Kenny said it after the game: This isn't the type of game that will go into the Hall of Fame but the Cavs have the type of talent where they can still eek games out. The game was really Giannis and post-Giannis. He went out with a groin injury mid way through the game and never returned. The Bucks were tied 49-49 at that point and finished a -12 for the game. Mitchell was active with his scoring profile but the game isn't the game it is without role players like Lonzo Ball, Craig Porter Jr, Sam Merrill and Thomas Bryant all making timely contributions.
By the Numbers
47.2%: The Bucks came in as the 2nd best 3P% team in the league while the Cavs ranked 25th
38.6%: The Bucks FG% on shots inside the arc
18: Turnovers by the Cavs, now up to 38 turnovers over the last two games which are two of their highest marks on the year
47.6%: % of assisted FGMs by the Cavs in the 1H -- they posted a 115.7 oRTG
65.2%: % of assisted FGMs by the Cavs in the 2H -- they posted a 120.4 oRTG
1 in 6: FGMs in minutes for the Bucks down the stretch over the final second half of the 4Q
+11: Plus-minus with Lonzo Ball on the floor
+1: Plus-minus with Lonzo Ball off the floor
0: 4Q minutes for Jarrett Allen
37: Points by Donovan Mitchell on 22 shots with 25 points coming in the 1H
17: Second half points by Sam Merrill after going 1-for-3 in the 1H
7: Second half rebounds by Dean Wade -- he led the team in rebounding
6:6: Assists to turnovers for Evan Mobley who showed some playmaking but also some sloppiness
+20: Paints in the paints for the Cavs compared to the Bucks
By the Players
Donovan Mitchell: Efficient, effective and often scoring for the league's 6th leading scorer. In a game where the Cavs didn't have much going offensively to begin, MItchell carried the offensive load accounting for 31 of the 59 first half points. Mitchell was aggressive in attacking the rim as he shot as many restricted area shots as he did above-the-break three-pointers.
Sam Merrill: After injuring his finger to begin the game, Kenny shared it was iffy he was going to make it back but are the Cavs sure glad he did. While he started off cold, 1-for-3, he turned it up in the second half going for 5-for-6 in the second half from deep. His perimeter shot helped extend the Cavs second half lead to a point where it gave the Cavs some breathing room.
De'Andre Hunter: Scored some (11 points on 11 shots) but posted a second to team worst dRTG of 112.7. A relatively non-descript game off the ball. While he was just 1-for-5 on 3PAs, he had 5 paint + restricted area FGAs which his on-ball value largely lies at this point time.
Evan Mobley: Woah, boy. Mobley looks to be thinking the game too much right now and it has him floating in space. No more relevant example than losing track of time at the end of the 1Q and launching a full court heave with time left on the clock. He showed some playmaking (6 assists) but also was sloppy in his opportunities as well (6 turnovers). He is still struggling with hands in the paint and keeping the ball too low allowing it to be susceptible. Additionally, his shot is really lacking any confidence -- right now it looks like when he's open he's shooting because he's open not because he's confident it's going to go in. Only 9 FGAs in 36 minutes along with just 6 rebounds (although his REB% was about flat on vs off) won't pacify any concerns of his passivity.
Jarrett Allen: A great start... and then? He was the primary beneficiary of improved point guard play in the 2Q with 10 points and 5 rebounds which accounted for 83% of his production. And then his 3Q shift was quiet, and Kenny didn't get him off the bench in the 4Q. Kenny has increasingly been going away from Allen late in games whether it be due to play or game flow. Allen may have his moments and frustrations but the off-and-on playing time is also creating a variance and lessened overall impact by Allen.
Lonzo Ball: If Mitchell got MVP for the game, Ball would be right behind him. The Cavs were a +11 in his minutes on the night with a +10 coming in the first half minutes. In 12 non-Mitchell minutes, the Cavs were a +5 with Ball. He singlehadidly changed the game in the 2Q as the Cavs were like an anchor offensively to Mitchell's brilliance. Ball brought pace, purpose on P&Rs and ignited a much more sustainabel style of play. The shot is still a work in progress (1-for-6 on 3's) but he was productive on the boards (5 rebounds) and efficient with his playmaking (5:1 AST:TO ratio). If it wasn't for his minutes restriction, there would be a good case for him as a starter without Garland.
Craig Porter Jr: Another strong bench performance by CPJ that was highlighted by a montrous dunk off a steal. While he posted 11 points with just 1 rebound, 0 assists and 2 stocks, his energy off the bench provided a spark. Once again, he was picking up full court and was the beneficiary of a quick Ball in-bounds steal to end a quarter. The Cavs posted positive net ratings on offense and defense with him on the floor and Kenny praised him postgame particuarly noting his conditioning improvement and his off the bounce drives as being his best skill.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin: Keep playing like this and it will be hard to put Nance Jr back in the lineup. Mitchell called him a "dawg" in his postgame interview and Tomlin once again had strong minutes. For a guy who just started playing basketball in the 2018, he plays very unafraid. The moment or possessions don't seem too big for him and he's ready and willing to go toe-to-toe with the man opposite of him. Tomlin was part of the bench group that was very productive on the night. The next step for him is knocking down perimeter shots.
Dean Wade: The more Dean Wade cuts, the better! One of the better cutters on the team, Wade was on the receiving end of a Mobley assist. For a team that can get stagnant t times offensively, his cuts can help loosen up defenses. On the other end, the team benefitted greatly from his strong rebounding (8 rebounds, +16.4% net dREB%) particularly in one big lineups.
Thomas Bryant: Part of defense is simply giving a shit and Bryant has that (even if the mental can lag behind at times). Kenny has been sprinkling in more Bryant minutes of late and Bryant in small doses has its benefits. The crowd and team was largely dead for the 1Q but when it came to Bryant's minutes his activity seemed to wake the team up. People also appreciate his willingness to mix things up including escorting Gary Trent Jr into the first row of seats that prompted a review. Bryant doesn't have to register box score stats to have an impact as his energy and physicality can be just enough of an impact in itself.
Game Notes
- Can we have the conversation that it may be time to start Craig Porter Jr?
- This isn't a reflection on Sam Merrill or Lonzo Ball but where the team is at right now and what it needs. Merrill has played well, and has offered playmaking when asked, but he nor MItchell are point guards. And while Ball would be the ideal fit, he's still on a minutes restriction and the bench may really need his orchestration until they're back to full strength. So with Porter Jr's improved play, it may be a time to give him a shot.
- The first unit needs some more off bounce action. The second unit needs more scoring. The first unit could use Porter's 13.5 potential assists per 100 over Merrill's 7.1 While Hunter has taken a more active off bounce role, and Kenny value's shooting in the starting lineup, Porter Jr is up to 44% from distance on the year. Perhaps it doesn't work but this is the time of experimentation and Porter Jr becoming a bonafide rotation player would make for some interesting discussions. Nonetheless, this is a team that 18th in 1Q oRTG over the last 10 games and could use a bit more of a spark to start games then they have.
- The Bucks started the game shooting the shit out of the ball and it had the crowd concerned. It looked like another lifeless night for the Cavs with their success hinging on Mitchell's offensive performance. Luckily, the Bucks shot cooled down a bit while Mitchell did not.
- The good news is the Cavs are still hovering around 11th in opponent three-point frequency meaning they're doing a good job of limiting total 3PAs but they're in the bottom half of the league in opponent 3P%. This has been an issue going back as far as one can remember with the last time they ranked top-10 in opponent 3P% according to Cleaningtheglass was 2014-2015.
- There's a saying often applied in sports, "The best offense is the best defense" and it may really be true for the Cavs. It seems the higher quality offensive possessions they hae, make or miss, the more positively it helps their defense. Better flow, better possesions leads to less break outs, more of a chance for the defense to get back and get set and it doesn't get the Cavs in constant catch-up mode. The Cavs were 72nd percentile in points per play in the halfcourt. Their dRTG of 106 was 7.4 points better than their regular season average.
- Part of starting CPJ also helps keeps the Cavs on the attack and playing more off the bounce. They're so much better when they're getting into the paint, playing off kickouts and involving the bigs in P&R. Merrill is adept at utilizing the short roll with bigs but he's not the same type of disruptor off the bounce CPJ is and that energy shift may help stimulate better offensive possessions early.
- Kenny talked postgame how they're still experimenting including with lineups. He rolled out a Tomlin, Mobley and Bryant frontcourt in both halves -- they were a +5 in a little over 7 minutes of play. It may not look pretty at times because these types of lineups will have some variance until they settle in and find their footing.
- Mobley may really be struggling as a scorer these last few games but it doesn't mean he still can't be a passer. And perhaps one way for him to get flow and feel going offensively is to utilize his passing skills more. He's very good about finding kick outs and playing off the gravity he creates in the post. His offensive game right now needs some confidence builders and allowing him to build off his playmaking not only help his shotmaking but also help the Cavs find another consistent facilitator with Garland out.
Box Score & Highlights