It’s amazing how certain talking points from the opening day of the NBA season can seem premature and overreaching. Then again, there have been many occasions when these talks, speculative as they are, turned out to be prophetic. The banter around Cleveland Cavaliers’ opening night victory over Toronto Raptors fits this bill perfectly.
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The way the Cavaliers defeated the Raptors by 30 points, despite Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland having relatively tame outings, have triggered discussions around the Ohio team’s playoff prospects. Phew, that was quick. But isn’t it too early?
With the Eastern Conference not as top-heavy as the West, the voices are not without reason. Here is a look at what stars need to align for them to have a longer playoff run.
Mitchell and Garland need to stay healthy
The Cavaliers haven’t had this good a team since the LeBron James-led sides from 2016 to 2018. Much like how LeBron was indispensable for the Cavs back then, the All-Star duo of Mitchell and Garland is paramount to their success now. If the two can stay healthy, the team can make a serious push for a top-four spot in the Conference.
Last year, despite them playing less than 60 regular season games, the pair helped the Cavs get to the fourth seed spot. Things went wrong in the playoffs though. Garland’s form dipped while Mitchell got injured early in the second round, and the Boston Celtics bounced them in the semifinals.
For new coach Kenny Atkinson to lead this team toward fulfilling its potential, Mitchell and Garland’s presence on court is a must.
Garland has to find his All-Star form
Garland averaged 18 points for over 57 games last season. While that’s not low, it is a stark drop from the previous two years when he had 21.7 and 21.6 PPG. He was selected as an All-Star in 2022 when he had his best career year, statistically speaking (besides the 21.7 PPG, he averaged career-high 3.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game).
With the Cavaliers missing a bona fide shot creator, Garland is vital for the team. His gravity inside the paint, combined with his finishing abilities at the rim, make him perfect at kicking the ball out to an open man whenever he’s double-teamed on layups.
Yes, Garland had an injury, a broken jaw as he revealed. But if he wants to justify the Cavaliers’ decision to retain him, he will need to show off the All-Star form through the season and beyond.
His shot creation will also help unlock Evan Mobley’s game. Already a league-recognized defensive threat, Mobley is yet to blossom into an offensive force. To sustain a deep playoff run, Mobley will have to chip in and help Mitchell and Garland in the scoring department.
Yes, Mitchell is an elite slasher, but lacks serious shot-creating ability. His highest assists in a season was 6.1 APG in the last campaign. That only came about because he was forced to step up because Garland was enduring an off year.
Mitchell’s best play comes when he is driving to the basket. If he is forced to alter his natural game to cover for Garland’s shortcomings, then two of the Cavs’ best players will both end up being off.
The two stars are decisive factors, no doubt. However, if other players fail to join the party or remain injury plagued, then the campaign will unravel in no time. Garland and Mitchell are their offensive engines, but players like Mobley and Jarrett Allen are equally important defensively.
East is arguably easier. But the Conference is expected to get more competitive than last year. The Cavaliers are still good to ensure a spot in the postseason. They should be gunning to gain home-court advantage though. And for that, all the guns in their roster should fire together, and consistently, through the year, improve and take things forward from the big season-opening victory.
