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[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Donovan Mitchell’s ‘different approach’ shows that upcoming playoff run could be different for Cavs

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Mitchell has proven that he can be more than just a scorer.

Donovan Mitchell keeps his personal goals in his cell phone. One of which is a target for rebounds per game. Whether or not his six boards in the Cleveland Cavaliers' one-sided win over the New York Knicks brought him closer to that goal is unknown. What we do know is that he’s making a concerted effort to be more than just a scorer.

“For years, I always thought you just scored,” Mitchell said after putting up 27 against New York. “I’m not gonna lie. Y’all have seen it in my play at times, especially early in my career. It’s all I knew. This was all new to me. Like, I didn’t expect to be Donovan Mitchell.”

The Cavs have certainly benefited from Mitchell being Donovan Mitchell, as he put it. They traded for him to be the top scorer on this team, and he’s done that in the previous two seasons. However, if they’re going to take the next step and win a championship, he will need to be more than that.

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, that’s showing through on the court.

Rebounding was the emphasis in Sunday’s win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ivica Zubac beat up Cleveland’s front line with 20 rebounds in Cleveland’s loss on March 18. He was held to just 13 in their most recent meeting. Mitchell’s willingness to hit the glass for 12 boards was a big reason why.

Mitchell’s extra effort plays didn’t show through in rebounds on Wednesday. It was blocks this time as he swatted away a game-high three shots. All of which came when the Cavs were losing and needed energy.

Two of these were the result of an extra rotation to meet the offensive player at the rim. From there, Mitchell just relied on his good hands to pick up the clean blocks.

The other was due to staying in front of OG Anunoby and relying on Evan Mobley’s help defense to give him a window to get his hand on the ball.

Mitchell has always had the tools to be incredibly impactful in areas other than scoring. His 6'10” wingspan combined with his incredible athleticism, strength, and coordination should allow him to excel in these areas. Even though it’s difficult to concentrate on those things when you’ve been in the 99th percentile or higher in offense usage the last five seasons, a lack of focus on the defensive end has repeatedly come back to bite him in the postseason.

This recent resergence as a rebounder, help defender, and someone who can create turnovers (in the 60th percentile in the steals percentage) speaks to his willingness to change that narrative.

“He’s leading it,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked about Mitchell doing the little things. “He backs it up. He’s on the guys in the huddle, and there’s no question who our leader is. He’s leading by example right now, doing the dirty work.”

There’s an odd paradox in playoff basketball. Teams can only go as far as their best player takes them, while simultaneously, they’re also only as good as their weakest link or skill on either end. Series are often decided by who can better expose their opponent’s weakness.

Mitchell is helping in both areas. He’s making a conscious effort to reinforce some of Cleveland’s weaknesses while leading by example with the extra-effort plays in a way that’s easier to talk about doing than actually backing up.

The Cavs will need Mitchell’s scoring in the playoffs. They aren’t going to get past the Boston Celtics in a potential series unless Mitchell is scoring at an incredibly high level. That is still most important.

But succeeding in the postseason is also about winning on the margins. Consistent extra-effort plays, like the ones Mitchell has made recently, exponentially increase the Cavs' margin for error.

Mitchell seems to know and understand this in a way he didn’t in previous years. That, more than anything, is why you should buy into things going differently for Mitchell this spring.

“It’s a different approach,” Mitchell said. “It’s a different view on certain things, and that’s ultimately what a leader, and what a guy like myself, should do. Finding ways to impact winning. ... How do I continue to help the team? Because when you help the team and we win, everything else kind of falls into place.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...nt-approach-continues-to-pay-off-for-the-cavs

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs sign Chuma Okeke to round out roster

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

Chuma Okeke will claim Cleveland’s final roster spot.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Chuma Okeke to a standard deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Okeke fills Cleveland’s final roster spot.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and former first-round pick Chuma Okeke have agreed to a deal, filling the East leaders' final open roster spot, sources tell ESPN. Okeke averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for NBA G League Westchester this season. pic.twitter.com/WuW3DAWLAM

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 4, 2025​

Okeke is a 6’7” power forward who was selected 16th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2019 NBA Draft. He missed his entire rookie season with an injury before averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds across four years with the Magic.

The Cavaliers add Okeke to complete their roster before the postseason. Another option on the bench is always worth having. Especially as the regular season nears an end, Okeke will be able to eat minutes as Cleveland’s core rotation gets a rest.

Okeke has spent most of the current season in the G-League. He was averaging 17.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per game with the Westchester Knicks. Okeke is an athletic forward who can do a little bit of everything.

His game hasn’t fully translated to the NBA. Okeke played seven games with the Philadelphia 76ers this season before joining Cleveland. He put up 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game. This type of production hasn’t been enough to give him a full-time home but it will work for what the Cavs need from the backend of their bench.

I wouldn’t expect Okeke to play a significant role on this team. An addition this late into the season is almost entirely for depth insurance. That said, the Cavs could certainly have done worse than Okeke. He’s proven he can fill up a box score at the G League level and has found at least some success in the NBA. This is a quality, last-second signing for the Cavs.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...cavaliers-sign-chuma-okeke-to-finalize-roster

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Darius Garland needs to step up this playoffs

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

The Cavs will need Garland at his best in the postseason.

The theme for Darius Garland this season? Revenge. This comes after a year last season where he suffered a broken jaw that cost him two months and almost 15 pounds. The injury set him back so much that he not only played basketball at his lowest weight since high school, but it also caused him to lose his joy for the game.

Fortunately for Garland and the Cleveland Cavaliers, he has rediscovered his joy this season. Garland has bounced back to his All-Star form, earning his second selection and is on pace to set a career-high in field goal percentage (47.2%). He has also been one of the NBA’s best in the clutch this season, as he is tenth in total points (97), has an incredible net rating (+31.6), and shoots 56% from the field and 56% from three-point range in the clutch. In case you were wondering, those aren’t typos.

Additionally, Garland’s ability to break down his defender and get to his spots has been at a high level all year, shown by his 54% clip on floaters and his 200 made three-pointers this season. He is also shooting 41% on above-the-break threes.

However, since the All-Star break, Garland has seen some slippage. Post break, he is only averaging about 18 points on 40% shooting, 32% from three-point range, and has only six games of 20 points or more, compared to 32 such games before the break.

Garland has still been effective as a playmaker, averaging about seven assists per game post-break and he is showcasing the same confidence in his game and shot selection, but his efficiency has taken a dip.

This isn’t something to worry about, as games against the Boston Celtics, the Portland Trail Blazers just last week, and the win over the Brooklyn Nets show that the point guard will be just fine. In those matchups, Garland showcased the clutch ability he has displayed all season and closed those games out. He was confident and assertive when it mattered most. Yes, the efficiency dip is concerning, but he has shown in a handful of games that he will show up when needed.

The playoffs have not been kind to Garland though, as he’s only averaged 18 points on 43% shooting, 36% from three, and three turnovers per game. He’s also had nightmare outings like Game 3 against the New York Knicks in 2023 and Game 5 against the Celtics last year. Cleveland is hoping the third time’s the charm for their All-Star point guard and it has to be.

In order for the Cavs to accomplish their championship goals this season, they are going to need Garland to be the Robin to Donovan Mitchell’s Batman (or Spida-Man). He doesn’t need to carry the offensive burden or anything of the sort, but he has to be able to put constant pressure on the defense with his shot creation and playmaking. Yes, the Cavs have the depth to survive a bad Garland game, but they aren’t going far if he isn’t playing at an All-Star level. The question becomes, is this post-break slippage a concerning sign of things to come or just a blip in the road?

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4/4/24400407/darius-garland-needs-to-step-up-this-playoffs

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Jarrett Allen is expected to play all 82 games, but in a limited role

David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cavs will be monitoring Allen’s minutes during their final five games.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has made it clear that he wants to play all 82 games.

“I like the number, it’s nothing special,” Allen joked when asked about it last month. “It’s good to play all 82. I just want to look on Basketball-Reference and see 82 out of 82.”

The Cavs are going to let him play every game, but they’re still going to try to limit his overall workload. Friday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs was an example of that. Allen played 15 and a half minutes in the first half, but didn’t come out of the locker room after halftime.

According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, this is part of an ongoing plan. How much Allen plays will be “circumstantial” depending on the game, but he is expected to receive “short stints and may not play many second halves, if any.”

How effective a compromise this will be is debatable. Allen will still be preparing for and playing just as hard as he normally would in a game. He’s just doing it for less time. Fewer minutes are helpful, but doing this still invites more risk of injury than not playing at all.

It’ll be interesting to see if this plan gets adjusted over the final five games. While the Cavs have the top spot in the conference nearly locked down, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent loss to the Houston Rockets opens up the door for the Cavs to still secure the best record in the league and home-court advantage through the NBA Finals.

Right now, the Cavs are two games behind the Thunder, but they do have the tiebreaker over them based on having a better winning percentage in their own conference.

Still, the number one goal for this team is to enter the playoffs healthy. Trying to lessen Allen’s minutes load is a part of that. We’ll see how the team handles the rest of their core players during these last five games.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...en-rest-plan-nba-playoffs-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Using De’Andre Hunter at center is better in theory than in practice

Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

Kenny Atkinson’s experiment may needs some work before it’s playoff ready.

De’Andre Hunter’s defensive versatility was among the first things Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations, brought up during his media availability shortly after completing the trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Specifically, he brought up his ability to guard centers if needed.

“De’Andre Hunter brings tremendous defensive versatility,” Altman said in February. “I would urge everyone on this call to watch his last game in an Atlanta Hawks uniform where they put him on Victor Wembanyama to guard. Not the easiest cover in the world, if you can imagine, but that shows you his versatility just in terms of guarding fives all the way to perimeter guards to wings.”

The second half of Friday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs was one of the first times they’ve done so, partly because Jarrett Allen sat out the final two quarters and Dean Wade missed the game due to illness.

This provided an opportunity for head coach Kenny Atkinson to test out some different small-ball lineups.

“I think of the big picture, that’s my job,” Atkinson said postgame. “I wanted to test this group too. We played that small ball lineup, really small, Dre at the five, see what that looks like. [We] experimented a little, got a look at it. That’ll be good information for playoff time.”

The experiment didn’t go well. Cavs were outscored by three in the five minutes Hunter played center and would’ve lost by more if the Spurs didn’t miss wide-open layups.

“It didn’t look great tonight,” Atkinson admitted. “We’ll see [if this is something we can turn to in the playoffs]. ... I’ve seen it where you do have to go small, so I’m glad we got a look at it. We got film on it. We can take a deeper dive into it when we look at the minutes.”

So, let’s take a look at what happened on both sides of the ball in those minutes.

Reviewing the defense​

The Cavs gave up baskets on the first three Spurs possessions Hunter played the five. Two of these buckets didn’t have anything to do with Hunter playing center. The other one you could partially pin on Hunter if you wanted. He didn’t help from the strong-side corner, but that isn’t a situation you always want to send help from.

Rebounding is always going to be a concern with any lineup that features Hunter playing the four. That’s exaggerated when he’s at center.

San Antonio grabbed three straight offensive rebounds at the end of the third quarter. They somehow came away with no points in that stretch, but the overall defensive process was bad.

Hunter’s lackluster screen navigation means that you have to naturally switch more actions when he’s on the court. This can lead to mismatches.

Here, Hunter was on the perimeter when the ball went up. He didn’t get back into the paint to help which left Donovan Mitchell to box out the 6’9” Sandro Mamukelashvili. Hunter didn’t arrive early enough to help (nor did the rest of his teammates). This led to an extra possession for San Antonio.

The offensive rebound right after that was a direct result of Hunter getting lost on two screens. He should’ve picked up Blake Wesley cutting to the basket instead of standing motionless at the free-throw line. It’s also fair to wonder what exactly Javonte Green was doing during this entire sequence.

This was just bad.

We know that your defense isn’t going to be great when you’re playing Hunter at the five. But you can’t also pair him with Green and expect things to work out. Atkinson talked about trying to get useful tape for the playoffs. There’s no chance this is a lineup configuration you’re going to see in a meaningful game.

The Cavs went back to Hunter at the five for just over a minute in the fourth quarter without Green on the court.

Below is a good example of how you want to play on the defensive end with Hunter at the five. Here, he does a good job of recognizing the switch, contesting the drive, and staying with the box out. That box out allowed Sam Merrill to come in and grab the rebound.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to build on that solid possession. Hunter fell asleep and allowed a half-hearted cut from Julian Champagnie to result in an easy basket just a minute later.

It’s bad to lose focus like this when you’re on the court with phenomenal defensive bigs like Allen and Evan Mobley. It absolutely can’t happen if you’re the team’s only forward.

Reviewing the offense​

Hunter playing the five is only intriguing because of what it can provide offensively. There’s a difference between having five players on the floor who can shoot and having five on the court that are guys you absolutely cannot help off of no matter the circumstances.

The play below illustrates how deadly a lineup like that can be, even though Merrill wasn’t able to knock down the open look.

A screen and roll from Strus caused the defense to panic. The weakside help defender sprinted down from the corner, but that left two defenders to guard Garland, Hunter, and Merrill. A cut from Hunter opened up a wide-open shot for Merrill.

This is absolutely what you want from a five-out lineup.

The other offensive possessions with Hunter at the five were similar. The cutting and driving lanes were completely wide open, and if you helped, the Cavs have good enough playmakers to find the open man every time.

These didn’t all result in baskets, but the shot quality was exceptional.

Final verdict​

It’s easy to see why you’d want to use this in a break glass in case of emergency situation due to the offensive firepower. But if you’re going to do this, Hunter’s defensive focus needs to be considerably better than it was against San Antonio.

Hunter is a fine on-ball defender, but his lack of defensive awareness and poor screen navigation leave him susceptible to bad stretches like we saw against the Spurs. We know that it can look better when he is locked in, like he was in the first few weeks after the trade. If you get that version of Hunter, maybe this could work for a one or two-minute stretch in a playoff game.

Still, the best option for a lineup that could simulate this would be with Wade at the five and Hunter at the four. Those groups have similar offensive spacing (132.5 offensive rating in 80 possessions) with more defensive upside.

It’ll be interesting to see how these lineups, and other small-ball units, are used over these final five games with Allen getting more rest opportunities like he had against the Spurs. We’ll see if they can grow from what was a bad showing in San Antonio.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...tkinson-cleveland-cavaliers-san-antonio-spurs

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Kings at Cavs Preview, Start Time, TV, Line, and Injury Report

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It’s time for the Cavaliers to right some wrongs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are closing the season on the right note. Putting behind them a West Coast trip that raised concerns. Now, can they prove that trip was a fluke by exacting revenge on the slipping Sacramento Kings?

Who: Sacramento Kings (37-40) at Cleveland Cavaliers (62-15)

Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

When: 6 pm EST

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

Line: Cavs -9.5

Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Cavs injury report: Ty Jerome - QUESTIONABLE (knee), Dean Wade - QUESTIONABLE (illness), Emoni Bates - OUT (G-League), Nae’Qwan Tomlin - OUT (G-League), Luke Travers -OUT (G-League)

Expected Kings starting lineup: Keon Ellis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Trey Lyles, Domantas Sabonis

Kings injury report: Keegan Murray -QUESTIONABLE (Back), Jake LaRavia - OUT (Thumb), Mason Jones -OUT (G-League), Isaiah Crawford -OUT (G-League)

What to watch for ​

Remember that West Coast trip everyone has burned into the back of their eyelids from early to mid March? No? Just me? Okay well, the Cavaliers last matchup against the Kings was during that hellacious stretch and helped plant some seeds of doubt amongst the masses.

The Cavaliers lost their March 19th against the Kings 119-123 and it seemed like the team lost their focus and energy levels were low for long stretches during this contest. The loss was compounded by the fact the Kings were depleted by injuries to Domantas Sabonis and Zach Lavine. Overall, just not a confidence booster for the Cavaliers.

Now, as the team looks to close the season out strong, erasing the memory of the last contest could help this team and the fans buy into the fact that the west coast slide is a blip, more than an indication of anything substantial.

The Kings are slipping hard and out of relevancy, winning 3 of their last 7 contests. Offense is not coming easily to them despite having good options in Sabonis, LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Keegan Murray. The Cavaliers, however, appear to be course correcting at the right time,e winning 6 of their last 7. It will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers are fueled by an aggravating loss.

You can watch the game live with us on Playback. Sign up with a free account and say hello in the chat!

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...-preview-start-time-tv-line-and-injury-report

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Three takeaways from Cavs 120-113 loss to Kings

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Donovan Mitchell’s health is too important to risk for an almost meaningless April game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t come out with the effort level they needed to get the victory. Throw in poor shot making and incredible showings from Zach Lavine, 37 points, and DeMar DeRozan, 28 points, and it’s not hard to see why the Sacramento Kings won 120-113.

Donovan Mitchell is the most important member of the team​

It’s easy to talk yourself into Evan Mobley or Darius Garland being the most important players for the Cavs in the playoffs. While they will certainly be integral to the team’s success, Cleveland will only go as far as Mitchell takes them.

That’s been the case for the last two seasons. It isn’t magically changing this spring.

Sunday’s loss was a good example of this. The Cavs folded when Mitchell left the game with an ankle injury. The Kings outscored the Cavs 35-17 in the final 10 minutes of the third quarter. Things immediately turned around in the fourth when he returned.

Mitchell’s scoring his undeniable. He’s one of the best pure bucket-getters in the league and that obviously helps. But his energy is the real value he brings. That’s what seems to disappear when he’s not there.

This is what makes the decision to play Mitchell for the final 15 minutes after the injury so confusing. This game doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. The playoffs are all that matter. And Cleveland’s success is undeniably tied to Mitchell’s performance.

What’s the point of rushing him back out there?

It’s clear Mitchell wanted to secure the one seed. That’s fine. It’s also clear that head coach Kenny Atkinson trusted his player to make that decision, which, on the surface, is also fine. But this is a situation where Atkinson should’ve kept the big picture in mind and overruled him. How Mitchell was limping around the locker room afterward on a swollen ankle only confirms that.

The Cavs can only hope that Mitchell’s injury scare isn’t anything more than that. If not, the decision to play him the final 15 minutes of what is mostly a meaningless game will look even worse than it does now.

Darius Garland was missing in action​

Garland hasn’t been actively bad recently. He’s mostly been protecting the ball and is still setting up his teammates as he always has. The problem is that you aren’t feeling his presence on the court. Sunday was another example of that.

The Cavs needed someone to step up in the third quarter when the game was slipping away. He only attempted one shot and was a non-factor in that time frame. Garland is too good of a player to be completely missing given the situation.

Garland isn’t at his worst when he’s missing shots. It’s fine when he does that. The pressure he applies to the defense is still valuable. It’s when you forget that he’s even out there that’s the issue.

The effort level just isn’t there​

Atkinson blamed the defense and the overall energy for the loss. Both of these were glaring issues. However, this has been the case for the better part of the past month.

Right now, the Cavs aren’t close to being the dominant team they were during their three longest winning streaks. Not by a long shot. The attention to detail and focus just aren’t there.

Is this something to worry about with the playoffs two weeks away?

“We all believe in ourselves and what we can do,” Mitchell said postgame. “I don’t think this is something that we’re sitting here with our heads down, figuring things out. I think the term ‘peaking at the right time’ is, everybody throws that around, but the biggest thing is are you healthy? Are you mentally healthy? Are you ready to go when the time comes? That’s the biggest thing.”

Whether or not the Cavs are fully healthy is up for debate after how Mitchell looked in the locker room postgame, but his overall point stands. The Cavs have little to play for from a standings perspective. They have nothing left to prove in the regular season. They know that the playoffs are all that matters.

We’re seeing a similar thing happen with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have lost two consecutive games to teams they’re better than after winning 11 straight before that.

That doesn’t necessarily excuse what we’re seeing from the Cavs. They aren’t playing good basketball. But it also might not mean much in two weeks when the games actually do matter.

For what it’s worth, this team isn’t too concerned about the recent inconsistent effort.

“We’re ready,” Ty Jerome confidentially said when asked about the playoffs. “We’re definitely ready.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...cavaliers-donovan-mitchell-darius-garland-nba

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Referee admits crucial mistake in Cavs loss to Kings

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

The refereeing crew admit that they should’ve reviewed what should’ve been a shot-clock violation on the Kings.

The Cleveland Cavaliers deserved to lose to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. They didn’t make enough shots and the effort wasn’t where it needed to be.

That said, they were on the wrong side of a few questionable and outright wrong calls. This includes the missed shot clock violation and what was ruled a made layup by Zach LaVine.

The replay clearly shows that LaVine didn’t get the shot off before the buzzer.

The still frame below illustrates this as well. The red light is on when the ball is still in LaVine’s hands.

The issue with what happened is twofold. First, this was obviously a shot clock violation. The second is that it should’ve been reviewed. The latter is what crew chief Courtney Kirkland admitted afterward in The Pool Report interview conducted by Ethan Sands of cleveland.com.

“Well, we made a mistake,” Kirkland said. “During live action we thought that LaVine released the ball prior to the expiration of the shot clock. If we were going to review, we would have had to review it before the ball was legally touched on the floor during the throw in, right after the made basket.”

This missed call caused Sacramento to be up 118-111 with 47 seconds left. The Cavs scored on their next possession to make it 118-113. Then, two missed free throws from Trey Lyles gave the Cavs the ball back with 24 seconds left down five.

There’s no guarantee things would’ve turned out the same way if that basket didn’t count. But if it did, the Cavs would’ve had a chance to tie the game late.

The Cavaliers deserved this loss. But it’s always frustrating when that outcome is influenced by things outside of their control, specifically crucial missed calls that went against them. Then again, that’s part of sports.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...-cleveland-cavaliers-loss-to-sacramento-kings

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

NBA confirms another missed call in Cavs vs. Kings

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

At least the league is showing accountability.

The Cleveland Cavaliers deserved to lose to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday evening. That isn’t up for debate. Their effort level and attention to detail weren’t where they needed to be to come away with the win.

That said, they were also on the wrong end of a few missed calls. That also isn’t up for debate.

The NBA announced on Monday evening that the technical foul called on Max Strus midway through the third quarter has been rescinded.

Max Strus’ (CLE) technical foul at 5:03 of the 3rd quarter on 4/6/25 (vs. SAC) has been rescinded upon league office review.

— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) April 7, 2025​

Strus was assessed for the technical after rolling the ball down the court, presumably towards the referee going to the scorer’s table. It doesn’t seem as if Strus said anything. This was an extremely quick trigger for a call based on this replay.

It isn’t surprising to see why this technical foul was overturned.

Malik Monk took and made two free throws from Strus’s initial foul. DeMar DeRozan made the technical free throw.

While receding the technical doesn’t do much to help the outcome of the game, it does help Strus’s checking account. Each technical foul comes with a fine. That fine progresses based on how many you have accumulated throughout the season.

This was the third mistake the league and referee crew admitted to after this game. Those errors cost the Cavs three points. There’s no guarantee that the game would’ve gone differently without those missed calls, but they certainly wouldn’t have hurt the Cavs either.

No one likes discussing the officiating after a game. Hopefully, writing and talking about topics like this isn’t a recurring theme throughout the playoffs.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...leveland-cavaliers-sacramento-kings-max-strus

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Ranking which teams pose the greatest threat to the Cavs: Part one

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

As the postseason is a few games away let’s rank who could the Cavaliers some trouble.

Barring any unforeseen tumultuous self-combustion, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be locked into the number one seed. They are in the driver's seat and ready to bestow their dominance over the peons of the league.

This ranking is not who the best teams are in the East, it’s how they would fare against the Cavaliers specifically. Both the entertainment and difficulty scores are based on the analytical mind of yours truly. A database that runs on vibes and what I have seen this season, not only against the Cavaliers, but also in casually watching. Just keep that in mind before you turn into a keyboard warrior.

The “will the wins even feel fun?” Tier​

9. Chicago Bulls ​

Current Seed: 9th (36-42)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 0-3​

Entertainment Score (out of 10): 2​

Difficulty Score (out of 10): 2​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

If the Bulls get through the Play-In, that means they have ridden their second-half surge into the postseason. They had a stretch of winning 9 of 11 games, but have also lost five of six games in March against playoff teams.

The Cavaliers have scored an average of 134 points a game against Chicago in their three matchups. They don’t have the defensive anchors that can really deter the Cavaliers from running the offense they seek. Are Nikola Vucevic and Zach Collins the stalwarts to prevent Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley from getting theirs? Can the Bulls justify leaving Patrick Williams on the floor if the defense ignores him? What if Josh Giddey isn’t knocking down shots? All these questions are more about the Bulls getting their own offense to work before shutting down the Cavaliers.

There really isn’t a blueprint they have shown thus far for upsetting the Cavs. Maybe Coby White, Matas Buzelis, and Josh Giddey get hot? Sure. I don’t truthfully believe they could even steal a game, unless the Cavaliers go an entire game without their shots falling.

8. Atlanta Hawks​

Current Seed: 8th (37-41)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 2-1​

Entertainment Score: 3​

Difficulty Score: 4​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

The Cavaliers have lost to the Hawks twice this season already, and both times the formula was the same. The Hawks were hitting their three-point shots and the Cavaliers couldn’t meet them at the three-point line defensively. Atlanta shot 47.6% and 41.2% from beyond the arc in both of their wins.

Now, with the acquisition of De’Andre Hunter at the deadline, the Cavaliers have the man who scored an average of 24.7 points against them between all three contests. Without that firepower, the Hawks will need to generate their points from Trae Young (who will grift his way to 30+ points a game), Caris LeVert, and now rising rookie Zacchaire Risacher.

The Hawks are a one-sided team, it’s essentially offense or bust. Those are the teams that if the Cavaliers sleepwalk through the first few games, can find themselves in trouble early. The Hawks defensively are not anything to fret over, despite having a DPOY candidate in Dyson Daniels. Now, Daniels could make life harder for the guards, however, this isn’t a Cavaliers’ offense of the past. They have many players who can shoulder the workload.

The “The most painful gentleman’s sweep” tier​

7. Miami Heat​

Current Seed: 10th (36-43)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 1-2​

Entertainment Score (out of 10): 3​

Difficulty Score (out of 10): 4.5​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

For those wondering why the Heat are this high in the ranking despite being the lowest seed currently, look no further than the Heat excel at dragging teams down to their level in the postseason. The Eric Spoelstra factor looms heavy in their “threat-level”.

While I do not think there is a greater than 5% chance this series goes six games, if any team out there would, it’s the Heat. Having won six of their last eight as well, including wins over the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics is something to note. From March 23 to April 1, Miami had the NBA’s fifth-best offense and ranked first in net rating (plus-21.8). That shows a team that is finding its stride at the right time.

Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat are growing into their own, they have the reputation and a talented enough group between Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo to make a series way more challenging than it has to be. It also cannot be understated that Adebayo and rookie Kel’el Ware are one of the more dynamic rebounding pairings in the league. The Heat are 5-2 in games where both players grab 10+ rebounds. That’s a recipe that has plagued the Cavaliers in the past.

The “One Guy who can win a series on his own” Tier​

6. Milwaukee Bucks​

Current Seed: 5th (44-34)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 0-4​

Entertainment Score (out of 10): 6​

Difficulty Score (out of 10): 7​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably a top-three or four player in the league. When you have a player with the dynamism of Giannis, you are a threat to win any series.

Everyone will point to the skeleton crew that he is working with and you wouldn’t be wrong. Names like Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr, and Taurean Prince are decent role players at this point in their careers. However, players still getting minutes include Andre Jackson, AJ Green, and Kevin Porter Jr. might be relied on for stretches in the postseason. That isn’t the most ideal rotation.

If Damian Lillard does come back from his vein thrombosis surgery in time, that could greatly improve the Bucks' chances. However, Giannis has scored 31.9 points per game against the Cavaliers since 2022-23. How Giannis performs in this series dictates the level of challenge they can pose to the Cavaliers. Look closely to see how the Cavs go out of their way to get Mobley in front of Giannis for as many possessions as possible.

The Bucks will plan to get Giannis running downhill early and often. The minute that Giannis finds his groove, that Cavaliers defense will collapse to clog the paint. At that point, look to the aforementioned skeleton crew to have to step up and knock down the open looks. If Kuzma, Lopez, Trent Jr., and Prince make their shots, this could be a tough series.

The “This could be tighter than you think” Tier​

5. Detroit Pistons​

Current Seed: 6th (43-36)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 1-3​

Entertainment Score (out of 10): 7​

Difficulty Score (out of 10): 6.5​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

J.B. Bickerstaff garnered a lot of flak for the Cavaliers' recent postseason exits. Now, he has led another team out of the depths of the NBA basement and into postseason contention. A matchup with the Cavaliers would certainly ignite a fire not only for Bickerstaff but for a Detroit Pistons group that has embodied the attitude of the Bad Boy era.

This team wants to drag you down into the mud and beat the living crap out of you (both in a basketball sense and real life). The Pistons have a two-man wrecking crew on the boards with Jaren Duran and Isaiah Stewart. The amount of wildcards the Pistons have is a daunting task ahead. The aforementioned Stewart, along with Ron Holland, are two guys that live to antagonize their matchup and look to scrap at the drop of a hat.

Now for the basketball analysis, Cade Cunningham is the conductor of the Pistons' offense. Bickerstaff has found a similar formula to the Cavaliers' 2021-22 season. Cunningham, in the Darius Garland role, is the straw that stirs the drink and carries the bulk of the offensive responsibility.

Cunningham will look to get the defense to throw two his way and spray the ball out to Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway. They have a lot of capable scoring options that can fluctuate on a night-to-night basis. With Tobias Harris and Dennis Schroder, they can find different players to turn to when Cade finds himself doubled.

How the Cavaliers respond to Cunningham will dictate this series. They have the bodies capable of slowing him down. Expect Hunter and Isaac Okoro to see a lot of run with him in front of them. If the initial layer of defense is not breaking as Bickerstaff and the Pistons hope, the game of adjustments will test Cunningham and Bickerstaff.

4. Orlando Magic​

Current Seed: 7th (38-40)​

Record against the Cavaliers: 1-2​

Entertainment Score (out of 10): 5​

Difficulty Score (out of 10): 8​

How they can beat the Cavaliers:​

The Orlando Magic felt like they’ve plateaued vibes since their first-round matchup against the Cavaliers last postseason. While the Cavaliers have evolved immensely conceptually and in terms of talent, the Magic have faltered.

The Magic almost win every game despite their offense. The offense they run is pretty barebones and vanilla to put it nicely. With the injuries they have suffered, they really have no real lead guard. They constantly are searching for a dynamic big and have been battered for the better part of the season. So, how can they beat the Cavaliers?

The Magic recently defeated the Cavaliers 108-103 back in mid-March and laid down a solid blueprint for a round one matchup. The Magic made up all offensive shortcomings with a suffocating defense. They were able to play physical on the guards and force sloppy turnovers. The guards are always going to be the Cavaliers' liability as they are undersized.

The physicality component is something that the Cavaliers haven’t really proved that they can overcome on a consistent basis. The Magic also have in the back of their mind that they almost made the second round last season and get a chance to right that wrong. The Magic are fully capable of making Cleveland’s “reward” of playing the eight seed a slog. Do not be surprised if, similar to March 16, the Cavaliers are dragged to the Magic’s playstyle.

Part two of this series will be posted later this week. Let me know down below where you agree/disagree with these rankings. (Braces for impact).

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...ts-eastern-conference-nba-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

‘It shouldn’t be a question’: Garland makes perfect DPOY case for Mobley

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

“I could go on Twitter, or go on a podcast and do the same thing for my boy.”

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland brought up on his own several times that Evan Mobley should be the Defensive Player of the Year during his postgame press conference after their win over the Chicago Bulls.

So, I asked him to make the case for his teammate. Garland didn’t disappoint.

First, he picked up the stat sheet, as if he was reading off of a script he’d been working on for days.

“Evan Mobley,” Garland said as he dramatically scrolled his finger from one end of the stat sheet to the other. “Hmmm. One personal foul tonight. That’s good. He doesn’t hack. He doesn’t scream at the refs. He goes and blocks shots.”

Let’s pause Garland’s argument there to underline a few things.

Bringing up Mobley’s lack of fouling is a key point that is often overlooked in this conversation.

Mobley’s ability to contest shots without fouling is remarkable. He’s in the 90th percentile for bigs in foul percentage. That’s while being second in the league in contested shots per game (10.4) among players who would be eligible for the award. He does this while being in the 81st percentile for block percentage.

Both of these are clear advantages over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, the player who is currently the favorite for the award according to most sports books

Green is in the 31st percentile for foul percentage while contesting nearly one and a half less shots a game and being in just the 60th percentile for block percentage.

Mobley’s defensive instincts and quick jumping ability allow for this to happen. He doesn’t need to over-commit to blow up a play. He can allow the offensive player to make the first move and still put a contest or block on the shot.

Being able to stay on the court more for your team because you aren’t in foul trouble while not needlessly sending the other team to the line is incredibly valuable. It’s one of the things that instantly sets Mobley apart from other great defensive bigs like Green and Jaren Jackson Jr.

As Garland says, Mobley doesn’t hack.

Now let’s get back to Garland’s argument.

“Blocks, deflections, switching out one through five when on elite guards,” Garland said. “It’s really a guard’s league right now, and he’s switching out on the top guards in the league and really holding his own. We all stay home when he gets the switch. That’s how much confidence we have in him.”

Mobley has not only survived in these situations, he’s thrived.

Guards have a difficult time getting anything against Mobley due to his incredible lateral quickness and his size. Typically, a guard will try to create space for their jump shot or blow by the big due to their quickness advantage.

You simply can’t do that against Mobley.

That skill extends to being able to hang with other bigger forwards like Kevin Durant on the perimeter as well.

“I mean what doesn’t he do?” Garland asked.

The answer is not much on the defensive end given that he’s also an impactful rebounder. The raw rebounding numbers show this as Mobley is grabbing 3.6 missed shots per game than Green is.

Then there’s also the conversation about defensive on/off numbers, which is what Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson recently pointed to as support for Mobley’s DPOY case.

This also favors Mobley. The Cavs are 4.8 points per 100 possessions better on defense with Mobley on while the Warriors are 2.8 points better with Green on compared to when he’s off.

So why isn’t Mobley the favorite in the race again?

“He just doesn’t express it how other people express it. ... I can go on Twitter and go on a podcast and do the same thing for my boy, but I’m gonna let him talk his talk,” Garland said.

Garland then dramatically picked up the microphone from the podium in front of him and moved it over to Mobley so that he could tell everyone why he should be Defensive Player of the Year.

Mobley doesn’t always seem comfortable promoting himself like Green, but Garland’s argument for him seemed to give him some confidence to state his case.

“I mean, what he said is a lot of it,” Mobley said, before fully diving into why he deserves the recognition.

“The biggest thing is a guy my size, my wingspan, my agility, you don’t really see that in the contenders. There’s nobody even close to that. And also the stats as well speak for itself. The blocks, the fouls, I mean, I don’t foul. Steals, deflections. Also, people don’t even go up against me in the paint. So that’s not even a stat.

“The defense is kind of run so I’m involved in a lot of the actions. Me and J.A. (Jarrett Allen) are protecting the paint that is based around us. So that’s a factor as well.”

“And he averages 1.6 blocks a game,” Garland interjected. “That’s a lot of blocks. So I’m just saying.”

These are all points in favor of Mobley. This isn’t to say that Green isn’t a great defender. It’s just that Mobley is better and has done so on a far and away more successful team this season.

“Come on bro, this shouldn’t be a question,” Garland said before exiting the stage.

And really, it shouldn’t be a question.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...iers-draymond-green-golden-state-warriors-nba

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Watch Lakers at Mavericks, Luka Doncic revenge game

Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images

Watch Luka’s return to Dallas on Playback.

The day has finally come. It feels like decades since Luka Doncic was shockingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. Yet, somehow, it’s only been a few weeks. Today we finally get to see Doncic return to Dallas for a game against his former squad.

You can watch the action along with us on Playback, starting at 7:30 pm.

There’s nothing more I can really offer to the build-up for this game. You are all well aware of the circumstances. A masterful revenge game is on the table. A shot at securing a playoff position is on the table, as well. This game is guaranteeing fireworks and you don’t want to miss it.

If you want to watch the games live with us, you only have to make a free account on Playback.

• Head over to playback.tv and create an account with your email address
• Connect and select your NBA League Pass login as your streaming account (sign up for League Pass here first if you don’t have it)
• Go to https://www.playback.tv/fearthesword and hit the JOIN button
• Make sure to activate push notifications so you know when we’re going live

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...-at-dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-revenge-game

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs will be without most of their starting lineup Thursday

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The Cavaliers will be shorthanded for their national TV matchup on Thursday

The Cleveland Cavaliers have nothing left to play for in their final three regular-season games after locking up the one seed. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said after their win over the Chicago Bulls that he wasn’t sure how they would handle the balance between resting their starters and being ready for the playoffs during these last regular-season games. He wanted it to be a “collaborative thing” with the players.

If Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers is any indicator, it seems that the players are leaning towards being rested heading into round one.

Cleveland will be without Donovan Mitchell (ankle), Darius Garland (toe strain), Evan Mobley (rest), and Max Strus (knee).

Jarrett Allen is in the lineup, but probably won’t play the full game. He has said numerous times that he wants to play all 82 games this season. The Cavs may pull him early, like they did last week against the San Antonio Spurs, to give him rest while allowing him to still participate in every game.

There is, however, a downside to this plan.

Under the player participation policy, no more than one star player is allowed to rest in the same game, and teams must ensure that star players are available for national TV games. That second part is worth monitoring here since Thursday’s game will be nationally broadcast on TNT.

There’s also the fact that the Cavs play the Pacers twice in their last three games and could also face them in the playoffs. That’s another complication factoring into how the Cavaliers handle these final few games.

The Pacers do still have something to play for. They’re currently the fourth seed, but there’s still a small chance they could move up to three or fall to five. As such, all of their regular starters are available for Thursday’s game.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...us-garland-cleveland-cavaliers-indiana-pacers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

How Cavs and DG snapped their slump

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Garland got his groove back.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the league’s best three-point shooting team for most of the season. But for a 15-game skid, they had fallen to 28th in three-point efficiency.

Over the last 15 games the Cavs are shooting 34.1% from three. 28th in the league.

It would be a real shame if their magnet ball stopped working right when the playoffs hit.

— Jake Issenberg (@jakeissenberg) April 7, 2025​

While these games near the end of the season ultimately didn’t matter much to a team that held a commanding lead over Boston for the first seed — it’s still important to catch your stride before rolling into the playoffs.

That’s why Tuesday’s barrage against Chicago was important.

Sure, the Bulls were without numerous starters and the Cavs themselves didn’t have Donovan Mitchell. But Cleveland shot 25-50 from downtown in a performance that felt much closer to their style of play before the All-Star break.

That was the 11th time Cleveland made 20+ three-pointers in a game this season

They did it only 12 times in the previous three seasons COMBINED

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) April 9, 2025​

With the playoffs just around the corner, let’s take a look at how the Cavs generated quality three-point shots against the Bulls and what they can carry with them to the postseason.

Playing with a purpose ​

Kenny Atkinson deserves immense credit for bringing shades of Golden State’s motion offense to the Cavaliers. Getting everyone on a string offensively is easier said than done. The Cavs' off-ball movement and synergy 1-through-5 were not as evident during their shooting slump.

Against Chicago, the Cavs were back to playing the beautiful game.

This play in the first quarter sets the tone. Ty Jerome begins the possession with an aggressive cross-court pass to the corner. Dean Wade, before even landing with the ball, is already shoveling it to Sam Merrill. Merrill then drives the closeout and kicks it back out to the man who started the entire thing.

Here we get a good example of what I meant by moving on a string. The possession starts with Max Strus taking an Evan Mobley screen. This gets Strus to the elbow while Chicago’s Talen Horton-Tucker has to rotate over to the nail and stop him. But watch the right corner. Jerome expertly cuts across the baseline to occupy his defender — and this allows Wade to dive into the open space and bury an open three-pointer.

This one is admittedly a bit fluky. But the play begins with Max Strus curling off a screen, catching the ball and then wrapping an insane hook pass to the corner. Merrill again attacks the closeout — nearly turns it over — and then finds the open man for another easy three.

Finally, here’s the crown jewel. Merrill gives the ball to Allen, before shaking towards the ball and then cutting backdoor. Allen feeds it back to Merrill — who sees the help defender and immediately dishes to Garland in the corner. Garland takes a half-beat to get Patrick Williams to bite — then swings it to De’Andre Hunter, who has all day to shoot the ball.

This entire sequence takes just four seconds. That’s called playing with a purpose. There’s no dead air or waiting to make the next move. Everyone on the floor is playing on a string and the Bulls’ defense had no chance of recovering.

This is what the Cavaliers have been missing. Cleveland wasn’t getting the secondary (hockey) assists. In other words, multiple passes that lead to a score. They fell from second before the All-Star break to 11th afterwards. The Cavaliers had six hockey assists versus Chicago, which would be a league-best if they did it every game.

Welcome back, Darius Garland​

We did our last video breakdown on how Garland was struggling from the field. You can find that here.

In short, Garland has been in a funk since the All-Star break. Entering this game without Mitchell, it was a fine opportunity to get back on track. Garland did just that, shooting 6-10 from the three-point line for 28 points in 29 minutes.

First, we see Garland reading his defender and darting to the open space for an easy catch-and-shoot attempt.

Next is a confident pull-up jumper from 27 feet. This is not an easy shot by any means. But when you’re Darius Garland, who shoots 40.7% from this range, it’s business as usual.

There aren’t many X’s and O’s to discuss with Garland’s three-point shooting in this game. Most of them were absolute bombs over the defense. The man simply found his groove and wouldn’t be deterred from scoring on anyone.

This final sequence is worth highlighting. It starts with a strong defensive play that results in an open three-pointer for Garland. But keep watching. Because no, this isn’t one play on a loop. The Cavs get another defensive stop behind a Mobley block, which again immediately materializes in another Garland three-pointer. This is Cavs basketball at its finest.

THIS IS CAVS BASKETBALL pic.twitter.com/7LGIK56ar1

— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) April 9, 2025​

I understand if anyone felt concerned during Cleveland’s recent stretch. No one will argue they’ve been playing their best basketball of the season. But keep in mind: they hold the third-best record in the NBA since the All-Star break. They are just three games behind OKC during this time.

The Cavs have shown us all they can in the regular season. Now it’s time to see it in the playoffs.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/4...and-and-the-cavs-snapped-their-shooting-slump