The Cavs were short of players, just 10 active players including three two-way players, but were not short of opportunities. The Cavs led by 8 at one point, held a lead for 17+ minutes and even were within 4 points late in the 4Q but a struggling Donovan Mitchell (6-for-20 on the night) and a quiet Evan Mobley (just 7 FGA, and 0's in 6+ 4Q minutes) handicapped a Cavaliers team already handicapped and facing a red-hot Brandon Ingram (37 points, 15-30 FG).
By the Numbers
+14: Toronto's rebounding advantage including +6 in offensive rebounds
-15.1%: The Cavs rebounding percentage with Mobley on the floor, meaning they gathered 15.1% less of the rebounding opportunities when he was on the floor versus when he was off
48: 3PA by the Cavs -- their 4th highest total on the year and 9 more than their 2PA
29.2%: Cleveland's 3P%, their second worst of the year with both having come against Toronto
88.2%: The Cavs FG% on restricted area attempts yet they attempted just 17 FGAs in the area
38.4%: Cavs FG% after the 1Q
7: 7! Evan Mobley FGAs in a game where three two-way players had to play major minutes
2: 3Q points by Mitchell who typically averages 10 more 3Q points
+1: The Raptors fast break point advantage which is saying something given how successful they've been in that area and have challenged the Cavs
27th: Percentile production by the Cavs in the halfcourt setting
-21: Plus-minus with Mobley and Mitchell on the floor
+11: Plus-minus with Mobley and Mitchell off the floor
+7: By the Cavs best lineup on the night: Ball-Livingston-Tomlin-Tyson-Bryant
13-4: Toronto run to end the 2Q, and go into hafltime with a lead after not having led for over a quarter
By the Players
Lonzo Ball: Somebody needed to shoot the ball with all of the players the Cavs had out, and Ball took it amongst himself to do so. He hoisted 15 shots, including going 2-for-12 from three-point range. He's shooting 32% from the field and 30% from 3 on the year. The shot selection has been questionable (at best) this year and unfortunately that's not likely going away -- it is who Ball is. It's also unfortunate as it overshadows other parts of his game such as the 7 rebounds and 7 assists. He's one of the few Cavs guards willing to attack the defensive glass and while his rim assists aren't quite where you'd want them he's still a useful playmaker on a team needing that behind Garland and Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell: He started off well and finished well and look like he slept walked in between. He was getting downhill early and it led to 3 assists in his first 6 minutes. Afterwards, he had 5 assists in 27+ minutes and never quite recaptured that same downhill attack. Outside of the 4Q, Mitchell had 7 points and was 3-for-14. The Cavs already had a small margin for error offensively and not having their best player play well sank them.
Jaylon Tyson: Just keep doing you, Tyson. Just keep doing you. Tyson's been one of the Cavs most consistent players, and Kenny said postgame he's playing him into lineups as each game goes. He posted another Josh Hart-like stat line with 15 points (66.7% FG%), 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 stocks. The Inrgam matchup was a tough one, and one the defensive numbers weren't likely kind to, but overall he played a solid all-around game and helped keep the Cavaliers afloat offensively when offense was hard to come by.
Larry Nance Jr: He was a +5, so that's progress. There was a push shot that epitomizes where he's at offensively -- the touch/feel he's exhibited over the years just isn't there right now. His rebounding has also cratered -- just 1 rebound in 16+ minutes and just a 27th percentile defensive rebound rate on the year. If his shot isn't really there (although 2-for-3 from 3 Is progress), the athleticism is limited and the rebounding is lessened, what's really left? The Cavs need a third big, and a third big bad, so there's a likelihood the Cavs continue trotting him out there in hopes he can turn it around. But right now, it's not looking great.
Evan Mobley: Sigh. 7 FGAs in a game where shots were readily available and offense was desperately needed is not good enough. Same goes for a nearly Club Trillion in 6+ 4Q minutes in a time when the Cavs were trying to make a comeback. Whoever this Evan Mobley is, he looks like he's out to space. There's some weird reads defensively, biting on things leaving him out of position. There's some slogggggs in transition defensively where it looks like he's running with cement blocks. And there's the offense that has him not even really looking to attack the basket or shoot and is rather him looking to pass out of most opportunities he gets. When the Cavs wanted to scale him back offensively, I'm not sure they envisioned this.
Tyrese Proctor: He's flashing. He wasn't billed as a terribly skilled creator coming out of college but there's some flashes of him creating shot opportunities for others and there's also some shot creation off the dribble. The self created iso mid-range jumper is really the shot that separates guards into different tiers and if he can do that, either off closeout or on his own, it really makes his profile a more interesting one. His 0-for-5 on 3's is one to forget but his shot does not lack confidence.
Chris Livingston: Seeing his first Cavalier minutes, he might get some more down the line. He provided a spark in the 2H with some rim attacks and also provided some POA pressure that helped change the energy defensively. He was a team best +12 in 14 minutes with 7 points (60% FG%, 0-2 3P), 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Not bad.
Luke Travers: He had some good moments in the first half -- he is a willing rebounder, had a few drives off the bounce and isn't afraid of contact. But his second half opportunities were minimal in just four minutes. They key for him is and will always will be the shot. His lone 3PA was a clanker. If he can shoot it, it makes his profile a lot more interesting. If he can't, it may push up to more of a 4 and would really require him to be a strong, defender/rebounder/playmaker to overcome the shot.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin: Along with Tyson, and some Proctor, Tomlin has been one of the bright spots through the first quarter of the season. It was likely he would receive a standard contract conversion post trade deadline, and he plays his way into guaranteeing that and even putting him in rotation discussion with Nance continues to falter and if Wade is moved. There's still some rookie-like plays like this that will drive a coach nuts but hitting the glass, getting out in transition, being willing to stand in there against Scottie Barnes and Ingram, and even starting to hit some shots (2-for-3 from deep) will also give a coach some confidence in a young player.
Thomas Bryant: We finally got some Thomas Bryant minutes! Bryant was a +4 in 12 minutes with 2 stocks and the team was a +14.4% in rebounding % while he was on the floor versus off. So there's an obvious role for Bryant in short spurts which is why it's a bit cofounding it takes most of the team being out for him to get minutes. The stretch aspect (1-for-2 from 3) is also one they don't really have behind Allen and Mobley -- at least not in Bryant's size and physicality profile.
Game Notes
- The Cavs broadcast flashed a graphic showing the Cavs started their 11th different starting lineup which was 2nd most in the NBA. The other four teams on the graphic (Kings, Pelicans, Sixers, and Pacers) have combined for 17 wins. The Cavs have 12. So if it seems like the Cavs have been up-and-down more than Top Thrill Dragster, it's been in part due to an inconsistent roster on a nightly basis. There's habits and things they need to do better outside of who is available but it's also hard to establish a rhythnm without your regular players and regular rotation. Without it, you have roles out of whack and that's when things can look funky.
- That isn't to excuse some moments they have during games and between games. But if it seems like it's two steps forward, and then one step back, the inconsistency in availability is playing a part of that and it's as great of a challenge as any team in the league.
- Having three two-way players, Thomas Bryant and Larry Nance getting major minutes is going to lead to the team's worst oRTG output of the year by a mile. It's not a surprise. But to see the difference in how the team played with its two best players on the floor versus off the floor was a bit surprising. It seemed like every time MItchell and Mobley played with the bench, the Raptors went on a run. And then when the two left the floor, the Cavs bench bunch scrounged their way back in it. Coincidence? Perhaps. But it's also a credit to the bench playing the right way consistently without core components.
- Kenny continued his experimentation with some zone principles with Mobley at the top/middle of the zone. He threw it out there for a few possessions to change the offensive flow but the Raptors getting too easily into the heart of the zone had him reconsidering it.
- After Kenny took a timeout under 2 minutes into the game after back-to-back transition Raptors 3's, to hold them to just 16 fast break points after that is pretty solid. When all is said and done, a 108.9 dRTG on the road on the second night of a back-to-back against the Raptors, is a pretty good dRTG and a sign the defense is the turning the corner.
- The shift in the way the starters attacked in the first few minutes with MItchell and the way they failed to do so the rest of the way is a head scratcher. It's part of the up and down offensively where they show the mindset to attack and then seemingly forget it for long stretches. Of the 13 RA shot attempts with Mitchell on the floor, 5 of them came in the Q1. What happened the rest of the way?
- Kenny mentioned it last game as far as the rebounding still being a work in progress and it requires the guards to rebound. It's almost as if it was timely as the Toronto game highlighted a prescient issue with the rebounding -- NO ONE ATTACKS THE BALL OFF THE RIM. There were far too many opportunities of reboundings just hitting the floor without any hands on it. The Cavs players were in good positions and had bodies on players but that's just half the battle; the other half is going and getting the rebound. Tyson is a guy who will go after it, Tomlin too and Ball is a good guard rebounder, but otherwise it's hard to find too many Cavaliers going after rebounds and instead waiting for it to come to them. Rebounding is largely an effort based trait, and without high effort rebounding is going to have a high difficulty level.
- Tyson and Tomlin had 17 of the Cavs 21 fast break points. If there's one area where their effort shows out it's their willingness to get out on the break and create scoring opportunities. It's easy points for teams who run and Tomlin and Tyson are two of the best on the team at creating it on their own.
Highlights & Box Score