NFL
By: Kevin Lucas
Nearly half of a decade has gone by since LeBron James left the Cavaliers for the bright lights of Los Angeles. Since then the Cavs’ front office has pulled off a remarkable rebuild process led by 4 young stars and a talented crop of teammates that know their roles and shine in them regularly.
Last season Darius Garland introduced himself to the NBA world as a premier young player and point guard in the league as he averaged 20 plus points per game for the first time (and certainly not the last) in his young career. From the quick change of pace to the elite touch around the rim with either hand and his next-level passing abilities, it’s a reason that when you ask players around the league, “who’s the toughest guy to guard in the game” DG’s name is a common answer. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has learned how to unlock all of the confidence in DG’s game by constantly putting him in actions/sets where he can get a running start toward the rim to either score, throw a lob up to his big fellas or make the defense sink and find one of his shooters open on the perimeter. Since high school one of Garland’s best attributes has been his ability to handle the rock with so many different dribble combinations with his favorite move being his between-the-legs stepback, which always puts defenders on their heels. When talking about some of the best young point guards in today’s NBA, please do not forget to mention Darius Garland’s name because he is only going to get better.
With Garland’s lack of height and defensive prowess, the Cavs have invested in 2 elite rim protectors that can also slide their feet while guarding smaller guards in both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Allen, still only 24 years young, was traded from Brooklyn to Cleveland a couple of seasons ago as he was a part of that colossal deal that sent James Harden from H-town to BK. Since arriving he has shown to be not just a lockdown paint presence but offensively, he is an active lob threat and is always seeking out 2nd-chance point opportunities. The other tree down low next to Allen is the young stud, Evan Mobley, out of USC, who Cleveland took 3rd overall in the 2021 Draft. Mobley is still trying to find his niche offensively as a scorer, yet he still somehow managed to average 15 points per game while shooting 50% from the field last season as a rookie. Evan, like Allen can both be the anchors of a championship defense one day down the line. The Chris Bosh comparisons defensively for Mobley were very accurate as Evan has the strides of an adult giraffe, so when (rarely) he does get blown by his recovery speed is something NBA fans do not often see. As long as he’s healthy and on the floor, Evan Mobley will be viewed as one of the most multifaceted defenders in the game for a long time coming.
That leads us to the blockbuster deal that took place this past summer, where the Cavaliers traded Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, 3 unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps for 3-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell aka Spida. The young Cavs needed another scoring boost to relieve DG from having to do too much offensively and because they were in desperate need of someone that could create fouls and consistently get to the free-throw line. Spida checks both of those boxes plus he is more than capable of going off for 40 or more points on any given night. His time in Utah had clearly run out but Cleveland should be a much better situation for him because unlike Utah this team won’t require him to be great offensively every night to compete in games until playoff time. All Donovan has to do in order to get this team to the postseason is be himself and show the younger guys the ropes since he’s been there and done it at a high level before.
Again credit to Koby Altman, Mike Gansey, and the rest of the Cavaliers’ front office for piecing together this talented roster that is looking to compete immediately. Guys like Caris LeVert and Lamar Stevens will be the keys to this team due to their willingness to do the dirty work like guarding the opposing teams’ best players, scrapping for loose balls, and really just being tone-setters. Before his ACL injury last year Ricky Rubio may have been the best and most impactful backup point guard in the entire NBA. Rubio was also on the Jazz during Donovan’s rookie season where Spida thrived playing next to Rubio, so their chemistry will be super beneficial for this Cavs squad. A rejuvenated Kevin Love was close to winning Sixth Man of the Year a season ago, so on a team that has real postseason aspirations, it will be fun to see what he brings back to the table after missing the playoffs the past 4 years. As a wing in today’s NBA that is wing-heavy game, no other Cavs’ player will have more weight on their shoulders than Isaac Okoro. Okoro being drafted in 2020 out of Auburn has been tasked as being one of their top defensive players, guarding the likes of Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, and more. Now with his starting spot being up for grabs, Okoro will not only have to up his defensive intensity but he has to be able to hit catch and shoot 3-pt opportunities as for now on his career he shoots an abysmal 31% from behind the arc. Dean Wade, a 6’9 power forward out of Kansas State earned a 3-year contract extension from the Cavs late last month as well and is a guy to be on the lookout for too.
On paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the most talented teams across the entire NBA. Now it’s all about growing together, building chemistry, and getting their young stars to the playoffs. Coach Bickerstaff should have plenty of fun this season experimenting with different lineups and trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work for this team. They will have some defensive issues at the point of attack and on the wings but luckily they have two monsters that are used to being safety blankets in Allen and Mobley. Look for Spida and DG to be the most dynamic backcourt in the National Basketball Association in this 2022-’23 season as the Cavs will get back to the playoffs.
