Three Cavaliers Key players are motivated to take the Court against the Heat
When you ask any member of the Cleveland Cavaliers how the start of the season has been, the common theme is this: “average,” Max Strus recently put it. The Cavs sit at 12-9 through 21 games, and it is clear that this team has not played up to its potential.
There are nights when they do, like when they beat the Atlanta Hawks by 23 at home. Or when they beat the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers in back-to-back games while shorthanded. However, there are games where the Cavs look like a bottom 10 NBA team. Losing to the Trail Blazers at home, blowing a 10-point lead with two minutes left against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and getting embarrassed by the Miami Heat at home by 33 points.
It has been really up and down for the Cavs so far. Fortunately, they finished the month of November with a 9-6 record. That is a great month for most teams, but it easily could have been 10-5, 11-4, or even 12-3. They know that they left wins on the table. At least there is hope that the team will turn it around, and they started the month off the right way. The Cavs crushed the Orlando Magic 121-111 at home on Wednesday, and had one of their more complete performances of the season. They are now 2-0 to start December.
That said, key players need to step it up in order to keep the good times rolling. Here are my three Cavs players that need to step up in December.
No. 1. Darius Garland
The month of November starts the season of giving, and Darius Garland took that a little too literally. He was giving the ball away on offense at an alarmingly high rate. Garland averaged four turnovers per game for the month, including five games of five or more. That is unacceptable for a starting NBA point guard, and a far cry from the Garland we have grown accustomed to over the last few seasons.
However, it was not all bad for Garland during the month of November. He had five 20-plus-point games, and nine games of at least six assists. He also had 47/35/82 shooting splits for the month, which is close to his normal efficiency.
Garland showed flashes of the All-Star level we all know he can play at, but it was largely an up and down month for him. Fortunately, he has started December off on the right foot. Garland was instrumental in the Cavs’ road win against the Detroit Pistons, as he had 22 points, five assists, and three steals. He then followed that up with one of his best performances of the season against the Orlando Magic. Garland had 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting, and nine assists. The most important stat of Garland’s performance though was this: zero turnovers.
For the first time all season, Garland finished with no turnovers. It was the kind of efficient performance that can do a lot for a player’s confidence. Garland has to continue this level of play throughout the month. It would be a great Christmas gift for the Wine and Gold.
No. 2: Donovan Mitchell
For Donovan Mitchell, the month of November was a weird one. Mitchell battled a hamstring injury that cost him four consecutive games, and when he returned from it, he was not himself. In the last four games of the month, Mitchell shot a chilly 34 percent from the field. It was overall an inefficient month for him, as he had six total games where he shot below 40 percent from the field. This was a far cry from the beginning part of the season, where I thought Mitchell was a fringe MVP candidate after his blistering start to the year.
Fortunately, Mitchell had a huge game against the Magic, as he had 35 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. He was also extremely efficient as he shot 50 percent from the field, and 50 percent from the three-point line. It was a much needed bounce back for Mitchell, as he aims to break out of this mini-slump.
In order for the Cavaliers to rid themselves of this “average” label, Mitchell needs to continue to leave up to his name of Spida. He got off on the right foot in a big win against the Magic. Now, it is all about maintaining that level of efficiency throughout the month, as the Cavaliers continue their climb to the top of the East.
No. 3: Dean Wade
Dean Wade missed a lot of time in November due to a sprained ankle. It cost him six total games. But in fairness, he was not having a great month to begin with. During November, Wade shot 33 percent from three-point range, had three games of four fouls or more, and in six road games during the month, he made a grand total of two three-pointers. That’s two more than me, and I didn’t even suit up for the Cavs. Wade has to be better off the bench for the Cavaliers.
His job is to shoot the ball at a decent clip, and bring a level of toughness on defense, specifically in the paint. The defense is there, that has never been a question with Wade. Unfortunately, the offense was way far behind in November. However, Wade had a bounce back game against the Magic as he had eight points, five rebounds, and nailed two three-pointers in 14 minutes of action. That is exactly what he should be bringing off the bench for the Cavaliers in December. He needs to step it up, and be a reliable bench piece for a team that could use the depth in the frontcourt.
The Cavs have gotten off to a good start in December, as they are 2-0. They have a tough stretch ahead of them with four road games in a row against tough Eastern Conference opponents, as they play the Heat, Boston Celtics (two times), and the Orlando Magic again. This stretch will show what this Cavs team is made of.
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