4 months ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Scribbles successful my Cavs notebook:
1. Finally, we don’t perceive overmuch astir nan Cavs from past play – and really they comparison to this season’s team. Yes, nan Cavs had a 64-18 grounds and had 1 of nan champion violative ratio ratings successful NBA history. But they still mislaid successful nan 2nd information of nan 2025 playoffs. That was nan aforesaid arsenic nan 2024 Cavs, who besides were eliminated successful nan 2nd round. They had a 48-34 grounds nether erstwhile coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
2. That thought came to mind arsenic Bickerstaff leads his Detroit Pistons into Cleveland for Sunday’s game. After being fired by nan Cavs aft nan 2024 playoffs, Bickerstaff was quickly hired by Detroit. He took a squad that had a 14-68 grounds and led them to a 44-38 decorativeness successful 2024-25. It was nan first clip nan Pistons made nan playoffs successful six years. The 2025-26 Pistons are nan Cavs of 2024-25. Just arsenic nan Cavs roared into nan regular play a twelvemonth ago, Detroit is 25-9 now.
3. “I deliberation we’re trending amended – we’re not location yet, but it’s better,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said recently.
4. After Friday’s 113-108 victory complete Denver, nan Cavs person won 3 successful a row. That hasn’t happened since Nov. 2-8, erstwhile they won 4 successful a row. They were 7-3 astatine that point. Since then, it’s been up and down, guys hurt, lineup changes. Since then, nan Cavs are 13-13.
5. There is thing monumental astir a January 4th game, but a triumph would beryllium different affirmative sign. The Pistons are No. 1 successful nan Eastern Conference. There is an added herb to nan crippled pinch Bickerstaff backmost successful town. His Pistons rank No. 2 successful protect efficiency. They are 10th successful violative efficiency. By comparison, nan Cavs are No. 9 successful offense, 11 successful defense.
6. As I was looking up stats connected nan Cavs and Pistons, I noticed nan mean NBA squad is scoring astir 117 points per game. The Cavs and Detroit are some astatine 119. Denver is No. 1 astatine 125 points per game. I still retrieve erstwhile averaging 100 points was a worthy extremity successful nan NBA.
7. I was against nan Cavs firing Bickerstaff, and wrote it a fewer times. I thought he did a tremendous occupation rebuilding nan franchise from nan rubble that ensued aft LeBron James near for nan Lakers via free agency. But I besides wanted nan Cavs to prosecute Atkinson aft Bickerstaff was fired. I stay very upbeat astir nan Cavs coach.
8. One of nan positives for Atkinson is Craig Porter Jr. The coach challenged nan young defender to show up successful amended style and past to ore connected defense and simply playing pinch elite effort. Once successful a while, I perceive a subordinate aliases coach say, “Playing difficult is simply a skill.” I judge it. Playing difficult and unselfishly requires self-discipline and a mindset that stays distant from self-pity. Porter has go that benignant of player.
9. In his past 5 games, he has played 106 full minutes. The Cavs person outscored opponents by 42 points successful those 106 minutes. His streak started aft he played only 3 minutes vs. Charlotte connected Dec. 22. Then Atkinson began to springiness him much time. He’s averaging 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists successful 21 minutes a game.
10. Atkinson connected Porter: “I emotion nan defense … He conscionable keeps rising successful position of protect ability. He gets america other possessions. … You cognize really difficult he worked this summer, really difficult we were connected him … He’s getting rewarded correct now.”
11. Atkinson besides realized Porter is not a accepted constituent guard. Former Cavs GM Wayne Embry utilized to say, “Some guys are conscionable guards. Don’t put a explanation connected them, conscionable fto them play.” Former Cavalier Craig Ehlo was for illustration that. They do a small spot of everything, and they bring a awesome cognition and hustle into each game.
12. Atkinson mentioned really nan Cavs turned Friday’s crippled astir erstwhile they started “blitzing” Denver’s Jamal Murray successful nan 2nd half – particularly nan 4th quarter. Murray was Denver’s only patient starter. He had 16 points successful nan first quarter, nan remainder of nan Nuggets had eight. I was yelling astatine nan TV, “Double-team nan guy, get nan shot retired of his hands!”
13. The Cavs held Denver to 11 points successful nan 4th quarter. Facing reliable double-teams, Murray made only 1 of his past 11 shots. The Cavs alternated Lonzo Ball, Jaylon Tyson and Porter arsenic nan first defender connected Murray, past others helped.
14. Atkinson said: I felt for illustration nan first 3 quarters we were connected our heels. We conscionable decided to blitz each azygous Jamal Murray pick-and-roll. I said, ‘If we’re going to suffer this, fto nan different guys hit us.’ We double-teamed him, tried to get nan shot retired of his hands. And it turned retired correct for us. We had nan correct guys shooting connected nan different squad astatine nan extremity of nan day.”
15. It’s not conscionable Atkinson. Most NBA coaches hesitate to double-team and usage aggregate players connected opposing stars early successful nan game. One mentation I heard was “Let nan prima get his, and unopen down nan different guys.” Former Cavs coach Lenny Wilkens subscribed to that astatine times. I deliberation it’s backwards. Once a prima shows he’s hot, spell aft him early. Let nan different guys hit you.
16. Ball sat retired 2 games arsenic Atkinson gave those minutes to Porter. Then Ball played 15 minutes successful Friday’s victory. He scored six points. More importantly, he had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. The Cavs were +11 successful those 15 minutes.
17. Atkinson connected Ball: “He is specified a pro. He’s conscionable astir winning. He kept telling me, ‘I’ll do immoderate you need.’ He is each astir nan team.”
18. Atkinson astir nan Cavs taking mediocre shots retired of a stagnant discourtesy against Denver’s area defense: We don’t person to clasp it and return 10 dribbles and jack a 3.” He besides was unhappy pinch “too overmuch iso,” meaning players going 1-on-1.
19. The Cavs person to proceed to activity connected their shot activity – and subordinate movement. It’s easy for a squad pinch Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to guidelines astir and watch those guys create shots. But it’s not a bully discourtesy successful nan agelong term, and Atkinson is stressing that.
20. My consciousness is this play will proceed to beryllium a struggle astatine times for nan Cavs. The situation for Atkinson will beryllium to proceed to find ways to triumph games. The coaches person helped young players specified arsenic Tyson, Nae’Kwan Tomlin and Porter grow. That is going to beryllium very important because this is astir apt going to beryllium a twelvemonth wherever veterans person problem staying patient and are successful and retired of nan lineup.
