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JB Bickerstaff

Bickerstaff’s comments on Cavs’ depth ring hollow after double-overtime loss in Chicago

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The Cavaliers just completed their second of seven back-to-back matchups in the 29 games on the post-All-Star-break schedule.

They’re 1-3 in those back-to-backs so far.

After the Cavs’ 132-123 loss in double overtime at Chicago, I’ve been thinking back to some comments that coach J.B. Bickerstaff made in a Feb. 21 press conference.

The topic: depth.

“I think it’s important to just continue to focus on our depth,” Bickerstaff told reporters, when asked about the seven back-to-backs on the schedule. “Being able to go 10, 11 men deep gives us an opportunity to not kill anybody.

“Obviously, you’re gonna play and do what you gotta do to win the games. But understanding how you manage first halves versus second halves where you don’t have to just put a ton of pressure on one guy to play a ton of minutes because of the depth that we have – that’s been our message to our guys is embrace the depth, embrace the opportunities for your teammates to be successful, and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.”

The Cavs showcased their newfound depth in the six weeks or so that Evan Mobley and Darius Garland were out of the lineup.

When Bickerstaff was forced to turn to his bench, guys like Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr. and even Damian Jones got playing time, and they seized the opportunity, for the most part. Tristan Thompson was a big part of the equation as well.

It seemed like depth was becoming a strength of this team. And Bickerstaff – who favors tight, playoff-style rotations throughout the season – sure seemed like he was beginning to see the light, based on his comments.

To be fair, nine- and 10-man rotations are the norm in the NBA. Still, with a brutal schedule on the docket – including five games in seven days twice – you’d think this would be the perfect time to mix things up and capitalize on the Cavs’ depth.

Evidently not.

The Feb. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago is a great example. On the second night of a back-to-back, Bickerstaff employed a nine-man rotation. (Bulls coach Billy Donovan used a 10-man rotation.)

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland each played 44 minutes. The previously minutes-restricted Evan Mobley played 42 minutes. Caris LeVert – who had a terrific game – logged 39 minutes off the bench.

Merrill played zero minutes.

Porter played zero minutes.

On a night when the Bulls outrebounded the Cavs 74-39 – and Jarrett Allen’s legs looked heavy – the 6-10 Jones played zero minutes. Jones has provided a spark in the few opportunities that he’s had this season.

In the previous night’s win over Dallas, Bickerstaff employed a nine-man rotation as well, opting not to use Merrill or Porter.

And let’s be honest: Some guys had zero chance of playing.

Barring a rash of injuries or illnesses, the 6-11 Pete Nance will never play a single minute of meaningful (non-garbage-time) NBA basketball.

Same goes for Sharife Cooper and Zhaire Smith.

Isaiah Mobley has played a total of 14 minutes this season – all garbage time. The 6-8 Mobley has good size and a strong pedigree, but many fans speculate that he’s only on the roster to keep his brother happy. We may never get to find out one way or the other.

Again, this is not unique to Bickerstaff. Tight rotations are an NBA paradigm. Coaches are focused on maintaining continuity and chemistry, and that comes with guys being on the court together on a regular basis.

Still, when it seems obvious that starters and regular rotation players are on wobbly legs, it’s tempting for fans like me to wonder why coaches are so stubborn with their rotations.

Cavs Knicks

How would the Cavs stack up against the Knicks in a playoff rematch?

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These past two months have been a fun ride for Cavs fans.

Since Dec. 16 – their first game without the services of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – the Cavaliers are 23-5. By opening up the offense and clamping down on defense, the Cavs have managed to slingshot from the No. 9 seed to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference during that time.

But, as fans learned the hard way last year, a sterling regular season doesn’t mean much if you lay an egg in the first round of the playoffs.

Sure, the regular season is great and all, and getting a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference is a nifty accomplishment. The Cavaliers finished in the No. 4 spot last year, landing what everyone seemed to think was a favorable matchup against the New York Knicks.

Everyone, of course, except the Knicks.

The Cavs were 31-10 in the friendly confines of Rocket Mortage FieldHouse during the regular season. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to the playoffs. Despite having home-court advantage against the Knicks, the Cavaliers were outmuscled, outhustled and outcoached in a one-sided series that quickly erased the warm fuzzies of the team’s best season since the second LeBron era.

In this multi-part series, we’re taking a look at some of the most critical factors that determined the outcome of the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and seeing if any of those might shift in the Cavs’ favor this year.

Physicality

The Knicks’ 106-95 closeout of the gentleman’s sweep in Cleveland was a microcosm of much of the series. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 23 points, and the Cavs were absolutely manhandled on the boards. Mitchell Robinson was dominant, gobbling up 18 rebounds – 11 of which were offensive.

What’s most offensive about those types of rebounds is they create soul-crushing second- and third-chance opportunities – a kiss of death in the playoffs.

The Cavs seemed caught off-guard not only by the physicality of the Knicks but also by the physicality of playoff basketball. Apparently, J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t get the memo – or pass along the memo, if he had it – that the referees tend to swallow their whistles in the playoffs. That style of play certainly favored Julius Randle and the Knicks.

In the Knicks’ 101-97 Game 1 win in Cleveland, New York had 17 offensive rebounds – none bigger than when Randle crashed the glass and snagged the rebound on a missed Brunson jumper with 9 seconds left that helped the Knicks seal the win.

What’s changed since last season?

If we consider rebounding as one proxy for physicality, the Cavs have taken a big leap this season. Last season, the Cavaliers ranked 25th out of 30 teams in rebounds per game, at 41.1 per game. The Knicks ranked third, with 46.6 per game.

At the All-Star break this season, the Cavs rank sixth with 45 rebounds per game, while the Knicks rank fourth with 45.9 per game. That’s a promising trend for the Cavs.

The Knicks have been without the 7-foot Robinson since he sustained a stress fracture in his left ankle Dec. 8 in Boston. Robinson was leading the NBA with 5.3 offensive rebounds per game when he got hurt. Given that Randle has been hurt as well, it’s impressive that the Knicks have remained one of the league’s top rebounding teams.

As for the Cavaliers’ year-over-year improvement, it starts with Jarrett Allen. The Fro – who now holds the franchise record for consecutive games with a double-double in a season (16) – ranks eighth in the NBA with 10.6 rebounds per game. Mobley is averaging 10.2 per game. Dean Wade averages 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench.

And let’s not forget Mitchell, who is averaging a career-high 5.4 per game.

While Strus is known for his 3-point shooting, he’s averaging nearly five rebounds a game. Niang averages 3.6 boards off the bench. More importantly for the Cavaliers, the 6-foot-7 Niang brings some of the toughness and attitude that were sorely lacking in the playoffs last year. The “G-Wagon” actively seeks confrontations.

The same could be said of Tristan Thompson – a wild card if there ever was one. Until he was suspended, Thompson was playing like the frontcourt enforcer the Cavs needed to help Allen and Mobley bang around with the Knicks in a grind-it-out playoff series. Plus, he has tons of playoff experience.

Signing the 12-year veteran last September seemed like a masterstroke, and a relative bargain at $2 million. He looked like vintage Double T – a guy who has averaged 8.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game over his career (much of that coming off the bench). After serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, Thompson would return to action in the middle of March, shortly after his 33rd birthday.

The question is, can Thompson provide his trademark energy and toughness without the aid of performance-enhancing substances? If so, he could be an X factor for the Cavaliers in the postseason.

The bigger X factor is Evan Mobley.

We know he has the skillset. But thanks to his offseason work in the weight room, the 6-11 Mobley has been more assertive in the paint. I think we’ll see a different version of Mobley in the playoffs this year – a stronger, more confident Mobley who has the upper-body strength to duke it out with the likes of Robinson and Randle, if they play.

About that.

The Knicks initially feared that Robinson would be out for the remainder of the season. However, Robinson’s trainer recently shared a video of the 7-footer in the gym, catching and tossing a medicine ball. The ominous caption: “Getting playoff ready!”

While there hasn’t been any official word from the Knicks on Robinson’s return, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau on Feb. 6 told reporters that the Knicks are “very pleased with how he’s coming along.” At that time, Thibodeau said Robinson likely would resume on-court work after the All-Star break – which is now-ish.

Randle dislocated his shoulder on Jan. 27. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the three-time All-Star “is already pushing to return from the injury.” In a Feb. 20 article, Katz wrote:

“Doctors have to clear Randle to play before he can compete in a practice, let alone a game. There is growing optimism inside the Knicks that a Randle return will come with time remaining in the regular season. The team’s starting power forward notoriously insists on playing through pain. But now, with the New York Knicks hoping for a playoff run, the job of the training staff and team doctors is to save Randle from himself.”

Robinson and Randle aren’t the only Knicks battling injuries.

Hartenstein, who had a cup of coffee with the Cavaliers, has been dealing with an Achilles injury. Hartenstein, Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring) and newly acquired Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) all missed the final game before the All-Star break – a 118-100 loss at Orlando. However, they’re all expected to suit up when play resumes Thursday.

Former Raptor OG Anunoby is recovering from elbow surgery. Quoting a league source, Katz reported that doctors will re-evaluate Anunoby on March 1, “and expect him to resume on-court activities not long after.”

That’s a big injury, because the 6-7 Anunoby – acquired in a trade with Toronto in late December – is a defensive stalwart.

With all that said, let’s assume the Knicks will be at full strength. After all, hoping that certain players remain hobbled isn’t a viable strategy. The Knicks beat the Cavs in five games last season even with Randle nursing a bum ankle (which required surgery in the offseason).

Advantage: Knicks

In terms of physicality, it pains me to say that the Knicks have the edge.

With Robinson, Randle and Hartenstein alone, the Knicks have the edge in size and brawn. They also have 6-10 backup center Jericho Sims. But that wasn’t enough for the Knicks, who are in hot pursuit of their first NBA title since 1973. They went out and traded for Anunoby, who, before his injury, “transformed” the Knicks’ defense.

“All of a sudden, the Knicks employed one of the world’s rare do-it-all defenders, someone who can guard all five positions, a descriptor that the basketball world throws around too generously,” Katz wrote. “Various players can switch from one through five, but only a handful can start on point guards to centers. The Knicks have one of those guys.”

The Anunoby trade also landed Precious Achiuwa, a 6-8, 240-pound power forward who has played well after seeing an uptick in his minutes in recent weeks.

Allen and Mobley will have their hands full with that lineup. So will the 6-5 Strus. At 6-9, Wade brings good size and is a relentless defender. But he has yet to develop the type of physique that can turn him into a force in the low post.

While Allen is having an excellent season, The Fro is a finesse player – not a bruiser – whose strengths are his footwork, speed and athleticism. As mentioned earlier, Mobley looks stronger this season, and he’s said in interviews that he aspires for a Giannis-like physique – which is great to hear. Mobley is the type of competitor who will stop at nothing until he achieves his goal.

In terms of physicality and rebounding, Mobley might be the only player on Cleveland’s roster who can singlehandedly shift the pendulum toward the Cavs in a potential playoff rematch with the Knicks.

Team logos courtesy of SportsLogos.net.

Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley’s silver-linings playbook

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Evan Mobley is a winner.

Everywhere Mobley has played, the guy has left a trail of success. In his lone collegiate season at USC in 2020-2021, Mobley led the Trojans to their first NCAA Elite Eight appearance since 2001.

Mobley won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup and 2018 FIBA U-17 World Cup. And it’s no coincidence that the Cavaliers haven’t had a losing season since they selected Mobley with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

But as much as the Cavs cherish his “versatility, athleticism and physical gifts” – as Cavaliers GM Koby Altman said of Mobley on draft night – you could argue that his mindset is the X factor that makes him a truly special player.

Heading into the 2023-2024 season, the 6-11 power forward seemed poise to take another step in his development, and Mobley was averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds before the Cavs shut him down in early December.

On Dec. 16, Mobley underwent arthroscopic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to repair his left knee.

Doctors gave him a recovery timetable of six to eight weeks. Mobley did everything in his power to make it six.

“He found a silver lining it, and I think that helped him recover more quickly,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. “He didn’t use it as a moment to hang his head. It was interesting because he just went to the work and [focused on] how you get better.

“He was supposed to be on crutches for a certain amount of days but he didn’t want to do it, so he did what he had to do to get off the crutches early. Everything he did was extremely purposeful and with a positive attitude.”

The soft-spoken Mobley is my favorite kind of NBA player. He’s a quiet storm. He doesn’t say much on or off the court, but he doesn’t have to. His actions speak volumes.

Talking to reporters after the Cavs knocked off the L.A. Clippers on Jan. 29 – Mobley’s first action since Dec. 6 – the quiet storm didn’t offer much in the way of soundbites. Mobley said he viewed the layoff as a “benefit in disguise” – an opportunity to get better in every facet of his game.

“I was just trying to think about it in a positive way,” Mobley told reporters. “I took it as an opportunity, and I tried to get back as fast as possible and join the team.”

Mobley Will ‘Fit in Perfectly’

The Cavs were 15-7 without him, and had won nine of their last 10 games before Mobley rejoined the team against the Clippers. Still, it didn’t take long for Mobley to demonstrate how he’ll assimilate into the Cavs’ new-look, high-octane offense.

Mobley was active on both ends of the floor from the get-go. It only took him 26 seconds to get his first offensive rebound. Late in the first quarter, Mitchell found Mobley on a high-flying alley-oop dunk.

Then, with 8:21 left in the second, Mobley grabbed the rebound off a James Harden miss, galloped down the court and finished with an unassisted tomahawk jam that gave the Cavs a 36-35 lead.

“He’s going to fit in perfectly with what coach Bickerstaff has implemented in a wide-open offense,” Brad Daugherty said earlier in the Bally Sports telecast. “ … He’s in great shape, he’s ready – he’s going to be a huge addition to this basketball team.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Top 5 Cavs Wins

Ranking the top 5 most satisfying Cavs wins of 2023-2024

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After the Cavaliers exacted some revenge on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 26 – an utterly satisfying win for Cavs fans – I thought it would be fun to look back at the most satisfying wins of the 2023-2024 season so far. The way the Cavs are playing, this list should keep growing.

 

5. Cavs 118, Clippers 108

Jan. 29, 2024

Anytime you can beat presumptive Hall of Famers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the same night, that’s inherently satisfying. But the context made this win even sweeter.

As Bally Sports play-by-play man John Michael said prior to tipoff, “This ballgame is rich with storylines.” The Los Angeles Clippers headed into this matchup as the hottest team in the NBA, riding a five-game winning streak that included an absolute thrashing of Boston at TD Garden – only the second time this season that the Celtics have lost on their home floor. The Clippers were 16-4 since Dec. 16, the best mark in the NBA. The Cavs were 9-1 in their previous 10 games, and back at home after closing out a four-game roadtrip with a signature win in Milwaukee on Jan. 26.

Donovan Mitchell turned in a Donovan Mitchell-esque performance, leading the Cavs with 28 points and 12, count ’em, 12 assists. Jarrett Allen extended his fro-nomenal, franchise-best double-double streak to 15 games, with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Isaac Okoro fired up the home crowd with 17 points – all in the first half – connecting on three of four 3-point attempts.

But the richest storyline was Evan Mobley, who returned to the lineup after missing 22 games due to knee surgery. Mobley shook off a bit of rust to add 10 points and nine rebounds, including several high-flying dunks. With Mobley’s return, the Cavs seem to have an embarrassment of riches. And with the win over the red-hot Clippers, the Cavs served notice to the rest of the league that they mean business.

Satisfying? Heck yes.

 

4. Cavs 115, Warriors 104

Nov. 5, 2023

This one was about exorcising demons.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Cavs pulled ahead late in the second – on the shoulders of Mitchell (who finished with 31 points and seven assists) and Darius Garland (24 points and seven assists) ­– and never looked back. Evan Mobley hauled in 16 rebounds, while Strus chipped in 15 points.

With the win, the Cavaliers snapped a 16-game losing streak against the Warriors, which included 12 regular-season and four playoff losses. I know the Warriors aren’t the team they used to be, but this one was satisfying nonetheless.

The icing on the proverbial cake: A week later, the Cavs notched the season sweep with a 118-110 win in San Francisco.

 

3. Cavs 95, Knicks 89

Nov. 1, 2023

This was the second night of a home-and-home back-to-back against the Cavs’ archnemesis, at Madison Square Garden.

On the previous night, the Knicks cruised to an easy victory in Cleveland, taking full advantage of the fact that Garland, Allen and LeVert were out. LeVert, however, returned to action in this one, and made a big impact with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench.

But the real story of the game was the Cavs’ defense. The Cavs held the Knickerbockers to 34.8% shooting from the field and 16.7% from 3-point range. After the game, Bickerstaff told reporters: “We showed our true grit.”

 

2. Cavs 112, Bucks 100

Jan. 26, 2024

Facing Milwaukee for the second time in three nights at Fiserv Forum, the Cavaliers had their work cut out for them after Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated in a 126-116 Bucks win on Jan. 24, snapping the Cavs’ eight-game winning streak.

The Cavs responded with a much better gameplan in the second matchup, and played with the kind of hustle, energy and intensity that has sustained them since losing Garland and Mobley in mid-December. They played with poise and cool, calm confidence, while the Bucks expended a lot of energy whining about the officiating (which made the win that much more satisfying).

Bobby Portis Jr. repeatedly slamming a basketball into his forehead after missing a contested layup – priceless.

The Bucks led 57-54 at halftime, and extended their lead to 63-57 with 10:51 left in the third. Then the Cavs went on a 17-2 run, punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Dean Wade. Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points, and Allen was brilliant, posting his 14th straight double-double.

The Cavs flipped the script by out-hustling and out-muscling the Bucks, who were clearly fatigued in the second half. After Giannis gave the Cavs a thorough rogering two nights prior, this was an eminently satisfying win.

 

1. Cavs 122, Sixers 119 (OT)

Nov. 22, 2023

Let’s set the stage for this one.

Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert were out. Philly was 10-3 heading into the game; the Cavs were above .500 for the first time since opening night. Due to the in-season tournament, the court at Wells Fargo Center was unsightly. Just awful to look at.

Darius Garland (32 points, eight assists) was sensational, slicing through Philly’s defense like a warm knife through butter. Jarrett Allen (26 points, 13 rebounds) was sublime. Max Strus logged a team-high 44 minutes and posted a 20/5/6 stat line.

Craig Porter Jr. – with 12 points and nine assists off the bench – was nothing short of a revelation.

The Cavs were up 65-53 at halftime, but you just knew that lead wasn’t gonna stick. The Sixers fought back as expected, leading to a wild final three minutes of regulation play – and overtime. The rest is history, because we know the Cavs are money in overtime.

Delicious Moments

  • A plethora of alley-oops from Garland to Mobley and Allen
  • With the shot clock expiring, Garland’s desperation heave and 3-point bank shot to put the Cavs up 106-104 with 1:41 left in regulation
  • Craig Porter Jr. driving into the chest of foul-riddled Joel Embiid with 54 seconds left in OT, hanging in midair and scoring to put the Cavs up 118-116

 

Giannis

What’s the Gameplan After Giannis Bulldozed the Cavs?

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Wednesday’s night “showdown” with the Milwaukee Bucks unfolded just about the way I expected it to unfold.

To be clear, I did not expect the Cavs to win that game.

After a 40-point loss on Jan. 17 in Cleveland, you knew the Bucks would be loaded for bear on their home court, with Giannis back in the lineup. And they were.

To add to the perfect storm, emotions were running high after Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.

Blech.

The Greek Freak (are we still calling him that?) was absolutely dominant, bulldozing to the basket regardless of how many hapless Cavs defenders had the misfortune to guard him. His final stat line: 35 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

As well as Jarrett Allen has been playing – and he was terrific Wednesday night, all things considered – the Cavs really missed Evan Mobley. It was encouraging to see footage of him running sprints prior to tipoff. Giannis and Brook Lopez might be the best frontcourt in the NBA, and Dean Wade was no match for either of them.

So what’s the next move for the Cavaliers?

For starters, I think they need to treat Friday night’s rematch as a must-win game. They need to approach it with the same intensity that they had in their overtime win in Philadelphia.

A win Friday night would even the season series with Milwaukee. But more importantly, it would be a statement win. Let’s face it: Even as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs aren’t a top-tier team. They have a lot of talent, but they have yet to prove that they can hang with the Bostons and Milwaukees of the NBA (the aforementioned win over the 76ers being one of the few exceptions). And they’re a combined 0-4 against Oklahoma City and Indiana this season.

Find a way to win.

What Happened to Craig Porter Jr.?

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of personnel moves that J.B. Bickerstaff can make to shake things up Friday night. Mobley and Darius Garland are out; Tristan Thompson is serving a 25-game suspension; and Ty Jerome is sidelined with the worst ankle sprain in human history.

What about Craig Porter Jr.?

Inexplicably, Porter logged just one minute of playing time Wednesday night, and many fans on social media have wondered why Porter has fallen out of J.B.’s rotation over the past few games. Count me among them.

Porter is an unflappable rookie who can score, rebound and defend. Would Porter have changed the outcome of Monday night’s game? Probably not. But he might have provided a much-needed spark off the bench – especially considering that Caris LeVert has been dealing with wrist soreness and doesn’t appear to be 100%.

Also – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – how about giving Damian Jones more minutes? Jones chipped in five points in 10 high-energy minutes off the bench. Against the Bucks’ formidable frontcourt, it might even make sense to pair Jones with Allen for a few minutes to see what happens.

Paris Cavs

Paris Trip Solidifies Cavs’ Camaraderie in City of Fro-mance

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The French word for camaraderie is easy to remember.

It’s camaraderie.

That’s kind of a misleading statement, because camaraderie comes from the French word “camarade,” according to Merriam-Webster. So it might be more accurate to say that the English word for camaraderie is camaraderie.

Regardless of whether you call them French fries or freedom fries, strong camaraderie in the NBA is a universal language, and it travels well. And the Cavs’ relatively effortless win over the Brooklyn Nets in Paris was a contrast between one team that has camaraderie and chemistry and one team that’s still trying to build it.

During the pre-game show on Bally Sports Ohio, Serena Winters reported that a number of Cavs players said their favorite part of the whirlwind Paris trip was the plane ride, which gave the guys an opportunity to spend some quality time together and talk about stuff other than basketball. Bonding time, if you will.

It’s easy to see why this group of guys is meshing on and off the court. The 2023-2024 Cavs are about as likeable a group as I’ve seen since the Mark Price-Brad Daugherty era – the kind of guys you can’t help but root for.

On the other side of the ledger, you have the Brooklyn Nets.

Just prior to the start of the third quarter – with the Cavs up by 20 – Cavaliers assistant coach Dan Geriot told Winters that the Nets are “a very individually talented team,” and the Cavs were having success “pinching the basketball” on defense and forcing the hapless Nets to play as a team – which didn’t happen.

Geriot’s left-handed compliment was pretty much on point in characterizing a Nets team that had lost six of their previous seven contests coming into the game. In the aftermath of the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving experiment, the Nets are struggling to find an identity – or any continuity whatsoever.

That’s not the case for the Cavaliers, who are 9-3 since losing starters Darius Garland and Evan Mobley to injuries. Of course, it helps that the Cavs hit a soft patch in their schedule.

It also helps when you have a Donovan Mitchell.

Germany Has David Hasselhoff, Paris Has …

With the rest of the Cavs looking jet-lagged, Mitchell set the tone early, scoring 10 of their first 12 points.

He was just getting started.

Austin Carr correctly observed that the Cavs played true to their newfound identity in the first half – playing tight defense and moving without the ball – but slipped into a “ball-dominant” mode in the second half, which let the Nets back into the game. Fortunately, Mitchell was able to douse a furious rally (well, “furious” is a strong word) in the fourth quarter with some crafty drives and big shots that prompted a smattering of “MVP” chants from inside Accor Arena.

Mitchell’s final stat line was ridiculous: 45 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

For MVP of the game, he gets all my votes.

Meanwhile, Caris LeVert continued to make a strong case for Sixth Man of the Year. The gluten-free Michigan product chipped in 21 points in 34 minutes off the bench.

And in the Paris, the City of Light – and the City of Fro-mance – I’d be remiss without mentioning Jarrett Allen’s eighth consecutive double-double. Allen, like a lot of the Cavs, looked a bit out of sorts playing the franchise’s first-ever game in Europe, but he still finished with 12 points, 12 boards and four blocks.

Parting Shots

Regardless of whether the Cavs are playing in Paris, Cleveland, Toronto, Timbuktu or Mars (c’mon NBA, make it happen), you can count on J.B. Bickerstaff riding the officials like a rented mule.

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