The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to avoid losing three straight games as they host the Atlanta Hawks today at 6 pm EST.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Sunday, Nov. 2 at 6:00pm EST
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Cavs Injury Report: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Donovan Mitchell – QUESTIONABLE (hamstring), Jarrett Allen – QUESTIONABLE (hand), Sam Merrill – QUESTIONABLE (hip)
Hawks Injury Report: Trae Young – OUT (knee), Nikola Djurisic – OUT (G-League), Eli John Ndiaye – OUT (G-League), Keaton Wallace – QUESTIONABLE (flu)
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What to watch for
The Cavs are having a rough start to the season. So are the Hawks. Both teams are banged up and looking to boost morale with a victory.
Surviving injuries
Right now, the Cavs’ injury report is loaded. This could change once we get closer to tip-off, with key players like Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill currently listed as questionable. But even if all three of those guys were able to suit up — Darius Garland and Max Strus remain out.
Meanwhile, the Hawks will be without Trae Young, who suffered a knee sprain last week. Young is the driving force behind Atlanta’s offense. They don’t run the same when he isn’t behind the wheel.
Cleveland has struggled to score early this season. A big reason for that is the injuries. There isn’t enough shot creation to make up for the loss of this many starters. Tonight’s game versus Atlanta could be another grind.
Jaylon Tyson
One Cavalier who has stepped up in light of the injuries is Jaylon Tyson. He’s strung together a pair of excellent games, serving the Cavs on both ends of the ball. He scored 19 points against the Boston Celtics and 18 points most recently versus the Toronto Raptors.
Tyson’s game is still very much a work in progress. He plays with energy, but this isn’t always channeled into winning plays. His defense over the last two games has been more focused, while he has finally found a bit of a groove offensively.
Winning despite injuries will require multiple players rising to the occasion. If Tyson can step up again, along with a few other players, the Cavs will be in a good position to win.
Getting to the rim
Kenny Atkinson commented on Cleveland’s lack of rim pressure after their loss to the Raptors. It’s been hard to generate clean looks in the paint due to all of the injuries that have piled up. But one thing is for sure: the Cavs have to find a way to get to the basket.
Cleveland currently ranks 19th in three-point shooting and 29th in field goals within five feet. That’s not going to lead to many wins. It’s always possible they can break the spell by catching fire from deep, but a strong night in the paint would be just as encouraging.
Keeping Evan Mobley involved seems like the obvious solution. Mobley found success attacking the basket against Toronto. But there will need to be more than just Mobley scoring in the paint. Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr. and hopefully someone from Cleveland’s backcourt will all need to play aggressively.
