- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 459,920
- Reaction score
- 44
Ever since they began the season with a 15-0 record the Cleveland Cavaliers have had sky-high expectations.
They nearly set a franchise record for wins with 64 and the fanbase was excitedly anxious for the playoffs to begin so they could validate their dominant regular season.
They were well on their way after sweeping the Miami Heat in the first round in a series that wasn’t relatively close.
All-Star point guard Darius Garland got hurt during the series which caused him to miss the final two games and unfortunately the injury has rolled over into Cleveland’s second round series against the Indiana Pacers.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates after making a three-point basket in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena.© David Richard-Imagn Images
The two-time All-Star missed the first game, and it proved to be costly as the Cavs went down 121-112 in a game where their offense looked lost.
In a season where Donovan Mitchell cut down on his shot attempts for the betterment of the team, he attempted a ridiculous 30 shots in game one.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson was asked about this in his post-game press conference, and he let his team know the performance was unacceptable.
While he didn’t directly call out Mitchell, he mentioned repeatedly throughout the presser that his team did not move the ball enough.
When Atkinson took over last offseason, he completely altered Cleveland’s offensive philosophy.
Instead of giving Mitchell the ball and praying, they became an offense predicated on ball movement and letting everyone shine as a scorer.
It is no surprise that the team struggled without Garland who is considered one of the elite floor generals of this generation.
The Cavs still managed to score 112 points which is great for playoff basketball, but it was clear that missing their point guard took them out of their rhythm.
The team is optimistic that Garland will be back for game two which will be a much-needed boost for the offense.
This should also address Atkinson’s emphasis on moving the ball.
Continue reading...
They nearly set a franchise record for wins with 64 and the fanbase was excitedly anxious for the playoffs to begin so they could validate their dominant regular season.
They were well on their way after sweeping the Miami Heat in the first round in a series that wasn’t relatively close.
All-Star point guard Darius Garland got hurt during the series which caused him to miss the final two games and unfortunately the injury has rolled over into Cleveland’s second round series against the Indiana Pacers.
You must be registered for see images attach
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates after making a three-point basket in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena.© David Richard-Imagn Images
The two-time All-Star missed the first game, and it proved to be costly as the Cavs went down 121-112 in a game where their offense looked lost.
In a season where Donovan Mitchell cut down on his shot attempts for the betterment of the team, he attempted a ridiculous 30 shots in game one.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson was asked about this in his post-game press conference, and he let his team know the performance was unacceptable.
While he didn’t directly call out Mitchell, he mentioned repeatedly throughout the presser that his team did not move the ball enough.
When Atkinson took over last offseason, he completely altered Cleveland’s offensive philosophy.
Instead of giving Mitchell the ball and praying, they became an offense predicated on ball movement and letting everyone shine as a scorer.
It is no surprise that the team struggled without Garland who is considered one of the elite floor generals of this generation.
The Cavs still managed to score 112 points which is great for playoff basketball, but it was clear that missing their point guard took them out of their rhythm.
The team is optimistic that Garland will be back for game two which will be a much-needed boost for the offense.
This should also address Atkinson’s emphasis on moving the ball.
Continue reading...
