The date is December 15, 2023. The day that most Cavaliers fans would have said that “the season is over”, including myself. Two of the Cavs most impactful stars, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, each went down with lengthy injuries that would leave them out for nearly two months. A fractured jaw was the diagnosis for Garland after he collided with Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. Mobley required surgery in his left knee to remove a loose body, a lingering injury that was clearly affecting him for multiple weeks. Understandably so, most Cavs fans were ready to throw in the towel after a disappointing 13-12 start to the year, and now to add insult to injury, the loss of two of their top four players.
JB Bickerstaff’s head was already on the chopping block, with fans frustrated with his inability to use a consistent rotation, an ineptitude to adjust schemes, and an overall lack of offensive versatility in the playbook. Everyone was ready and waiting for the inevitable Cavaliers firesale. Even an anonymous source was quoted on the 15th saying, “I have no idea what the hell is going on there…But it ain’t good.” It seems that NBA media is more focused on discussing how much they want Donovan Mitchell to leave Cleveland for a bigger market than talking about what is the reality: the Cleveland Cavaliers are here to stay.
Usually when you lose multiple star players, you tend to see a decline in wins and overall effectiveness on the court. The Cavaliers this year were somehow at their best without Garland and Mobley. Since December 15th, the Cavaliers are 23-5. The single best record in the entire NBA since that date. Not only that, but the Cavs went 15-4 without DG and Mobley, and since their returns have gone 7-1. But what is the cause of this incredible surge? Let’s take a look.
The obvious answer is Donovan Mitchell. By all counts Donovan is playing the best regular season basketball of his entire career. The now 5-time All-Star has career high marks in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. In fact, he is currently 4th among eligible players in PPG behind only Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not to mention he also tied for 2nd place with De’Aaron Fox in SPG behind only Shai once again. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month is an absolute lock for another All-NBA appearance and can even make himself a case to become All-NBA 1st time for the first time in his career.
Another obvious answer is Jarrett Allen. The former All-Star is arguably playing at his best, too. He recently set the Cavaliers all-time record for consecutive double-doubles. A record that would still be going had he not gotten injured during a game against Memphis where what would have been his 10th rebound and his 17th consecutive double-double was revoked due to a statistical correction. Overall, the Cavs are 16-6 this season when Jarrett Allen gets a double-double. When is on the court, the Cavs are at their best on both sides. Jarrett Allen has a +6.1 net rating this year, behind only Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, and Max Strus.
In my opinion, though, the Cavaliers are at their absolute best when the role players get involved. Something that Cleveland lacked in its early playoff exit last season was depth. The off-season acquisitions of Max Strus and Georges Niang have provided crucial offensive production behind the arc outside of Donovan and Darius. But the true unsung hero has been Sam Merrill’s assurgence into the rotation. Injuries to DG and Mobley allowed the sharpshooter from Utah State to come in and shock the world. Without a doubt Sam Merrill is one of the single best three point shooters in the world right now and he is absolutely vital to a Cavaliers bench unit that can at times become a dormant mess on offense.
Even Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade have finally been able to become viable options as spot-up shooters. Okoro was always known as a stout defender who struggled with his outside shot. This year, though, Okoro is shooting nearly 40% from deep while maintaining his borderline All-Defensive caliber defense. Dean Wade has been the Cavs most improved player by far. Like Okoro, Wade was a solid defensive forward who struggled to hit his shots consistently, and he too is now shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc. Wade has also been by far the league’s most underrated defender this season. According to BBall Index on X, Dean Wade is the best wing stopper in D-LEBRON in the entire league. For reference, the wing stopper’s responsibility is to guard the opponents best on-ball scoring wing in isolation and in the pick and roll. Wade has been tasked with going out every night to stop players like Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, and he is excelling in that role.
Now you add one of the best playmakers and one of the best defenders in the league, and you get the current state of the Cleveland Cavaliers. A team that has gone 7-1 since the return of both of their young stars. Garland has struggled recently, but he is continuing to get back into game shape after being unable to perform any basketball activity for weeks and even losing up to 15 pounds throughout the duration of his jaw being fractured. Mobley on the other hand has thrived since returning, and has seemingly rebirthed his offensive arsenal. Since Mobley’s return to the lineup he is shooting 61% from deep, and has made it known to teams around the league that you cannot just gap him from the 3-point line any longer.
Contrary to popular belief, it has not been the one man show that people like Kendrick Perkins believe it to be. It is a total team effort in the Land. The defense and offense is firing on all cylinders with the 2nd best offense and defense in the league over the last ten games in terms of net rating. The Cavs can’t lose right now, and with a .503 strength of schedule the Cavs won’t be losing much anytime soon. The Cleveland Cavaliers are here to stay and if I were in the Eastern Conference, I would not want to see them in the postseason.