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[Cleveland Cavaliers]

21 stats to explain Cavs come-from-behind win over 76ers

The Cleveland Cavaliers erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-115 in the final seconds. An Evan Mobley dunk off a beautiful feed from Jaylon Tyson helped secure the victory.

The stats in the table below are from Cleaning the Glass.

Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	62.5%, 88th percentile	31.7%, 65th percentile	18.6%, 18th percentile	14.3, 16th percentile
76ers	53.8%, 47th percentile	27.1%, 41st percentile	11.2%, 81st percentile	18.7, 38th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• Jaylon Tyson’s career-high 39 points led Cleveland to the win. Tyson couldn’t miss as he went 13-17 from the field. He was the only Cavalier to score over 20 points.
• Tyson connected on 7-9 from threes. He is now hitting 45.8% of his threes on 4.1 attempts per game. This is up from shooting 34.5% from distance last season.
• Tyson finished the game with a 97.1 effective field goal percentage and a 99.3 true shooting percentage. That seems pretty good, yeah?
• All 13 of Tyson’s field-goal makes were assisted. Tyson’s ability to play within the offense has stood out this season. He’s done an excellent job of moving off the ball and attacking whenever he gets an opening to do so. Tyson did that brilliantly on Friday. Everything was within the flow of the offense, he wasn’t forcing anything, and he continually made the right offensive play, as evidenced by his game-winning assist to Mobley.

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• Donovan Mitchell’s 13 points are his second-fewest in a game this season. He struggled to get into a scoring rhythm with the Sixers’ doubling him every chance they could. Mitchell finished the game shooting 4-13 from the field. This included going 0-4 on looks in the paint and not attempting a shot in the restricted area.
• The Cavs are now 2-7 when Mitchell scores 21 or fewer points. The Cavaliers have typically gone as Mitchell has from a scoring perspective. That’s why they’re 9-1 when he scores 35 or more. This game was a rare exception.
• Mitchell chipped in a season-high 12 assists. However, this was accompanied by six turnovers, which is the second most he’s had this season.
• Five of Donovan Mitchell’s 12 assists went to Tyson. The Sixers were blitzing Mitchell whenever they could, especially when they brought a screen his way. Mitchell used this to his advantage by getting Tyson involved. Tyson was able to make them pay as a scorer in the short roll and as a shooter out of these actions.

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• The Cavs assisted on 38 of their 44 field goal makes. The ball has been moving around incredibly well the last couple of games. This performance was on the heels of 41 of the team’s 50 makes being assisted in Wednesday’s win.
• Cleveland turned it over 18 times. This was eight more giveaways than the Sixers. This led to the Sixers winning the points off turnovers battle 32-15.
• The Cavs had three players with four or more turnovers: Mitchell (6), Evan Mobley (4), and Jaylon Tyson (4).
• The Cavs are now 6-1 when they turn it over 18 or more times. This stat is a good reminder that correlation does not always equal causation.
• Joel Embiid scored 16 of his 33 points off long midrange jumpers. Jarrett Allen did a great job of keeping Embiid out of the paint on Wednesday. Instead of trying to get back there, Embiid took the midrange shots that Allen was giving him, going 8-15 on long twos. Allen could’ve been stronger with contesting those jumpers, but you’d rather limit him to taking a shot he makes 47% of the time instead of one he makes 64% of the time.
• The Cavs went 17-34 (50%) from three. This was the second time they’ve shot 50% or better from three in a game. They’re now 7-2 when they connect on more than 42% of their triples.
• Cleveland’s 34 three-point attempts were their fifth-fewest in a game this season. They’re also 7-2 when they take 35 or fewer threes.
• The Cavs held the Sixers to just 61.5% shooting at the rim (30th percentile). This wasn’t a great defensive game from Cleveland, but being able to defend the rim this well is a good sign that their defense was probably a little better than it seemed. The number of easy baskets off turnovers made it difficult to judge the Cavs on that end.
• Mobley had four blocks for the second straight game. The Cavs are 5-2 when he records four or more rejections in a game.
• Craig Porter Jr. tied a career high with 11 assists. He performed well filling in for Darius Garland in the starting lineup, who missed the game with a toe injury on his other foot. Porter turned it over only once and wasn’t part of the team’s problems with holding onto the ball.
• De’Andre Hunter and Porter led the team in plus/minus (+12). The Cavs played some of their best basketball with Hunter on the court. He provided 16 points and four assists on 7-13 shooting. This was Hunter’s second strong outing in a row.
• Six Cavaliers had double-digit points: Tyson (39), Hunter (16), Mobley (15), Mitchell (13), Tyrese Proctor (13), and Allen (10).
• The Cavs closed the game on a 13-4 run. They played their best basketball in the clutch, which allowed them to rally back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. With the win, the Cavs are 9-14 in clutch situations (games that are within five points in the final five minutes).

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...on-tyson-donovan-mitchell-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Winners and Losers: Cavs at 76ers – Jaylon Tyson has no fear and no ceiling

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thrilling game against the Philadelphia 76ers. They couldn’t have done it without Jaylon Tyson.

Let’s see who won and lost the night.

WINNER – Jaylon Tyson​

I gave Tyson a rare A+++ in my player grades. If that tells you anything about the game he just played.

It was the type of game that’s almost hard to talk about. He was perfect, in every single way. What else is there to say?

Tyson had a career-high 39 points. It only took him 17 shots to get there, as he missed just 4 attempts all night. He was a flamethrower from behind the arch (7-9 three-point shooting) and just as impressive attacking the basket.

He capped it off with an aggressive drive and dump-off pass to Evan Mobley for the game-winning bucket.

Tonight was Jaylon Tyson's SIXTH game of 19+ points on above 70% FG this season

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) January 17, 2026

Tyson has shown no fear this season. And, he’s starting to show that his ceiling might be higher than anyone could have predicted. This was already the sixth time this season that Tyson has scored 19+ points on 70% or better shooting from the floor. That type of efficiency from a second-year player who is also a plus defender is almost unheard of.

LOSER – Ball Security​

You can rarely blame an entire loss on one single factor. But hey, if the Cavs had lost tonight, they would have only had one thing to blame.

Turnovers were a serious problem in this game. That’s to be expected when Darius Garland isn’t there to run the offense. Still, 12 turnovers at halftime had the Cavs trailing a game they should have been winning. The 76ers finished with 32 points off Cleveland’s turnovers, a stat that should have been a backbreaker.

It takes some serious grit and determination to win a game when you’re spotting the other team that many points. Granted, Philly deserves credit for the swarming defense that they played. But also, the Cavs had plenty of unforced errors in this one, as well.

Winning can cure everything. Though I don’t think the Cavs should expect to get away with this many turnovers again.

LOSER – Evan Mobley’s Usage​

This might sound harsh, because I loved the 17 points that Mobley scored on Wednesday, but now I’m complaining about his 15 points tonight. The thing is, Mobley should have gotten more opportunities with Cleveland’s injuries, not fewer.

I understand that Philly loaded up against Mobley. They know as well as we do that the Cavs needed him to score tonight with DG and Sam Merrill on the sidelines. Mobley has done a great job of reading the defense and making the correct pass this season.

Still, it should be easy to replicate the actions that Mobley excels at running. Those side pick-and-rolls that lead into jump hooks should be available at any given time. Yet, for some reason, the Cavs consistently struggle to keep Mobley involved offensively.

Putting more on Mobley’s plate shouldn’t be complicated. He doesn’t have to be a Giannis-prototype or an elite floor spacer. Can he just get a few extra possessions scoring in the short-roll? That’s all I want.

I’m glad he got the rock with the game on the line. Even if it was a simple drive and dump-off pass. That’s the type of action that Mobley can dominate. You just have to get to the basket and find him, because you can trust that he’s always lurking.

WINNER – Nae’Qwan Tomlin Dunks​

Tomlin dunks every ball like he’s trying to rip the rim straight off the backboard. Had he played 40 years ago, he’d likely be responsible for several game stoppages and hoop repairs.

We love the intensity that Tomlin brings to the game. His ferocious dunks are instant highlights. And, because he goes so hard in the paint, defenders are learning to get out of his way. Joel Embiid side-stepped an opportunity to contest Tomlin on one of his violent attacks in the second half.

There isn’t much else to say about this. I just had to give him a nod.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...76ers-jaylon-tyson-has-no-fear-and-no-ceiling

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs at 76ers – Evan Mobley wins it with go-ahead dunk

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a stunner in Philly. This one was equally stressful and rewarding.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell​

13 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers

Mitchell was quiet for most of this game. He only attempted five shots in the first half as Philly focused most of their defensive attention on him. Mitchell did a great job of countering this by being a playmaker rather than pressing the issue. He eventually found a small rhythym in the second half, giving the Cavs just enough to pull off a win.

I would have given Mitchell an extra letter grade had he taken better care of the ball. Six turnovers are a bit much.

Grade: B

Jaylon Tyson​

39 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds

Tyson was phenomenal tonight. A career-high in points on absurd efficiency (13-17 shooting). This is the type of performance that Tyson has replicated multiple times this season, to lesser degrees. The more he proves he can score at this rate, the more valuable Tyson becomes as a prospect. This might be a future All-Star caliber player.

EVAN MOBLEY GAME WINNER.

pic.twitter.com/nUiJpKdMjO

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 17, 2026

If his red-hot shooting wasn’t enough, Tyson also dished the game-winning assist. A cool, calm, and collected approach from a player who has shown no fear through his sophomore season.

Grade: A+++

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Evan Mobley​

15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal

I wish we could have seen more from Mobley, considering the injuries to Darius Garland and Sam Merrill. But Philly did a good job of keeping Mobley away from the paint. That is, until the very final possession, where Mobley caught a pass and dunked it home for the win.

Grade: B–

Tyrese Proctor​

13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 11 minutes

Proctor took advantage of his opportunity today. He was an efficient 5-8 from the floor and arguably should be playing ahead of Lonzo Ball, at this point.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr. ​

2 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds

Porter might not be a threat to shoot the ball, but he keeps finding ways to be effective anyway. He matched his career-high with 11 assists and grabbed 2 offensive rebounds.

Grade: B+

De’Andre Hunter​

16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Hunter is starting to trend in the right direction. He’s been more efficient recently (7-13 tonight) and threw down a monster dunk in the fourth quarter. It took him a minute, but this is what we expected to see from Hunter this season.

Grade: A-

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Jarrett Allen​

10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Allen was fairly timid tonight. At least, compared to how he played in his previous matchup with Philly. He still did a fine job of keeping Embiid away from the glass, but he could have been more assertive on offense.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

9 points, 5 rebounds

Tomlin is an energizer. You know this by now. He threw down a couple of thunderous dunks tonight and gave Cleveland a surge of momentum when they needed it most.

Grade: A–

Lonzo Ball​

0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

I don’t know, man.

It’s hard to see Ball turning his season around at this point. He just doesn’t seem to have any juice as a shot creator anymore. I don’t think he’s played well enough to stay ahead of any other guard on the roster right now.

Grade: D-

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...-76ers-evan-mobley-wins-it-with-go-ahead-dunk

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs vs. Thunder: How to watch, odds, and injury report

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have been by far the most impressive team this season. Their +14 net rating is over five points better than their closest competitor. It’s why they started the season on a 70-win pace.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, have been one of the most disappointing teams this season. They’ve taken a noticeable step back from where they were last year, as they’ve already surpassed their loss total for all of last season.

Despite how differently things have gone for both the Cavs and Thunder, they enter this game playing at a pretty similar level.

Oklahoma City has cooled off dramatically in recent weeks. They’ve lost three of their last eight and dropped their previous outing to the Miami Heat. Their offense has struggled recently, as they have the 14th-ranked offense over the past two weeks.

The Cavs are heating up. They’ve won three out of four with impressive wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and two straight good showings against the Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland’s offense is also coming into form as they’ve posted the fourth-best offensive rating over the last two weeks (120.4). Things are starting to look up.

This game should provide a good measuring stick for where the Cavs are right now, even though both will be without key starters. The Thunder will be without Jalen Williams, and the Cavs will be without Darius Garland.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-8)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Monday, Jan. 19 at 2:30 PM

TV: NBC, Peacock

Point spread: Thunder -6.5

Cavs injury report: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Dean Wade – PROBABLE (knee), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)

Thunder injury report: Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (right soleus), Thomas Sorber – OUT (ACL), Nikola Topic – OUT (surgical recovery), Brooks Barnhizer – DOUBTFUL (G League)

Cavs expected starting lineup: Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Thunder expected starting lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren

Previous matchup: The Thunder defeated the Cavs by 20 a year ago.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.8 (8th)	115 (14th)	+2.8 (11th)
Thunder	120 (5th)	106 (1st)	+14 (1st)

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Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...s-thunder-how-to-watch-odds-and-injury-report

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Donovan Mitchell deserved to be NBA All-Star starter

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t lived up to the lofty expectations they set coming into this season. That comes with consequences when it comes to individual accolades, as Donovan Mitchell has just found out.

Mitchell was wrongly excluded from being an Eastern Conference All-Star starter despite three guards being chosen for the starting lineup. The starters are voted on by a mixture of fan vote (50%), player vote (25%), and a media panel (25%). They landed on an Eastern Conference starting five of Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Eastern Conference players honored as starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game pic.twitter.com/ePSscF3xGT

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 19, 2026

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Brunson, Maxey, and Brown are all worthy choices, but Mitchell has a good argument over every one of those players. Mitchell is averaging more points than Brunson, has been on/off splits than Maxey and Brown, and he’s scoring more efficiently than all three.

Mitchell is having the best season of his career and should be recognized for doing so. He’s averaging a career high in points while having the best efficient field goal percentage (58.3%) and true-shooting percentage (62.6%) of his career.

This has resulted in the Cavs playing their best basketball with Mitchell on the court. Cleveland is winning the minutes he’s playing by 7.1 points per 100 possessions (86th percentile) and lost the minutes he’s off by 5.4 points per 100 possessions. This has led to a differential of 12.5 points, which puts Mitchell in the 95th percentile for on/off differential.

The Cavaliers have had many issues this season, but Mitchell isn’t one of them.

Mitchell will still make the All-Star game this season, but he should’ve been voted an All-Star starter once again.

The NBA All-Star game will be a United States vs. the world format. There will be two teams of US players and one of international players. The three teams will participate in a 12-minute round-robin game tournament. The two teams with the best records will play in a final game.

Mitchell has mentioned that he wants to be on the world team due to his ties to Panama. We’ll see if those wishes are honored.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-news/43186/cavs-donovan-mitchell-nba-all-star-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

11 stats to explain Cavs one-sided 136-104 loss to Thunder

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to get their offense going as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-104.

The stats in the table below are from Cleaning the Glass.

Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	41.8%, 3rd percentile	36.1%, 82nd percentile	19.8%, 10th percentile	30.8, 87th percentile
Thunder	68.3%, 97th percentile	16.3%, 5th percentile	12.3%, 72nd percentile	14.4, 17th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Cavs couldn’t get anything to fall, going 8-35 (22.9%) from three (5th percentile). This was their lowest three-point percentage for a game this season. It’s a make-or-miss league. The best teams are typically the ones that make the highest percentage of threes. Their inconsistent outside shot is part of the reason why the results have been as they are.
• This was Cleveland’s fourth time shooting 25% or worse from beyond the arc. They’ve lost all four times they’ve done so. Last season, the Cavs only shot 25% or worse on three occasions.
• The Cavs’ eight three-point makes tie their fewest for a game this season. Part of this is due to their poor shooting, and the other part is due to their lack of attempts. The Cavs were in the 25th percentile for three-point attempts on Monday. Shooting fewer threes has been a recent trend. They’re 12th in three-point attempts since Dec. 13 and 18th in January. This comes after leading the league in attempts at the start of the season. The Cavs didn’t need more three-point attempts on Monday, considering how bad they were shooting it. However, it is alarming how much the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. I’m not sure what the offensive identity of this team is on nights like this.
• The Thunder outscored the Cavs by 45 points from three. It doesn’t matter how good you are in other areas. There’s no overcoming being outscored by this much from three. The Thunder shot extraordinarily well from deep as they connected on 23 of their 47 attempts (48.9%).
• The poor shooting was compounded by not being able to finish inside as the Cavs converted just 47.2% of their shots at the rim (3rd percentile). The Cavs did their best to get to the rim. They went 17-36 on shots in the restricted area (90th percentile for attempts). But that doesn’t matter if you aren’t able to get anything to fall. The Thunder were able to pack the paint due to how bad Cleveland was shooting from three. They never could establish any kind of offensive flow.
• Oklahoma City registered a 130.7 half-court offensive rating (99th percentile). The Thunder executed exceptionally well in the half-court. They swung the ball to the open man and trusted their offensive process. The Cavs dared players like Lu Dort to beat them with their outside shot, and they did.
• The Cavs turned it over 21 times. This led to Oklahoma City getting 23 points off turnovers compared to Cleveland’s eight.
• Cleveland outscored Oklahoma City 22-5 on second-chance points. The Cavs secured 24 second-chance opportunities to the Thunder’s four. The Cavaliers did this without letting the Thunder run in transition, as Oklahoma City was in the 9th percentile in transition points off of live offensive rebounds. This is the only area of the game the Cavs excelled in.
• Cleveland’s 24th different starting lineup was outscored by 12 points in just over 10 minutes of play. The Cavs went with a starting group of Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. That group struggled to get anything going offensively due to their lack of ball handling. They also didn’t do enough defensively to make it work. I understand and even agree with the reasoning behind this group. It just didn’t work.
• The Cavs are 2-8 when Mitchell scores 21 or fewer points in a game he plays. The Cavs have gone as Mitchell has from a scoring perspective this season. When he scores more than 35, they usually win. When he scores 21 or fewer, they almost always lose.
• Mitchell shot just 27.8% from the field. It was his third-worst shooting percentage for a game this season. Similar to his scoring numbers, the Cavs are 2-6 when he shoots under 40% from the field.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...xplain-cavs-one-sided-136-104-loss-to-thunder

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs show they’re nowhere near title contention after embarassing loss to Thunder

CLEVELAND — Last January, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed to signal the arrival of a new era. It was an official announcement to the league that their team, powered by two undersized, dynamic guards and defensive-oriented bigs, wasn’t just a gimmick. They teased that they could win on the biggest stage and just needed to wait until the spring to officially prove it.

Looking back a year later, after the Thunder humiliated the Cavs with a 32-point beatdown on Monday, it’s fair to wonder if that Jan. 2025 win wasn’t the arrival of the core-four era, but the high point before the gradual, steady decline.

The difference between the Thunder and Cavs from a talent standpoint was stark. Cleveland had one player in their starting lineup who could break down the defense off-the-dribble and very few reliable shooters around him. The Thunder dared Cleveland’s bigs — Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — to beat them inside, which they couldn’t consistently do.

Defensively, the Thunder showed what a team that prioritizes that end of the floor should look like. They were consistently in passing lanes forcing turnovers, and made it incredibly difficult to finish anything at the rim. This stood in contrast to a Cavs team that was forced to cheat off of one of Oklahoma City’s weaker shooters to make good contests at the rim. This came back to bite them as the Thunder converted nearly 50% of their three-point attempts.

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In many ways, the Thunder were the complete, defensive-first, well-oiled machine led by an MVP candidate guard and dynamic, modern big that the Cavs were hoping to be when they first put this core together four years ago.

Last year, it felt like that was a possibility. This season, it seems like a fantasy. Where did the Cavs go wrong?

The Thunder have a style of play they want to enforce every time they go on the court, regardless of who’s in the lineup. That’s instilled through years of targeting guys who have certain physical and mental traits. And once those players are in the organization, they’re meticulously taught how to fit into that system.

The Cavs, conversely, don’t have a certain type of player or style that they’ve targeted. Their core four players of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen were each brought in on moves that targeted the best available player. There wasn’t a shared skill or personality trait that led to them eventually becoming Cavaliers.

Acquiring talent was the number one goal of a front office. From that perspective, Cleveland’s has been successful. Figuring out how to get that talent to play a cohesive style has been a much more difficult process.

The Cavs went all in on defense, anchored by their oversized front court and hard-nosed coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Then, they found out defense wasn’t enough as their offense fell flat in their 2023 playoff series loss to the New York Knicks. They then pivoted to prioritize the offensive side of the ball with shooters that summer in Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Ty Jerome.

The Cavaliers took another step towards being an offensive team by hiring head coach Kenny Atkinson in 2024. He transformed Cleveland into a movement-based offense that prioritized the three-ball. This worked, until they fell in the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers.

Instead of continuing down that path, Cleveland pivoted again by trying to find well-rounded players who can handle the ball and switch defensively with Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. Both have struggled mightily this season, but the issue remains the same.

There isn’t an overarching guiding principle about what a Cavalier player is or what skills they should have. Instead, it’s been a revolving door of different skillsets, each brought in as a reaction to what went wrong during the previous postseason.

This has culminated in this current team that hasn’t found an identity despite being over halfway through the season. They don’t have the personnel to be the defensive-first team they were three years ago, and they also don’t have the shooting that resulted in them being one of the best regular-season offenses of all-time last year. They’re a bad hybrid of both ideas and lack the consistent principles or fundamentals to hang their hat on anything.

The Cavs still have time to right the ship. There’s enough talent on the roster — when healthy — to climb the standings over the back-half of the season and make a postseason run. But there presumably isn’t enough time to cobble together an identity with these disparate and underperforming pieces to make the title run that seemed possible coming into the season.

The individual loss on Monday wasn’t that big of a deal. The Cavs had their worst outside shooting night of the season, while the Thunder had one of their best. That’s generally going to lead to a blowout loss, no matter the skill level of your opponent.

The issue comes from the different processes that led both teams to this point. The Thunder, without two starters, were a team that clearly knew who they were, what they wanted to be, and were disciplined enough to execute their gameplan. Their process was flawless. Conversely, the Cavs weren’t able to function without their starting point guard, had no one who could come close to replicating that missing skill, and didn’t have anything to fall back on.

It’s easier to point out problems than it is to fix them. There isn’t a magic bullet or trade that is guaranteed to get the Cavs back on track. All we know is that the gap between the reigning champs and the team that was on their level at this time last season is wider than it’s been in years. And the Cavs are running out of time to close it.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...iers-okc-thunder-donovan-mitchell-evan-mobley

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs at Hornets: How to watch, odds, and injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to bounce back from a one-sided loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday afternoon when they take on the Charlotte Hornets. Even though the Hornets don’t have an impressive record, they’ve been playing well lately.

The Hornets come into this game with the fourth-best net rating over the past two weeks. That’s partially juiced by a 55-point win over the Utah Jazz. But it’s also a reflection of how good they’re playing right now. The offense has been good all season, but they’ve taken another step forward with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Kneuppel.

The Cavs’ defense will have its hands full trying to slow down Charlotte’s dynamic offense.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (24-20) at Charlotte Hornets (16-27)

Where: Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC

When: Wed., Jan. 21 at 7 PM

TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App

Point spread: Cavs -2.5

Cavs injury report: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)

Hornets injury report: PJ Hall – OUT (G League), Liam McNeeley – OUT (G League), Mason Plumlee – OUT (groin), Antoni Reeves – OUT (G League), Tidjane Salaun – PROBABLE (achilles), KJ Simpson – OUT (hip)

Cavs expected starting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Hornets expected starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate

Previous matchup: The Cavs defeated the Hornets 139-132 on Dec. 22

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.3 (10th)	115.2 (15th)	+2.1 (12th)
Hornets	117.4 (9th)	117.6 (20th)	-0.2 (16th)

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Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...t-hornets-how-to-watch-odds-and-injury-report

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

3 Things to watch for in Cavs at Hornets

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their third game of the season against the Charlotte Hornets. They are 1-1 in their season series so far. Let’s take a look at what we should keep our eyes on tonight.

3PT Shooting​

Last season, the Cavs were one of the top three-point shooting teams in the NBA. I’d argue that high-volume shooting and crisp ball movement were their identity. Now? Not so much.

Cleveland has gradually gone away from the three-point line after leading the league in attempts by a wide margin to start the season. The Cavs are now third in three-point attempts per game this season and have fallen to 13th over their last 15 games.

This is largely because the team has lost much of its three-point talent. Darius Garland, Sam Merrill and Max Strus haven’t been available. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, and Georges Niang are no longer on the roster. It’s hard to replicate last season when it simply isn’t the same roster.

That said, I’d like to see the Cavs re-establish themselves as a three-point shooting team. You don’t abandon the identity that made you a 64-win team last season just because the roster has changed. You stick to a process and figure out how to make it work.

Energy and Effort​

I wish this weren’t such a theme this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. We might know the outcome of this game in the opening minutes.

Does it look like the Cavs are playing focused, high-effort basketball? Then they’ll win this game easily. But if we get to the second quarter and the team is disorganized, then get ready for a long night.

To their credit, Cleveland has been much more locked in than before. They’ve begun to turn their season around recently, even if a 32-point loss to the Thunder might make you feel otherwise. I have a reasonable amount of faith that the Cavs will approach this game with the appropriate energy.

Evan Mobley’s Usage​

I’m going to make this last one simple. Evan Mobley, we need you to score 20+ points tonight. Or at least try to.

The Cavs have lacked offensive firepower this season. And, without Garland again in this matchup, they don’t have many options to turn to. There’s no reason why Mobley shouldn’t be thrust back into the spotlight and expected to carry them with his scoring.

Evan Mobley's FGAs have steadily dropped each month this season

OCT: 14.8 FGAs per game
NOV: 13.5 FGAs per game
DEC: 12.8 FGAs per game
JAN: 12.0 FGAs per game

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) January 20, 2026

Cleveland experimented with Mobley’s usage earlier in the season but quickly pulled the plug. That’s not good enough. This team doesn’t reach its ceiling if they don’t push Mobley out of his comfort zone. It’s a two-way street, of course. But an aggressive scoring game from Mobley is long overdue at this point.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-game-previews/43251/3-things-to-watch-for-in-cavs-at-hornets

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs vs Hornets – Cleveland outlasts Charlotte in shaky offensive performance

The first home game back after a long road trip can be difficult, as the Charlotte Hornets showed. They came out flat and couldn’t make outside shots as they scored just 32 points in the first half. The Cleveland Cavaliers took advantage of this as they took a 24-point advantage into the break.

The roles were reversed in the second half. The Cavs couldn’t make anything offensively over the final two quarters, which allowed Charlotte back into the game. The Hornets won the second half by 17, but the Cavs were still able to hang on to a less-than-inspiring 94-87 victory.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade would be an average performance for a particular player.

Donovan Mitchell​

24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 8 turnovers

Mitchell struggled to take care of the ball, which is the last thing you want your starting point guard to do. He committed eight of the team’s 21 turnovers and was a large reason why the Cavs struggled in that area so much.

The scoring didn’t counterbalance the lack of ball security. Mitchell had an uncharacteristically inefficient night. He connected on just two of his eight three-point attempts and went 6-12 on shots inside the arc. Needing 20 shots to get to 24 points against a poor Charlotte defense isn’t what we’ve come to expect from Mitchell this season.

This was far from his best game.

Grade: D+

Jaylon Tyson​

14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

This wasn’t Tyson’s most efficient scoring night, but he showed up when the Cavs needed him to. Seven of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was getting away from them. That’s incredibly helpful, even if this wasn’t his best night shooting as he went 1-9 from three and 6-17 from the floor.

Grade: C+

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Evan Mobley​

14 points, 14 rebounds, 0 assists

This was a tale of two halves.

Mobley absolutely dominated the first two quarters. He exposed nearly every offensive mismatch that came his way by aggressively driving to the basket. And even when he didn’t have a mismatch, he drove to the basket with ease against a smaller Hornets front court. This led to Mobley going 5-6 on shots in the restricted area in the first half.

That aggressiveness carried over to the defensive end as well. Mobley was disruptive in passing lanes and dominant on the glass as he grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half.

Then, that offensive effectiveness and aggression just went away. He scored only one point in the second half on just two attempts. And while Mobley was still great defensively, he wasn’t the All-NBA level player he was in the first half.

Games like this underline how frustrating the Mobley experience has been this season. Yes, the Hornets were packing the paint much more in the second half, but that isn’t an excuse for just disappearing on that end. Someone with his talent should be a helpful offensive player against a front line that is this inept defensively.

Grade: C

Tyrese Proctor​

5 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists

Proctor just looks like an NBA player when he’s on the court. He competed well on the defensive end and isn’t afraid to take threes when he has an opportunity to do so. Both are things you want him to do, but the shot needs to be more consistent. Proctor went just 1-4 from beyond the arc on Wednesday. It’s easy to envision him becoming an incredibly useful player once his three-point shot becomes more consistent.

Grade: C

Craig Porter Jr. ​

7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has compared Porter to a power forward before. A game like this shows why it’s a good comparison, and why that might be a problem.

Porter had two blocks on seven-footers on Wednesday. It’s incredibly valuable to have ancillary rim protection from the point-guard position, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

At the same time, you need your second-string point guard — and really the only point guard who saw minutes on Wednesday with the injury to Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball not playing this game — to do point guard things.

Porter hasn’t consistently done that. He hit two threes, but was mostly a non-factor on that end. He wasn’t able to create separation off-the-dribble, and had as many assists as turnovers (two).

Grade: C

De’Andre Hunter​

4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

This was a weird game for Hunter. He came out aggressively by being an impactful rebounder and did a good job of getting into the chest of his opponent. However, this aggressiveness led to Hunter picking up three personal fouls in the first quarter.

Hunter then took his foot off the gas and was a complete non-factor for the rest of the game. He went 1-6 from the floor and had four turnovers. This led to him playing just a little over 13 minutes.

Grade: F

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Jarrett Allen​

12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Allen had a solid game. He did a good job as an interior defender and provided some much-needed scoring inside.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Tomlin’s three-point shot is by far the worst part of his game. You want him to work on that skill and be comfortable taking that shot when he’s open. At the same time, you’d also prefer if he didn’t put himself in a position where he had to take three-pointers as often as he does. Maybe spotting up at the corner isn’t the best place to be.

That complaint aside, Tomlin was disruptive on the glass with seven offensive rebounds. He made an impact with his hustle and energy in that department, which is what he’s on the floor to do.

Grade: B

Larry Nance Jr.​

5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Nance is good at a lot of little things that could help this team. His screening, effectiveness running dribble handoffs, disruption in passing lanes, offensive rebounding, and his passing ability are all examples of things Nance can do well that the Cavs could use more of at his position. There’s a reason he finished the game as a +14, which was the highest mark for a Cavalier reserve.

This game also showcased why he hasn’t been in the lineup often. Nance was hesitant to take open threes and couldn’t get inside and finish at the rim as effectively as he did in the past. If he’s going to be in the lineup more, he needs to showcase the outside shooting he did last season with the Atlanta Hawks.

Still, this was a good and encouraging showing.

Grade: A-

Dean Wade​

4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

This was a typical Wade game. He provided good defense, grabbed rebounds, and moved the ball on offense. That’s all you want him to do.

Additionally, I didn’t know Wade could finish a layup off a Euro step. That bumps his grade up half a letter.

Grade: B

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...-cavs-vs-hornets-donovan-mitchell-evan-mobley

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Winners and Losers: Cavs at Hornets – Evan Mobley dominates then disappears in Charlotte

The Cleveland Cavaliers gave us all a scare with a 94-87 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Let’s see who won and lost the game.

WINNER – Evan Mobley’s First Half​

This was a tale of two halves for Mobley.

Mobley had the highest scoring game of his career last season when he hung 41 points on the Hornets. He didn’t replicate that scoring outburst tonight, mainly because he totally disappeared in the second half, but he had the confidence and demeanor of a player who could get whatever he wanted in the first half.

The first half was the Mobley show. He opened the game with a pair of aggressive drives and had a double-double before the end of the second quarter. This block leading into a spinning dunk tells you everything you need to know. Mobley was everywhere.

Maybe Mobley just needs to play every game in Charlotte? pic.twitter.com/znMFLNSZm8

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) January 22, 2026

How Mobley scored those points in the first half is important.

Elite NBA players understand where their comfort zones are and how to reach them. The best scorers will relentlessly work to hit their sweet spots. Think of Nikola Jokic with his back to the basket, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting to the mid-range fallaway.

Mobley might not be in the same class offensively as SGA or Jokic. But he’s talented enough to have certain spots on the floor where he can dominate. Space out and get Mobley the ball moving downhill. That’s a blueprint that’s easy enough to follow. When you steer the offense in that direction, all that’s left is for Mobley to seize the opportunity. He did so in the first and second quarters.

And then the second half happened…

LOSER – That Second Half​

Do you like turnovers? How about unfocused offense and blown defensive rotations?

The Cavs took everything that worked in the first half and tossed it out the window during the second half. We knew the Hornets would make a run at some point. Every NBA team does. But this game had no business being a nail-biter during the fourth quarter. Not when Cleveland already had the answers to the test.

Mobley had 13 points in the first half. He had just 1 point on two attempts in the second. It’s a trend that’s become all too familiar (and incredibly frustrating).

But it was more than Mobley. The Cavs became a turnover machine in the second half. Careless passes, forced entries. Just a general lack of focus that’s hard to explain when the team had looked totally dialed in for the first 24 minutes. The Cavs finished with 20+ turnovers for the second game in a row.

Again, I want to reiterate the adage, ‘it’s a game of runs’. You will rarely see a team dominate another for 48 full minutes. Especially not in the modern NBA when three-point shooting can swing a game’s momentum in seconds. So, it’s worth keeping this in mind when looking at the big picture, considering Cleveland held onto the win. But I still don’t think the Cavs should be happy about how much ground they conceded in the second half.

And they definitely shouldn’t be happy that Mobley became a non-factor in the third and fourth quarters.

WINNER – Defensive Effort​

Alright, now let’s get back to the good stuff.

You might not have guessed this, but Charlotte entered this game with the second-best offense in the NBA over the last two weeks. They’ve been scoring in bunches and pulling off some impressive wins, including efforts against the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers.

That’s what made the first half of this game so impressive for the Cavs, who have been 24th in defensive rating during this same stretch.

Charlotte had 32 points at halftime after scoring only 12 points in the second quarter. They’d eventually find their groove and respond with a stronger second half — cutting the deficit all the way down to four points. But the Cavs had built a big enough cushion to hang on in the end. Charlotte still ended the game with only 87 points, which is a huge win for the Cavaliers’ defense.

Effort and communication are the keys to any good defense. You can’t be very good without either one. The Cavs checked both boxes for the first half of tonight, playing hard and defending on a string. That wound up being just enough.

WINNER – Larry Nance Jr.​

This one will be quick.

Nance played his first meaningful minutes since November after missing multiple weeks with a calf injury, then earning a few DNP-CD’s since being cleared to return. The Cavs have taken a cautious approach with putting him back into the lineup, but it paid off tonight.

This wasn’t a world-beating performance or anything. It was fairly average. But seeing Nance back on the floor, and more importantly, being a somewhat helpful player, was nice to see.

Shout out to Larry.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...mobley-dominates-then-disappears-in-charlotte

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cup of Cavs: NBA news and links for Friday, Jan. 23

Good morning, it’s Friday, January 23rd. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 25-20 and play the Sacramento Kings tonight at home.

This is Cleveland’s first game against the Kings this season. Surprisingly, the Cavs went 0-2 against Sacramento last year, making them one of the only teams to sweep the Cavs last season. The Kings are currently 14th in the Western Conference with a 12-33 record.

Today’s Game of the Day​

• Houston Rockets at Detroit Pistons – 7 PM, Prime Video, AT&T SportsNet Southwest

The Detroit Pistons have taken a 5.5 game lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference, sitting at 32-10 behind a breakout season. They’ve gone 17-4 at home this season and have won eight of their last 10 games.

Meanwhile, Houston is fourth in the Western Conference and is only half a game outside of seventh place. Every game matters in the West — and the Rockets will need to pick up a difficult win on the road to stay above water. They recently beat the San Antonio Spurs 111-106 behind 21 points from Reed Sheppard in a comeback victory.

The Rest of the NBA Slate​

• Sacramento Kings at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:30 PM
• Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM
• Phoenix Suns at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM
• New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 PM
• Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 PM
• Denver Nuggets at Milwaukee Bucks – 9:30 PM
• Toronto Raptors at Portland Trail Blazers – 10 PM

The Nets just lost to the Knicks 120-66, in case you’re interested in watching how they respond to playing one of the worst games in modern NBA history.

Cavs links of the day​

• Cavs vs Hornets Player Grades – Fear the Sword
• Cavs Trade Deadline options are slim – Akron Beacon Journal

NBA links​

• LaMelo Ball just made the ugliest kind of NBA history – Yahoo Sports
• NBA Rookie Rankings – The Ringer

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cup-of-cavs/43325/cup-of-cavs-nba-news-and-links-for-friday-jan-23

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

3 Things to watch for in Cavs vs Kings

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their first game of the season against the Sacramento Kings. They’ll be at home tonight. Cleveland went 0-2 against the Kings last year.

Defense​

After spending two weeks in the bottom-10 of defense rating, Cleveland snapped back to being elite when they held the Charlotte Hornets to just 87 points in their latest win.

I couldn’t say this was all due to the Cavaliers’ defense. The Hornets also happened to shoot well below their expected percentage. Especially on open three-point attempts. But hey, luck is part of this thing. And I thought the Cavs did a fine job of protecting the paint and leaving Charlotte with few options other than chucking threes on a night where they simply didn’t have it.

Replicating this effort against the Kings should be feasible. This is a far less dangerous offense, with SAC ranking 28th in offensive rating this season. Of course, you can’t take anything for granted in the NBA, but I’d be upset if the Cavs didn’t turn in another strong defensive performance tonight.

Taking Care of the Ball​

This is becoming an issue.

Cleveland has turned the ball over at an unusual rate this season. They rank 13th in turnover percentage, which isn’t awful, but it’s a steep decline from being fourth last season. Part of this is that they don’t have as many capable ball-handlers and playmakers as before. Injuries to Darius Garland and Max Strus, combined with losing Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert, have mattered.

The Cavs had 20 turnovers in Charlotte, 21 turnovers against the OKC Thunder, and 18 turnovers in Philly. This is a trend that can’t continue if they want to stack wins.

Evan Mobley’s Usage​

I’m repeating one of my points from our last preview. Mobley has to be involved for the full length of the game. I really don’t want ot keep writing about this.

We saw Mobley get to his spots effortlessly in the first half against the Hornets. For him to finish the second half with only 1 point on two field goal attempts is a crime. This is a problem the team has long neglected. It’s time we see them finally address this and put their best foot forward.

Let’s get a high-volume game from Ev.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-game-previews/43328/3-things-to-watch-for-in-cavs-vs-kings

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

4 Takeaways from Cavs 123-118 win over Kings: Evan Mobley puts together ‘dominant’ game

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have won nine of their last 13 games, and still aren’t close to playing up to their full potential. That’s both encouraging and frustrating. Friday’s ugly 123-118 win against the Sacramento Kings showed why.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has made some crazy comparisons during his two seasons in Cleveland. After Evan Mobley’s 29-point, 13-rebound, and seven-assist performance, he compared him to Shaquille O’Neal.

“Man, I don’t know about that,” Mobley said.

Mobley wasn’t Shaq, but he completely controlled the paint on both sides of the floor.

Before the game, Kings head coach Doug Christie said his team needed to push Mobley off of his spots. That didn’t happen.

Mobley went 6-8 on shots in the restricted area and 12-18 on overall shots in the paint. He was able to get to the basket on repeat, and when he was cut off, the hook shot and turnaround jumper were falling. Mobley is at his best when he’s playing aggressively and making quick and strong decisions. That — combined with going against a weaker Sacramento frontcourt — led to his scoring success.

“That’s what we like to see,” Donovan Mitchell said of Mobley’s mindset. “A lot of times, he just has to go up and be aggressive, and that’s what he was for 48 minutes tonight. He was like, ‘I’m going to attack and make good decisions.’ … Not so much necessarily us continuing to get it to him, but him being like, ‘I’m getting downhill. They can’t stop me. I’m getting to the paint.’”

The offensive showcase extended to his playmaking as well. Mobley has become more comfortable finding the open man when extra defenders have come his way. This is the area he’s grown the most since the beginning of the season, when he had a difficult time handling double teams.

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Mobley was more impressive defensively.

He registered four blocks and was a large reason why the Kings converted just 62.5% of their shots at the rim (32nd percentile).

Mobley was able to make what was an overall bad performance from his teammates look passable. It’s why the Cavs had a solid 108.7 defensive rating with Mobley on the floor on a night they had a 121.6 defensive rating as a team.

“It was one of the most dominant games we’ve ever seen from him,” Atkinson said.

These types of games are in there. The problem is figuring out how to recreate these performances more consistently.

“Sometimes these things happen when you have guys out,” Atkinson said. “We have Sam [Merrill], Max [Strus], and DG (Darius Garland), our playmakers, guys that create advantages. We got him out there with units, especially when we separate those two (Mobley and Donovan Mitchell). Now, no Don, he’s got to kind of do it. I’m sure we’re doing more things for him, but I think he’s just taking the burden. I think it’s a lot of its circumstances.”

Atkinson has been splitting up Mitchell and Mobley more with bench lineups. That wasn’t what Atkinson did most of the last regular season, when the duo was in the 94th percentile in point differential. It hasn’t had the same success this year, and more importantly, lineups without either haven’t worked with Darius Garland not at 100%.

“I get to be the guy that creates offense for us,” Mobley said. “I feel like I’ve been doing a good job this past few days, and I feel like I just got to keep stacking days and figure out where I can keep getting better.”

The consistency isn’t quite there for the Cavs yet either.

They took meaningful steps forward in this game. Instead of turning it over 21 times, as they did in their previous two outings, they gave it away just six times (97th percentile).

That said, they didn’t improve in all the areas they would’ve liked to. Their defensive integrity at the point of attack remains a concern. It’s part of the reason they allowed the Kings to shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc, which is well above their season-long average of 35.2%.

Still, the Cavs need all the wins they can get at this point of the season, given who’s out of the lineup. They’ve done a better job of taking care of their matchups against opponents that they should beat, even if they aren’t exactly peaking at this time.

“It’s not always going to be pretty,” Mitchell said. “It’s at the point now where I don’t really care how we do it as long as we continue to win games. … I think we’ve done a great job of believing as a collective.

“Last year was last year. It’s a different year, different season. This is who we are. We’re going to continue to build and find ways to win.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...veland-cavaliers-evan-mobley-donovan-mitchell

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs at Magic: How to watch, odds, and injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking on the Orlando Magic on the second end of a back-to-back on Saturday. They’ll face off against the Magic twice in three days.

The Magic haven’t had the season many envisioned after they traded for Desmond Bane this offseason. The offense is still a mess as they lack a primary initiator and don’t have enough three-point shooting to make up for it.

Orlando’s defense has also been worse than expected. They come into this game 15th in defensive rating after being second in that category the last few seasons. The dip on that side of the court is what has led to the middling results so far.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (26-20) at Orlando Magic (23-20)

Where: Kia Center – Orland, FL

When: Sat., Jan. 24 at 7 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Cavs -1

Cavs injury report for Friday’s game vs. Sacremento Kings: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)

Magic injury report: Franz Wagner – OUT (ankle), Jalen Suggs – PROBABLE (knee), Colin Castleton – OUT (G League)

Cavs expected starting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Magic expected starting lineup: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Tristan de Silva, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

Previous matchup: The Cavs lost to the Magic 108-103 last March. Cleveland won two out of three against Orlando last season.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	116.9 (11th)	114.6 (12th)	+2.3 (12th)
Magic	114.5 (20th)	115.2 (15th)	-0.6 (17th)

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Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...-at-magic-how-to-watch-odds-and-injury-report

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

3 Things to watch for in Cavs at Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their first game of the season against the Orlando Magic. They’ll see them again just a few days later in Cleveland. Let’s take a look at this initial matchup.

Where Each Team Stands​

These two teams might be close in the standings, but they have been heading in opposite directions since late December.

Orlando has fallen to the bottom 10 in offense and defense during this stretch, with the seventh-worst net rating in the league. The Cavs, on the other hand, are 9th in offense, 10th in defense, and 11th in net rating since December 22nd. All stats are according to Cleaning the Glass, which removes garbage time.

That’s not to say this game will be easy. The Magic are still a quality team, and the Cavs aren’t exactly a powerhouse right now. But it’s worth knowing where each team stands entering this matchup. The Cavs have every opportunity to continue trending upwards if they take care of business against the struggling Magic.

Back to Back​

The Cavs are playing in the second night of a back-to-back tonight. They are 4-3 this season when playing with no rest.

Of course, every NBA team has to deal with the same scheduling issues. But this is worth mentioning because Cleveland has struggled to show consistent effort throughout the season. This game is ripe with potential to be a stinker, considering the circumstances.

That’s no excuse if it happens. I’m only pointing out the situation. Let’s see if the Cavs can play with the appropriate energy and intensity tonight.

Evan Mobley’s Groove​

Six of the last eight quarters have been lights out for Evan Mobley. He dominated Charlotte in the first half, then crushed the Kings for the entire game last night. His 27 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks were a reminder of how talented Mobley is.

Can he keep it up?

The Cavs aren’t a title contender without this version of Mobley. He’s finding his groove for the first time this season, and another dominant performance would have us feeling pretty good.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-game-previews/43348/3-things-to-watch-for-in-cavs-at-magic

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Teams have been trying to trade for important Cavs forward

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing better basketball of late, but there’s reason to believe they could make a move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. One of the players that teams have reportedly been trying to target recently is versatile defensive forward Dean Wade.

According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, “no fewer than 10 teams have reached out and expressed interest” in Wade. Up until this point, the Cavs have rejected those offers. We’ll see if that continues for the next week and a half.

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Wade is an attractive asset for contenders. He’s an incredible defender who can guard numerous positions. The Cavs have used him as both the primary defender on guards like Devin Booker and as a small-ball center when the team needs to space the floor.

That unique skillset is useful when playing alongside two shot-blocking centers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Lineups with that trio on the court are outscoring opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions (97th percentile) with a 101.6 defensive rating (99th percentile).

Wade has also worked well as a starter. Units with him, Mobley, Allen, and Donovan Mitchell are outscoring opponents by 17.5 points per 100 possessions (98th percentile).

Aside from his value on the court, Wade’s expiring $6.6 million contract fits into a lot of teams’ cap sheets. And if a team were to trade for Wade, they would have his Bird Rights, which means that they could go over the salary cap to sign him. A team trading for and signing Wade to a larger contract this offseason could also create an additional salary slot that they could trade in the future, which is incredibly beneficial if you’re a team that’s already over the salary cap.

Trading Wade wouldn’t make sense for the Cavs right now. They don’t have any other bigs that can provide what he does, even if the Cavs don’t think they’ll be able to sign him this upcoming offseason.

We’ll see what moves, if any, the Cavs make at the fast-approaching trade deadline.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-r...-dean-wade-cleveland-cavaliers-deandre-hunter

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs receive much-needed good news in latest injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be seeing the return of one of their key bench players. Sam Merrill, who has missed the team’s last five games with a right-hand sprain, is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Merrill has been dealing with a hand sprain for much of the season. He injured it originally in a November win against the Milwaukee Bucks. This resulted in him missing just over a month of games. When he did return to the lineup, he wasn’t pain-free, as head coach Kenny Atkinson said at the time that he couldn’t even shake Merrill’s hand after games due to the pain he was in.

Merrill injured his hand again in the team’s Jan. 14 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s the same game in which Darius Garland injured his other toe.

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We don’t have any further updates on Garland’s injury beyond what the team released last Sunday. The Cavs said that Garland would be reevaluated in seven to 10 days after suffering a Grade 1 right great toe sprain. That initial timeframe would put the reevaluation happening anytime between now and Wednesday.

Even though the Cavs won’t be fully healthy for their game against the Magic, it would be beneficial to possibly get Merrill back in the lineup. Merrill has the third-best on/off differential on the team this season (+4.7 points per 100 possessions, 75th percentile). They’re 16-8 in the games he’s played.

On the season, Merrill is averaging 13.8 points on .470/.455/.882 shooting splits.

The Magic will once again be without their leading scorer, Franz Wagner (ankle), in Monday’s rematch.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...ando-magic-cleveland-cavaliers-darius-garland

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs reportedly aren’t planning on a ‘drastic shake-up’ at NBA trade deadline

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have the start to the season many expected, but they’re starting to head in the right direction. Going into Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic, the Cavs have won three straight, six of their last eight, and 10 of their last 14. This has landed them just two games out of the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite being 47 games into the season, the Cavs still haven’t gotten a chance to see how this group looks when fully healthy. Max Strus (foot) has yet to play, and Darius Garland (toe) has admitted to not being 100% so far this season, and there’s no guarantee that he will be. Both injuries can make it difficult to evaluate what this team needs.

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!​

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the new City Edition shirt can be found HERE.

According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, the Cavs aren’t planning on having a “drastic shake-up” at the deadline. Right now, this includes hanging on to Dean Wade and De’Andre Hunter. Both are players the Cavs have received offers for.

That doesn’t mean that the Cavs couldn’t make a minor move. Fedor pointed to Lonzo Ball as the player “most likely to depart.”

Ball does have value as an expiring contract. He is making $10 million this season and has a team option for next year. That could make him an attractive piece for a team looking to shed money going into next season.

The issue from the Cavs’ perspective is that they can’t take back anyone making more than $10 million in any deal for Ball, and they can’t aggregate contracts. This limits who they could possibly trade Ball for.

Fedor mentioned Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall as players that the Cavs could target. The issue if you’re trying to trade for Marshall is that the Dallas Mavericks are currently over the first apron. Since Ball makes more than Marshall, the deal wouldn’t be legal from Dallas’s perspective unless a third team were to be involved.

The Cavs’ current cap sheet, combined with the injuries they’ve had to deal with this season, makes it difficult to predict what exactly the Cavs will do. But we’ll find out soon enough.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-r...lonzo-ball-deandre-hunter-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cup of Cavs: NBA news and links for Tuesday, Jan. 27

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, January 27th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 28-20 and beat the Orlando Magic yesterday.

They host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow. We hear a certain someone will be in town. You won’t want to miss it.

Today’s Game of the Day​

• Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets – 9 PM FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Still no Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets (31-15) are still a team worth watching. That is, if Jamal Murray doesn’t miss this game as well. Murray is currently listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.

Nevertheless, this is a chance for Cavs fans to keep an eye on the Pistons (33-11). Detroit probably won’t relinquish control of the Eastern Conference’s top seed, but you can scout the best team in the East and get a sense for how the Cavs might stack up against them.

The Rest of the NBA Slate​

• Portland Trail Blazers at Washington Wizards – 7 PM
• Sacramento Kings at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM
• Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers – 8 PM
• New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 PM
• Brooklyn Nets at Phoenix Suns – 9 PM
• LA Clippers at Utah Jazz – 10 PM

Honorable mention to the Clippers and Jazz game. I don’t know why, but I feel like that could end up being an entertaining one.

Cavs links of the day​

• Cavs’ sophomore Jaylon Tyson selected for NBA’s 2026 Rising Stars game – Fear the Sword
• Cavs stay close to top of NBA power rankings – Cavs on SI
• Opposing teams are trying to trade for Cavs small forward – Fear the Sword
• “The ultimate glue guy,” Unheralded Dean Wade becoming Cavs starting lineup linchpin – Cleveland.com

NBA links​

• NBA Rewind: What does Giannis really want? – New York Times
• NBA Trade Deadline: What should the Bucks do with Giannis? – ESPN
• NBA Power Rankings: Pistons surge past Thunder for No. 1 spot – NBA.com

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cup-of-cavs/43537/cup-of-cavs-nba-news-and-links-for-tuesday-jan-27