Weekly Cavs Review: Week 1

Cavs Start 1-2 Amidst Flurry Of Injuries

Thanks to a Donovan Mitchell go-ahead three-pointer late to beat the Nets on the road, the Cavs are 1-2 through their first week despite dealing with a ton of injuries already. Point guard Darius Garland has missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury, Mitchell missed two games due to a hamstring injury, and Jarrett Allen is yet to play because of an ankle injury. Along with three starters missing time, Caris LeVert is dealing with a hamstring issue, and Ty Jerome has missed time with an ankle sprain.

Despite all that, the Cavs should have had a win against the Thunder and were competitive against a solid Pacers team with LeVert as the main facilitator. Mobley had an impressive showing versus the Pacers, and Isaac Okoro is getting better little by little. Max Strus has already made his presence felt, as he’s done wonders for the offense with his off-ball activity.

Stat Leaders

Points: Donovan Mitchell 35.0 PPG

Rebounds: Evan Mobley 11.7 RPG

Assists: Donovan Mitchell 5.5 APG

The increased pace of play and improved shooting have helped the offense, but it’s tough to string together wins while dealing with all the injuries we’ve seen so far. Rebounding could be better, but that will definitely change when Allen returns and Mobley moves back to the four. The offense has struggled with consistency and really misses having either Mitchell or Garland on the floor at all times.

The bottom line is the Cavs need to get healthy, but it’s a long season. Hamstring injuries are nothing to take lightly, and keeping our guys healthy for the long run is essential. Hopefully, they can get back to full health sooner rather than later, so we can avoid putting more pressure on winning later in the season.