The Cavaliers finally notched their first win of the season, and Donovan Mitchell wasn’t all that thrilled.
Not because of the outcome, but because of how it nearly slipped away, writes Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.
Cleveland built a 25-point lead in Brooklyn, only to watch the Nets charge back in the fourth quarter. Mitchell said it brought back memories of last spring’s playoff collapse against the Pacers, and he made sure everyone in the locker room heard about it.
“We won and it was great,” Mitchell told reporters. “But there’s no way it should be a seven-point win if we want to be the team we want to be. We did this last year. That can’t happen.”
Mitchell’s frustration traces back to the Cavs’ postseason failures, when they blew two double-digit leads and never fully recovered.
Even after posting 32 assists on 44 made shots Friday, the late-game letdown overshadowed the progress.
Center Jarrett Allen put it simply: “We can’t let that happen. We know as a team to get where we want to go, we can’t let that happen.”
Allen vs. Turner, Again
Sunday’s home opener against Milwaukee will serve as a true early-season test (6 p.m., FanDuel Sports).
The Bucks now feature Myles Turner, whose defensive dominance against Allen in last year’s playoffs exposed Cleveland’s soft spots, according to Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com.
Turner’s rim protection and spacing neutralized Allen’s energy, and the Pacers rode that advantage to a series win.
Now Turner is back with Giannis Antetokounmpo, forming a frontcourt that is likely to stretch Cleveland’s defense to its limits.
Frontcourt Reality
The NBA is moving toward quicker, more versatile bigs, and Milwaukee’s Turner addition fits the trend, Sands wrote in his excellent breakdown. The Bucks retooled their front line to maximize Giannis’ prime, finding balance and physicality after parting with Damian Lillard.
Cleveland made its own tweaks with Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant to bolster depth, but the core remains the same. Everything in the frontcourt revolves around the Allen-Evan Mobley tandem.
Now, Allen doesn’t need a 20-point night. He needs presence, effort, and toughness on every possession. The Cavs’ ceiling likely depends on it, as Sands indicated.
Title or Bust
Expectations haven’t been this high since 2016. Cleveland won 64 games last season, and with Lonzo Ball, Nance, and a presumably deeper bench, the front office believes this is the best window yet.
As Jackson Flickinger of Fear the Sword wrote, most fans see this as championship or failure. The Knicks remain the biggest threat, though the Pistons could surprise with their physical, defensive style. Oh, and let’s not forget the Bucks, Magic and perhaps the 76ers if they can pull it together.
For now, Mitchell’s focus is clear. Namely, raise the standard, keep the gas down, and stop letting old habits creep back in.
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I am starting to question whether the playoffs is all that matters narrative is the right one for yet another season.. do we really want to try to use that two years in a row?
What about the journey?? Is that not where the value lies? Living in the moment.. Taking one game at a time? Not looking too far ahead? Not thinking about April, May, and June before it is time to. Building something and working on the craft first.. Finding a higher level of cohesion.. and not rushing these very things. Living every second of every game. Ironically, doing that during the season, should help us in the playoffs.
Somebody should talk to DMitch on this. The message could be part of the problem.. given what happened in this game. And others.