By james art It’s amazing how some opening day talking points in the NBA season can seem premature and far-fetched. On the other hand, there were many occasions when these conversations, however speculative, turned out to be prophetic. The jibes surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers’ opening night win over the Toronto Raptors fit that bill perfectly.
The way the Cavaliers beat the Raptors by 30 points, despite relatively tame outings from Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, sparked discussions about the Ohio team’s playoff prospects. Phew, that was fast. But isn’t it too soon?
Since the Eastern Conference is not as strong as the West, the votes are not without reason. Here’s a look at what the Stars need to line up to have a longer playoff run.
Mitchell and Garland should be healthy
The Cavaliers haven’t had a team this good since the teams led by LeBron James from 2016 to 2018. Much like how LeBron was indispensable to the Cavs then, the star duo of Mitchell and Garland is paramount to their success now. If the two can stay healthy, the team could make a serious push for a top four finish in the Conference.
Last year, despite playing fewer than 60 regular season games, the two helped the Cavs to a fourth-place finish. However, things went wrong in the playoffs. Garland’s form dipped while Mitchell was injured early in the second round, and the Boston Celtics swept them in the semifinals.
For new coach Kenny Atkinson to lead this team to its potential, having Mitchell and Garland on the court is a must.
Garland needs to find his form for the All-Star game
Garland averaged 18 points over 57 games last season. While that’s not low, it’s a sharp drop from the previous two years when he had 21.7 and 21.6 PPG. He was an All-Star in 2022 when he had his best year statistically (in addition to 21.7 PPG, he averaged 3.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game in his career).
With the Cavaliers lacking a bona fide shot creator, Garland is vital to the team. His gravitas inside the paint combined with his ability to finish at the rim make him perfect at kicking the ball to the open man when double-teamed in layups.
Yes, Garland had an injury, a broken jaw as he revealed. But if he wants to justify the Cavaliers’ decision to keep him, he’ll need to show his All-Star form this season and beyond.
The shot he creates will also help unlock Evan Mobley’s game. Already a league-recognized defensive threat, Mobley has yet to develop into an offensive force. To sustain a deep playoff run, Mobley will need to step in and help Mitchell and Garland in the scoring department.
Yes, Mitchell is an elite slasher, but he lacks serious shot-making ability. His season high in assists was 6.1 APG last campaign. This only happened because he was forced to step up as Garland had a break.
Mitchell’s best game comes when he drives to the basket. If he is forced to change his natural game to compensate for Garland’s shortcomings, then two of the Cavs’ best players will be out.
The two stars are decisive factors, no doubt. However, if other players fail to join the party or get injured, then the campaign will unravel in no time. Garland and Mitchell are their offensive engines, but players like Mobley and Jarrett Allen are just as important defensively.
The East is perhaps easier. But the conference is expected to become more competitive than last year. The Cavaliers are still good to secure a postseason berth. However, they must shoot to gain home court advantage. And for that, all the weapons on their roster need to fire together and consistently, throughout the year, improve and move forward from the big season-opening win.