7-4 when Collin Sexton plays.

Through the first 25% of the season, it is clear, when healthy, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a solid basketball team.

And they haven’t exactly played an easy schedule. They already have made one west coast trip and they’ve only played three teams (Toronto, Detroit, and Orlando) with losing records.

(That’s a little misleading because only 9 teams in the NBA right now have losing records. Out of 30 teams, that’s kind of weird).

Obviously, the contributions of Rookie of the Year candidate (dare we say favorite?) Mobley are a big factor in the success of the team. The third overall pick in last summer’s draft is scoring 14.5 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing out 2.6 assists, and blocking 2 shots per night.

And the big lineup favored by Bickerstaff, using Mobley with Markkanen and Allen together and having Kevin Love as a backup, has been a big success so far.

We have said it for awhile, despite the emphasis on three point shooting and point guards, quality big people are still very important in professional basketball.

There are other factors for the early success as well. Darius Garland continues to improve in all areas. His points per game and assists per game, as well as his overall shooting percentage are all increased from a year ago.

Getting Ricky Rubio has been big too. Although his scoring and shooting have tapered off from the hot streak he had in early November, having a veteran that understands how to play in significant. That he moves the ball, averaging 6.3 dimes per night, helps as well.

And Cedi Osman has turned into a viable three point threat. In the past, we always felt Osman was misused as a shooter, when his real strength was as a slasher and creator. This was because he made just 30.6% of his long range shots a year ago, and more than half his shot came from behind the arc.

This year, Osman has made 43% from three point land, and with the loss of Sexton to injury, it has been needed. He has become what the organization thought Dylan Windler would be, someone who could stretch the defense.

Is the 43% figure sustainable? Maybe it isn’t, but it’s much, much better than 30%.

It’s not all rosy. The injuries were a problem because beyond the top eight players Bickerstaff uses, there isn’t much. Dean Wade is getting minutes and really doesn’t produce much, but he does gobble up minutes. He did have one real good outing against Golden State, but that’s really about it.

Windler has had injuries, but came to the league purported as someone who could do more than shoot, but he hasn’t been good in that department.

Lamar Stevens gives good effort and can defend, but that’s about it, and Denzel Valentine got some minutes when the injuries hit, and showed he needs to develop a better basketball IQ, taking ill-advised shots and some forced passes.

Perhaps if the Cavs stay in the thick of the playoff hunt, GM Koby Altman can make a move to bolster the end of the bench.

It’s fun to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers again. Of course, winning is part of having fun.