The Cleveland Cavaliers are as desperate as they ever have been for a win. This team really needs something to feel good about. Let’s check three things to watch for tonight.
Can the Cavs wake up?
We are keeping this headline
here until the Cavs force us to change it.
I don’t think the Cavs slept through their latest loss to the Chicago Bulls. In fact, I thought most of the roster competed fairly hard for most of the game. That is, aside from a few mental blunders that allowed the Bulls to score 136 points and ultimately cost Cleveland another win.
The Cavs have to wake up at some point. That means playing with energy, effort and focus. If they do those three things tonight, there is almost no way they lose.
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Getting healthy?
I’m aware that I run the risk of jinxing all of this by the time the game starts at 7 PM. But as of now, it looks like the Cavs could be enjoying some health for the first time in a while.
Donovan Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. are listed as probable after missing the previous game with an illness. I don’t think you can overstate how important it is to have Mitchell back on the floor. Porter will be welcomed back, as well. The Cavs need all of the ball handling they can get.
Then, there’s Sam Merrill, who has been listed as probable for the first time since mid-November. Merrill was having the best season of his career before this hand injury sent him to the sidelines. He’s the only Cavalier who has been scorching hot from downtown all season. His return could be more important than you think.
Defensive integrity
The Cavs have slipped defensively over their last few games, and it doesn’t help that Evan Mobley will be on the sidelines for at least the next two weeks. But every competitive team has to have pride on the defensive end. There has to be a reasonable baseline that this team can reach even without Mobley.
So far, that hasn’t happened.
There is no foundation for this team defensively. Their point of attack gets shredded. Their help defense is either nonexistent or too late. And their transition defense? Let’s not even talk about it.
I don’t expect the Cavs to fix any of this overnight. And I certainly don’t think they can build a consistently elite defense without Mobley. But they have to be better than they have been. This starts with communication and (stop me if you’ve heard this) effort. Let’s see if they can get on the same page tonight.
