The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost four straight games for the first time since November 2022.
Donovan Mitchell Going Through Scoring Woes
Donovan Mitchell is at the bottom of his position group regarding scoring efficiency in March. The blue color on some numbers refers to the player’s percentile rank relative to their position.
Take the Phoenix game, for example. He made two layups and finished the contest on 2-of-18 shooting, good for 11.1%.
Ugly misses filled the night. Cleveland never kept the momentum in their favor for too long. It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that the Cavs cut the lead to seven.
Like many great scorers in the NBA, Mitchell has been forcing shots during this cold stretch.
Starting at the 0:41 mark, Steph Curry explains that you “need a sense of amnesia” when overcoming a shooting slump. He shortly after says “you have to rely on your repetition and the work you put in”.
These quotes embody Mitchell’s mindset and how he will work through this recent scoring rut.
As Mitchell searches for his offensive rhythm, it’s important to remember to make the correct play. Kevin Durant defends this isolation well and Mitchell still tries to manifest points. In the process, he doesn’t see an open Darius Garland for three.
These micro-decisions add up throughout the match. As the face of the team, Mitchell’s decision-making needs to be sharp like it has for most of the season. He’s currently boasting a career-best 9.1 TOV%.
Cavs Struggling to Execute Defensively
In the Cavaliers’ last three games, they have the worst defensive rating in the league.
What’s up with that?
This is rare for a team that has been a great defensive unit since the arrival of Evan Mobley. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, they were destroyed in any transition opportunities.
It didn’t end there; Los Angeles, primarily Ivica Zubac dominated the glass with eight offensive rebounds and 20 total. For a team notorious for employing double-big lineups, the Cavs have never ranked higher than 14th in defensive rebounding percentage during the Mobley-Allen era.
The Cavs are getting blown by, making their bigs help more often than they’d like. This is what opens up extra opportunities for offensive rebounds and open looks.
If we revisit the Phoenix game again, we can spot some of the issues this team has encountered lately.
Royce O’Neale, who is shooting 42% on threes this season, gets a wide-open corner three. If you rewind the tape, O’Neale shows that he wants to set a screen before darting out and forcing the Cavs to make a quick decision. Cleveland started off the game switching. Suns Head Coach Mike Budenholzer uses this against them, leaving Max Strus on the eighth all-time scoring leader.
Fast-forward a few minutes and the Cavs are playing zone defense that they run frequently with the bench. Sam Merrill is ready to help Garland if Tyus Jones decides to drive but he quickly gets the ball moving. De’Andre Hunter steps up and tries to play the passing lane from Kevin Durant, leaving O’Neale wide open in the corner, AGAIN.
https://twitter.com/dillybar2145__/status/1902588568578510926
Cavs Need to Be Better
Whether it’s shotmaking, attention to details heading into the game or their focus in the moment, they have to be better. It’s important to remember they are 56-14 and still rank first in the league in points per 100 possessions on offense and ninth in defense.
With 12 games remaining, the time to ramp up is now. The team understands this, and if you ask their leader, Donovan Mitchell, he claims it’s on him and they will get through this. As the playoffs creep up and matchups become clearer, the Cavaliers may see Atlanta or Orlando in the first round. Both teams have beaten the Cavs this season.
Leave a comment