RSS Cavs Team Notes

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Winners and Losers: Cavs at Pacers – Jaylon Tyson torches Indiana

The Cleveland Cavaliers knocked off the Indiana Pacers 135-119. Let’s see who won and lost the night.

WINNER – Jaylon Tyson​

Practice what you preach.

Tyson called out his teammates after Cleveland’s lackluster loss to the Celtics last night. Not only did this light a fire under Donovan Mitchell and company — but Tyson himself came out like he had something to prove. He scored 27 points on 10-13 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds (including five offensive), created out of the short roll for 4 assists, and racked up 2 steals in 30 minutes.

The sophomore wing turned in a nearly flawless game just when the Cavs needed it most. His three-point jumper has been sweet all season, and now, he’s becoming more emboldened as a ball-handler. Tyson created a handful of plays from scratch and has a knack for finding open teammates.

Most of all, he’s a brute force of nature on the glass. Tyson crashed the board with authority, clearing space and getting his hands on multiple loose balls.

You can’t play much better than that.

WINNER – Offensive Process​

The Cavs were focused tonight. In a season where that hasn’t always been the case, it stood out immediately when the team ran through multiple actions and found quality shots on offense.

Cleveland had Indiana in constant pursuit of the ball. Well, for most of the game at least. The offense was humming as each player made quick, decisive moves once catching the rock. This kept Indiana’s defense in flux, creating numerous opportunities for a Cavalier to take advantage and finish a play.

Sure, the Pacers are a 4-17 team that hasn’t been very good on either end of the floor. But this is the process you want to see replicated against any opponent. Smart ball movement. Perfectly timed cuts. And of course, efficient shooting across the board.

Final note: the Cavs only attempted 40 three-pointers tonight. That’s the 6th fewest they’ve taken in a game this season. This is a sign that yes, Indiana’s interior defense isn’t very strong, but also that Cleveland was deliberate in attacking their opponent and generating easy scoring opportunities.

WINNER – Hustle​

We all know how badly the Cavs needed to show some fight tonight. They’ve been called lazy, soft, and disinterested. This was a game where they needed to make a statement.

Cleveland responded by winning all of the hustle metrics. They grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. Forced 14 turnovers for 17 points. And outscored the Pacers in the paint 62-58.

This wasn’t an absolute thrashing. But Indiana plays as hard as anyone in the NBA — and the Cavs were dealing with a long injury list on the second night of a back-to-back. The fact that Cleveland looked like they wanted this one more than their opponent, considering the circumstances, is worth commemorating.

Now they have to show this level of heart for the remainder of the season.

WINNER – Donovan Mitchell​

Nights like this are so regular that it almost becomes an afterthought. Of course Mitchell scored in bunches. That’s what he always does.

But it’s important not to take any of this for granted.

Mitchell had 43 points on 16-27 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. This is the type of bounce-back performance you expect from your franchise superstar.

Another 40+ point night from Mitchell gives him his third such game of the season. He’s scored 40+ in 22 games for the Cavs, second in franchise history behind (you guessed it) with 51. For perspective, the next closest Cavalier is Kyrie Irving, who scored 40+ 11 times in a Cleveland uniform.

In other words, Mitchell is in elite company. The franchise arguably hasn’t seen a more prolific three-level scoring threat. He can dazzle you with his handle, torch you from behind the arc, or bulldoze you into the paint for dunks and layups. He’s a special talent that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...s-cavs-at-pacers-jaylon-tyson-torches-indiana

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs vs Trail Blazers: How to watch, odds, and injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers took a step in the right direction with their 135-119 win over the Indiana Pacers. We’ll see if they can back that up against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Blazers got off to a strong start, but have fallen off in recent weeks. They’re 3-7 in their last ten games. They will also be on the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday as they play a road game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

Even though Portland isn’t a good team, they are a team that can wear you out with their style of play. They play at the third-highest pace and aren’t afraid to apply pressure in the backcourt while on defense. Both are things the Cavs have struggled with at times. We’ll see if they can answer the test this time.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-9) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8-12)

Where: Rocket Arena — Cleveland, OH

When: Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm EST

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

Point spread: Not yet set

Cavs injury report: Jarrett Allen – OUT (finger), Lonzo Ball – PROBABLE (illness), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Larry Nance Jr. – OUT – (calf), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League)

Blazers injury report for Tuesday’s game vs. Toronto: Donovan Clingan – QUESTIONABLE (illness), Scoot Henderson – OUT (hamstring), Jrue Holiday – OUT (calf), Damian Lillard – OUT (Achilles), Matisse Thybulle – OUT (thumb), Blake Wesley – OUT (foot), Javonte Cooke – OUT (G League)

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

Blazers expected starting lineup: Sidy Cissoko, Deni Avdija, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass as of Tuesday evening.

Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.5 (13th)	113.9 (7th)	+3.6 (12th)
Blazers	114.5 (6th)	117.8 (22nd)	-3.4 (20th)

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

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

3 Things to watch for in Cavs vs Trail Blazers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are at home for a match against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Slowing Deni Avdija​

Avdija is coming off a string of ridiculous games for the Blazers. He put up 31 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in Portland’s most recent loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Avdija had 37 points and 8 assists the game before that.

The sixth-year wing has found his stride with the Trail Blazers. He’s averaging a career-high 25.8 points on nearly 50% shooting, doing it from every area on the court. He’s blossomed into an efficient shooter, crafty playmaker, and positive force on the glass.

Avdija gives Portland its best chance at winning every night. The Cavs will have to contain him if they want to avoid getting into a scuffle with a team they should handily defeat.

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Shrinking the Floor​

Portland enters this game tied with the Indiana Pacers for the worst three-point percentage in the NBA. They’re shooting 32.3% from deep on the sixth-highest frequency in the league. Similar to the Cavs, who rank 2nd in frequency and 18th in efficiency.

Fortunately for the Cavs, Portland doesn’t have as many counters.

The Blazers also rank in the bottom-10 for rim efficiency and mid-range scoring. The Cavs, on the other hand, shoot the 11th-best percentage at the rim and 19th-best from the mid-range. However, Portland gets to the rim much more often. The Cavs are 23rd in rim frequency, while the Blazers are 5th.

The Cavs should be able to shrink the floor and protect the paint behind Evan Mobley’s rim protection. Barring an outlier performance, this should be an opportunity for the Cavs to flex their defensive muscles. Cleveland is 10th overall in defense.

Energy and Effort​

This has become a theme worth paying attention to. The Cavs have enough talent to beat anyone on any given night. But that talent isn’t enough to win on its own merit. Cleveland has learned this the hard way through 22 games.

Hopefully, their increased effort from Monday against the Indiana Pacers was indicative of a new direction for this team. They had previously been treading water when they should have been a dominant force on a nightly basis. Even with the injuries, this team is better than 13-9.

Effort can change everything. We’ve seen that proven time and time again. Let’s see if the Cavs can build some serious momentum and play this game with an appropriate level of intensity.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-game-previews/41147/3-things-to-watch-for-in-cavs-vs-trail-blazers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Winners and Losers: Cavs vs Blazers – Evan Mobley’s defensive masterclass is wasted

The Cleveland Cavaliers were run off the floor by the Portland Trail Blazers. Let’s talk about it.

LOSER – Effort​

This week began with Jaylon Tyson calling out the team for their lack of effort. It seemed like the Cavs took his comments to heart in their following win over the Indiana Pacers. That was a good step forward.

Tonight was two steps backwards.

The defense was lost. A combination of bad effort and miscommunications led to countless breakdowns. Then, on offense, the Cavs’ process dissolved into poor three-point shooting and contested looks at the rim. Those misses turned directly into Portland runouts, where the Cavs looked a step slow all night.

You can’t control everything. But the Cavs were visibly frustrated with their own poor shooting tonight. Sulking, playing with your head down, and not getting back on defense is inexcusable. Cleveland shot 13-52 from downtown and almost every miss felt like a backbreaker.

WINNER – Thomas Bryant​

Things were getting bad in Rocket Arena. So bad, that the home crowd began booing the Cavs off the floor during a third quarter timeout.

Enter Thomas Bryant.

Bryant understood the situation. Not only did the team need to be re-energized, but the crowd, as well. Bryant started the run by emphatically rejecting the Blazers at the rim, shouting in someone’s face, then drawing a foul on the other end and shouting some more. This got one of the loudest pops of the night from the Cleveland crowd.

As the quarter went on, Bryant continued to breathe life into the arena. He gobbled up defensive boards and nailed consecutive three-pointers to bring some excitement back into the Cavs’ favor. The intensity and almost delusional confidence that Bryant has in himself is something that everyone should strive for.

WINNER – Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell​

The start of the Cavs’ season has been full of speed bumps. Mitchell and Mobley included. But without these two, I don’t know where this team would be.

Mobley was excellent in this game. 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals from Mobley should be more than enough to give the Cavs a chance. He was a one-man wrecking crew on defense and he was making the right play every time he had the ball on offense.

The Cavs want Mobley to shoot more often. Kenny Atkinson said he yelled at Mobley during the game to be more aggressive. But when opposing defenses load up in the paint — and Mobley makes the correct pass — it’s on his teammates to hit a shot. They didn’t tonight.

Finally, Mitchell has had the team on his back all season. He’s played like Superman. And on a night where he had an inefficient 33 points — the Cavs still struggled to compete. This team isn’t threatening with anything less than a perfect night from Mitchell right now. That’s not good.

Mobley and Mitchell haven’t been perfect. But they certainly haven’t been the problem.

LOSER – Perimeter Defense​

The Trail Blazers are the least efficient three-point team in basketball. They do, however, get to the paint at the fifth-highest rate in the league. The Cavs started this game with poor perimeter defense, allowing dribble penetration and failing to cover the three-point line.

That’s a bad combination.

Blazers are getting into the paint, often off the bounce, at will against #Cavs defense in this first quarter. Twelve of their 18 attempts have come in the paint. Kenny Atkinson looks annoyed.

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 4, 2025

You never want to make things too easy for an NBA player. Forcing your opponent to turn and change directions at least once or twice on a drive. That wasn’t happening in the first quarter. Blazers were getting straight-line drives to the rim whenever they wanted to.

What’s worse is failing to cover the perimeter at the same time. At the very least, you could run guys off the line. But Cleveland’s defense was totally out of whack in the opening quarter, ending in a wide-open three-pointer off a blown rotation to close the first.

I wish I could say things got better as the game went on. It didn’t.

LOSER – The Lonzo Ball Experience​

There are plenty of ways to impact the game without scoring. At his best, Lonzo Ball excels in those categories. Defense, rebounding, and using his dribble to create plays for others.

This just isn’t happening right now.

Ball hasn’t looked anywhere near himself as a point-of-attack defender, and he hasn’t gotten to the rim consistently enough to get the most out of his playmaking. His basketball intelligence still allows him to make the occasional pass — but he isn’t generating advantages as he should.

This sums up the Lonzo Ball experience so far pic.twitter.com/kBItTrl2wm

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) December 4, 2025

Worst of all, he can’t buy a bucket. Zo shot 1-9 tonight and is shooting 25-93 (26%) from downtown this season, one of the five least efficient shooters in the league. This all culminated when Ball clanked a pull-up three in transition in the fourth quarter, just when Cleveland was starting to claw back into the game. The crowd once again began booing.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...-evan-mobleys-defensive-masterclass-is-wasted

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

8 Takeaways from Cavs 122-110 loss to Trail Blazers: ‘We just got to be better’

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Trail Blazers 122-110 in a way that has become all too familiar this year. They struggled to hang with Portland’s pace, didn’t make enough threes, and couldn’t dictate terms on either side of the ball.

Donovan Mitchell addressed the media after the game, leaning against the nearly floor-to-ceiling whiteboard in the team’s locker room. On the other side of the door leading to the shower area, you could hear Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds playing.

“Every little thing is gonna be alright.”

It’s difficult to believe that message right now. Things seem anything but alright with the Cavs.

The Trail Blazers play a style that the Cavs struggle with. They operate at one of the quickest paces in the league, get out in transition, and apply defensive pressure in the backcourt. These are the exact things you want to do against Cleveland as seen in their losses to the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat.

The difference between the Blazers and those teams is that they’re not particularly good. They lack the personnel and skill to enforce their style against most of their opponents. It’s why they had only won two of their last 10 games heading into tonight and were on the second leg of a back-to-back.

This should’ve been a scheduled win for the Cavs, but it wasn’t. They simply can’t combat this style. That’s concerning in a league where seemingly every team is trying to play faster and faster.

The book is out on the Cavs. If you want to beat them, just run.

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The offensive process is a mess. Half of Cleveland’s 92 shot attempts came from beyond the arc, and they only made 25% of them.

Missed threes create long rebounds, and those long rebounds turn into easy transition baskets for your opponent. Portland capitalized on that as they were in the 89th percentile for adding points off of live rebounds.

It’s also nearly impossible to have a good offense when you aren’t getting to the basket. The Cavs were in the 36th percentile for shot attempts at the rim, 29th percentile for accuracy at the rim, and attempted 15 fewer free throws than their opponent. Throw in not getting offensive rebounds, and you have the recipe for a stagnant, lifeless offense that’s completely reliant on Mitchell to do everything.

This isn’t just a one-game thing either. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has repeatedly talked in his postgame press conferences about how his team needs to find a better balance. We’re over a quarter of the way through the season, and things aren’t getting cleaner on that end. And I’m not sure there’s a straightforward path to it getting fixed.

Darius Garland is the one who can theoretically change that. He’s among the few players on the roster who have the skills to create for himself and others off-the-dribble. But this version of Garland can’t.

Garland was a step or two slower on Wednesday than he was when fully healthy last season. The off-the-dribble moves that would normally create separation simply aren’t doing so with any regularity. This has been a common theme throughout most of his games back.

When you’re already undersized for your position, losing a little bit of athleticism can take you from being one of the best players at your spot to just mediocre. Isaiah Thomas is an extreme example, but once he lost some of his burst, he went from being an MVP candidate one season to being nearly unplayable the following.

I’m not a doctor, and I’m not going to pretend to be one, but there’s no guarantee that his mobility drastically improves this season. Toe injuries are incredibly tricky, especially for someone whose game relies so heavily on stopping and starting. Maybe this is something that could improve with additional time off. Maybe he’s just going to have to learn to play with a plate or spacer in his shoe. Either way, the Cavs aren’t going to be an elite offense if this is how Garland is going to be moving around.

This core doesn’t work without Garland in the long and short term. His playmaking and ability to get the shooters and bigs involved aren’t replicated by anyone else on the roster. Additionally, his contract goes from being deserving to a negative asset quickly, which significantly impacts how the Cavs navigate building an elite team around this core.

The Cavs also need more out of De’Andre Hunter. Effort has been an issue with the team as a whole, and specifically so with Hunter. He isn’t aggressive at the point of attack, isn’t moving forcefully on or off-ball, and is mostly just floating on both ends. Being an undersized power forward magnifies these issues.

Hunter is too skilled and too important to this team right now to be turning in performances like this.

One of the most concerning parts about the loss was how well Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley played.

Mobley scored 14 of his 23 points in the first quarter. He was aggressively attacking on and off-ball exactly how you’d like him to. The scoring didn’t carry over for the remainder of the game, but the defensive impact was still there.

Atkinson said afterward that Mitchell was merely good and not Superman. While we’ve seen him play better, pouring in 33 points while going 9-13 inside the arc is elite. Not being able to get the three-point shot to fall was an issue as he missed nine of his 13 attempts from deep. Although a handful of those came late in the fourth when he was trying to will the team to victory.

The Cavs shouldn’t need heroic performances from their two best players to overcome a bad Trail Blazers team playing on the second night of a back-to-back. But that’s how things stand. They needed over 40 from Mitchell to beat the struggling Indiana Pacers. This formula isn’t sustainable.

I’m not sure how things get better. Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, and Max Strus returning to the lineup will help. They will meaningfully raise this team’s floor. However, the bar coming into the season was a championship. Unless there’s a major trade, that doesn’t seem possible unless Garland’s mobility returns and this team can stay healthy.

Mitchell isn’t as worried, at least not yet.

“I think it’s upsetting, but there’s room for growth,” Mitchell said. “There’s an upside to this. I’m not going to sit here December [3rd] and say the sky is falling and we’re panicking. No, honestly, this is something that we’ll look back on on film and get better and better and better and better.

“Now I gotta tell you, if we’re in March and we’re having this discussion, then yeah [that’s a problem]. Even in January and February. Right now, take this on the chin. Take this on the chin. …

“Last year was an anomaly. We came out, made some changes, and it just worked. That’s just not how the league is. … It’s going to take some time to work itself out. But on the flipside, as players, we stil got to do our part on a nightly basis for it to work.”

You can’t tell if adversity is a good or bad thing in the moment. Some teams break apart by going through a tough stretch like this after a playoff disappointment. Others use these moments to redefine who they are and are better off because of it.

As of now, we don’t know if everything is going to be alright with this team.

“So I wouldn’t say I’m concerned,” Mitchell concluded. “But we just got to be better.”

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

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs vs Blazers – Donovan Mitchell can’t always be Superman

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 122-110 to the Portland Trail Blazers. This one was hard to watch.

Donovan Mitchell​

33 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

This wasn’t a bad Mitchell game by any means. But it wasn’t the superhuman, heroic game we’ve seen in the past. His 33 points came at a costly 26 shots. And to no fault of Mitchell himself, that’s not enough for the Cavs right now.

“Tonight was probably one of two games all year that he hasn’t played like Superman,” Kenny Atkinson said after the game. “He was just good, but we need him to be Superman every night.”

There’s only so much Mitchell can do. He’s carried the team with his scoring through 23 games, but at some point, someone needs to step up and help. They can’t rely on him this heavily.

Grade: A-

Darius Garland​

6 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds

Garland isn’t moving well. That’s a plain and simple fact. He’s struggling to move up and down the court, and this has looked glaring when compounded by the Cavs’ all-around lack of effort.

Grade: F

Evan Mobley​

23 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals

Mobley opened this game on fire, shooting 4-7 in the first quarter. He only took 7 shots the rest of the way. This has been a recurring and frustrating theme. Nonetheless, it was an efficient 23 points to go with 5 huge blocks and 2 steals. This was an incredible defensive game from Mobley, and an offensive game that left you wanting just a little more.

Grade: A+

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.

Jaylon Tyson​

14 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

If watching these games gets you frustrated, and you’re looking for something to feel good about, just watch Tyson on nearly every play. He’s got the goods, and he plays like a young and hungry sophomore.

Grade: A-

De’Andre Hunter​

10 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Last week, we sang Hunter’s praises as the finer aspects of his game appeared to be polished. He’s regressed a bit since then. Falling into old habits and generally looking disinterested tonight.

Grade: F

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Craig Porter Jr.​

0 points, 2 assists, 0 rebounds

Porter only played 10 minutes tonight and went 0-1 from the floor. Considering how actively damaging Ball was, there probably should have been more minutes given to CPJ — even if he wasn’t super effective in the limited run he got.

Grade: B–

Dean Wade​

0 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound

Wade picked things up defensively tonight, but he remains in a cold spell from deep.

Grade: D+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

7 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds

Tomlin plays hard, as we’ve celebrated on this blog all season long. But certain things can’t be solved by playing hard. Inexperience is one of them. Tomlin might not have been part of the effort issue tonight, but he blew multiple defensive rotations and looked off Donovan Mitchell for an open three-pointer, instead opting for a jumper of his own — which he missed.

Still, Tomlin’s effort is something that makes him a positive contributor. It’s just worth highlighting that the Cavs’ issues are deeper than just effort, at the moment.

Grade: B

Lonzo Ball​

3 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

Ball is in a funk. His defense is far below what was advertised, and his shooting has somehow been worse. He shot 1-9 tonight, including a groan-inducing brick in transition during the fourth quarter.

Grade: F

Thomas Bryant​

14 points, 0 assists, 6 rebounds

Bryant changed everything about this game. Seriously. His commitment to screaming after every play is admirable, and it helped turn the momentum back into Cleveland’s favor for a brief moment.

Grade: A+

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...zers-donovan-mitchell-cant-always-be-superman

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cup of Cavs: None of this matters without Darius Garland

Good morning. It’s Friday, December 5th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 13-10. Let’s talk about Darius Garland.

The First Sip​

The Cavs aren’t playing their best basketball right now. From poor effort and a vulnerable defense to their wildly inefficient three-point shooting, it isn’t very pretty. But even if all of those things were magically fixed — one issue would remain:

Darius Garland isn’t himself.

There’s no way around this. Anyone watching can tell you that Garland isn’t moving well right now. He’s visibly limited, hobbling around the court and wincing in pain on every other step. The stats reflect this, as Garland is averaging just 13.6 points on 34.7% shooting from the floor. You can chalk some of this up to Garland needing to find his rhythm early in the season. But there’s no denying that his toe injury is a major reason for his struggles.

Garland has missed 15 games so far. That’s already more than he missed all of last season. Even when he is on the court, he doesn’t look or play like you’d expect Darius Garland to play. He’s a shell of himself right now. I don’t know when or how that will change.

One thing I do know is that the Cavs won’t reach their ceiling until Garland gets healthy.

Injuries are only one part of what’s been plaguing Cleveland through the first 23 games. They’ll have to do some serious soul-searching to figure out why other teams are consistently playing harder than they are. Yet, playing harder will only help the Cavs win regular-season games. It won’t be enough to get them deeper into the playoffs. That’s where talent and effort are non-negotiables.

Garland is the key to all of this. The Cavs have zero chance of competing for a title if this is the version of Garland we are going to get. It’s unclear how long Garland will be dealing with this injury — but it is clear what the outcome will be if things don’t change by April.

Links of the Day​

• Jaylon Tyson earns Cavs’ respect
• LeBron’s double-digit scoring streak ends
• Giannis Trade Ideas
• James Harden is ‘just as shocked’ about CP3

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cup-of...s-none-of-this-matters-without-darius-garland

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs vs Spurs – Jaylon Tyson goes scorched Earth

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the San Antonio Spurs behind a 44-19 third quarter.

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

Donovan Mitchell​

28 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds

Mitchell didn’t have to do it all on his own tonight. He was a constant presence, but he never had to bail anyone out. That’s how we’d like it to be more often than not.

Grade: A-

Jaylon Tyson​

24 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds

Tyson can’t miss right now. He’s delivered a spectacular week of basketball, scoring 65 points on 27-37 (72%) shooting in his three games since Monday. He’s combining a bruising playstyle with elite touch, pounding his way to the rim and sinking three-pointers all the same.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley​

17 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds

Mobley continues to look more comfortable and confident as the season goes on. He was aggressive tonight despite being listed as questionable with the flu.

Grade: A–

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.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

13 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds

Tomlin earned the start tonight but was quickly moved to the bench after finding himself in foul trouble. Once he returned, he made his usual impact by running to the rim like a madman on every possession.

Grade: B

De’Andre Hunter​

11 points, 0 assists, 3 rebounds

Hunter is still in a funk, but he did start the second half with consecutive buckets that helped start the run.

Grade: D+

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Craig Porter Jr.​

11 points, 1 assist, 7 rebounds

The Cavs leaned on Porter a bit more tonight after he played only seven minutes on Wednesday. He was a plus 20 in 23 minutes.

Grade: A+

Dean Wade​

12 points, 5 assists, 8 rebounds

Wade really needed this. He had been struggling for a few weeks now, but finally found a groove tonight. He made 4-6 field goals and even dished out 5 assists.

Grade: A+

Luke Travers​

2 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound

Travers unleashed a wicked behind-the-back dribble on his way to the rim in the first half. He didn’t play many minutes outside of that, but he was effective whenever he was on the court.

Grade: B

Lonzo Ball​

2 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals

Ball was quite restrained in his shooting tonight, only attempting two field goals. That might be a good thing after his 1-9 shooting in the game before.

Grade: B+

Thomas Bryant​

8 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds

Bryant is proving he can be a legit backup big. He kept pressure on the rim, finishing plays in the paint and earning four free throw attempts.

Grade: A–

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...avs-vs-spurs-jaylon-tyson-goes-scorched-earth

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

8 Takeaways from Cavs 130-117 win over Spurs: Jaylon Tyson is what Cavaliers ‘need’

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a much-needed win as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs 130-117 thanks to a momentum-changing third-quarter run.

For maybe the first time all season, the Cavs played the level of basketball they made look routine last year. They outscored the Spurs 44-19 in the third quarter by simply controlling both sides of the ball. They played good defense, turned that into transition offense, and then relentlessly attacked the basket whenever they could.

This led to a shot chart that was the complete opposite of what we’ve seen for most of the season. Instead of shooting the three-ball, they scored the ball from the most efficient spot on the floor: The restricted area.

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Head coach Kenny Atkinson has talked often about wanting to see his team get to the basket more. This was once again an issue on Wednesday as his team took 52 threes and 23 shots at the rim during the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

“We’ve got some guys struggling right now,” Atkinson said then about the Cavs’ outside shooting. “I would have loved to go in for layups or drive it.”

The offense finally found a way to attack the basket. The Cavs took 43 shots at the rim this game. Those accounted for 54% of their shot attempts (100th percentile). This came at the expense of the three-ball as they took a season-low 26 attempts. It was the inverse of what we saw earlier this week.

Twenty-six threes isn’t an ideal number of outside attempts. That said, if the defense isn’t going to stop you from getting to the basket, there’s no reason to go away from attacking it. An attempt at the rim is still the most efficient shot in basketball.

As Evan Mobley said after the game, “I mean, when you shoot paint shots, it’s easier to make.”

If you’re trying to relieve pressure from Donovan Mitchell, cutting off-ball is the way to do it. Mitchell tied a season-high with eight assists. Five of those came from attacking the basket off-ball.

Not every opponent will be missing their rotation centers like San Antonio, as Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet were sidelined. That made scoring in this way much easier. But this is one of the best ways to combat a three-point shot that isn’t falling right now. You can’t load up on a single ball handler if you know you can get beat away from the play.

The Cavs haven’t been a good cutting team this season. This — along with three-point accuracy — is one of the parts of the offense that simply hasn’t been there. Last year, the Cavs were fifth in cuts per game and first in points per play on cuts (1.43). The Cavs are cutting nearly the same amount per game this season, they just aren’t finishing as they’re now 26th in points per cut (1.22).

This game was a step in the right direction. Players like Craig Porter Jr., Jaylon Tyson, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin all did damage attacking the basket off-ball.

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Continuing to play well off-ball will determine if the younger players can play in the playoffs.

“What we’ve tried to do is really mold them with [the playoffs] in mind,” Atkinson said. “You’re going to do the things you’re doing in the playoffs [now], not like a regular-season role player. … If you’re a rotation player in the playoffs, like Nae’Qwan, cutting is a big [thing]. He’s got to be able to cut. … Cutting matters in the playoffs, especially when they’re loaded up on your guys and they start blitzing you, and you start throwing that to the half-roll.”

This is an area Tyson has learned to excel in as a professional.

“The biggest thing I love about him is to go from a scorer like that in college to [wanting to be] like a Josh Hart or like a Bruce Brown, which is the complete opposite of being a scorer,” Mitchell said of Tyson. “Doing all the little things like that says a lot about you as a person and also as a player.”

Tyson wasn’t given many opportunities to be that type of player last season. He had to instead learn from the sidelines by watching teammates like Max Strus.

“I would say his toughness, his leadership, and just how he plays without the ball,” Tyson said about what he learned from studying Strus’s game. “Max doesn’t get the ball a lot, especially being in that starting lineup with Darius [Garland], Don, and Evan needing the ball. But how he moved off the ball, and how he just impacts winning at a very high level.”

This — combined with a work ethic his coach calls “insane” — has led to Tyson being just a flat-out productive player.

Earlier in the season, it was easier to praise Tyson for just his energy and effort. Even if it was sometimes self-destructive, his willingness to make stuff happen was better than the alternative. Now, just saying his energy is useful would be a disservice to just how helpful he’s been.

Tyson has taken a meaningful step forward from where he was a month and a half ago. He’s more sure of how to attack off-ball on offense and better knows where he should be on defense. Throw in having a vastly improved three-point shot and displaying incredible touch around the rim, and you have someone who has been one of the most dependable players on the team.

“I’m really running out of nice things to say, because he just does it every night,” Mitchell said about Tyson. “Every single night, he’s doing something positive for us, and that’s what we need.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...io-spurs-cleveland-cavaliers-donovan-mitchell

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

3 Things to watch for in Cavs vs Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers play an old foe in the Golden State Warriors on their second night of a weekend back-to-back.

Injuries for both teams​

Any hype this matchup might have had has been diminished by the injury report for both squads. The Cavs, as we know, have dealt with bumps and bruises all season. As of now, they’ll almost certainly be without Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen, Lonzo Ball and Max Strus.

The Warriors have it even worse.

Golden State will not have Stephen Curry on Saturday. Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are also questionable. That’s all three members of the ‘big 3.’ So if you were hoping to see any of the Warriors’ aging stars, I’m sorry but you might be missing out.

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Grit and Grind​

The Cavs want to become a defense-first team. And for the first weeks of the season, they were tending that way as a top-10 defense. But that has slipped since then. Cleveland entered this weekend 13th in defensive rating and falling.

Now would be a good time to reverse that trend.

Golden State is 23rd in offensive rating. That’s counting the games they’ve had Stephen Curry. If you remove Curry, Butler and Green, then the Dubs fall to the 4th percentile in offensive rating.

Obviously, the Warriors don’t plan on playing many games without their big three. But since they won’t be on the court tonight, the Cavs have no excuse not to deliver a strong defensive game.

Deliberate Offense​

One could argue the Cavs have been attempting too many three-pointers this season. Kenny Atkinson might even agree with you, depending on the game.

The results speak for themselves. Cleveland is 9-2 when they score 50+ points in the paint versus their 3-7 record when they attempt 46+ three-pointers.

Playing offense with a purpose is key. There’s nothing wrong with a three-point attempt that comes naturally. Or even a heat check that feels warranted. But if you can’t buy a jumper, then you have to start attacking the paint. Cleveland made the appropriate adjustment in their win over San Antonio on Friday. Let’s see if they continue to make the right choices as they face Golden State.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-game-previews/41301/3-things-to-watch-for-in-cavs-vs-warriors

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Winners and Losers: Cavs vs Warriors – Nae’Qwan Tomlin is a lone bright spot

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors 99-94. This one stunk.

Let’s see who won and lost the night.

LOSER – De’Andre Hunter​

This last week couldn’t have been any more different from the way Hunter had previously been playing this season. His offensive creation, both as a finisher and playmaker, has completely vanished. His defense has been even worse, and his rebounding has been nonexistent.

Certain things you can excuse. Every player goes through slumps in shooting the ball. But a 2-9 shooting performance wasn’t the issue tonight. It was the seeming lack of effort. The mental errors on defense, combined with being beaten off the dribble at every opportunity.

Hunter was guilty of most of these bad habits when he was in Atlanta. But he has proven that he can be more than this in Cleveland, even in a small sample size. We can judge him harshly because we know he can be better.

WINNER – Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

Tomlin’s impact this season has been more intangible than anything that necessarily shows itself in the box score. It’s energy, hustle and enthusiasm more often than not.

Tonight, all that excitement finally materialized into a huge rebounding game.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Cavs gave Tomlin plenty of opportunities to grab rebounds with their poor shooting. Tomlin himself rebounded a handful of his own misses. But it doesn’t matter how you get them — it just matters that you get them.

Tomlin finished with 12 rebounds in 16 minutes. Not bad for a guy who isn’t even on a standard contract (yet).

WINNER – Darius Garland’s Mobility​

This is something to keep an eye on all season. How is Darius Garland moving? Does he look limited by the toe injury? That’s more important than the outcome of any individual game.

I thought Garland moved well in this one. He was shifty, using his handle and quick bursts to get into the teeth of Golden State’s defense. That didn’t result in an efficient scoring night — but it was encouraging enough from a mobility standpoint.

It's been too long since we last saw Darius Garland get in his bag pic.twitter.com/LRyE4j3W4X

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) December 7, 2025

Again, Garland wasn’t particularly good tonight.

He shot 6-15 and only had 4 assists to 3 turnovers. But he also hasn’t moved this fluidly for most of the season. Let us have some hope that maybe DG can fully turn the corner on this injury.

LOSER – The Offense​

For the second time in their esteemed history, the Cavs and Warriors dared to ask the bold question: What if no one scored? In an homage to Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, neither team was able to buy a bucket for long stretches of this game.

The score at the end of the first quarter was 18-12. Yes, you read that right. The Cavaliers shot 0-10 from downtown while the Warriors were 4-23 from the field (17%) in the opening 12 minutes. Golden State actually had more turnovers (5) than made field goals in the first quarter. This type of basketball can be boring to watch. At the same time, it reached a level of absurdity that was almost entertaining.

It might have been more entertaining if it had ended in a win.

Cleveland continued their cold streak through the entire game. For a team that just scored 44 points in a quarter the night before, Cleveland couldn’t muster up more than 30 points in a quarter until the fourth, when they scored 32.

You just won’t win many games if you shoot this poorly. Cleveland’s 34.6% field goal percentage was the lowest they’ve had in a regular season game since March 2021.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...warriors-naeqwan-tomlin-is-a-lone-bright-spot

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

14 stats to explain Cavs’ 99-94 loss to Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their worst offensive display of the season as they lost to the Golden State Warriors 99-94 on Saturday night.

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	39.3%, 0th percentile	40.8%, 94th percentile	12.5%, 72nd percentile	9.4, 3rd percentile
Warriors	104.2, 16th percentile	28.3%, 48th percentile	14.7%, 48th percentile	24.1, 61st percentile

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

• Cleveland’s 97.9 offensive rating (5th percentile) for the game was their worst of the season. Their previous low was 98 during their Nov. 24 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
• This was the second time this season the Cavs were held under 100 points. This happened just once last regular season.
• The Cavs went 10-42 (23.8%) from beyond the arc. This was the fifth time they converted less than 30% of their threes, and the third time they’ve completed 25% or less. By contrast, they’ve only shot 40% or better from deep six times. Last season, the Cavs shot under 30% from three 10 times and 25% or under on three occasions.
• The Cavs are now 1-4 when they shoot under 30% from three and 0-3 when they shoot 25% or worse. It’s a make-or-miss league. The Cavs simply aren’t shooting well enough to be consistent. They’re taking the most three-point attempts of any team in the league, but are 24th in three-point percentage (34.3%).
• The offense wasn’t able to make up for it by converting at the rim as they went 13-35 in the restricted area and drew just two shooting fouls on those attempts. Their 42.9% shooting at the rim was in the first percentile for NBA games this season. This wasn’t for a lack of effort, as 35% of their shot attempts came in the restricted area (64th percentile).
• Donovan Mitchell only got one of his six attempts at the rim to go. He went just 4-9 on shots inside the arc and had no free-throw attempts. His inability to convert inside or get to the line heavily contributed to the poor offense.
• The Cavs as a team took just 12 free throws. This is the lowest amount they’ve taken in a game all season.
• The Cavaliers had 21 more shot attempts than the Warriors. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has often talked about wanting to win the possession battle. They did so handily on Saturday, yet it didn’t matter.
• Cleveland’s 24 offensive rebounds were their third-most this season. This didn’t help much since the Cavs shot 9-25 (36%) on second-chance field-goal attempts. Nae’Qwan Tomlin accounted for six offensive rebounds.
• The offense turned it over just 12 times. This was Clevland’s sixth-fewest in a game this season.
• The Cavaliers’ eight fast-break points were their third-lowest on the season. They registered a 58.8 offensive rating on transition possessions (2nd percentile). Cleveland was able to get out and run often, as 20.8% of their possessions were in the open court (88th percentile). This is one of the most efficient ways to score, but it wasn’t on Saturday.
• The Cavs held the Warriors to just 1-17 (5.9%) shooting on shots between 4 and 14 feet. This is a comically low percentage. Golden State’s offense also struggled mightily on Saturday, but they at least had the excuse of being without their top two scorers.
• Golden State went 1-11 (9.1%) on corner threes. The Cavs were in this game late because the Warriors’ offense was also awful. Golden State finished with a 104.2 offensive rating (16th percentile).
• Darius Garland continues to struggle as he went 6-15 from the floor and 1-6 from deep. He scored 17 points on Saturday. He’s only scored over 20 points once in the nine games he’s played this season. Garland is yet to shoot above 45% from the field in a game. He is now shooting 35.3% from the floor and 32.1% from three on the season.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...e-warriors-cleveland-cavaliers-darius-garland

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs show their bond by supporting Max Strus Family Foundation: ‘We’re in it for the right reasons’

Cleveland Cavaliers wing Max Strus still fondly remembers going to an annual charity bowling event with his hometown Chicago Bears while growing up.

“I always thought, if I was ever in this position, this is an event I’d like to do,” Strus said when addressing the attendees at the Max Strus Family Foundation’s second annual Bowl the Land event. “I wanted to bring that here and bring that to my foundation.”

Sunday’s bowling event was a fundraiser for the Max Strus Family Foundation. Since their first event last season, the foundation has donated $160,000 to non-profits that support mental health, cancer advocacy, education, and youth empowerment.

While the goal of his foundation is to support and invest in organizations doing good in the Miami, Cleveland, and Chicagoland areas, that isn’t what Strus has found to be the most rewarding part of his foundation’s work.

“Giving the money to those organizations that are doing powerful things in their communities [is great], but I think the most important thing is going to meet these people, going to be a part of the organizations,” Strus said. “There’s a couple of Cleveland-based communities that just came to my game with Project NICU, and then Empower Sports. Getting to meet the people, getting to see them, getting to see the smiles on their faces…is truly what makes it all feel great.”

This includes going to visit Empower Sports — a non-profit in Cleveland that hopes to use sports to promote kindness, character, and relationships.

“I went to go watch Empower Sports play basketball and to see what they do and see how they’re affecting people’s lives is something that is truly special and near and dear to me,” Strus said. “To be able to see that the money that we’ve given can help them in any way is just something that I’m very grateful to be a part of.”

The Max Strus Family Foundation has donated grants to eight organizations so far.

“We’re here to support [groups] anywhere from youth sports, youth education, cancer outreach programs, mental health,” Strus said. “We’re really trying to spread our light, spread our awareness to any field in the Greater Cleveland Community in those areas.”

Strus was joined by all of his teammates and coaching staff at RollHouse on Sunday. Attendees were able to bowl with a member of the team.

“Them alone being here is more than anything I could ask for,” Strus said of Mitchell’s support. “It shows how close-knit we are as a team. … We’re always going to support each other no matter what. So for them to be here is truly special.”

Some of the Cavaliers were good bowlers like Lonzo Ball and Evan Mobley. Others seemed out of place like Donovan Mitchell bowling left-handed.

Donovan Mitchell is here at the Max Strus Family Foundation Charity Event

Sorry Spida, we can’t erase this footage pic.twitter.com/BBQp8cp7Q9

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) December 7, 2025

Even though Mitchell wasn’t the best bowler there, he and his foundation, Spida Cares, helped sponsor the event.

“Don’s foundation donated on his behalf,” Strus said. “He doesn’t have to do that. He wanted to do that and make sure he’s part of it and helping. It shows you about our team. We’re in it for the right reasons.”

While Sunday’s event was fun, Strus is excited to see how his foundation can continue to impact the community.

“We just started,” Strus said. “We’re only one year in, and feel like we’re already making a huge impact. So we just want to keep doing that and keep spreading goodness.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...cavaliers-community-outreach-donovan-mitchell

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Player Grades: Cavs vs Warriors – Poor shooting is contagious

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped a game to the Golden State Warriors B-Squad. They shot 34% from the floor and 23% from downtown in the loss. Yuck.

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

Donovan Mitchell​

29 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds

Mitchell took it upon himself to will Cleveland back into this game offensively after a putrid start to the game. This led to some serious tunnel vision that might have hurt the team. At the same time, it was Mitchell’s scoring that nearly won them the game in the first place. Mitchell finished with 29 points on 26 shot attempts.

Grade: B+

Jaylon Tyson​

11 points, 3 assists, 11rebounds

The Warriors ran the risk of giving Tyson another big scoring game. They left him mostly unguarded on the perimeter, but Tyson shot just 1-4 from deep.

As you’ve come to expect, Tyson still found a way to be helpful by grabbing BLANK rebounds and turning up the defensive intensity in the final quarter.

Grade: B-

Evan Mobley​

18 points, 1 assist, 10 rebounds

Mobley had been scoring efficiently and heating up defensively before tonight’s game. He brought it once again on defense tonight, but shot 8-19 from the floor. I thought his process was mostly fine — shots just didn’t drop.

Grade: B

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Darius Garland​

17 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds

Garland had a rough start to this one. He opened the game shooting 3-10 but went 3-5 the rest of the way. His mobility looked better than it has in weeks, which was encouraging. But he didn’t have it on defense, and he wasn’t good enough on offense.

Grade: C-

De’Andre Hunter​

6 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds

I’m not sure what’s happening to Hunter, but I hope he snaps out of it soon. This was a helter-skelter performance with just 2 field goals to 2 turnovers.

Grade: D+

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Craig Porter Jr.​

0 points, 0 assists, 4 rebounds

Porter only played 15 minutes and went 0-4 from the field. His offense felt rushed, but I think the Cavs could have leaned on him a bit more. Porter has had a knack for making things happen if you roll with him long enough.

Grade: C+

Dean Wade​

3 points, 0 assists, 4 rebounds

The Cavs could have really used another efficient shooting night from Wade. He wasn’t able to deliver.

Grade: D+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin​

6 points, 1 assist, 12 rebounds

Tomlin was a rebounding machine. He’s been an energizer all season long, but this might have been his most impactful performance to date. He didn’t shoot the ball well (3-10) but he did everything else.

Grade: A

Thomas Bryant​

2 points, 0 assists, 6 rebounds

Golden State showed no interest in defending Bryant, and he showed no interest in making them pay for it. Bryant was fine defensively, but shot 0-4 from the floor.

Grade: C+

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...-cavs-vs-warriors-poor-shooting-is-contagious

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Donovan Mitchell has raised his game to another level: ‘I feel like I’m at my best right now’

Donovan Mitchell’s play is one of the few things currently going right for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s been the one constant in a season filled with injuries and inconsistent play. And he isn’t just playing to his usual All-NBA standard. He’s raised his game to another level.

“Mindset,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said last week when asked what has changed for Mitchell. “I think the frustrations with losing last year in the playoffs drives guys like him to take another step.”

The numbers would seem to suggest that he has. Mitchell is scoring a career-high in points (30.5) and effective field goal percentage (59.6%). He’s now fourth in the league in points and has the fourth-highest effective field-goal percentage for a guard who has played over 300 minutes. Only reigning MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is better than him in both categories.

“I know he tweaked his offseason program,” Atkinson said of Mitchell. “I’m not going to tell you exactly what that was. Maybe he can tell you. [He was] definitely working on different things. I know he tweaked stuff with the performance part, to the weight room, all that stuff. These elite players are really tweaking stuff on the margins.”

Mitchell hasn’t given away exactly what changed in his approach to this season, but it was heavily influenced by Cleveland’s loss to the Indiana Pacers in the second round last postseason. The Cavs — specifically Mitchell — ran out of steam by the end of that series.

Indiana did a good job of making Mitchell earn baskets in the paint. They were physical at the rim and made him pay the price for driving inside. Mitchell had success early on, but couldn’t keep it going. He wore down as the series progressed and was dealing with a calf strain as well.

By the end of the series, it didn’t seem like Mitchell had much left in the tank. Indiana played at a considerably faster pace than Cleveland was used to. They turned missed shots into made baskets on the other end in a way no other team in the playoffs did.

Playing faster has become a trend across the league this regular season. But Mitchell is ready for that now.

“I think last year, having to play at that pace in the playoffs was different,” Mitchell said after the win over the Los Angeles Clippers in November. “But now you’re seeing that every night, right? So that kind of prepared me to come out here and say, okay, even though they are pressing you, it’s not always downhill to attack. It’s downhill to create.”

Mitchell has mentioned that he would rather use his athleticism when he needs it. It’s part of his progression as a player at this point in his career. This has shown up in where Mitchell is scoring from. He’s attempting the fewest shots at the rim in his career.

In its place, he’s added floaters and short midrange shots to counter when defenses shift over to protect the rim. That’s why you’re seeing more of the up-and-over gather move — he’s admitted to stealing that from Dwyane Wade — to get to his floater. This has led to Mitchell completing 59.4% of his shots in the short midrange (between 4-14 feet of the basket), which is the fourth-best percentage for a guard who’s played over 300 minutes this season.

“That’s what last year’s playoffs taught me, if you have to continue to drive full court every single possession, you’re going to tire out,” Mitchell said. “You won’t be efficient. And I don’t just mean scoring, I mean overall as a basketball player.”

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This approach hasn’t negatively impacted Mitchell’s ability to get to the line, as he’s taking his most free-throw attempts per game. He’s being his best, most efficient self while better preparing for playoff basketball, where it’s more difficult to get to the rim.

“He’s in the money spot with [his] age,” Atkinson said. “This is when guys are really in that great stage in their career mentally. They know what’s going on in the league, how they fit in with the team. Not just the on-court stuff, but the off-court stuff and the leadership stuff. It’s close to perfection, and he’s a perfectionist.”

Despite how well Mitchell is playing, having to rely on him this heavily in the regular season isn’t ideal. Cleveland is 7-1 in games he scores 35 or more points and 7-10 when he doesn’t. This includes being 0-4 when he scores 21 points or fewer.

“I don’t think that’s a long-term sustainable [plan],” Atkinson said of Mitchell’s heroics. “We need more balance. And I do think as we get healthier, he understands that, but we need more balance. And we’ll get more balance as Darius [Garland] starts to get his rhythm, and we get guys back. But right now it’s on him. He’s got to carry us.”

The Cavs aren’t a serious championship-contender with how they’ve played through their first 25 games. Mitchell’s incredible scoring has kept them within shouting distance of the top of the conference. That said, we’re still four months away from the start of the playoffs. The Cavaliers have plenty of time to figure things out, as they hope to get healthy.

And once they get to the playoffs, they have Mitchell playing the best basketball of his career. That, more than anything, is a reason to be optimistic about their future, even when their play has been so uneven. You always have a chance when you have the most skilled player in the series.

“Scoring-wise, I feel like I’m at my best right now,” Mitchell said.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-f...s-cavs-nba-cleveland-cavaliers-kenny-atkinson

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cup of Cavs: Rejoice for a chance to reset

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, December 9th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 14-11. Let’s talk about how badly they need this chance to rest.

The First Sip​

The Cavaliers need to reset. That much has become obvious.

It’s been a grueling schedule that hasn’t been particularly kind to a team that’s already struggling. The Cavs, who have entered the season with various injuries, have played more back-to-backs and more games overall than any other team in the NBA. 25 games in 47 days have had the Cavs playing almost every other day for nearly two months.

Their recent five games in seven nights couldn’t have come at a worse time. The team has been in a funk — and having Jarrett Allen, Max Strus and Sam Merrill on the sideline, while Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball are only half available, hasn’t helped.

This isn’t an excuse. But pretending their dense schedule and poor health haven’t been a factor is disengenious.

Let’s be clear about something. The Cavs have lost games to other shorthanded teams this season. The Golden State Warriors just beat them without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, or Jimmy Butler, for example.

But Cleveland has also won games it should have lost. Remember when the Power of Friendship prevailed in their win over the Miami Heat just a few weeks ago? Or when they beat the Atlanta Hawks at the start of November without Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen available.

My point is — this has been a roller coaster start to the season, where the downs have felt more damaging than the highs have felt rewarding. Keeping the big picture in mind is important.

The Cavs won’t have much of a chance this season if they continue to be this banged up. And getting healthy is just the starting point. They’ll have other issues to solve once they are at full strength, if that ever even happens.

However you’re feeling about the team now, I think we can all agree this break in the schedule has been much needed. The Cavs don’t play again until Friday, giving them five days to reset. They’ll return to play against the Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls (twice), Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. This gives them a prime opportunity to get healthy and rack up wins against inferior opponents.

If the Cavs take care of business during this upcoming stretch, they could realistically improve to 20-14 before taking on the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns to close December. A few inspiring wins there could have us entering the New Year with newfound hope.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking… but this is the path to rejuvenating the season, should they take it.

Links of the Day​

• Cavs show bond by supporting Max Strus Foundation
• Cavs fined for Resting Darius Garland
• NBA Cup Preview
• Fake NBA League Pass Awards

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cup-of-cavs/41404/cup-of-cavs-rejoice-for-a-chance-to-reset

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs receive good and bad news about injured players’ availability

Injuries have defined the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ season through 25 games. They haven’t been able to keep key contributors healthy and haven’t been able to establish any kind of rhythm when their previously injured players have been available.

The Cavs have had some much-needed time off this week. They’ve used that to practice for consecutive days for one of the first times this season and are buying more time for their injured players to return to the lineup.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson provided updates for both Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill after the team’s practice on Tuesday. We’ll start with the good news first.

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Atkinson confirmed that Allen was a full participant in practice on Monday. He’s missed the team’s last five games with a right-finger strain. This is after being out a few games last month due to a non-displaced fracture on his other hand. Based on his participation in practice, we could be seeing Allen return to the starting lineup shortly.

Allen is averaging 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 57.3% shooting in 15 games.

We likely won’t be seeing Sam Merrill return that quickly. He was considered day-to-day a week and a half ago. That labeling may not be accurate anymore. He wasn’t a full participant in practice on Monday.

“I don’t know what to tell you guys,” Atkinson said when asked about Merrill’s injury on Monday. “He’s frustrated. We’re frustrated. It’s just a slow healing process. That’s where we are. … Swelling is decreasing, but you know the fact is, he’s still not able to shoot…and catch. It’s hard to move forward.”

Merrill injured his hand in the team’s Nov. 17 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He returned to the game after initially injuring it, but hasn’t been available since.

On the season, Merrill is averaging a career-high 13.9 points per game while shooting 44.2% from beyond the arc.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-i...jarrett-allen-sam-merrill-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

LeBron James confirms what we already knew about 2018 Cavs

LeBron James has made an All-NBA team for over two straight decades. His prime spanned 15 seasons. Figuring out what year was his absolute best can be debated. That said, there’s a few seasons that stick out from the rest.

James’s first MVP season in 2008-09 was special. He was at the height of his athletic powers at 24 years old and had a well-rounded skillset. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to 66 wins in the regular season and averaged an absurd 35.4 points in the playoffs while shooting 51% from the floor. Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic ruined what should’ve been a showdown with him and Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals.

Then, there’s the 2012-13 season. James grabbed his second straight MVP, Finals MVP, and championship that season with the Miami Heat. He was still at or near his athletic prime and had added enough to his game to truly feel unstoppable.

There’s also an argument to be made for the 2016 season. This was the high point in James’s career as he led the Cavs to a championship while overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the team with the best record in NBA history.

And finally, there’s the 2017-18 season: A year full of turmoil for the Cavs. Kyrie Irving requested a trade that offseason. The core of that went to three previous Finals looked like a shell of themselves. They traded half of their team away at the deadline. And it was clear that this was going to be James’s last season in Cleveland.

Despite all of that, LeBron delivered what he feels was his best individual season.

During that 2017-18 season, @KingJames could do no wrong.

Steve and Bron answered YOUR questions on this week's mailbag episode. Watch on our YouTube, @primevideo or listen wherever you get your podcasts — link in bio. pic.twitter.com/1dr227hVEd

— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) December 9, 2025

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“If you asked me what I feel like was my best season that I had, where I felt the most complete as a basketball player, I would say 2018,” James said during a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast. “2017-18 season, I felt like I could do no wrong out there on the basketball floor.”

James was a one-man wrecking crew that season. He dragged a truly bad supporting cast by playing every regular-season game. Then, had what might’ve been the best single postseason in league history. He brought the Cavs through two seven-game series en route to the Finals, and then was a bad overturned block call, a missed free throw, and a JR Smith incident away from stealing Game 1 against maybe the greatest collection of talent ever assembled.

It’s fair to wonder what would’ve happened if the Cavs won that game in regulation. They likely don’t take the series, but we probably would’ve gotten one or two more incredible LeBron performances.

LeBron’s 51-point performance in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals may be the best single-game performance ever. At least it was during my lifetime, and it doesn’t get remembered as such because of the loss.

This season gave us so many other great moments as well. The 58-point game after being called out by John Wall, the dunk on Jusuf Nurkic, the game-winner where he ignored Isaiah Thomas, ruining Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement, the game-winning three against the Pacers, LeBronto, the ridiculous floater to beat the Raptors, and an incredible Game 7 to beat Boston all happened this season. LeBron compiled a list of what would be career highlights for a top-tier Hall-of-Fame player in just one year.

James was truly at the peak of his powers. It seemed like he truly cracked the code of basketball. He was seeing the game at such a high level and was still arguably the most athletic player in the league. Combine that with having one of his best seasons as an outside shooter, and you have the greatest basketball player of all time playing his absolute best.

We will likely never see basketball played at this high a level for a sustained season and playoffs ever again.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/nba-ne...es-2018-cleveland-cavaliers-los-angles-lakers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs sharpshooter gets positive injury update

Sam Merrill reportedly went through a post-practice workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers today. The three-point sniper has been sidelined since November 17 with a hand sprain.

#Cavs guard Sam Merrill is going through a post-practice workout today. He’s using his right hand to shoot, which is the first time we’ve seen this since his injury last month.

— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) December 11, 2025

“Sam, as you can see, really good news, is actually shooting,” Kenny Atkinson said after practice today. “He’s actually shooting with his shooting hand, which is a pleasant sight to see.”

Merrill is averaging 13.9 points on 44.4% three-point shooting this season. He nailed six three-pointers in his last game against the Milwaukee Bucks and is averaging the third most three-pointers per game in the NBA, behind Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry.

The Cavaliers could certainly use someone like Merrill back in the lineup. They’ve fallen to 22nd in three-point percentage and haven’t been able to generate consistent offense this season. Merrill, with his ability to get open on the perimeter, would be welcomed back.

Atkinson also provided updates on two other Cavaliers. He said that Jarrett Allen competed in about half of today’s practice and that nothing has changed with Max Strus’ timeline as he works his way back from a foot injury.

As for Darius Garland, Atkinson says he has been encouraged by the subtle progression Garland has made this season with his toe injury. He isn’t back to the level he was last season — but that was to be expected. Right now, the team is looking for gradual improvements in his mobility.

“Definitely getting better from what I’ve seen, when I watch the film,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, he’s not back to where he was last year. But, I think the good thing is our expectations were not that — it’s a different type of injury… I think we’re seeing more and more flashes of DG, we just gotta continue to have patience with this process.”

Cleveland is 14-11 and is using this break in the schedule to reset. That means fixing things in practice, getting some much-needed rest, and hopefully, getting a bit healthier. Their next game is on Friday against the Washington Wizards.

“I keep using the word rest, mentally, physically, emotionally, just reset yourself,” Atkinson said. “It makes you feel good about how we approach this next stretch of games.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-news/41522/cavs-sharpshooter-gets-positive-injury-update

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Jaylon Tyson is the biggest winner of Cavaliers slow start

If anyone reading this knows of my recent writings to start the season, I was not the biggest Jaylon Tyson supporter. Phrases like “I’m out” and “I don’t see it” may have been uttered, but hey, nothing lasts forever on the internet, right?

Anyhow, safe to say confidence in my ability to gauge the capabilities of NBA talent has taken a massive hit. I am not afraid to admit I was dead wrong about what Tyson was capable of. Tyson has proven himself to be the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most impactful and consistent player on the floor not named Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley.

Jaylon Tyson is following the Ty Jerome school of eating up any minutes available by constantly exceeding expectations. Tyson may have begun this season in the Cavaliers’ starting lineup, however, this was more due to circumstance than level of play. Nevertheless, while Tyson didn’t come out the gates as the player we are seeing today, he, akin to Jerome last season, has clearly climbed the rankings of someone that the team views as a high-level impact player.

The appeal is obvious, the guy has an endless motor, and is a human torch from the three-point line (currently shooting 46.7%). While the latter is not sustainable, the former is something that the Cavaliers seem like they can rely on. They’ve struggled with energy this season, so Tyson’s relentless energy is palpable.

Part of my Tyson skepticism came from the Cavs looking to utilize him much differently compared to the roles he held in college. While Tyson never had identical roles in college year to year, a lot of the minutes he logged were as the offensive engine.

With a Cavaliers team that (when healthy) would have Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Mobley mainly running the Cavaliers offense, it seemed highly unlikely these opportunities would be in Tyson’s future. However, Tyson has seamlessly adjusted to playing off-ball and has been able to flash the skills that made him successful in college as well.

There have been times recently where Tyson has been able to be that second initiator and flash the on-ball skills we saw on his college tape. Tyson being relegated to a catch and shoot option from three would have been a roll of the dice. Even with the clip he is shooting at, not bringing anything else to the table would clearly have been a disservice to Tyson’s skillset.

Now, I am not saying that Tyson is who the Cavaliers need to build around. I do, however, believe that there are some discussions to be had regarding Tyson becoming the full-time starting small forward. I am aware that the Cavaliers have multiple options like De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus, and Dean Wade. However, I think having Tyson to start games would be in everyone’s best interest.

The Cavaliers haven’t exactly come out the gates guns blazing. Tyson’s energy is something that would keep the Cavaliers’ core four in check. Having Hunter out there essentially has all the elite scorers on the Cavaliers out on the floor at the same time. Relegating Tyson to being the break glass in case of emergency would be a waste of the player he has been this season. The accountability Tyson has shown on and off the floor shows the respect that the top players and coaching staff have in him.

I think the move would amplify the Cavaliers’ bench rotations as well. The substitution patterns would benefit from having names like Strus, Sam Merrill, and Hunter coming off the bench to leave reliable offense on the floor at all times. The Cavaliers have one of the more talented rosters in the league, and you don’t want the feeling of a top-heavy minutes distribution.

It has been far from an ideal start to the season for the Cavaliers, the development and emergence of Tyson has clearly been the brightest spot in a murky season. If his level of play levels off at some point, he has still exceeded any level of assumptions/expectations any critics (like this dumb-dumb) had entering the season.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-analysis/41516/cavs-jaylon-tyson-cleveland-cavaliers-nba