Cavaliers All-Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell embrace after Mitchell was introduced as a member of the team. (Rob Lorenzo/ESPN Cleveland)
Rob Lorenzo/ESPN Cleveland
Training Camp Notebook: Defensive communication, the weight on Mitchell's shoulders, and another Jae Crowder trade?
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One of the biggest reasons that the Cavaliers were one of the biggest surprises in the NBA last season was because of the team’s defense. The team brought big basketball back, starting a lineup that featured a trio of seven footers in Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen, which served as a zig to the rest of the NBA’s zag. While that worked, things obviously won’t be the same this season now that Markkanen was sent to Utah as part of the package for guard Donovan Mitchell.
Even if the Cavaliers are going to look different and are filled with more offensive firepower through a couple of different avenues, the plan is still to be a defense first operation. Last season, the Cavaliers finished the year ranked fifth in the league in defensive rating and Mitchell mentioned on Tuesday that he wants to see the team ranked closer to first at the end of this season.
As long as head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is running things in Cleveland, defense is always going to take a priority. That doesn’t mean the offensive side of the court necessarily takes a back seat.
“We try to keep it 50/50, because we understand the importance of it,” Bickerstaff said. “Our teams always have a heavy emphasis on the defensive end of the floor, so we’re not going to take a step back from that."
Entering the season, the Cavaliers have a few reasons to be rather optimistic on that end of the floor, even if things might look a little bit different at times than it did last year. One of the reasons for the optimism is improved communication amongst the team on that end of the floor. So much of the image of the Cavs is that it is a quiet group of guys. While that’s a true statement, it hasn’t necessarily been the case on the floor to start camp.
“It’s different, but what I think is happening is, those guys are more comfortable in what we’re doing,” Bickerstaff said of the defensive communication improving compared to last year. “Obviously, last year a lot of the stuff was new and when things are new and you’re unsure, you’re probably going to be more quiet because you don’t know exactly what to say. I think the familiarity that the guys have with the system lends them to be more confident and willing to use their voices.”
Last season, Mobley and Allen were regarded as one of the best rim defending duos in basketball but should even be able to improve upon that with the added experience they have in the system and working together. The Cavs also have the opportunity to solidify the perimeter depending on who is selected as the team’s starting small forward come opening night. That’s a different discussion for a different day, but some options could be more defensively focused than others.
This group has every chance to not only be one of the five best defenses in basketball, but possibly even the top unit in the league.
How heavy is the load on Donovan Mitchell?
When Mitchell was in Utah, he was surrounded by quite a bit of talent. Teams don’t finish in first place in the Western Conference by accident and the cast that surrounded Mitchell was a great group.
With that said, it was a group that was certainly built differently than this version of the Cavaliers, and it’s also one that didn’t quite have the young talent the Cavaliers currently do. The biggest difference is probably Mitchell’s new running mate in the backcourt, Darius Garland.
Yes, point guard Mike Conley Jr. did make his lone All-Star appearance while playing alongside Mitchell in Utah back in 2021. That said, it’s fair to say that right now, Garland is a better player than Conley Jr. was then, and should continue his upward trajectory in his fourth year in the NBA. While the Cavs may not have the same depth and high-level ancillary pieces that the Jazz featured, they have four potential All-Stars in the lineup.
Having Garland to share the backcourt with, as well as Mobley and Allen in the front court, should alleviate some of the pressure that’s been on Mitchell as an offensive creator throughout the first chapter of his career.
“I think it just gives him a level of freedom to, like you said, get that weight off of his shoulders and just go out there and play,” Cavs sixth man Kevin Love said at practice on Wednesday about Mitchell’s offensive responsibilities. “He’s the type guy, we’ve mentioned his temperament and who he is, is gonna fit right in with this group. I think you can tell by his personality and just who he is on and off the floor. He’ll jump right in for us and be a great fit for us.”
The fact that the Cavs won’t need to lean on Mitchell offensively the same way the Jazz needed should help to get even more production out of him.
Jae Crowder, round two?
Phoenix Suns wing Jae Crowder has made his way around the NBA. He’s been a member of seven different franchises, including a very forgettable stint in Cleveland during the 2017-18 season, LeBron James’ last with the franchise.
Crowder was acquired as part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, netting the Cavs Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, and the draft pick that became Collin Sexton in addition to Crowder. Things didn’t work out, and Crowder was then flipped to Utah at the 2018 trade deadline in a deal that returned George Hill and Rodney Hood to Cleveland.
Crowder is once again on the trade market, as he and the Suns have mutually agreed he will not be an active member of the team. He’s already been traded six times in his career, and this will mark the seventh, whenever a deal happens.
The Cavs have been connected to Crowder for a potential second go-around, as it was reported by The Athletic on Wednesday. If Crowder is acquired, he would likely be slotted in as the team’s starting small forward. Nothing seems to be imminent, but these things move incredibly quickly. It’s also worth noting that current Phoenix general manager James Jones was a member of the Cavs from 2014 through 2017 while current Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman was the team’s assistant general manager.
