The NBA season is a grind. In some respects, it’s a war of attrition.
For championship contenders, getting to the NBA Finals is as much about staying healthy as it is about anything else. (Just ask the Cavs, Knicks and 76ers, among others.)
After an injury-riddled 2023 season, the Cavaliers have been relatively healthy so far this year. Although Max Strus has yet to play a regular-season game, the Cavs have had the luxury of the “Core Four” being healthy and available most nights.
Kenny Atkinson has leaned into the team’s depth to keep his star players as rested as possible. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 31.1 minutes per game – a career low. Likewise, Darius Garland’s usage is at a career low. Evan Mobley’s minutes are down, and Jarrett Allen’s average minutes (30.2) are the lowest they’ve been since he played in Brooklyn.
The Cavs’ depth was on full display Sunday night against Charlotte. With a showdown in Boston looming on the horizon, Atkinson gave Mitchell the night off. Sam Merrill was out due to left-ankle inflammation.
Sliding into the starting lineup, Ty Jerome was brilliant, as he has been all season.
Jerome matched a career high with 24 points and dished out eight assists. Georges Niang had 13 points off the bench, while Craig Porter Jr. chipped in seven points. J.T. Thor even got into the action, scoring once on a strong drive to the basket late in the game.
Isaac Okoro started the game but hurt his ankle in the first half. Okoro didn’t return.
Dean Wade had three points and four rebounds before leaving the game with an ankle injury as well.
Still, the Cavs were able to notch their 15th consecutive victory to start the season, on the backs of strong performances from Garland (25 points and 12 assists), Allen (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Mobley (23 points and 11 rebounds), complemented by the bench bunch.
“We had five rotation guys out tonight if you think about it, with Dean and Isaac going out with the ankle injuries, so it speaks to the depth that we have and the skill level we have,” Atkinson said after the Cavs’ 128-114 win. “Kind of one through 15, which is a deep, deep team. Everybody can pretty much shoot it too.”
That depth – and the Cavs’ perfect record – will be tested this week.
Wade already has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Boston, which is the first night of a back-to-back. Merrill continues to be day-to-day, while Okoro is iffy for the showdown in Beantown.
To make matters worse, Caris LeVert is questionable with left-knee inflammation.
Atkinson knew this day would come.
“I think we did the best we could with minutes and distributing minutes – Donovan being part of the plan – and we’ll keep doing it,” Atkinson told reporters. “Going forward, you can’t fight the schedule. You just can’t. You’re gonna end up being shorthanded too much.”
He added: “This is a tough league. This is a really tough league, physically. I don’t know if the fans can even grasp how hard it is. … We know it’s a heavy load on us and we’re doing the best we can to manage it.”
The 14-0 Cavaliers host the 5-7 Charlotte Hornets tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavs are coming off a 144-126 win over Chicago Friday night. The 18-point margin of victory doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Cavs struggled to get separation against a gunslinging Bulls team that ranks fourth in made 3-pointers.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 37 points. Darius Garland had 29, Jarrett Allen had 24 and Georges Niang added 14 in a spot start for Evan Mobley, who was sick.
Let’s talk about tonight’s game:
Donovan Mitchell will sit this one out in the name of load management. It looks like Kenny Atkinson is resting him for Tuesday night’s showdown in Boston.
Sam Merrill is out again. Merrill has missed the last two games with left-ankle soreness.
Today’s official injury report indicates that Merrill is out due to left-ankle “inflammation.”
Max Strus remains out with a right-ankle sprain.
Ankle soreness and ankle sprains might seem like minor injuries at first glance, but Cavs fans are well-aware that an ankle injury can wipe out an entire season. Look no further than Ty Jerome last year for painful proof.
Speaking of Jerome, the Cavs haven’t announced their starting lineup for tonight’s game yet, but I’m wondering if Jerome is a candidate for a spot start in lieu of Mitchell.
Evan Mobley missed Friday night’s game due to an illness. Mobley is listed as probable tonight. With Mitchell out, you’d think Mobley would play if he’s anywhere near 100% or even 90%.
Assuming Mobley plays, one possible starting combo would be Garland, Okoro, Niang, Mobley and Allen. That would allow Jerome to spell Garland. We’re certain to see more of Craig Porter Jr. tonight as well.
Caris LeVert is another option for the starting lineup. It’ll be interesting to see what the mad scientist comes up with.
This is a rare “rest-advantage” game for the Cavaliers. Charlotte is on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Hornets edged Milwaukee 115-114 last night.
LaMelo Ball is off to a strong start. Ball is averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
Just prior to Monday night’s Cavs-Bulls game in Chicago, the NBA named Darius Garland the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
It was a well-deserved honor for Garland, who averaged a team-high 25 points, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 57.6% from 3-point range during Week 3 of NBA action.
Garland’s Player of the Week recognition comes one week after his backcourt teammate Donovan Mitchell received the same honor.
Last night at the United Center in Chicago, Mitchell reminded us why “Spida” has garnered Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors four times since joining the Cavs.
Spida led all scorers with 36 points – including seven 3-pointers – grabbed eight rebounds and had four steals. He also did this in the second quarter:
To set the stage for this, Mitchell drained a 3-pointer on the previous Cavs possession to give Cleveland a 48-42 lead with 8:49 left in the second. On the ensuing Bulls possession, Mitchell helped generate a turnover. After Mitchell’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim, Evan Mobley secured the rebound and Spida swooped in for this acrobatic spinning layup, which prompted a Chicago timeout. (Take note of the Bulls’ body language after this shot.)
With back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week honorees on the team, the Cavaliers have the luxury of star power and depth – and it was all on display Monday night in Chicago, as the Cavs became the eighth team in NBA history to start the season 12-0.
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.
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?
Like many NBA teams, the Cavaliers have been battling injuries throughout the season.
Jarrett Allen missed the first five games of the season after hurting his left ankle in training camp. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland each missed roughly six weeks starting in mid-December. Max Strus has missed the last seven games with a right-knee strain.
Then there’s MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs welcomed Mitchell back to the fold on March 13 after a seven-game absence, and trounced the New Orleans Pelicans 116-95 – snapping the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak.
Mitchell tallied 14 points in New Orleans. While that’s roughly half of Mitchell’s season scoring average, Darius Garland told reporters after the game that Mitchell’s mere presence on the court is a major boost for the Cavs, because he attracts so much attention from the opposing defense.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers were unable to carry that momentum into Houston Saturday night, where they lost to the Rockets 117-103.
Mitchell drained three 3-pointers but finished with only 13 points in 25 minutes of action.
After the game, a frustrated Mitchell dropped a bit of a bombshell on reporters.
“I’ll give you some news: I’m probably not playing the next game, to be completely honest with you,” Mitchell said. “I just gotta take some rest and get it right. I thought I was ready. I’m not.”
On March 4, Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center to treat a bone bruise in his left knee. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has attributed the injury to wear and tear over the course of the season.
After the loss in Houston, Mitchell was brutally honest about how the bruised knee has stifled his game.
“No disrespect to some guys – I’m not really blowing by people right now, and that’s disappointing to me and it’s affecting me,” Mitchell said. “ … It sucks. I want to be out there, but it’s clear as day, even to myself. I can’t fool myself. So I have to sit there, get it right and be ready when that time comes.”
If Mitchell can’t play in Monday night’s Central Division matchup in Indiana, it will be a tough blow for a Cavaliers team that’s been struggling since the All-Star break. However, the Cavs have managed to overcome plenty of adversity throughout the season. Despite the rash of injuries, they’re still within striking distance of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers are 33-16 with Mitchell in the lineup this season.
Donovan Mitchell will miss the next three games due to a knee injury.
On March 4, Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center to treat a bone bruise in his left knee, according to the Cavs.
Mitchell apparently injured the knee during the Cavaliers’ Jan. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago. He missed the following two games against Dallas and Detroit.
The team said it will re-evaluate Mitchell’s status over the weekend.
Mitchell, a five-time All-Star, is the heartbeat of this team. With Mitchell leading the way, the Cavs went 18-3 from Jan. 1 up to the All-Star break. Mitchell was the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in January.
Mitchell is averaging 28 points per game, and career highs in rebounds (5.4), assists (6.2) and steals (1.8).
The upcoming schedule won’t provide much mercy.
On March 5, the Cavs host the Boston Celtics, who hold the best record in the NBA. Then they fly to Atlanta for the second night of the back-to-back. Two nights later, they’re back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to host the Minnesota Timberwolves, the top team in the Western Conference.
Mitchell isn’t the only banged-up Cavalier right now.
Caris LeVert is listed as questionable for the March 5 matchup with the Celtics, after missing Sunday night’s game against the Knicks due to a right-elbow sprain. Max Strus is out with a right-knee strain.
Meanwhile, Isaac Okoro is questionable for the Celtics matchup due to a left-elbow sprain.
With Mitchell out, the Cavs will have to lean on Darius Garland, who is averaging 18.4 points and 6.1 assists per game this season. Craig Porter Jr. also should see increased playing time. We’ll see what else J.B. Bickerstaff has up his sleeve as the week progresses.
Darius Garland’s first game back after fracturing his jaw was Jan. 31 against the Pistons. Up until the last few games, though, it hasn’t felt like Garland has been back.
Considering how smoothly the offense flowed when Donovan Mitchell was running the point in Garland’s six-week absence, his role on the team going forward has been the subject of much debate.
Adding fuel to the fire, Garland just hasn’t looked like himself since returning.
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 he hit 41% of his 3-point attempts last season (a career high). Complementing his scoring capabilities, Garland is a gifted passer, and has been among the league leaders in assists for the past two seasons (he ranked seventh in the NBA last year and sixth in 2021-2022).
Since coming back from a broken jaw that he suffered in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Dec. 14, Garland has struggled to find a rhythm. In his first game back, on Jan. 31, Garland score 19 points in 20 minutes. The next night in Memphis, he had nine points in 24 minutes, although he dished out seven assists.
In a Feb. 7 win at Washington, Garland had 13 points and four assists in 28 minutes.
Garland has looked tentative, especially when driving to the basket. That’s completely understandable in my view. I can’t imagine a more painful or frustrating sports injury than a fractured jaw. I’d be a little gun-shy too. But to make matters worse, his perimeter shots haven’t been falling either.
Fortunately, it seems like the fifth-year guard is starting to turn a corner.
In the Cavaliers’ double-overtime loss in Chicago on Feb. 28, Garland was 7-of-14 from 3-point range in a 23-point performance. And that was just a warmup for Friday’s game in Detroit.
Against the Pistons, Garland hit eight 3-pointers and led the Cavs to a 110-100 win without Mitchell in the lineup. Garland finished with a game-high 29 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
Garland is a 38.5% career 3-point shooter. When his shot is falling – he was a scorching 8-of-12 from 3-point range in Detroit – it puts defenders in a bind.
“It makes people have to chase him and make tough decisions,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters after the March 1 win in Detroit. “Now you have to decide if you want to trap him, if you want to switch, and then all that does is create advantages for us in other places. And he’s such a willing passer, if you trap him he’ll get off of it and now we’re playing 4-on-3 advantage basketball. So we love it, we love to see him be aggressive and get as many 3’s up as he can.”
Bickerstaff had a good perspective on Garland’s progress since returning from the jaw injury, and the unique challenges of having your jaw wired shut for a few weeks.
“He’s just getting comfortable, that’s one of the things,” Bickerstaff said. “In the middle of a season to just completely have to pause – and remember, he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t lift a weight, he couldn’t touch a basketball. And then he had to work his way back, and you gotta kind of ramp yourself back up.”
For Garland, it was almost like being in training camp again.
“But again, we don’t have time to stop, and he’s just been going game after game,” Bickerstaff added. ” … And I think what you’re seeing now is his confidence is growing, his teammates continue to feed in his success, and he continues to help them. So he’s Darius, and he’s who we expected him to be.”
As the Cavaliers grind through a grueling post-All-Star-break schedule, the real return of Darius Garland should be a welcome sight for Cavs fans.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in a bit of a funk since the All-Star break.
After getting a win in Detroit Friday night, they’re 3-3 since play resumed, which isn’t bad. But the Cavs set the bar high after a torrid stretch in which they were 18-3 from Jan. 1 up to the All-Star break.
They’ve also set the bar high in overtime play over the past few seasons.
The Cavaliers’ Feb. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago snapped their 11-game overtime winning streak. With that mark, Cleveland had been tied for the second-longest OT winning streak in NBA history.
New Orleans holds the NBA record with 13 straight overtime victories from 2006-2008.
The Cavs got their 11th consecutive overtime win on Dec. 18, against the Rockets. In that one, Donovan Mitchell had 37 points and Sam Merrill had 19 off the bench, including five points in OT.
The Cavs were 7-0 in overtime last season, and 2-0 during the 2021-2022 season, when the streak started. Even before that, the Cavaliers had been excelling in the extra session, posting 4-1 and 3-1 overtime records, respectively, in the previous two seasons.
Put another way: With the Feb. 28 loss in Chicago, the Cavaliers are 18-3 in overtime since the 2019-2020 season.
That’s a cool stat that overlaps with most of J.B. Bickerstaff’s tenure as head coach. The Cavs promoted Bickerstaff to the position in February 2020 after John Beilein resigned.
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