Don’t Panic On Cavs, And A Discussion On Okoro

Because the Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling, losing six of their last seven games, the fans and media are trying to a scapegoat for the lack of winning.

In reality, a big part of this losing skein is the injuries. We understand J.B. Bickerstaff doesn’t want to use this excuse, no coach does, there is a next man up theory for any team sport.

But for a team like the Cavs, without a deep roster, it because pretty simplistic.

We have written about this before; Cleveland has nine solid NBA players. The balance of the roster can be effective on certain nights, but consistency is a problem for them. We are talking about players like Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens, and Brandon Goodwin.

For the last month or so, the wine and gold have been missing a combination of these players: Lauri Markkanen, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Rajon Rondo.

Two of them start, and in reality, when he returns LeVert will get starters minutes, and another proven ball handler and defender in Rondo.

If LeVert and Rondo return and the Cavs are still playing poorly, then it might make sense to have a touch of panic about this team.

Remember, the Cavaliers got a lot of notice by other players and the national media with the All Star Game being played in their house. It is only natural, especially for a very young team to get a little caught up in the hoopla (no pun intended).

Hopefully, Friday night’s performance and effort in Philadelphia signals a return to the way the Cavs played prior to the event at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

For the most part, the Cavaliers’ best players are pretty consistent. There is one exception, and it stands out with all the injuries. Bickerstaff needs a more even offensive stat line on a nightly basis from second year pro Isaac Okoro.

Okoro is a very good defender. Their lone victory in the last seven games is due to his lockdown of Kyle Kuzma against the Wizards.

Offensively, especially when Garland and LeVert were out, they need more games like last Friday when Okoro put up 22 points.

Now, they don’t need 22 all the time, but in the previous half dozen games, last year’s fifth overall pick scored 4, 6, 6, 11, 6, and 5 points.

We were critical of taking a defensive first player that high in the draft and this is why. At that spot, you would like to get a more complete basketball player. Opposing teams are clogging the middle to stop Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and they are doing it by leaving Okoro open.

On the other hand, the second-year pro just turned 21 years old, so there is plenty of room and time to improve. That doesn’t help them right now.

In his last 10 games, the most shots he put up was the eight he took vs. Philly. He’s had three games where he took five attempts or less.

We aren’t saying he should just start heaving up shots at will, but he needs to make himself someone who the defense has to guard. He’s not exactly filling up the box score either.

In that same span, he’s had a high of five rebounds (twice) and his assist best was four. Again, we know not everything is included in the stat sheet, but in watching the games, there are long stretches where he disappears offensively.

And the Cavs need more from him on the offensive end. Basketball is the one sport where a player has to contribute in both aspects, and transition to it immediately.

With people down, others need to step up. The Cavaliers need Isaac Okoro to do more on the offensive end and do it within the frame of the offense.

That’s not too much to ask for a player picked in the top five a year ago. He can’t be regarded in the same class as Wade and Stevens.

With Tough Stretch Coming, Cavs Need To Get Back To Defense

When the NBA’s all-star weekend came to town a week ago, the optimism around the Cleveland Cavaliers was at a season high. The wine and gold was sitting as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-23 record.

While people should still be viewing the Cavs as a huge surprise and success this season, there is no question the good thought have waned a bit because of the injuries that continue to plague J.B. Bickerstaff’s team.

Even though Lauri Markkanen returned when the games started back up last Thursday, the Cavaliers have been without all star Darius Garland (bone bruise in the back), and Caris LeVert (sprained foot) in both games after the break.

And now, Garland’s back up, veteran Rajon Rondo is out for two weeks with a sprained big toe.

Those are three of the team’s top nine players, and with three games with playoff teams coming up (Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Toronto) coming up, the Cavs need to adjust their style of play and have some players in the deeper part of the bench step up in the short term.

The “easy” part of the schedule is now over. In addition to the next trio of opponents, prior to St. Patrick’s Day, Cleveland will also play Miami and Chicago, the top two teams in the East, along with another tilt against the Sixers, and Denver also comes to town.

Hopefully, Garland and LeVert will be able to play by those latter four games.

In the meantime, Koby Altman brought in veteran journeyman Tim Frazier to soak up some minutes at point guard. Brandon Goodwin, who wasn’t even in the organization at the start of the season, will start, but the best thing might be for the offense to run through Cedi Osman and Kevin Love when they are on the floor.

And perhaps Bickerstaff should keep at least one of them out there at all times. When Love is on the floor, they like to have him at the high post and pass out of that spot. Osman is more of a drive and dish kind of player, but both have good instincts for passing the basketball.

Until then, the Cavs need players like Goodwin to perform. Unfortunately, he is showing why he was available for Cleveland to sign in the middle of December.

The same can be said of Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens.

It’s tough for players to be productive on most nights. It’s what separates the rotational players in the NBA with the guys who are the 10th to 15th men on the roster.

The best way for those players to make their bones in the league is to not play outside of themselves. Do the little things, set screens, play defense, etc. Those are the things that can be done every night.

Goodwin is very good going to the basket, but is a 31% career three point shooter. He gets in trouble when he shoots them when they aren’t going in. Wade needs to make shots because he doesn’t do much else, although he’s a decent defender.

What we liked about Stevens was that he didn’t fall into the trap of letting the defense determine how he would play. He has a solid mid-range game. He needs to continue that and let the game come to him.

The Cavs don’t need all three to contribute, but two out of three have to.

Furthermore, with Garland and LeVert out, defense is more important and Bickerstaff made that clear to his squad Saturday night.

Again, hopefully the injured players are back soon and the Cavaliers can get momentum going down the homestretch. Until then, they need to get back to what put them on the NBA map early this season.

All-Star Break Comes Just At Right Time For Cavs

The All-Star break came at the right time for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is being readied for this weekend’s festivities, the Cavs ended the first half on a three game trip, winning only one, but giving up over 100 points in each.

The last two games, they were the victims of yeoman efforts by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Atlanta’s Trae Young, so we guess if opponents need superhuman performances to beat Cleveland, that’s probably a good thing.

Still, the Cavaliers looked a bit tired in these three games, and it’s more difficult to play defense when you are fatigued. And remember, defense is this team’s calling card.

So, even though many Cavs are participating in the weekend’s event (at least they don’t have to travel), the nine days off until their next contest, February 24th at Detroit, could be just what this group needs, particularly the three players who have played the most minutes: rookie Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland.

Sitting at 35-23, if J.B. Bickerstaff’s club simply plays .500 basketball from here on out, the wine and gold would finish at 47-35, and that most certainly should get them in the top six in the Eastern Conference.

But the schedule is home friendly once play resumes. Of the 24 contests remaining, only 10 will be away from RMFH, and the only long trip left is a three game sojourn to Indiana, Miami, and Chicago in early March.

On the opposite side they are several games on the slate against teams fighting for playoff spots and/or post-season positioning, including three more with Philadelphia, two with the Bulls, and two more against Toronto.

Those games likely will be filled with playoff intensity, which is a good thing for a young team like the Cavs.

The break also helps the health of the team. It should give Garland’s back to get some rest, even though he will play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, and when Cleveland returns to action, you would think Lauri Markkanen will be back in the starting lineup.

We see a lot of people trying to replace him as a starter, but we believe he is more needed than many think.

He adds yet another seven-footer to the starting lineup, and he is able to stay with big people playing on the perimeter offensively.

And there cannot be any doubt Markkanen is a better offensive option than Dean Wade. Wade still is hesitant to shoot at times, and Markkanen has the ability to take the ball to the basket better if opponents crowd him outside.

We also think it is time to start Caris LeVert at the #2 guard spot and bring Isaac Okoro off the bench.

Putting LeVert with the first unit (and Markkanen’s return) should give Allen and Mobley more room to operate inside and give driving lanes for Garland and LeVert.

Having Okoro out there with two threats from the perimeter like Kevin Love and Cedi Osman means he doesn’t have to be counted on for outside shooting, and he can attack the basket.

And of course, if you have the lead in the fourth quarter, you can always have Okoro on the floor to do what he does best…defend.

We are sure the success the Cavaliers have enjoyed this season will be a major story line at All-Star Weekend. Who would have predicted that before this season commenced?

Fans should enjoy the events and the Cavs’ players should enjoy the time off. Because the home stretch starts in a little over a week.

Cavs Checking All The Boxes On The Good Side.

In the end, Cavaliers’ GM Koby Altman didn’t make any more moves at the NBA trading deadline, meaning Caris LeVert was the only addition to J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad.

As we wrote a couple of days ago, that was a mighty big acquisition, getting a scorer who can do other things for a couple of draft picks that likely won’t yield a player as good as LeVert.

The early returns seem good as well. The former Pacer scored 11 in his debut and 22 against his former team, and visually, looks like he fits in perfectly. He even commented as to how he feels his defense has to pick up because he sees his new teammates putting the effort in.

That’s called having a good culture.

There was a lot of talk about Altman trying to get a better backup point guard with Darius Garland’s current back issues. About a week and a half ago, Rajon Rondo didn’t have a good game against New Orleans, and Brandon Goodwin led a come from behind victory.

He followed that game up with a pair of two point games against Houston and Charlotte.

In the last three contests, Rondo looks like he can be the solution, even at age 35. He has put up 37 points and 22 assists in those games, playing an average of 28 minutes.

We are sure Bickerstaff doesn’t want Rondo playing those kinds of minutes on a nightly basis, but the veteran has shown he is still capable of being able to get the job done.

Bickerstaff has emphasized defense after the first couple games of the season (we are pretty sure he did so in training camp, but the results early were ugly) and the wine and gold now allow the fewest points per game in the league and are third in defensive rating.

Old school hoops people looked at defensive field goal percentage and Cleveland ranks third best in the league in that statistic (behind Golden State and Boston), holding teams to just 44% shooting.

As a contrast, the Cavs themselves knockdown 46.6% of their shots.

The other ranking that used to be judged was the average margin of victory, the reasoning being good teams win a lot of games by comfortable margins, “lucky” ones win a lot of close ones.

Again, the Cavs hold up well here, ranking 7th in this category throughout the league and 3rd in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Boston at 4.61.

If you figure strength of schedule into the equation, the Cavaliers rank 1st in the East ahead of Miami and Boston.

You can’t help by being impressed by this group.

And while all teams this year have been affected by injuries and COVID, the Cavs have been no different.

Collin Sexton, who was starting at the beginning of the season, and Ricky Rubio, who was making a huge impact off the bench playing almost 30 minutes a game, are both out for the season with knee injuries.

Virtually every key player has missed time due the virus, and currently, Lauri Markkanen is out with a sprained ankle.

We don’t believe anyone understands the importance Markkanen has with his length defensively on the perimeter, and the spacing he provides offensively.

Yes, Dean Wade can shoot from outside, but Markkanen is much better putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim.

We are anxious to see LeVert on the floor on a regular basis with Garland and Markkanen.

That will provide a much deeper team.

It won’t be easy. The Nets and Celtics both got better at the trade deadline too, and they will be formidable opponents.

But these Cavaliers check all the boxes as well. Spring basketball is always a lot of fun.

Cavs Are Fun, But It’s Time To Expect Success

Since the Cleveland Browns’ season ended last month, the sports focus of the city, other than the obsession with Baker Mayfield, has been on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and rightly so.

Not many people figured this would be a playoff year for the wine and gold, but as of today, they sit tied for the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 34-21, and they were buyers at the trade deadline, getting Caris LeVert from Indiana.

They have already exceeded the 30 wins we predicted they would get this season, and quite frankly, a 50 win season wouldn’t be a big shock.

Most of the commentary in the media has been about how much fun J.B. Bickerstaff’s club is to watch, and after three years of being among the worst teams in the NBA, absolutely it is a joy to watch this team play.

The thing that makes all this winning fun is the lack of expectation. No one expected the Cavaliers to be in this position. Fans were looking forward to the development of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and were anxious to see how rookie Evan Mobley would hold up under the grind of an 82 game schedule.

And no one figured Kevin Love would be drinking from the fountain of youth, playing his most energetic and enthusiastic basketball since perhaps 2016.

There are no impending free agencies on the horizon, save for Collin Sexton this summer, so Koby Altman doesn’t have to tiptoe around making players want to stay in Cleveland. This is just about basketball and putting together a team.

How far can they go this spring and summer?

Five of the primary players on this edition of the Cavs are under 25 years old: Garland, Mobley, Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, and Lauri Markkanen. We didn’t include Sexton because he’s not playing right now.

Of that quintet, only Allen has ever appeared in a playoff game, being in nine of them with Brooklyn in 2019 and 2020. He’s played in one winning post-season contest. Newcomer LeVert has the exact same experience.

On the other hand, Love, Cedi Osman, and Rajon Rondo have plenty of playoff experience. Heck, Rondo even has a nickname (Playoff Rondo) built around his 134 games of experience. Love’s been in 63 post-season games and Osman 14.

You notice all of the experience is coming off the bench.

A realistic expectation for this group probably depends on whether or not they end up in the top four of the conference, which would mean home court advantage in the first round. And even then, it depends on the matchup.

Having to play say Philadelphia or Brooklyn in the first round would be very difficult for these young Cavs, because of having an opponent with a great player who has a tremendous amount of post-season experience.

It would be great to win a title for sure, but ideally, winning one series could be a stepping stone for this group. It will show them what playing in the playoffs is like. Defense gets stepped up, every possession is of even greater importance.

Teams can surprise, like Atlanta did a year ago, but usually there is a process to success once the calendar changes to April and May.

However, Bickerstaff won’t change his approach and neither should the players. They should expect to win. That’s half the battle.

Hard To Argue With Addition Of LeVert

The Cleveland Cavaliers GM Koby Altman continued his controlled aggressiveness Sunday when he acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers for Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, and first and second round picks in this year’s draft.

The first round pick is the Cavs, which will hopefully be in the 20’s, and the second round pick is Houston’s which will likely be in the high 30’s.

LeVert can score and the wine and gold need some added offense. Over the past three seasons, the 6’6″ wing has put up at least 18.7 points per game. He’s not a great three point shooter, making 33% for his career, but he’s averaged at least 4.4 assists per contest in the same span.

He gives Cleveland another bigger wing, and someone else who can handle the ball for J.B. Bickerstaff.

And the best thing about the deal is Altman didn’t give up anyone who has been contributing to the surprising success of this team all season.

The lack of depth has been noticeable over the last week with Darius Garland out. We have said the Cavaliers have eight guys who can “play”: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Garland, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, the currently injured Lauri Markkanen, and we recently added Lamar Stevens to that list.

When two of them are missing, like what has happened with Garland and Markkanen out, they need two of the players not listed here to step up.

Sunday, Rajon Rondo dialed back the clock. A little over a week ago, Brandon Goodwin played very well in a comeback win over New Orleans.

LeVert should give the coaching staff another player they can depend on.

We say should because one of the great components of this year’s team is the chemistry, the togetherness of the group.

LeVert can be a little ball dominant at times, but also has good assist numbers. While the Cavs certainly need someone else who can create a shot when all else fails, he still needs to fit in other areas.

For example, this team is built on defense and grit. Can LeVert provide that?

This is where the veteran leadership of Love and Rondo come in. They will help in delivering Bickerstaff’s message to the newcomer. They have both bought in, and with Rondo just coming over in the last six weeks, he has already realized this group has a special culture.

By all reports, LeVert is and has been a great teammate. Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle, who has been around for awhile, spoke glowingly about him. And Jarrett Allen already played with him in Brooklyn last season.

We would anticipate LeVert going into the starting lineup when he gets acclimated replacing Okoro, and that’s because the starting group needs someone besides Garland who can shoot. The bench bunch has Love and Osman who can put the ball in the basket.

And we are sure if the Cavs have the lead in the fourth quarter, Okoro will be out there because he can defend, and again, that’s what this team hangs its hat on.

As for giving up the draft picks? Yes, Altman might find a contributor that late in the first round, but this team is so young, there really isn’t a need to obtain more youth. They are better off getting playoff experience and seeing just how far they can go with this squad.

This was a good move by Altman, and he still has time to add another piece to strengthen the Cavs. We will find that out by Thursday.

Not Just Talent, Cavs Have To Be Concerned With Fit In Any Deal.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers currently sitting in the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, much speculation has been made about possible moves to strengthen the roster for the stretch run before the February 10th trade deadline.

The Cavs need some scoring. They rank 20th in the NBA in points per game, and 11th in offensive efficiency. But although they are fifth in the league in field goal percentage from inside the three-point line, they are just 16th from beyond the arc.

Adding another perimeter threat would allow Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley more room to work inside, as we’ve seen teams start to dare the Cavs to shoot from outside, because Allen and Mobley are so lethal in the paint.

Darius Garland shoots the most threes, and he knocks them down at a 36.6% clip, and Kevin Love is next, making 40.3%. However, Cleveland is 20th in the NBA in shooting the long distance shot. They aren’t great at it, so they don’t do it a lot, and that friends makes sense.

The challenge for GM Koby Altman though, is not to just find someone who can make three pointers, but to find someone who fits into how Cleveland currently plays.

J.B. Bickerstaff has built this team on grittiness and a defensive presence, and the players have bought in. To bring in a player who will not buy in to how the Cavs are playing could ruin what this team has been built on.

In terms of what Altman has to offer, Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract would be first and foremost. The injured Rubio will not play the rest of this season, but he is a free agent at the end of this season, meaning his deal can help balance the cash on both sides.

The other major piece is Collin Sexton’s contract. Sexton will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and another team might want the right of refusal on the young guard.

Basketball is probably the leading sport where the parts (the talents of the players) must fit together. For instance, on defense, a team is only as good as its worst defender.

There is also a difference between playing winning basketball and losing basketball, so GM’s have to be careful bringing in players who don’t play “the right way”.

In our opinion, bringing in someone from a losing program would be a bigger risk than bringing in someone who has been on a winner.

When Altman needed to replace Rubio, we went for Rajon Rondo, who has played on winning teams virtually his entire career, including three teams who went to the NBA Finals. The GM knew Rondo would put winning first.

Caris LeVert is another name mentioned prominently, and although he doesn’t have the winning pedigree of Rondo, he is a proven scorer (over 18 points the last three seasons) and has a reputation of being a great teammate.

The downside? He’s only a career 33% shooter from distance.

On the other hand, another player who has been mentioned heading to Cleveland is Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, who is 40% shooter from beyond the arc since coming into the league but has been a part of a losing team for many years.

Could he fit into playing a role on a winning team? That’s what Altman needs to determine.

And really, it’s a question all winning teams have to ask. Not just about Hield, but any player who is used to losing.

Being on a winning team takes a lot of sacrifice for some players, having the willingness to forego some personal numbers so you can win is the type of players coaches and organizations love.

It’s not just about plugging in a players’ statistics to a certain team, including the Cavaliers. Being able to fit into the Bickerstaff’s plan for the team and being willing to fit in with the current group is very important.

If the Cavs want to enhance this team, those are all things that need to be considered.

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.