The Cleveland Cavaliers just didn’t have it tonight. They lost 126-113 to the Toronto Raptors, dropping to 8-5 on the season.
WINNER – Craig Porter Jr.
Porter has hit his stride as of late. He was a huge contributor in Cleveland’s
surprise win over Miami and continued his success in the second night of a back-to-back. Porter had the Cavaliers’ offense moving with intention, throwing a handful of cross-court passes that took Toronto’s defense by surprise.
The Raptors are a team that you’d expect to bother Porter. They’re a rangy, athletic team that makes it difficult for a player like Porter to have an impact without being a perimeter scoring threat. But Porter used his handle and downhill speed to send Toronto into rotation multiple times tonight.
Porter finished with 10 points, 4 assists and a steal in 22 minutes. He shot 4-6 from the floor.
WINNER – Nae’Qwan Tomlin
Hustle can take you far in the NBA. Especially if you’re a two-way player fighting to earn minutes. Tomlin has taken it upon himself to simply never stop hustling. He churns his feet and attacks the glass on every Cavalier field goal attempt. This persistence led to 5 offensive rebounds in 21 minutes. Each one energized the Cleveland crowd in a game where they didn’t have much to get excited about for most of it.
Tomlin has a long road ahead of him before earning a standard contract. He has to prove he can score and defend with consistency before taking that next step. But for now, there isn’t much to complain about. Tomlin has made the most of his opportunities and is showing he has a legit motor.
LOSER – Larry Nance Jr.
Nance’s homecoming was a heartwarming story. And, he had the physical tools this team had been missing on the bench. A 6’9” forward who can add versatility to the second unit as a mobile big. This hasn’t translated to the actual games yet. Nance has looked a step slower than we expected. He was a -13 in seven minutes tonight, recording only an assist and a foul. This resulted in Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin playing in his place for the second half.
Nance entered this game averaging 4.4 points on 34% shooting from the floor. He’ll have to turn some things around to remain in the rotation.
LOSER – Perimeter Defense
The Cavs have had a difficult time containing the three-point line this season. They’ve found themselves on the wrong end of some three-point barrages early on. Tonight was no different. Toronto shot 9-16 from deep in the first half, erasing Cleveland’s 10-point lead from the first quarter and entering the second half with a 13-point advantage.
I don’t have to tell you how impactful the three-point line can be in today’s NBA. The Cavs right now are playing with fire every time they fail to rotate and cover the perimeter. Most of this stems from poor point-of-attack defense, and it’s something that they can’t afford to continue.
LOSER – Taking too many threes
On the other end, Cleveland is probably taking too many three-pointers. They are both giving up too many and attempting more than you’d like. The Cavs entered this game leading the NBA in three-point attempts, taking nearly three more per game than the next most.
There are a few reasons for this. Not having Darius Garland, one of the team’s best at generating points in the paint, is one. Having the team’s next best driver, Donovan Mitchell, prioritize his health by not attacking the basket as often as before is another. You can’t blame Mitchell for wanting to protect his body and stay fresh for the entire season. But it’s obvious how this has impacted the team in the short term. Mitchell began tonight’s game 0-6 from deep and 3-4 from everywhere else.
In fairness, Mitchell began to put his head down and attack the rim with authority in the second half. I guess it’s hard to keep a highly competitive athlete restrained when the game is on the line — even if he wants to take it easier this regular season. Mitchell also took 17 free throws tonight, a bulk of which he expertly drew on jumpshot attempts.
LOSER – Evan Mobley
Sorry, Evan. We don’t have to criticize Mobley often on this blog. But tonight was genuinely one of the strangest games he’s ever played. His energy level was off from the start, missing defensive rotations and looking disinterested on offense. He finished with only 7 field goal attempts, the sixth most on the team, and fewer than rookie Tyrese Proctor.
Every player is allowed to have off nights. This certainly was one of them for Mobley. But the early portion of the regular season is for building habits. This type of lackluster effort isn’t something we want to see from the franchise cornerstone. Fortunately, we rarely see a game like this from Mobley. Still doesn’t feel good.
