Cavs Season: Encouraging And Disappointing.

The Cavaliers season came to a disappointing end Friday night, when they lost 107-101 to Atlanta in the NBA’s dumb (we thought this before the Cavs lost) play in tournament.

The game was kind of a microcosm of the wine and gold’s performance since the all-star game. They took a sizeable first half lead, 14 points was the largest, and then didn’t make any adjustments to what their opponent did defensively.

They started out shooting well from behind the three-point line, and when the shots stopped falling, they kept taking them anyway. They hit six threes in the first quarter, just seven in the last three periods.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff tried to go defense in the second half, trying to protect the lead, but because the defensive players he used provide no offense, the Cavaliers scored just 40 points in the second half. Had they mustered 50, the Cavs would be playing today in Game 1 of a seven-game series against Miami.

Isaac Okoro and Rajon Rondo, the two players the coach went with, combined to go 2 for 6 from the field, 0 for 3 from distance and scored six points. Meanwhile, Kevin Love, perhaps the team’s best outside shooter outside of Darius Garland, played just 10 minutes and scored three points.

Darius Garland, Cleveland’s best player down the stretch, played poorly, hitting just 9 of 27 shots, including 1 of 7 from three. The Hawks started pressuring Garland as soon as he crossed half court, and the Cavs didn’t do anything to counter.

And after Hawks’ big man Clint Capela was injured late in the first half and did not return to the game, Cleveland didn’t really try to exploit this by getting the ball inside to Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen.

And of course, Love wasn’t used until late in the fourth quarter.

The Cavs based their early season success on playing three seven footers on the back line, playing at a slower pace, and defense, they ranked in the top three defensively early in the year.

As the season went on, injuries forced them to use a smaller center/forward combination, the pace quickened, and the defense slipped, finishing seventh for the season.

Why didn’t the style and attitude sustain itself? That’s a question for Bickerstaff. It could have been because the early success made the players think they could take short cuts, but there was a definite difference from how the team played early in the season and how they played at the end of the year.

Yes, the Cavaliers had plenty of injuries this season. Everyone of their starters missed at least 10 games during the season. Evan Mobley led the team in games played with 69, and only Garland played more than 65. We are sure that was a major challenge for the coaching staff, but it makes even more sense that Bickerstaff needed to emphasize the core values.

The organization has a big summer ahead. They get to keep their first round pick, which they dealt to Indiana for Caris LeVert, but it was lottery protected. They need to make the roster deeper, and they need to evaluate players like Okoro, Dylan Windler, and even Cedi Osman to see if they are worth keeping.

Collin Sexton will be back, but where and how does he fit in?

And we know Bickerstaff just signed an extension, but his coaching in the two play in games had to raise some eyebrows.

The Cavs took a strong step forward this season, but still, it can be considered a disappointment because of a 9-17 finish and not getting to a seven game playoff series.

That will take some honest evaluation. Here’s hoping a self-audit will be successful.

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.

Comparing These Cavs To The “Miracle” Team

Since the calendar flipped to 2022, the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken it to another level, winning eight out of nine, and currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, just two games out of the top spot.

However, the East is so competitive this season that the Cavs are also just 2-1/2 games ahead of the current 7th seed and finishing seventh through tenth gets you a spot in the (ridiculous) play in tournament.

Although Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are getting all star buzz, J.B. Bickerstaff and GM Koby Altman have put together a “team”, and we have discussed before how important it is that any addition made to the roster has to be done with an eye on the incredible chemistry and togetherness this group has.

That togetherness reminds us of the first Cavalier team to make the post-season, the 1975-76 Miracle of Richfield group. That team had nine players who averaged 16 minutes per game.

Out of the 11 players who have played 30 games this season for Cleveland, 10 of them have averaged 15 minutes per game. Now a couple of those guys (Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens) have done that because they move into the starting lineup because Bickerstaff doesn’t want to mess with the bench minutes.

The ’76 team was led in minutes per game by Jim Brewer, who averaged 35.5, while this year’s group is paced by Garland’s 34.7 a contest. So, playing time is spaced out among nine or ten players.

Both groups have veterans who were stars in the NBA embracing a reserve role.

Nate Thurmond was a 7-time all-star and started for Chicago the year before coming to the Cavs early in the 75-76 season. Coach Bill Fitch asked Thurmond to come off the bench and be the anchor of the second unit defensively. Fitch felt the veteran would have a huge impact as a shot blocker and rebounder playing 15-20 minutes per night.

This year’s group has Kevin Love, a key part of the 2016 championship team here. Love spent the post-LeBron James’ years being an undersized center, and the pounding of playing against bigger bodies took its toll on him.

With Allen, rookie Evan Mobley, and even Lauri Markkanen, Love can do what he still does very well. Shoot the three ball, score, and rebound. And as with Fitch in ’76, Bickerstaff has limited Love to just 21.6 minutes a game.

Love is hitting 40% from three and is third on the wine and gold in rebounds at 7.2.

Both squads made their bones on the defensive end of the floor. Fitch’s team was 4th in defensive rating, Bickerstaff’s team is 3rd.

There are differences though. The ’75-’76 team missed the playoffs by one game the previous season, the current edition came out of nowhere. These Cavs have the probable rookie of the year in Evan Mobley, while those Cavaliers were largely a young veteran core, many players with two to four years experience.

One problem Altman and Bickerstaff won’t have to worry about is the dispersal draft, which really hurt the Cavs. The NBA and ABA merged following the ’76 season, and not only the college draft, but the players from ABA teams not absorbed into the NBA were drafted in reverse order of their records, meaning Cleveland could not improve its roster.

Players like Artis Gilmore (Chicago), Maurice Lucas (Portland) and Moses Malone (Portland, but traded to Buffalo and then to Houston) went in that selection process.

By the way, Portland won the title the following season.

What strikes us as the most similar thing about the two teams is the togetherness, the unselfishness of the two squads. They are about winning, and that’s refreshing. They want each other to succeed.

That ’76 team went to the Eastern Conference finals, where they took Boston to six games. They did it despite losing starting center Jim Chones to a broken foot, meaning Thurmond had to start and did a tremendous job in the series.

Hopefully, these Cavs can stay healthy so we can see how far they can go this spring.

Oh, and one other similarity. Both teams are incredibly fun to watch.

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.

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.

Cavs Continue To Amaze Early On.

We cannot say enough how surprised we are by the start for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While it is still very early, the Cavs are currently in 4th place in the Eastern Conference with a 9-5 record, and have done it battling with players out with COVID (Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen) and others missing time with injuries, including last year’s leading scorer in Collin Sexton and second year player Isaac Okoro.

The wine and gold have a very tough stretch coming up with a road game vs. Brooklyn on Wednesday, followed by home tilts with Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix heading into Thanksgiving. Hopefully by then, Love and Markkanen will be back on the court.

We have said for a few years now that this organization wouldn’t go anywhere until they emphasized defense, and we will pat ourselves on the back a bit for that one. Cleveland is second in the NBA in least points allowed and 8th in overall defensive rating.

Both figures are the best they’ve ranked in many years.

The Cavaliers have a pretty solid top of the roster right now, but beyond the top eight players, they need to get more help.

While before the season, most would have said Sexton is the best player (not us), now he might rank no higher than fourth. Through these 14 games, rookie Evan Mobley would rank at the top, averaging 14.6 points, 8 boards, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks per contest.

And he was shooting over 50% from the floor before last night’s game, and perhaps more impressive, is a 77% free throw shooter.

Add in third year player Darius Garland and you have a very good (and very young) guard/big man combination for opponents to worry about.

Garland currently leads the team in scoring at 16.8 per night, but has also dished out 6.7 assists and is knocking down three point shots at 40%. The playmaking of Garland and veteran Ricky Rubio have Cleveland ranking 7th in the league in assists, compared to 21st last season, and 24th in 2019-20.

We haven’t talked yet about Jarrett Allen, who we felt was the Cavaliers’ best player when last season ended, and this year has combined with Mobley to create a formidable barrier to scoring that the team has lacked, since who knows when?

Still just 23 years old, Allen is scoring 14.2 points and is grabbing 10.9 caroms a game, and is shooting (or perhaps dunking) 69.4% from the floor.

What is special is both Allen and Mobley are able to guard smaller men out on the floor, and we know from watching Tristan Thompson on the teams that went to the NBA Finals what a valuable ability that is.

Another player who has really helped out is a man many were ready to write off, and that’s Cedi Osman. He’s making 40.6% of his three point attempts, and if that is sustainable, he can be a help off the bench. He’s a solid defender and we still think his strength offensively is as a slasher.

When Love and Markkanen return to action, J.B. Bickerstaff will have nine players who can give him solid minutes. He will then have to figure out who else deserves minutes so he can play ten players.

It could be Dylan Windler, who has hit 9 of 21 from behind the arc, something he has struggled with in his injury plagued career. The wine and gold badly need players who can make shots from outside because it opens things up for Allen and Mobley inside.

The next four games will be measuring stick for how good this team is. However, even if they lose the majority of these contests, this team is fun to watch and the future bodes well.

After the past few seasons, that’s a large step in the right direction.