Cavs Dribbles: Donovan Mitchell, Adding Shooting, and Here Come the Bucks

Random dribbles as the Cavaliers improved to 21-11 and remain in third place in the Eastern Conference.

1. The Cavs undoubtedly played their most complete game of the season on Monday, cruising past Donovan Mitchell‘s old team with a 122-99 hammer job of the Jazz.

2. Not many of Mitchell’s old teammates are still in Utah. In fact, you could make the case that their best player is Lauri Markkanen, sent to the Jazz as part of the Mitchell deal. But you could tell Mitchell was especially inspired anyway. He scored 23 points on an extremely efficient night of 8-of-12 overall and 4-of-5 on 3-pointers.

3. More importantly, the Cavs showed what they’re capable of when really clicking.

4. Mitchell on that very topic: “We did a lot of really good things collectively. Obviously, we shot the ball really well, but defensively holding a team like this, that can shoot the ball well and can score, under 100 points. We did a lot of things we can point to and say this is what we want to be.”

5. As for his first game against his former team, Mitchell was honest. “It was weird,” he said. “But it was fun.”

6. Obviously, Mitchell has been everything the Cavs hoped for when they sent Markkanen, Collin Sexton, rookie Ochai Agbaji and three unprotected first-rounders to the Jazz. He’s averaging 29.5 points and has the Cavs looking like the absolute best of the league’s up-and-comers, especially in the East.

7. Mitchell on calling Cleveland his new home: “I’m comfortable. I’m still trying to figure out the highways. But with this group, I feel like I’ve been a part of them for a while. The city, the fans, the team, everyone has welcomed me with open arms. The fit was pretty seamless.”

8. By the way, he was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. If this is the direction the Cavs are heading with Mitchell, they will be true Finals contenders before you know it. Remember, this is still relatively new to everyone — both Mitchell, and the Cavs promising players from last season, such as Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

9. The theory around the NBA is that the Cavs haven’t yet played their best. Just imagine how things could go when they get ultimate glue guy and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio back.

10. Now, not every night is going to go like Monday. The Cavs will still have some stinkers, just as they did in that road loss to the Spurs back on Dec. 12. That is just life in the NBA. But if they can play like they did against the Jazz on the vast majority of nights, then look out, everyone. It should be fun.

11. That said, I think the Cavs could put themselves into real East contention, and perhaps Finals contention, this season, if they were able to find a reliable knock-down deadeye shooter on the wing. The guy would also have to be able to defend, at least a little. But really no more than a little when you have Allen and Mobley back there.

12. Who that person is, or how you land him, I have no idea. Former Ohio Mr. Basketball and current Clippers guard/forward Luke Kennard may be worth looking into. The Cavs have done so before and it might be something that warrants a revisit.

13. Another barometer awaits, as the Central Division-leading Bucks are coming to Cleveland on Wednesday. Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman has seemingly sort of used the Bucks as his blueprint. A smaller-market team with one superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a bunch of other good players around him.

14. For the record, the Cavs are 3-0 on their season-long six-game homestand and a fantastic 15-2 at home overall.