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[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cup of Cavs: Reasons for optimism during a rough stretch

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, November 26. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 12-7. Let’s find something to feel good about.

The First Sip​

Listen, I don’t want to keep talking about last season. But it’s impossible not to compare the impeccable vibes from a year ago to the murky waters the Cavs are currently treading. Everything feels different, and the preseason expectation of competing for a title is starting to seem like wishful thinking.

But it isn’t doomsday yet.

Losing is never fun. The Cavs have already lost seven times this season. For reference, they didn’t lose their seventh game until January 22nd last season. That stat on its own means nothing. But it is pretty remarkable how much of a difference one year can make.

Of course, Cleveland has been riddled with injuries this season. Darius Garland has hardly played. Max Strus hasn’t played at all. And, the rest of the roster has been sprinkled with setbacks all throughout. Their most recent loss came with seven rotational players on the sideline. And yet, the loss still stung.

So, what’s there to feel good about?

Other than assuming the team will look radically different when (if ever) they are healthy — there are still a handful of encouraging trends. First, Donovan Mitchell is having one of the best seasons in Cavaliers history. He’s averaging a career-high 29.9 points even after his stinker versus Toronto. If this holds, he’ll have the third-highest scoring season the franchise has ever seen.

Other standouts include Sam Merrill’s hot start to the year, Craig Porter Jr’s noticeable improvements, Jaylon Tyson’s developmental leap, and other two-way players like Nae’Qwan Tomlin looking better than expected. These are all the diamonds in the rough of Cleveland’s season so far.

Finally, there’s one more reason for optimism. The 40-20 rule.

If you aren’t aware, winning 40 games before you lose 20 is the golden standard for championship teams. Since 1980, all but four championship teams accomplished this feat. Dominating the regular season is still the ultimate indicator of playoff success. Basically, if you’re a real contender, you’ll more than likely win 40 games before you lose 20.

At their current rate, the Cavs will fall just short of reaching that mark. They need 28 more wins and can only afford 12 more losses. With a win percentage of 63%, they’ll have to win at least 70% of their games moving forward to follow the 40-20 split.

If you’re wondering, last year’s team won 78% of their games. That means even an 8% regression from last year would still be enough for them to get over the hump again this year, if they can turn things around.

We assume they will look better once they are healthy. If that ever happens. Furthermore, Cleveland has had the 9th toughest schedule so far. They have the 10th-easiest strength of schedule remaining. So, if given a healthy roster and an easier schedule, we may look back at the season and remember November as the lowest point of an otherwise triumphant campaign.

The Cavs understand more than anyone that regular season success is no guarantee of anything. But, it’s far worse to enter the playoffs as a team that has been flailing around for seven months. Hitting your stride at the right time is important. The Cavs peaked too early last season. Maybe this time, they’ll overcome early struggles and find their groove later in the calendar.

So, I’m not telling you to place all of your faith in the 40-20 rule. I’m only saying I would hold off on counting this team out before they fall below that mark. There’s plenty of time for things to change for the better.

Links of the Day​

• How Toronto exposed a stylistic issue for the Cavs
• Cavs boosted by Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Luke Travers and Tyrese Proctor
• This MVP race could be historic

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cup-of...s-reasons-for-optimism-during-a-rough-stretch

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs at Raptors – Evan Mobley fades into the background

CLEVELAND — A shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers fell 110-99 to Toronto.

Grades are based on our expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell​

17 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound

This was a roller coaster game from Mitchell. He opened by being a distributor, handing out 6 assists in the first half but shooting 3-14 from the floor. Then, all at once, he was in the middle of a fourth quarter heat check to bring the Cavs back into the game. It was over almost as soon as it began.

Grade: D+

Lonzo Ball​

8 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds

Ball was the quarterback tonight. He had his finger on the pulse of Cleveland’s offense and helped them navigate a handful of cold spells by making the right pass, and of course, holding them afloat on defense. If it weren’t for his horrific shooting (3-15), this would have been a quality performance.

Grade: C-

Evan Mobley​

14 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds

The Cavs needed an aggressive version of Mobley tonight. In part because of all of the injuries. But more importantly, because Toronto is a team full of wings that Mobley should be able to score over. He wasn’t aggressive enough tonight despite having the advantage.

Mobley had made 5 of his first 6 attempts entering the fourth quarter — but took just one shot in the final frame. This grade might feel harsh considering his box score, but this just can’t happen anymore. Mobley is too important to disappear in the fourth.

Grade: F

Support us and rep Evan Mobley with Homage!​

We’ve partnered with Homage to help provide Cavs fans with the best gear. Anything bought from the links below helps support Fear the Sword while also allowing you to rep the Cavs. You can also shop all Homage Cavs gear HERE.

• You can grab the Mobley shirt seen above HERE.
• The Mobley trading card shirt can be bought HERE.

Larry Nance Jr.​

6 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound

Nance felt a step too slow when trying to keep up with Toronto’s pace. This led to numerous defensive breakdowns and transition opportunities for the Raps. That said, Nance knocked down a pair of triples to help open the floor for Cleveland.

Grade: D+

Jaylon Tyson​

15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Tyson is developing into a super helpful two-way player. He’s knocking down standstill three-pointers with confidence and bringing physicality to the defensive end of the floor.

Grade: A-

Tyrese Proctor​

8 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Proctor has plenty of promise as a catch-and-shoot threat who can create off the dribble and play good defense in the backcourt. He wasn’t able to put all of that together tonight, shooting 2-9 from the floor and 0-5 from deep.

Grade: D+

Luke Travers​

5 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds

Travers came up short on all of his first-half attempts and finished 1-6 from the field. He was more impactful in Cleveland’s win over the Clippers.

Grade: D

Thomas Bryant​

5 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds

The Cavs turned to Bryant for some frontcourt reinforcements as Allen, Wade and Hunter were all on the sidelines. Bryant wasn’t overly impactful until the fourth quarter, when he canned a momentum-swinging three-pointer.

Grade: C+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

14 points, 0 assists, 4 rebounds

Tomlin is becoming a mainstay in Cleveland’s rotation. Part of this is due to injuries. Though I expect Tomlin will make it hard for Kenny Atkinson to ignore him if he keeps playing with this level of infectious energy.

Grade: A–

Chris Livingston​

7 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Livingston made his Cavalier debut tonight. Within seconds, he cut to the hoop for an and-one finish. The start of his fourth quarter stint was similar. Livingston attacked the basket for multiple layups and stole an inbounds pass to help halt Toronto’s momentum.

Grade: A+

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...raptors-evan-mobley-fades-into-the-background

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to regain some of the momentum they lost with their defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday as they face the Atlanta Hawks on Black Friday.

This will also be the Cavs’ last NBA Cup group stage game. They still have a chance to advance, but they may need some things to break their way. Mainly, it would be helpful if the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks took down the New York Knicks.

The Cavs haven’t had the start they were looking for. We’re nearly a quarter of the way through the regular season, and they sit in the fifth spot in the conference and are in the middle of the league with their net and offensive rating.

The Hawks are roughly in the same spot. They’ve been without their star guard, Trae Young, for a few weeks, but are slowly getting back on track as they’ve won seven of their last 10. However, they are coming off a disappointing 132-113 loss to the lowly Washington Wizards.

This will be the Cavs’ and Hawks’ second meeting of the year. Cleveland won the first matchup on Nov. 2.

Support us and rep the Buckeyes with Homage​

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. The above shirt can be bought at the link HERE. Homage’s entire Ohio State collection can be found HERE.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (12-7) at. Atlanta Hawks (11-8)

Where: State Farm Arena — Atlanta, GA

When: Friday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 pm EST

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

Point spread: Cavs -5.5

Cavs injury report: Jarrett Allen – PROBABLE (finger), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Craig Porter Jr – QUESTIONABLE (hamstring), Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE (knee), Max Struss – OUT (foot), Luke Travers – OUT (G League), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League)

Hawks injury report: Trae Young – OUT (knee), N’Faly Dante – OUT (knee), Nikola Djursic – OUT (elbow), Caleb Houstan – QUESTIONABLE (G League), Eli John Ndiaye – OUT (G League)

Cavs expected starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Hawks expected starting lineup: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, Kristaps Porzingis

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

Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	116.3 (15th)	112.6 (8th)	+3.8 (14th)
Hawks	116.2 (16th)	115.1 (17th)	+1.1 (15th)

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...ch-odds-and-injury-report-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

NBA Cup explained: How the Cavs can advance to knockout round

The Cleveland Cavaliers can advance in the NBA Cup despite their loss to the Toronto Raptors in group play. They are currently holding the Eastern Conference wildcard spot heading into the final day of group stage action on Friday. But a lot can change between now and the end of play on Friday.

Point differential is important in this tournament. Cleveland currently has the best point differential of the non-group leaders at +36. The Cavs cannot win their group due to losing to Toronto. The Eastern Conference’s Group Play standings can be seen below.

Updated East NBA Cup standings after Day 6 of group play:

Group A:
TOR (4-0) +55 [Group A Winners]
CLE (2-1) +34
WAS (1-2) -45
ATL (1-2) -11
IND (0-3) -33

Group B:
ORL (3-0) +61
DET (2-1) +24
BOS (2-2) -17
BKN (1-2) -17
PHI (0-3) -51

Group C:
MIA (3-1) +49
NYK (2-1) +26
MIL…

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) November 27, 2025

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.

For the Cavs to advance, they will need to win on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks and have a better point differential than the rest of the non-group leaders. Here are the teams you need to root for as a Cavs fan.

Orlando Magic over Detroit Pistons. Orlando currently has a +61 point differential. Right now that doesn’t affect the Cavs because they lead their division. However, if the Magic were to lose to the Pistons, it would.

The winner of that game wins Group B due to the head-to-head record being the tiebreaker. And unless Orlando lost by 20 or more, they would be in a good position to overtake the Cavs in the wildcard spot, barring a 30+ point Cavs victory in Atlanta.

Milwaukee Bucks over New York Knicks. This isn’t as necessary as the top one, but it would help the Cavs if the Bucks won. Milwaukee doesn’t have a chance of winning Group C, but the Knicks still do. If they defeat the Bucks, they will win the group and cause the Miami Heat (+49) to be in the wild-card chase.

Miami doesn’t have any more games. They can’t improve on their +49 mark. However, if the Knicks were to win, then the Cavs would have to defeat the Hawks by 16 or more to advance. That’s doable, but not exactly ideal.

The Bucks don’t have a good chance of overtaking the Cavs if they were to win. They currently have a +13 point differential, which is 21 points behind where the Cavs sit.

The ideal scenario for the Cavs to advance would be beating Atlanta, Orlando defeating Detroit, and Milwaukee overcoming New York. That would essentially mean just a win by the Cavs by any amount would get them into the wild card spot. It’s not impossible if another scenario happens, it would just require the Cavs to defeat the Hawks by a significant number of points.

If the Cavs were to advance, they would take on either the Magic or Raptors on the road. That game would be either Dec. 9 or 10.

If they don’t advance, the Cavs will play two regular-season games between Dec. 11-12 and Dec. 14-15. One of the games will be at home, and the other will be on the road.

The NBA Cup can be a little confusing. The most important thing to remember is that the Cavs need to win, and winning by more certainly doesn’t hurt.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...orlando-magic-new-york-knicks-toronto-raptors

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Shorthanded Cavs couldn’t stop Brandon Ingram, fall to Raptors 110-99

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have enough energy or available players on the second night of a back-to-back to keep up with a surprisingly good Toronto Raptors team. Cleveland kept the game competitive, but didn’t have an answer for Brandon Ingram. His 37-point performance led to a 110-99 victory for Toronto.

Any discussion of this game starts with Ingram. He was simply lethal from all three levels as he went 7-12 on long midrange shots, 5-11 from beyond the arc, and completed both of his shots at the rim. This resulted in 37 points on 15-30 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two assists.

The Cavs didn’t have a scorer who could match that volume.

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.

Donovan Mitchell didn’t have it on Monday. He had just seven points through the first three quarters on 3-14 shooting. He turned it around in the fourth as he added 10 points in that frame, but it was too little too late on a night the Cavaliers needed some kind of scoring punch while missing seven rotation players. Mitchell finished the evening with 17 points on 6-20 shooting to go along with eight assists and a rebound.

Evan Mobley had an efficient scoring night, going 5-7 from the field, but this wasn’t the outing the Cavs needed. They needed someone who could consistently put the ball through the hoop. Mobley didn’t do that as he contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Despite not getting the performances they would’ve wanted from their stars, Cleveland’s role players were able to keep them in the game. Nae’Qwan Tomlin continued his impressive play as he contributed 14 points on 6-8 shooting in the loss. Two-way players Luke Travers (five points) and Chris Livingston (seven points and a steal) also provided useful minutes on a night the Cavs desperately needed some source of offense.

Jaylon Tyson had a solid outing as well. He supplied 15 points, nine rebounds, and two assists in the loss.

Scottie Barnes ended the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in the win for Toronto.

The Cavs have a few days off before they travel south to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. That will be their final NBA Cup group stage game of the season.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-s...-raptors-cleveland-cavaliers-donovan-mitchell

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

12 stats to explain Cavs 130-123 loss to Hawks

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to overcome their poor transition defense as they dropped Friday’s game to the Atlanta Hawks 130-123.

Here are the four factors from this game. These numbers are from Cleaning the Glass.

Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	55.9%, 63rd percentile	30%, 55th percentile	16%, 40th percentile	19.1, 34th percentile
Hawks	61.5%, 86th percentile	22.9%, 20th percentile	13%, 74th percentile	19.8, 38th percentile

Now, let’s dive into some of the stats.

• Atlanta outscored Cleveland 36-17 in fastbreak points. Head coach Kenny Atkinson pointed to this as being the determining factor in the game, and rightly so. You simply can’t get beaten that badly in one particular category and expect to win. This isn’t the first time this has happened. The Cavs have had issues with other teams that play fast, such as the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, and the Indiana Pacers from last playoffs.
• 26.9% of the Hawks’ offensive possessions started in transition (99th percentile). Transition baskets are one of the most effective ways to score. And if you get that many possessions in transition, you’re going to have a great offensive outing.
• The Hawks had an offensive rating of 134.5 in transition. This isn’t remarkable in terms of an offensive rating for transition plays (59th percentile). But again, it’s the fact that they were able to get out and run so often that made this such a problem for the Cavs.
• Atlanta outscored Cleveland 25-13 on points off turnovers. Some of these numbers are also reflected in the fast-break points mentioned earlier. If you’re a team that doesn’t get back in transition, you have to hold on to the ball. The Cavs didn’t do that as they turned it over 17 times. Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball coughed it up five times each, while Donovan Mitchell registered four turnovers. You simply can’t have your three best ball handlers giving it up that often.
• The Hawks also executed well in the half-court as they registered a 106.1 half-court offensive rating (77th percentile). An inability to get to the free-throw line and convert (18-36, 69.2%) kept this from being a truly elite offensive showing. The Hawks registered a 120.4 offensive rating (70th percentile) on the evening.
• Mitchell was once again fantastic as he notched his second 40-point game of the season. He’s having the highest scoring season of his career (30.6 points) and his highest efficiency (60.4 effective field-goal percentage). Mitchell is truly playing some of the best basketball of his career.
• Mitchell went 7-15 from beyond the arc. This included going 3-9 on pull-up threes (two of these attempts were in the final 45 seconds when the game was over, so it makes the numbers look worse than they were through the first 47 minutes). Being able to create your own outside attempts off-the-dribble makes you so deadly as a scorer. How exactly are you supposed to defend these?

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• Mitchell also went 7-9 in the paint. He’s always been able to get to the rim — as he did in Atlanta, going 5-7 in the restricted area — but adding the floater has made him an almost unguardable three-level scorer in a way he hasn’t been before.

View Link

• Lonzo Ball was held to under four points for the seventh time this season when playing 20 or more minutes. He registered just three on Friday as he went 1-4 from the field, all of which were threes. He’s getting to the rim on just 10% of his shot attempts this season (11th percentile). This has added up to him having the third-worst effective field-goal percentage (42.3%) for the 48 players Cleaning the Glass labels as combo guards. That’s not ideal.
• Jarrett Allen attempted just six field-goal attempts in 28 minutes. This is the fourth time he’s taken this many or fewer in a game this season. The Cavs need to do a better job of getting Allen involved. This has been a recurring issue all season.
• The Cavs had their second-best outside shooting game of the season, going 17-39 from three (43.6%). This was the second game they’ve lost when they’ve connected on over 40% of their threes, as they’re now 6-2 in such contests.
• Cleveland went 5-14 on second-chance shot attempts. Even though they won the offensive rebounding battle 14-6, they registered just one more second-chance point. Not being able to convert defeats the purpose of crashing the offensive glass when it gives way to poor transition defense like this.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...and-cavlaiers-donovan-mitchell-darius-garland

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs bench talent has helped negate some second-apron penelties

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only second-apron team in the league. As part of the new CBA, being a second-apron team comes with more trade restrictions, salary restrictions, and the potential of having draft picks frozen if a team reaches repeat offender status.

The Cavs’ second-apron clock started after the trade for De’Andre Hunter last trade deadline and the extensions of Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill. With Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland making max money, and Jarrett Allen and Max Strus making a combined $36 million this season, Cleveland has a lot of money tied up in their core for the foreseeable future.

This makes finding role players on affordable contracts even more crucial. Hitting on draft picks and finding undrafted players is also key to extending the longevity of the team. So far, the Cavs have done a masterful job on both fronts.

The Merrill contract appears to be a steal so far. He is making less than $10 million a year and is averaging nearly 14 points per game on 44% shooting from three-point range. Guys with his level of production make close to $15 million a year, with Duncan Robinson, Corey Kispert, Luke Kennard, and others making more money than Merrill with similar or worse production.

As for their other young guys, Cleveland’s youth movement has been on full display this season. Jaylon Tyson, who was expected to be relied upon this season to fill the void of Strus and Isaac Okoro, has done his part and more.

Tyson is turning into a great all-around wing. He is averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 50.8% from the field and nearly 46.9% from three-point range. He has been a defensive pest and has been one of the Cavs’ best point of attack options. The wing spot was once a weakness on Cleveland’s roster. When they are healthy, they’ll have multiple options in Tyson, Hunter, Strus, Dean Wade, and even Lonzo Ball, who has played 142 possessions at small forward with great results.

Craig Porter Jr., who was challenged by Kenny Atkinson in the offseason to take his game to the next level, has answered the bell. He has been a sparkplug off the bench, living in passing lanes, and even blocking shots at a high level. Offensively, he has been even more poised, and his IQ when it comes to finding his shot has improved as well.

Tyrese Proctor and Nae’Qwan Tomlin were both expected to spend the majority of this season in the G League, but have been thrust into the rotation on certain nights. Tomlin, specifically, has likely played himself into a standard contract. He has been a ball of energy for a Cleveland team that has been stuck in the mud at times this season, and his ability to crash the glass and have a high motor defensively has made him a rotation mainstay recently. The Cavs have a great 106.8 defensive rating when he is on the court.

For Proctor, he has been in and out of the rotation, but he’s shown that he can be a capable secondary ball handler. Having multiple guards that can handle pressure is what Cleveland needs, especially after Indiana exploited that weakness in the offseason. Atkinson has gushed about the fact that Proctor is a first-round talent the Cavs got in the second round, and he has shown flashes of that.

When Cleveland gets healthy, none of their main bench guys will be making over $10 million per season aside from either Hunter or Strus. Having multiple key contributors on affordable deals will be the name of the game for the Cavs if they want to keep the core four together. So far, they have done a good job of navigating the second apron in terms of filling out the back half of the rotation.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...rs-sam-merrill-naeqwan-tomlin-craig-porter-jr