After a busy Sunday with the family, I’m rewatching Saturday night’s come-from-behind win over the Nets.
Mercifully, there was no Browns game this weekend, so Northeast Ohio was able to celebrate the Cavs’ 11-0 start without any distractions.
On the second night of a back-to-back – and the Cavaliers looking a bit sluggish at times – Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 23 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and a late-game block. He really stepped up when the team needed him.
Donovan Mitchell went 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the first quarter and the Cavs jumped out to a 34-28 lead. But the feisty Nets – who lost to the Celtics in OT the night before – kept hitting shots, and seemingly had the Cavaliers on the ropes in the third quarter.
With Mobley and Darius Garland leading the way, the Cavs dug out of a 14-point deficit and outscored the Nets 35-18 in the fourth quarter, eking out a 105-100 win.
A few thoughts:
Even with Dean Wade in uniform and presumably feeling better, coach Kenny Atkinson went with Isaac Okoro in the starting lineup, for the fourth straight game. On the telecast Saturday night, John Michael made a point to mention that Atkinson planned to stick with that lineup going forward. I like Okoro, but I like Wade better as a starter.
Okoro had a great game Friday night against Golden State, going 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He finished with 16 points, four assists and a team-high +32 rating.
The next night against Brooklyn, Okoro had three points and went 0-for-3 from 3-point range. He finished with a team-low -20 rating.
Okoro wasn’t the only Cav who was in a funk. Jarrett Allen – the double-double machine – looked gassed in the second night of a back-to-back. The usually dependable Allen finished with four points and five rebounds, and Atkinson limited the Fro to 21 minutes of playing time.
The Nets were on the second night of a back-to-back as well, and they gave the Cavaliers all they could handle, one night after giving the NBA champs all they could handle. Caris LeVert credited the Nets’ full-court pressure and physical defense for disrupting the Cavs’ flow.
“They did a really good job just kind of mucking the game up, making it a little slower, not letting us move freely,” LeVert said. “We’ll watch the film and see how we can get better from it.”
After the Cavaliers’ 105-100 victory, the Cavs’ NBA-leading scoring average dropped from 124.5 points per game to 122.7.
LeVert had 12 points, six assists and two blocks for the Cavs off the bench. Commenting on the Nets’ defensive pressure, LeVert said: “You’re starting to see that we’re getting everyone’s best shot now. People are starting to take notice of what we’re doing, and it’s fun.”
If this is the year that the Cavs take the next step, winning the second night of a back-to-back is just the latest sign that they’re ready. “It was a great challenge for us,” LeVert told reporters. “Great teams win the second nights of back-to-backs.”
The Cavs’ camaraderie was on full display during Garland’s postgame interview, when Donovan Mitchell tried to douse Garland with water (or liquid LSD). Garland, who hit some clutch shots in the fourth quarter, was clearly gassed. “We fought for 48 minutes, literally,” Garland said. “Coming off a back-to-back, that was a big ****ing win. That was a good win.”
A lot can happen between now and the end of April.
Still, it’s hard not to get super-pumped when you’ve parlayed $10 into $13.60 since downloading the FanDuel Sportsbook app. I’m on a two-game win streak, and the Cavs are on a 10-game win streak, so life is good (as they say in the popular parlance).
I am busting. Jerry, I’m busting!
The Cavs just gave the Golden State Warriors – our archnemesis, the evil empire – a taste of their own medicine in front of a rapturous home crowd. A comeuppance, if you will (and I will). The 3-point shots were falling, the offense was flowing and the camaraderie was on full display at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, on a Friday night to boot.
If I may be so bold: It wasn’t unlike watching the Warriors in their heyday.
As many fans probably do, I have a veritable Cavalanche of thoughts.
A relative in the Bay Area texted me earlier this week, feeling very confident about the Warriors. And this was before they beat the Celtics. I tried to temper his expectations, in the most loving way possible. I tried to convey just how scorching hot the Cavs are right now. But I guess he had to see for himself. He had to learn the hard way.
Making history: At the end of the first half, with the Cavs up 83-42, FanDuel Sports Network’s Serena Winters noted that the 83-point outburst set a franchise record for most points scored in a first half. The Associated Press said the 41-point halftime lead is a franchise first. The Cavs came into the game holding the record for consecutive wins to open a season. The hits just keep coming.
No news flash here: In a postgame interview, Ty Jerome affirmed that the Cavs are playing with a lot of confidence right now. Jerome had 20 points off the Cavalier bench. “We have a lot of depth, [and] we’re using it,” Jerome told Winters. “Different guys [are] stepping up every night. And we’re rolling.”
The Warriors came to town riding a five-game win streak, and they were undefeated on the road. They were riding high after a big win in Boston. This throwback (or should I say “froback”) game had all the markings of a marquee matchup. But it didn’t play out that way. The Warriors never led in this game, and they looked lethargic. The first half looked like a Harlem Globetrotters game, at times.
“I think the biggest thing is how we came out and set the tone right from the beginning,” Georges Niang said on the postgame show. “Just defensively wearing them out, and then getting the spots we wanted to get to and making shots.” It was raining threes inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Isaac Okoro, who started in place of Dean Wade, was 4-for-6 from 3-point range, while Ty Jerome was 3-for-3 and Darius Garland was 6-for-11 from long distance.
Raising the bar: When you’re as hot as the Cavs are right now, you have to challenge yourself to get better, even after a decisive 136-117 win over Steph Curry and the Warriors. In the second half, Golden State outscored the Cavs 75-53. That wasn’t lost on Jerome. “We need to keep getting better everyday,” he said. “That second half wasn’t great. We picked up some bad habits. We kind of played to the score.”
Jarrett Allen used that same phrase in his postgame interview. “We didn’t come out with the same intensity, the same defensive mindset,” Allen added. “They got a lot of easy baskets on us, and we weren’t sharing the ball.” Still, when you’ve built a 41-point lead at halftime, I think you’re allowed to pace yourself in the second half – especially on the first night of a back-to-back.
Speaking of Allen, I made a $5 bet that The Fro would snag more than 10 rebounds in the game. I think he had six or seven at halftime. With the game trending in the direction that it was, my biggest concern was that Allen might see limited action in the second half, as Atkinson – who has leaned into the Cavs’ depth from Week 1 – might want to rest him with Saturday night’s game in mind. Fortunately (for me, at least), the Warriors played much better in the second half, and Allen grabbed 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. And I’m $2.08 richer.
Would it be terrible if I said Allen probably would’ve played 44 minutes if J.B. Bickerstaff was still coaching? Am I a bad person for saying that?
I feel like I’m late to the sports-betting party, and that’s probably a good thing, given my personality. It’s fun, though. One thing I don’t like is that it changes the way you watch a game. I found myself rooting for Golden State to make it a close game in the second half, simply because it increased the chances of Allen staying on the court. And every time the Cavs launched a 3-pointer – which was often – I was disappointed, just for a nanosecond, when it went in.
This one goes to 11: While the Cavs cruised Friday night, the Nets lost to Boston in overtime, 108-104. In terms of “heavy legs,” Brooklyn likely will be at a disadvantage. The Cavs have an excellent shot at an 11th consecutive win to start the season.
We have a fruit-fly infestation in our home, and the Cavaliers set a franchise record by starting the season 9-0.
I’d rather talk about the Cavs.
The Cavaliers fell behind early, tied it at halftime and then overpowered the Pelicans in the second half. They’re absolutely rolling.
I’d like to tell you it wasn’t easy in the Big Easy, just so I can use that line, but … it kinda was. At least in the second half. Even with the Pelicans outscoring the Cavs 34-32 in the fourth quarter – and even with the disparity in foul shots – it never felt like the win streak was in serious jeopardy. The Cavs are just too locked-in right now.
Here are some initial thoughts. With my ADHD brain, it’s hard to corral all of them.
I think it’s safe to say that this is a really good situation for Kenny Atkinson, who now holds the record for the longest winning streak by a coach in their first year with a team. Atkinson inherited a team that made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. But he also got a group that must be a coach’s dream: talented, no-nonsense, unselfish. There’s great chemistry, and not a whiff of any LeBron-size egos. Most of them have been playing together for a few years, so there’s familiarity, continuity and trust. And they’re mostly healthy.
Atkinson brings “a calm sort of confidence,” Caris LeVert told reporters after the Cavs won their ninth straight to start the season. “He never panics. I think he just fits perfectly with the group. It’s kind of been a seamless transfer.”
That calm confidence was palpable when the Cavs fell behind early in the game. They steadily chipped away at a 12-point Pelicans lead, tying the game at 59-59 by halftime.
The Cavs are a team that looks ready to take the next step, and Atkinson – after three years as an assistant to Steve Kerr in Golden State – looks like he’s ready to take his coaching career to the next level. He’s in the perfect spot to do that.
One of the kids left an open smoothie bottle on the kitchen table. When we came back from a five-day trip to upstate New York, there were fruit flies everywhere. When I saw a cloud of fruit flies enveloping the smoothie bottle, it was clear that something comparable to an orgy had taken place in there.
Speaking of smoothies, it seemed like there were a lot of empty seats at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The official attendance was 15,694, but the margin of error is a couple thousand, right?
Atkinson was a hot topic of conversation during the Cavs postgame show. On Atkinson’s decision to pass up potential head-coaching jobs so he could continue working with Kerr in Golden State, Austin Carr opined: “[Atkinson] knew he had to have a little bit more polish on his coaching game.” It sure seems like things are clicking for Atkinson now.
LeVert picked up right where he left off after missing the last couple games with knee soreness. LeVert had 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over New Orleans.
“It’s just a fun group to play with,” LeVert told reporters after the game. “We enjoy being around each other. And we’re getting better every game.”
I can’t say enough about Ty Jerome. He had 11 points, five assists and two steals in 15:48 of game action. “His IQ is through the roof,” Atkinson said of Jerome, who missed all but two games last year with a severe ankle injury. Not to be overlooked on his list of compliments, Atkinson added: “I’m really happy with his defense too.”
When the Cavaliers went off for 73 points in the first half Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks – who were playing without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo – it looked like an 8-0 start to the season was a foregone conclusion.
However, the Bucks showed some grit in the second half, outscoring the Cavs 31-16 in the third quarter to take a two-point lead into the final frame.
The Bucks held the lead until the 3:24 mark in the fourth quarter, when Darius Garland tied the game with a layup off a Donovan Mitchell steal.
Garland hit three more big shots down the stretch – none bigger than his step-back 3-pointer that gave the Cavs a 113-111 lead with 45 seconds left.
The Cavaliers held on for a 116-114 win to improve to 8-0 on the season, tying a franchise record dating back to 1976.
Garland was magnificent, leading all scorers with 39 points and outdueling his idol Damian Lillard.
Garland added eight assists. Kenny Atkinson raved about Garland’s late-game pass to Jarrett Allen, who was cutting to the basket off a pick-and-roll. Allen’s layup gave the Cavs a 115-111 lead with 12 seconds left.
“I don’t know how he got it there,” Atkinson said of Garland’s pass.
What impressed Atkinson the most about Garland?
“Thirty-nine points, but [only] two turnovers,” Atkinson told reporters. “Even the last game in Milwaukee, no one talked about Darius, but he had 10 assists and two turnovers. He is a true point guard. Now add the scoring to it, [and] you’ve got an All-Star guy. He’s really playing unbelievable basketball.”
Garland was 7-of-11 from 3-point range. After the game, Garland talked about how his 3-point shooting has a cascading effect on the rest of his game.
“When I make a couple, [the defense starts] overreacting,” Garland told reporters. “And that’s when the lane just starts to open up, and that’s when I get downhill, so I look for teammates so the floater’s there. [Atkinson] wants me to shoot more 3’s so it can open up [the rest of my game]. I think I’m a pretty good shooter, so if I make a couple, I think all hell will break loose from there.”
Garland looks like a different player this year, after a jaw injury sidelined him for 19 games. When he returned to game action last season, Garland struggled to find his groove.
When asked if he feels more like himself this season, Garland coyly responded: “No … and yes.”
“No because I always had that aggression. I always had that mindset that I can just blow by anybody, I can get to the spots that I want to get to,” Garland said. “Yes because my head is free. I’m playing freely, my confidence is super high, my teammates got my back.”
Garland added: “I really appreciate my teammates and my coaching staff … telling me to be me, and that’s what I’m trying to do for the rest of the season.”
I just got back from a family wedding in upstate New York, where I learned that there still are places in the continental United States with little to no Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.
That couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time, of course. I ended up missing the Cavaliers’ thrilling 114-113 win over the hapless Bucks Saturday night.
To be clear, even with the luxury of a robust Wi-Fi signal, I probably wouldn’t have watched (much of) the game. There’s no way I would’ve let myself be that guy – the dork who’s glued to a regular-season NBA game at a wedding. But, streaming anything on this bucolic goat farm just wasn’t in the cards, so it’s purely academic at this point.
After watching the game Sunday in the privacy of my home, I have some thoughts that I wanted to record for posterity.
That was one of the best regular-season NBA games I’ve seen in a long time. There’s a grossly grossly overused sports cliché – “This feels like a heavyweight fight” – and I feel comfortable using it to describe this game, a Central Division showdown that featured 19 lead changes. (I also would’ve accepted “This game had a playoff atmosphere.”)
Donovan Mitchell is a heckuva player, but I sometimes wonder if he qualifies as a bona fide superstar. And what, pray tell, are the criteria for being deemed a superstar? A clutch, clutch shot like the game-winner Saturday night in Milwaukee – and his 30-point performance on the second night of a back-to-back – helped answer both questions for me.
FanDuel Sports Network play-by-play announcer John Michael called Mitchell’s game-winning jump shot “the Donovan Dagger.” I think I can work with that.
Mitchell isn’t afraid to talk some smack on the court, and that’s one of the things I like most about him (that, and he can back it up). It brings some much-needed attitude and swagger to an otherwise mild-mannered team.
When the Cavs acquired Mitchell in 2022, Koby Altman said something to the effect that the Cavs were interested in Donovan Mitchell the player and the person. I think about that quote when I watch Mitchell’s interviews with the media. Mitchell is likeable, authentic and well-put-together, and always quick to credit his teammates.
After he cooly drained the game-winning shot Saturday night in Milwaukee, Mitchell told Serena Winters: “That’s not about the shot. That’s about Isaac Okoro’s rebound. We don’t get that possession without Isaac Okoro diving on the floor, calling that timeout, doing the little things. That what it’s all about. … It’s a group effort. I’m proud of the way we fought.”
I really like having Dean Wade in the starting lineup. I like his size and length, his tenacious defense and his hustle. If you’re looking for a stat-sheet stuffer, this isn’t your guy. But if you’re looking for an athletic big who can knock down a few 3-pointers, snag some key rebounds and doggedly defend guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo when the game is on the line, look no further than Wade.
It’s great to see Wade being more assertive in the paint this season. In the past, Wade was a bit timid. He’d get the ball and immediately kick it out to someone on the perimeter. If he can evolve into a low-post scoring threat, that would be a huge step forward in Wade’s development.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Kenny Atkinson does when Max Strus returns. I know where I stand on this issue (see Thought No. 8).
I love Atkinson’s substitutions. With Caris LeVert nursing a sore knee, Atkinson relied heavily on Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro, and they both provided a spark that the Cavs desperately needed.
As expected, the once-mighty Bucks (now 1-5) came out with a chip on their shoulder in the first quarter. When it looked like the game was getting out of hand, Merrill steadied the ship with three first-quarter 3-pointers, and Okoro drained another to pull the Cavs within seven. Merrill finished with 17 points (and he drew a charge), and Okoro was 3-of-4 from 3-point range, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds while playing his little heart out trying to corral Damian Lillard (unsuccessfully, I might add). Little-used point guard Craig Porter Jr. dropped a couple dimes in 5:26 of playing time.
Jarrett Allen is listed at 6-9 (6-10 with the fro), and he’s kind of slight compared to a lot of the other centers and power forwards in the league. Despite giving up some height and width to guys like Giannis, Joel Embiid and Brook Lopez, Allen will mix it up with anybody – as evidenced by his 15-point, 12-rebound performance in Milwaukee. Lunchpail in hand, The Fro does what The Fro does, and we love him for it.
The Cavaliers are playing with a lot of confidence right now. On the second night of a back-to-back – against a desperate team playing in front of a raucous home crowd – the Cavs took the Bucks’ best shot and didn’t flinch. They stayed as cool as the statue of Arthur Fonzarelli on the Milwaukee waterfront.
As mentioned earlier, the Bucks are 1-5. Yes, it’s a long season. But it seems like the perennial championship contenders have lost their mojo. The superficial take is the Bucks simply don’t have the supporting cast that they’ve had in years past, forcing Antetokounmpo and Lillard to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the load. If the Bucks don’t turn things around soon, expect the Antetokounmpo trade rumors to hit a fever pitch.
Merrill is a stone-cold assassin. The guy can get set for a 3-point shot faster than you can say “I wanna see ya in a Ken Ganley Kia.”
The undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers are rapidly approaching “Putting the Rest of the NBA on Notice” territory.
Yes, it’s early. And the Cavs front-loaded three quick wins over inferior opponents to tip off the 2024-2025 season.
But Monday’s night’s slugfest in Madison Square Garden – in which the Cavs battled back from a 13-point deficit to knock off the Knicks – was a statement win over a team that’s had their number in recent years.
And Wednesday night’s demolition of the Los Angeles Lakers was an exclamation point to that statement.
As of Thursday, the Cavs have the best record in the NBA at 5-0, and are one of only two undefeated teams in the association.
Heading into Wednesday night’s showdown with the Lakers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, LeBron James was 9-2 against the Cavs. With Anthony Davis controlling the boards, the Lakers went 2-0 against the Cavaliers last season.
But things are different this year.
The Cavs pushed the pace against the Lakers – a point of emphasis for Kenny Atkinson this season – and jumped out to a 42-23 first-quarter lead. Their biggest lead of the game was a 28-point margin.
En route to a 134-110 win, Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 25 points in just 19 minutes of action. Mobley was absolutely dominant in the fourth quarter – despite being saddled with four fouls to start the quarter – and scored the first 11 Cavs points of the final frame.
“I think he was a little frustrated with the foul situation and the minutes and all that,” Atkinson said of Mobley after the game. “We ran the first play for him. Then they went zone. We talked about it before the game, they go to that 3-2 zone. … We got him the ball at the foul line, and he just started playmaking. He’s so, so talented.”
Atkinson also had high praise for Caris LeVert, who chipped in 16 points off the bench.
“I just can’t say enough [about LeVert],” Atkinson told reporters. “We’re imploring him to be a more efficient player, to embrace the catch-and-shoot. He’s such a good ball handler, but man the way the league is now, we need his shooting too. … He’s doing it on both ends, I think defensively he’s been phenomenal.”
Donovan Mitchell had 24 points, while Jarrett Allen had 20 points and hauled in 17 big rebounds.
Atkinson, who coached Allen in Brooklyn, raved about The Fro as well, asserting that Allen is “dominating on both ends right now.”
Five games into the season, the Cavs lead the NBA in field-goal percentage (53.9%) and 3-point percentage (41.1%). The Cavaliers are second in points per game (125.6) and steals per game (12).
The next test comes Friday night, when Orlando comes to town.
Count me among those Cavaliers fans who were underwhelmed by the team’s offseason moves.
Don’t get me wrong: Signing Donovan Mitchell to a three-year extension was a big deal (not to mention a middle finger to every national sports pundit who said there was zero chance that Mitchell would stay in Cleveland). Locking down Evan Mobley was a no-brainer, in my opinion, and extending Jarrett Allen’s contract after a career year made sense.
And J.B. Bickerstaff had to go.
But, absent any splashy free-agent signings or convoluted multi-team trades, what did the Cavs do to put themselves in a stronger position to compete with the Boston Celtics this season?
How about bringing back a healthy Darius Garland?
While that’s maybe not the answer you were looking for, the Cavaliers are 4-0 to start the season, and Garland is a big reason why.
At his best, Garland is a quick, crafty, elusive slasher who can create his own shot and score on demand. Garland is a perimeter threat as well, and when his 3-point shot is falling – like it was Monday night in Madison Square Garden – it can leave opposing teams gobsmacked. Let’s not forget that Garland is a gifted passer as well, and was among the league leaders in assists for the past two seasons prior to 2023.
Speaking of last season, Garland missed 19 games after suffering a broken jaw in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Dec. 14, 2023. When he came back from the grueling recovery, Garland had lost weight, and never regained his groove. Even on his best nights after the jaw injury, he was a shell of his former self.
Fast-forward to Monday night.
In a rock-‘em sock-‘em, grind-it-out win over the Knicks, Garland was sensational, leading all scorers with 34 points. But it wasn’t even the point total that was most impressive. It was when he did it.
When Miles McBride hit a 3-pointer to give New York an 87-86 lead with 7:14 left, Garland answered with a trey to put Cleveland back on top, 89-87.
After Jalen Brunson tied the game at 89-89, Garland hit a floating jump shot off the glass to make it 91-89. After a Brunson miss on the next possession, Garland found Allen cutting to the basket to extend the Cavs’ lead.
Down the stretch, Garland drained two more 3-pointers, hit another jumper, canned two free throws and had two steals and two blocks – yes, blocks.
One of the aforementioned blocks came when Brunson was barreling toward the basket with just under two minutes to play, and the Cavs were clinging to a four-point lead. Backpedaling, Garland was the only obstacle in Brunson’s path, and he thwarted a potentially momentum-shifting Brunson dunk.
“Everyone’s gonna talk about his offensive game,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland after the game. “I’m gonna talk about his two stops – his two blocks at the end of the game. Those were huge plays.
“ … To get that offensive game, we all know he can do that. But to add the defense to it, just a 10-out-of-10 game for him. He was phenomenal.”
Heading into his first season as head coach of the Cavaliers, Kenny Atkinson said he planned to embrace the team’s depth.
So far, Atkinson has delivered on that pledge.
Unlike his predecessor – who managed each regular-season game with tight, playoff-style rotations – Atkinson has turned to his bench early and often.
The overall result has been a balanced attack, a free-flowing offense and two wins against weaker teams to start the 2024-2025 season.
The reserves amassed 64 points in Cleveland’s Game 1 blowout in Toronto, led by Caris LeVert with 19 points and Ty Jerome with 16.
While the bench wasn’t nearly as prolific in Friday night’s home opener against the Pistons, Atkinson utilized seven reserves in the 113-101 Cleveland victory.
LeVert chipped in nine points in the win over Detroit, while Jerome again provided a huge spark off the bench with 13 points and four assists.
LeVert, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, Isaac Okoro and Jerome each played more than 15 minutes.
If it were any other team, this might not seem like earth-shattering news. But Atkinson’s rotations have been a refreshing change of pace compared to former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who lacked trust in his reserves and refused to develop his younger players.
Jerome, in particular, already has emerged as the kind of player who can make a big impact off the bench.
“He’s been good since we started in open gym in September,” Atkinson told reporters after the game. “He’s been fantastic. I think that injury was a little bit of a wakeup call. I know he’s dedicated a lot of work to his body and getting healthy. It’s paying off.”
The Cavaliers started off the new season looking a bit disjointed in the first quarter of Game 1 in Toronto.
But Evan Mobley wasted little time reactivating Beast Mode.
Mobley scored the first four points for the Cavs to tip off the 2024-2025 season. By the time the first-half buzzer sounded, the big man had racked up 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks, powering the Cavs to a 69-49 halftime lead.
The Cavaliers cruised to a 136-106 win in Toronto, and Mobley was just one of the compelling storylines.
Mobley missed a double-double by a whisker, finishing with 25 points and nine rebounds. But he didn’t miss a beat to start the new season, after leading all scorers with 33 points in the Cavs’ Game 5 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals back in May.
Heading into the season, coach Kenny Atkinson had said he’d like to make Mobley the centerpiece of the offense. If the blowout in Toronto is any indication, this could be a breakout season for the USC product.
“He’s got great speed for a big man,” Atkinson said of Mobley. “He handles the ball much better than I thought. If you get him on the move, whether you set a pick for him, or whether he gets it in space, he’s really pretty good at breaking guys down and getting by guys.”
As good as Mobley was handling the ball, Atkinson was quick to praise his defense.
“I think that’s where it started,” Atkinson told reporters after the game. “He started getting blocks and steals. … It seemed like he was everywhere.”
Welcome Back, Ty
Ty Jerome missed all but two games last season with a severe ankle injury. His surgically repaired ankle seemed just fine Wednesday night in Toronto.
Jerome looked sharp in 19 minutes of action against the Raptors. With Darius Garland in early foul trouble, Jerome provided a real spark off the bench, finishing with 14 points, six assists and two steals.
Speaking of the bench, eight reserves saw game action in the season opener, including rookie Jaylon Tyson.
Sure, it was a blowout. But it was refreshing to see nonetheless, considering that former coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t trust his bench. If Bickerstaff was still at the helm, it would’ve taken a scurvy outbreak for Tyson to see any playing time this season.
For any NBA fan, few things in life are as soul-crushing as watching your favorite team get taken to the woodshed by a guy who used to play for said team.
It’s especially maddening when you’re rooting for a small-market team like the Cavs, who are just a puzzle piece or two away from contending for an NBA title.
After flirting with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for a week or so last season, the Cavaliers finished in the No. 4 spot, good enough for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They were able to grind out a first-round-series win over Orlando. But with Donovan Mitchell banged up and Jarrett Allen on the bench nursing a rib injury, the Cavs just couldn’t hang with the Celtics in the semifinals.
I don’t know about you, but in those moments when the Cavaliers seem to be outmanned by a bigger, faster, stronger or more skilled opponent, I can’t help but wonder what things would be like if [insert name of former Cavs player here] wouldn’t have slipped through our fingers.
Yep, I’m talking about the ones that got away.
As one definition from urban dictionary puts it, the one that got away is that guy “you could have had it all with.” But, alas, “something – whether it was distance or just bad timing – drove you apart and left you wondering, ‘What if?’”.
What if.
Fans, sportswriters and pundits play the what-if game all the time, and speaking from experience, it’s a rabbit hole that goes absolutely nowhere. It’s a road whose inevitable terminus is grief, longing and utter despair.
So let’s go there, shall we?
Here are five former Cleveland Cavaliers who slipped away, for whatever reason. Bad timing, perhaps. Or maybe they were ensnared in a convoluted multi-team trade. Or (in one case), the Cavs just let them walk away.
5. Carlos Boozer
I’m thinking of that scene in “Godfather II,” at the New Year’s Eve gala in Havana. “I know it was you [Carlos]. You broke my heart. You broke my heart.”
In his second season out of Duke, Boozer was starting to come into his own as a profusely sweating, hard-working power forward who made his living in the low post. During that 2003-2004 season – LeBron’s rookie season with the Cavs – Boozer averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. Although that was just about the high-water mark for rebounds in his career, his scoring average went up when he bolted for Utah.
About that.
After the ’03-’04 season, Boozer was a rising star on the Cavs, and the team wanted to retain him. He was on a second-round rookie contract, which paid him significantly less than his market value. The Cavaliers had an option to keep him on that low-paying contract for another year, but the front office reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Boozer and his agent. The understanding was that the Cavs would not exercise that option, making the sweaty power forward a restricted free agent. In return, Boozer would sign a six-year deal worth around $39 million, keeping him in Cleveland.
Photo by Kevin Allison/Wikimedia Commons
Yeah, that didn’t happen.
After the Cavs declined the team option, Boozer received an offer he couldn’t refuse from the Utah Jazz: a six-year, $70 million contract. So much for all that “my word is stronger than oak” stuff.
The Cavs really never replaced Boozer after he dropped them like a bad habit. Drew Gooden was a poor-man’s Boozer, and Tristan Thompson was Carlos Boozer Lite – all of the rebounding without the high-calorie scoring. (Neither of them was as profoundly sweaty as Boozer, I’ll tell you that much.)
It’s hard not to wonder “what if” when you consider that LeBron just got bigger, stronger and more dominant in each subsequent season after Boozer left Cleveland. LeBron and Carlos had all the makings of a dynamic duo – a force to be reckoned with in the low post. But alas, we’ll never know.
If there’s a lesson to be learned by the Cavs, it’s this one: If you really like a player, and you want that player to stay in Cleveland, you gotta lock that shit down.
4. Kevin Love
Kevin Love was the closest thing the Cavs had to Carlos Boozer in either of the Lebron eras. In his prime with Minnesota, K-Love was a double-double machine, averaging 26 points a game in two of his six seasons, and 20 points/15 rebounds a game during the 2010-2011 season. But unlike Boozer, Love was a threat from beyond the arc as well, averaging nearly 42% from 3-point range twice in his career (once as a Cav).
K-Love was a fan favorite in Cleveland, playing a memorable role in sealing the win for the Cavs in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. He was a two-time All-Star with the Cavaliers, and was a bridge from LeBron’s second tour of duty to the renaissance of the franchise that we’ve enjoyed these past few seasons. However, in his first season playing alongside Donovan Mitchell, Love was in a funk. The UCLA alum missed some time due to a thumb injury, and his 3-point shot wasn’t the same when he returned. By February 2023, Love had fallen out of J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation, and when he did see playing time, his 3-point shots just weren’t falling.
Photo by Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons
Reportedly unhappy with his limited role, Love and the Cavaliers mutually agreed to a buyout of the remainder of his contract, which had been set to expire at the end of the season. The front office allowed him to pursue opportunities with other teams – giving him the chance to potentially play for a playoff contender. So, the Cavs got absolutely nothing in return.
After the buyout, Love quickly signed with the Miami Heat, where he played a key role in their march to the 2023 NBA Finals.
Love’s career appears to be winding down, but he still has some value as a sixth man when he’s fully healthy. Even though his 3-point shooting has been a bit shaky, he’s still good for half a dozen rebounds in 20 minutes of game action, and his outlet passes are truly elite. (That might be the aspect of his game I miss most.)
While the Heat made it to the NBA Finals in 2023, the Cavs got spanked by the Knicks in a gentlemen’s sweep. The Cavs’ ignominious exit from the playoffs was a trigger for all kinds of what-if statements (like, “What if J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t the head coach?”).
It also made me wonder if the Cavs should’ve been more patient with Love. Let’s be clear: Having K-Love around for the rest of the ’22-’23 season wouldn’t have been enough to flip the script against the Knicks. But his veteran presence and playoff experience were sorely needed in a series where the lights were too bright for many of the young players.
3. Isaiah Hartenstein
Heading into the third year of the Donovan Mitchell Experience, Isaiah Hartenstein could very well be first on my list of the ones that got away.
Let me take you back to 2020-2021 – the post-LeBron, pre-Evan Mobley, pre-Donovan Mitchell era – when Isaiah Hartenstein had a cup of coffee with the Cavs (who were not so great that year). The Cavaliers landed the 7-foot freight train (and two second-round draft picks) in a trade with Denver for veteran JaVale McGee. According to an article on Cleveland.com, Hartenstein had been on the Cavs’ radar ever since Assistant GM Mike Gansey saw him playing internationally at Basketball Without Borders in 2016.
The 2020-2021 season was a time of transition for the Cavaliers (and a strange time for all of us). The Cavs were eyeing USC big man Evan Mobley in the upcoming draft, and in late August, they acquired 7-footer Lauri Markannen from Chicago in a three-team deal. Hartenstein saw the writing on the wall, and opted out of his contract, ultimately landing with the L.A. Clippers.
Hartenstein’s versatility as a passer, shot blocker and energy player off the bench made him a key rotational piece for the Clippers during the 2021-2022 season, and his performance helped him secure a multi-year contract with the New York Knicks after the season.
Hartenstein was a perfect fit for the scrappy Knicks and Tom Thibodeau’s hard-nosed, gritty style of basketball. He seemed to relish pushing the Cavs’ frontcourt around, especially in the 2023 playoffs. I was shocked that the Knicks let Oklahoma City snag him this summer. Tough, defensive-minded backup centers aren’t exactly a dime a dozen.
If there is one silver lining, at least Hartenstein doesn’t play in the Eastern Conference anymore.
2. LeBron James
Perhaps you’ve heard of this guy. The Cavaliers drafted LeBron with the first pick in the 2003 draft, and in short order, the Chosen One had the franchise on a path to the promised land. And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, he took his talents to South Beach, where LeBron and his pals won two NBA titles.
If LeBron wouldn’t have led the Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016, this is a much different conversation. LeBron earned three NBA rings with teams other than the Cavs, but the fact that he delivered Cleveland’s first major sports championship since 1964 helps salve a lot of the pain of losing LBJ not once but twice.
So where does that leave us? Well, after surviving the second post-LeBron hangover, the franchise seems like it’s in a good place. And I certainly don’t miss LeBron-style basketball: four guys standing around the perimeter watching LeBron dribble and/or post-up . Nor do I miss the nonstop LeBron drama mill (“Will he stay? Will he go? Does he like the coach? Is he happy with the roster?”). For the most part, the current crop of young talent has been a joy to watch.
Does that mean I’ve never entertained a fantasy where LeBron comes back to Cleveland to finish his career (for the veteran’s minimum) and flourishes as the ultimate sixth man, delivering a second NBA title to the franchise? And despite publicly stating his intentions to retire, comes back the next season and helps the Cavs win a third NBA championship? Well I can dream, right?
1. Lauri Markkanen
And finally, we have the curious case of Lauri Markannen. After drafting Evan Mobley with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Cavaliers decided to go big or go home –quite literally – acquiring Markannen from Central Division rival Chicago as part of a three-team trade in August 2021.
Photo by Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons
One of three tall trees in the Cavs starting lineup, Markkanen had a solid but unremarkable season in Cleveland, averaging 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds. After the Cavs narrowly missed the playoffs in 2022, Koby Altman and the Cavs’ front office decided to go all in on Donovan Mitchell, who was available – for a hefty ransom – from the rebuilding Utah Jazz. The Cavs sent Markkanen and a treasure trove of assets to Utah, where it looks like the talented 7-footer from Finland has found his forever home.
As the centerpeice of Utah’s offense, Markkanen has flourished. He averaged 25.6 points (a career high) and 8.6 rebounds in 2022-2023, earning Most Improved Player honors and his first All-Star selection. Markkanen struggled with injuries last season, but he still averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, and hit nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts.
Meanwhile, back in Cleveland, Mitchell has been phenomenal. Still, when you think about the premium price that Cleveland paid to acquire the five-time All-Star, I often wonder if there was a way to get Mitchell without relinquishing Markkanen. What if the Cavs had included Darius Garland in the trade package instead?
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