The Cleveland Cavaliers may have ended this week with a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat 122-113 on Sunday, but it was another successful week of games. Cleveland continued their torrid start, extending their record to a league-best 21-4.
With that said, what did we learn about the Cavs this week? Here are the three biggest takeaways from week seven of Cleveland basketball.
Evan Mobley has been nothing short of spectacular for the Cavs this season and that trend continued this week. In the four games, Mobley averaged 21 points and eight rebounds while shooting 62 percent from the field and a scorching 62.5 percent from three-point range. This includes his 41-point outburst against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Mobley’s aggression has been more consistent than it ever has been in his career and along with guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland committing to getting him the ball, it has opened up the Cavs’ offense this season. Mobley is second on the team in touches per game.
On the season, Mobley is averaging a near double-double at 18 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game on 55/40 shooting splits. With the Cavs having the best record in the league, they will likely have multiple All-Stars and their young big man may earn his first selection if he keeps this up.
Coming into the season, even though he was tasked with fixing the Cavs’ offense, Kenny Atkinson said he wanted to keep the team’s defensive identity. Cleveland has done that for the season, as they rank ninth in the league in defensive rating at 110.7, slightly down from the two seasons prior.
However, in their four losses this season, the Cavs have a defensive rating of 125.5, which makes them worse than the Washington Wizards. Cleveland has learned the hard way that they will not be able to outscore their opponents every night and even though they have dealt with injuries up and down the lineup, defensive lapses cannot happen often.
The Cavs may have an explosive offense for the first time in a long time, but they won’t win games by just out-scoring teams. This team’s success is still predicated on the defensive end of the floor.
Dean Wade has missed eight games this season and in those eight games, the Cavs have a defensive rating of 117.8. That would put them in the bottom five of defensive rating in the league.
Wade’s ability to not only switch onto the perimeter and guard smaller players, but also guard bigs down low makes him a key defensive piece to the team. He is one of the only players on the roster with the ability to switch 1-5 and knock down threes consistently.
Even last season, when Wade missed most of the playoffs, his impact was missed defensively, as the Cavs struggled to contain the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Paolo Banchero at times. It may only be December, Cleveland needs to find ways to keep Wade as healthy as possible, so he can be ready for the playoffs. He is essential to the team’s success.