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Home / Media / Donovan Mitchell says the Cavs are a ‘different team’ than they were a week ago: ‘There’s a swagger we have’

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: November 25, 2022

After struggling through a five-game losing streak earlier this month, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are back to their winning ways.

Thus far, the 2022-23 campaign for the Cavs has been one of streaks, and they’ve been back on the winning end of things as of late. They are currently cooking with a four-game winning streak.

Of course, the season began with an eight-game winning streak for the Cavs after they dropped their season opener.


Cleveland will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. When talking about what’s been working for the Cavs since they lost to Milwaukee last week, Mitchell talked about the “swagger” that the young squad has been playing with in recent games.

“We’re a different team mentally coming into Milwaukee, but also understanding that we have room to improve as well,” Mitchell said. “I think there’s a confidence about us. There’s a swagger we have. This will be a great test to see where we are at, especially when you just played them, and they are fresh on your mind.”

When the Cavs and Bucks played last week, Milwaukee bullied Cleveland to the tune of a 113-98 final.

Going into Friday’s rematch, Mitchell is clearly not worried about that previous result having an impact on the confidence that the Cavs are currently playing with.

Mitchell’s backcourt mate Darius Garland, who has been magnificent in recent games, echoed a similar sentiment. He touched on the great defense the team has been playing.

“Defensive identity definitely changed over this last week,” Garland said. “I think we started to get back to it. I think we started to play more physical. We’re getting more stops on the defensive end, which is leading to offense.”


Getting big man Jarrett Allen back has been huge. He missed the final two games of the recent losing streak and has been looking like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate once again in recent games.

Garland also highlighted the contributions of Lamar Stevens.

“Lamar is leading it, to be honest with you,” Garland said of the increased physicality. “He’s setting that tone for us on the defensive end, and I think it’s just wearing off on everybody else.”

While the five-game losing streak was somewhat concerning to see, the quick turnaround for the Cavs has likely only added to their confidence early in the season.

Seeing Garland and Mitchell lead off the court has been fantastic as well. The two stars have become crucial to the heart and soul of the team.

Over his last six games, Garland has averaged 31.7 points, 8.0 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Cavaliers’ Lamar Stevens holds Donovan Mitchell accountable on defense, shows why he’s starting
Story by Chris Fedor, cleveland.com • Tuesday
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — After giving up back-to-back buckets to Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and rookie first-rounder AJ Griffin on Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell returned to the bench and heard an intense, deep voice that reminded him of old college coach Rick Pitino.


It was Lamar Stevens.

“He came to the huddle and said I was getting my ass busted,” Mitchell recalled with a chuckle following the Cavs’ 114-102 win over the Hawks Monday night that extended their winning streak to three games. “They hit two shots on me, and he was like, ‘What are you gonna do? Are you gonna guard or gonna let them bust your ass?’ I don’t think anybody scored on me after that. You need a guy like that. I respect and appreciate that. It wasn’t just me. He’s told others too. When you have a guy that’s vocal about that and not afraid to speak to everybody on the team the same way, it kinda lifts you up and gets your energy up.
“That’s something I haven’t heard since Rick Pitino started screaming at me. That’s what you’re going to need when you want to get to the playoffs, get to the Finals. He’s one of the best voices on the team in that regard for sure.”

That moment reiterates what makes the Cavs so special. Leadership and accountability. Communication and connectivity. Tough love. Welcomed criticism.

Stevens began his career as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State, settling for a two-way contract despite being the program’s second all-time leading scorer (and would be atop the list if not for an untimely COVID-19 shutdown). He worked tirelessly behind the scenes — early mornings and late nights, through the ups and downs — just to prove he was worthy of a non-guaranteed contract and a spot in Cavaliers rotation.


And there he was Monday night, getting into a three-time All-Star, one of the league’s premier shooting guards and a team leader — a moment that also helps highlight why Stevens is such a good fit in the new-look starting lineup.

“He brings a voice that’s definitely needed,” Mitchell said. “Attitude. Positivity. Accountability as well. So, it’s not always just coming from J.B. (Bickerstaff).”

“He brings that dog mentality,” Darius Garland added. “He brings that physicality, as you saw tonight. He brings that defensive mind that we really need and he’s gonna play hard for 48 minutes. That’s who we need with our group.”

Following Wednesday’s loss in Milwaukee, which led to a lengthy heart to heart in the visitor’s locker room, Bickerstaff hinted at lineup changes. He promised to help the team recapture its lost defensive identity.


Stevens — who had spent most of the first month plastered to the bench, collecting a plethora of DNPs — got the start that night, as Bickerstaff wanted that rugged defense-first mentality in a matchup against perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even though that was seen as a temporary gig, born out of necessity due to Jarrett Allen’s absence, Stevens was one of the bright spots in a 15-point loss. His production and competitiveness had Bickerstaff rethinking the starting lineup on the flight home.


The Core 4 — Garland, Mitchell, Allen and Evan Mobley — wasn’t changing. Nonetheless it had become abundantly clear that score-first Caris LeVert wasn’t the best complementary fifth piece. He’s much more comfortable coming off the bench in his natural shooting guard spot, away from two ball-dominant guards.

Even though Stevens hadn’t played a single minute alongside the other four, Bickerstaff was willing to take a chance. He believed Stevens would be a logical fit.

Defense. Grit. Toughness. Physicality. Switchability. Vociferousness. Energy. More size flanking an undersized, non-traditional backcourt that’s geared toward the offensive end.

“Just threw s--- on the wall,” Bickerstaff quipped facetiously when asked about the shakeup recently. “Obviously, Dean (Wade) comes back there are different conversations that we’ll have until we find that right exa

The Cavs are 3-0 since making the switch — and boast the league’s best defensive rating over that stretch. Despite a mind-boggling late-game collapse that led to two overtimes, the Cavs held Charlotte to 40% from the field and 31.8% from 3-point range in Friday’s slump-busting victory. They limited the Heat to a season-low 87 points on Sunday. The Hawks finished with a 100.5 offensive rating one night later — well below the 110.8 rating they enjoy for the season.


Stevens is at the center of the turnaround.

“When they inserted me into the starting lineup, that’s what they expected of me first. More than anything, it’s to be that defensive leader and take on those challenges. I take pride in being that versatile defender, being able to guard anybody at any position. Because I think I can,” Stevens said. “I’ve embraced it. I just hold myself to that standard first. Every morning I wake up and think about the game and I’m studying film and focusing on my defense, how I can impact the defense first. I feel like my offense will come at some point.”

On Monday, Stevens hounded Murray — Atlanta’s prized offseason pickup who has formed a lethal backcourt duo with slithery Trae Young — and held him to 11 points on 4 of 17 from the field.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives past Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) during first half action in the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday, November 21, 2022. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Stevens and Wade are my co-favorites. Neither drafted. Neither multitalented. Both work like crazy and do lots of little stuff. Stevens was a Big Ten center, now a defender on the wings.

Cavs’ Evan Mobley is far from your ‘typical’ second-year player


Nov 23, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dunks during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
By Kelsey Russo
2h ago


In Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Evan Mobley jogged down toward the baseline as Robin Lopez worked in the paint with the ball in the final two minutes of the first quarter. He then moved into the paint under the basket and caught a pass from Lopez to finish for a dunk.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Mobley got out in transition and caught an alley-oop pass from Darius Garland to finish with another dunk. The Cavs lost to the Raptors 100-88 on the second night of a back-to-back, but Mobley’s efforts on both ends of the floor provided a spark. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds. Much has been made about Mobley’s defensive prowess in his young career, but the 21-year-old thought he could become even more of an offensive hub for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.

“Yeah, definitely a little more on a year-to year-basis,” Mobley said recently of his offensive growth. “You definitely want to get better every single time and get more uses for sure. So I was expecting that.”

In Year 2, and with the Cavs a quarter of the way through the season at 13-8, Mobley believes his best is yet to come.

His teammates believe it too.

“I’ve never seen a young guy on a nightly basis, not knowing if it’s going to be offense or defense or show up on the stat sheet, but understanding it and not complain,” Donovan Mitchell said last week. “That’s huge.

“But that’s not typical for a second-year player who should have been the Rookie of the Year last year,” Mitchell continued. “Like, typically, you come into your second year expecting to be that guy, and he’s understanding that the role is going to change night to night — damn near triple-double with blocks some nights, holding down the defensive end when (Jarrett Allen) is out; when J.A. is in, being able to be there for us on the offensive end. I’ve never seen that out of a young guy. That’s a huge credit to him. And him as a person as well.”

Even in the loss to the Bucks on Nov. 25, when Mobley finished with just eight points, shot 2-of-12 from the field (0-of-1 from 3) and grabbed eight rebounds, Mitchell saw an aggressiveness. Mobley fought to go up to the rim and finish.

“I think the biggest thing is he’s just being decisive,” Mitchell said. “I tell him that all the time, and you can see it in his moves. You can see it in his play. He’s just being aggressive.”

Mobley’s sophomore season didn’t start as expected. He suffered an ankle injury and missed the majority of the preseason. The first few games of the regular season were basically his preseason. Recently, he’s found his groove, and his impact goes beyond the stat sheet.

It’s how he catches the ball and makes the hockey assist. It’s his penchant for making the right play. It’s his ability to protect the paint. And it’s the selfless things he does through words or actions that give the Cavs a chance to win.

Mobley’s mentality to do whatever is necessary to win is one he has carried throughout his young career. He tries to stay involved, whether that’s with cutting, setting hard screens, flashing the ball or offensive rebounds. He takes pride in finding those areas to help the offense run and has put even more focus on them recently.

“He could have come here as a rookie when our team was kind of a question mark, and he could have just hunted shots and tried to get his stats. But he never did,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The only thing he did was go out every single night and try to help us win.”

Those intangibles separate him. Bickerstaff has constant conversations with Mobley about how he can be the most impactful player on a nightly basis. In three of the last four games, Mobley has finished with a double-double in points and rebounds.

Mobley posted 20 points and 13 rebounds Sunday night against the Pistons. He also added an assist, a block and hit two 3s — the first time this season he’s knocked down more than one attempt from behind the arc. Mobley added two blocks, a steal and an assist to his double-double against the Raptors. It was his sixth double-double this season; five of them have come in his last seven games.

“I thought Evan was phenomenal on both ends of the floor,” Bickerstaff said after the 102-94 win over the Pistons. “I thought he scored well. We’ve been pushing to get more 3s out of him; he’s taking his shots, he rebounded the ball. I thought Evan was really good.”

Mobley has continuously put in work on his 3-point shooting, dating back to last season. Mitchell pointed out how Mobley is working on his 3-point shot following practices, shootarounds and pregame workouts. His presence on the perimeter can help space and open up the floor for other guys such as Mitchell and Garland.

Mobley said he’s slowly starting to see his work pay off. He took four 3-point attempts against the Raptors but missed all four shots. Yet, he said he feels comfortable taking those shots. And as Bickerstaff alluded to, the Cavs have been encouraging Mobley to take those 3s when he’s open.

“It’s a game changer,” Bickerstaff said. “When you have guys who can pressure the paint like we do, especially when Evan’s at that five spot, now you’re lifting the other team’s best rim protector from the paint, it’s just going to create easier opportunities for everybody around him and also for himself, because a lot of times, fives don’t wanna get out there. So, again, it’s one of those things that he works on. He shoots a ton of them in practice, and it’s just learning to find his spots there. And his teammates recognize when he’s open to get him the ball, also.”

Mobley’s role has also shifted at times as the Cavs have dealt with injuries. Allen has missed four games this season, which has shifted Mobley over to play at the five, either in starting lineups or different rotations throughout the game. When Mobley plays at the five, he is in more pick-and-roll situations and has more rebounding opportunities than when he plays at power forward.

“He still has the responsibility to protect the paint,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s his job without Jarrett in the lineup. They just typically work together. So one of them can go protect the rim, the other one can go be in the rebounding position. Now, his primary responsibility is to go protect the rim, so other guys are going to have to protect him. I think it’s more pick-and-roll stuff that he has to guard; teams typically put their fives in pick-and-roll, so there’s gotta be more communication from him, more anticipation of what’s coming and then talking to his teammates about what they need to do and their responsibilities.”

Allen knows just how much Mobley’s presence in the frontcourt helps him and everyone else. It allows Allen to focus on protecting the rim because he knows Mobley will be in the paint.

“I think it should be said that he takes a big load off of our shoulders in terms of playing defense,” Allen said following the Cavs’ recent win over the Trail Blazers. “Offensively, he’s gifted; we can give him the ball, he can go get a bucket. But just knowing that we have Evan behind all of us as the second line of defense, it gives us confidence to push up harder on defense to maybe go for that extra steal that we shouldn’t on defense, knowing that we have Evan — one of the best shot blockers in the league — to protect us.”

Mobley is blocking 1.4 shots per game (14th in the league) through the first 21 games of the season. He is averaging 15 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 54.5 percent from the field.

“Consistency is the name of the game,” Mobley said. “I’m just trying to be as consistent as possible, always watching film and trying to get better and attack where I see the best options and make the best play out of every possession I get. That’s what I’ve been focusing on. Some games aren’t going to be your game, but you’ve just got to stay consistent, keep working and, eventually, everything is going to fall into place.”

Ricky Rubio to meet with Cavaliers doctors soon, still no official timeline for return

Updated: Nov. 30, 2022, 9:57 a.m.|Published: Nov. 30, 2022, 9:56 a.m.



By Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- About 45 minutes before tipoff, after his teammates vacate the court, injured guard Ricky Rubio conducts an individual workout under the watchful eyes of some of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ developmental coaches. The one-on-one workout lasts nearly 30 minutes and consists of a variety of maneuvers -- long-range movement shooting, in-the-paint finishes through contact, simulated pick-and-rolls, off-the-ball cutting, floaters, mid-range jumpers, odd-angled bank-shots.




That’s become Rubio’s nightly routine. It’s his new normal. At least, for now, at this stage of recovery.

Rubio suffered a torn left ACL on Dec. 28, 2021. He had surgery shortly after -- the second time in his career undergoing an ACL reconstruction on that knee. Typically, the injury carries a 10–12-month recovery timeline, but numerous factors play into that.

While the on-court workouts -- after practice and shootaround, and before games -- are an encouraging sign of progress, they also show how much further Rubio needs to go before debuting.


“We have not put a specific date, but he is continuing to take steps,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said ahead of Monday’s 100-88 loss to the Raptors. “He has a doctor’s appointment coming up soon to see how everything is healing and where he is at from that standpoint.”

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If Rubio gets the go-ahead from team docs, he will ramp up his activity, advancing to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 while testing that surgically repaired knee in a more physical, demanding environment. The Cavs will also want him to have a handful of contact practices before returning to game action. Finding consistent practice time can be a challenge given the tightly packed schedule.

“Everything is progressing well,” Bickerstaff said. “Just a matter of proper healing and time before he comes back and plays.”

This week is the 11-month mark since Rubio suffered the damaging injury, which led to him being flipped for Caris LeVert at last season’s trade deadline. If Rubio, who rejoined Cleveland as a free agent this offseason, is attempting to come back about a year removed from surgery, that would mean returning around late December or early January.


Sources say the Cavs are not going to rush him back. They understand the stark difference between workout shape and game shape and want to make sure he’s fully ready before his first NBA appearance since last year.

In the meantime, as Rubio remains sidelined, he continues to find other ways to add value. His leadership has been important.

“He’s just always telling me to stay level-headed, don’t get too high, don’t get too low,” All-Star point guard Darius Garland said of Rubio’s advice. “He sees a lot of things that I probably don’t see while I’m on the floor. He will just come to me and tell me what he sees, and I try to fix it during the game. It’s super helpful. Ricky has been doing that since he came here -- even when he was playing. I love it.”

Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and the Cavaliers are out to reinvent the big man position
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It's midway through the first quarter of the Cavs' season opener, and on this play, Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam gets a step on Mobley while driving the middle of the lane.

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But Mobley has a luxury few NBA teams possess: help in the form of another 7-footer, All-Star center Jarrett Allen.

Allen slides over, leaving Toronto's Scottie Barnes alone on the baseline and positioning himself to contest Siakam in the restricted area. Siakam dishes to Barnes under the basket for what would typically be an easy finish, but such buckets are few and far between when the Cavaliers' 7-footers share the floor. Mobley helps his helper, leaping to block Barnes' layup.

"We have each other's back," Allen says. "That's the advantage of having two 7-footers. If you blow by the first one, there's a second one for you."

It's a moment that illustrates one of the primary benefits of playing big -- provided that the tall personnel are also agile and instinctive -- in a league that increasingly relies on small ball, positionless lineups and outside shooting.

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"I know we're all enamored with the 3," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff says, "but to win in this league, you've got to win the paint, and that's both ends of the floor. If you have big guys, it's just easier to do that."

While the Cavaliers aren't alone in bucking the leaguewide small-ball trend -- the Minnesota Timberwolves have paired All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert this season with mixed results, and other teams have put their own spins on dual-big lineups -- Cleveland might have set the standard.

"Size and skill," Bickerstaff says, "will beat small and skill every day."

"POWER FORWARD" HAS become an outdated term, as teams typically prioritize shooting, skill and defensive versatility at that position as opposed to the bruising post-up threats from past generations.

However, as Bickerstaff points out, the previous few NBA Finals are proof that size in the frontcourt still matters in today's NBA:

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 title in the bubble with Anthony Davis starting alongside Dwight Howard, although they did shift to a smaller lineup with Davis at center for the closeout win against the Miami Heat.

The Milwaukee Bucks played big during their 2021 championship run with Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo as a dominant defensive duo, but Antetokounmpo's ability to create offensively shatters the power forward prototype.

The Boston Celtics' big tandem of Al Horford and Robert Williams III formed a firm defensive backbone during the Celtics' march to the Finals last season, a partnership put on hold this season while Williams recovers from offseason knee surgery. While Williams fits into the "traditional modern big" category -- that's a term Allen came up with to describe centers like himself whose primary offensive contributions are screening, finishing and rebounding -- Horford's capable passing and 3-point shooting complement stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Memphis Grizzlies have emerged as a Western Conference contender with Jaren Jackson Jr., an All-Defensive shot-blocker with perimeter offensive skills, starting next to bruising center Steven Adams, although Adams was benched in the first round last season because of struggles defending Towns.

The rebuilding Orlando Magic have created intrigue with their supersized starting lineup that features Bol Bol, who has shooting guard skills in a skinny, 7-foot-2 frame, starting between two muscular 6-foot-10 teammates, Rookie of the Year contender Paolo Banchero at forward and center Wendell Carter Jr.

The Cavaliers, for their part, didn't necessarily center their game plan on going big. But the pieces fell in place for a franchise that was in Year 3 of a rebuild following four straight LeBron James-led trips to the Finals.


Cavaliers big men Evan Mobley (4) and Jarrett Allen (31) provide one of the best defensive one-two punches in the league. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
When he was the team's general manager, Cleveland president of basketball operations Koby Altman wiggled into the multiteam deal that sent James Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets at the 2021 trade deadline, parting with the Bucks' 2022 first-round pick to acquire Allen from Brooklyn. The Cavaliers considered it a bargain for a young center they anticipated would anchor their starting five for the foreseeable future, so much so that they locked up Allen to a five-year, $100 million deal that summer.

The Cavaliers had the No. 3 overall pick in the draft months later and considered Mobley the best player in the 2021 class. They didn't hesitate when Mobley was still on the board.

"We thought that Evan was a franchise-changing player," Bickerstaff says. "When you have an opportunity to get a cornerstone, you don't pass that up because of what you think of position."

The Cavaliers' front office and coaching staff believed Mobley's passing and ballhandling ability would mesh with Allen's skills. They were certain the duo would thrive defensively, due to their size and ability to defend multiple positions.

"When you start to think about long-term success and you start to think about the playoffs, how many times do you see big guys get played off the floor?" Bickerstaff says. "They can't switch, they can't guard pick-and-roll, so now they've got to go sit down and they can't play.

"We were extremely fortunate to look at those two guys, and they have the ability to do that."

"The game has changed. Everything a big man does has evolved into something different. Teams are looking for a different type of big who can guard 1 through 5. Like us."
Cavs center Jarrett Allen
The Cavaliers vaulted from 25th to fifth in defensive efficiency during Mobley's rookie season, escaping a three-year stretch near the Eastern Conference cellar to win 44 games and qualify for the play-in tournament. Cleveland, which drastically upgraded its offense by trading for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell this past summer, has the fourth-ranked defense and a 13-8 record heading into Wednesday's 7 p.m. ET game against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

"You've seen the evolution of the big man," Allen says. "The game has changed. Everything a big man does has evolved into something different. Teams are looking for a different type of big who can guard 1 through 5.

"Like us."

The presence of a pair of 7-footers capable of protecting the rim and comfortably switching onto perimeter scoring threats provided a level of security that allowed the Cavaliers to continue to excel defensively even after Mitchell joined fellow undersized All-Star Darius Garland in the backcourt.

"You go get Donovan no matter what if you're able to go and get him, but having them there as a security blanket, obviously that's a plus," Bickerstaff says.

"Our two big guys are elite defensively. They're not like OK or run-of-the-mill bigs. They are elite big guys, so it was our mindset that no matter who you put in front of them, they were going to be able to do the job and protect whoever is there."

ULTIMATELY, CLEVELAND'S CEILING could be determined by Mobley's development as a scorer. He is averaging 15.0 points this season, the same as his rookie campaign but on improved efficiency, and the Cavaliers believe Mobley will grow into a potent scorer.

"It's crazy -- and I don't mean this in a bad way -- but I don't think he really understands how good he can be," Mitchell, the 26-year-old elder statesman among Cleveland's four foundational players, says of Mobley, 21. "He can be really special, and he can take us to a completely different level. I personally believe he can be a top-five player in this league."

The hope for Mobley is that he can develop into a more dynamic version of Horford and make opponents respect him as a 3-point threat.

"We're not asking him to have everything today," Mitchell says. "We're going to grow as a group through the years. I don't even think we've scratched the surface, to be honest."

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Mobley hasn't yet proved that the 3-point shot is a part of his arsenal, creating spacing challenges for a team that features premier creators in Mitchell and Garland, 22. If Mobley becomes even an average 3-point shooter, particularly from the corners, Cleveland's explosive guards would have significantly more room to operate on isolations and pick-and-rolls with Allen, 24, an elite lob threat who has good touch around the basket. Defenders feeling the need to close out hard against him could unlock more of Mobley's ability to make plays off the dribble, too.

"That's where the league is going," Mobley says. "I feel pretty good with it so far. I haven't shot a lot this year, but I think it's just going to grow from here and keep getting better."

Mobley is shooting only 21.1% from 3-point range on less than an attempt per game, a reduction in volume from his rookie season. The work Mobley puts in at the Cavaliers' practice facility, where he will often make 8 of 10 attempts from seven different spots around the arc, has yet to translate to games.

"He still has so much room to grow, so much more things he can expand in his game," Allen says. "He's shown excellent flashes of what he can do. Everybody dreams of a stretch big. With Evan, it'd be a stretch big that can be one of the best defensive players in the league."

How Caris LeVert became the Cavaliers’ chameleon in the trenches
Kelsey Russo
Dec 2, 2022



When Caris LeVert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, he told coach J.B. Bickerstaff in an early conversation that he was adaptable. Use me in whatever capacity you need, he assured him.

That stuck with Bickerstaff. Not only at the time, but to this day.

“Understanding himself and not having an unrealistic picture of who he is allows him to do that and do it comfortably because a lot of people can’t,” Bickerstaff said. “If you ask a guy to be different on a night-by-night basis, that’s extremely difficult.”

LeVert’s initial sentiment to Bickerstaff played a role in LeVert earning the starting small forward job at the beginning of the season. But it also laid a foundation for the journey to come.

In LeVert’s first 18 games this season, LeVert has needed to play multiple roles. His role shifted between being a playmaker to scorer to defender, sometimes depending on the specific possession.

Not only has he played at the three, but he also slid over to play in the backcourt while Darius Garland missed five games with an eye injury. When Donovan Mitchell missed a game with an ankle strain, LeVert shifted down a position again. When Bickerstaff decided the Cavs needed a change following a five-game losing streak in November, LeVert was moved back out of the starting lineup. When LeVert plays next to one of Garland or Mitchell on the second unit, his role is again different because he can be a scorer, he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands and can be a playmaker.

While these shifts are challenging for most players, LeVert’s selfless mentality has allowed him to adapt to whatever is needed of him on a nightly basis. He’s able to handle the unexpected and embrace what is asked of him.

“I think he’s kind of a chameleon in a way,” Donovan Mitchell told The Athletic. “You could put him in any environment in life, and I feel like he would thrive and fit in.”

As the Cavs ran through plays before their season opener against the Toronto Raptors, LeVert wore a red jersey, which typically indicates he is playing with the first group. LeVert was a part of that group a couple of times in a row. But it was only after they ran through lineups that LeVert heard the news officially: he would be a starter.

LeVert started two games at small forward during the preseason, playing well on both ends of the floor next to Garland and Mitchell. Bickerstaff noted how LeVert created for others, found ways to score and defended well without having the ball in his hands as often. He demonstrated in the preseason that he could be a two-way player.

Four days before the season opener, Bickerstaff was still zeroing in on a decision for the starting small forward. But he realized he liked what he’d seen from LeVert in that role.

“He had to be multi-dimensional at that spot,” Bickerstaff said. “Like he’s got to have a bunch of different personalities. […] So it’s not an easy thing that we’re asking him to do. We’re asking him to be three or four different people in the course of a night. And I think he’s taken that challenge on.”

LeVert overhauled his diet this offseason by shifting to a more keto-friendly approach and reducing his sugar intake. He also worked on his conditioning. Unlike previous years, he didn’t have to rehab a serious injury over the summer, which helped him be a standout during training camp.

During the five games Garland missed with his eye injury, LeVert slid over to play in the backcourt next to Mitchell and averaged 15.6 points on 33.8 percent shooting. Dean Wade moved into the starting lineup in the meantime at the three.

Bickerstaff made it clear at the time that after Garland returned, the starting lineup was not going to change. LeVert had earned the spot.

“I’ve got so much respect and appreciation for what Caris has done over the past two and a half months that he’s been back here with us, and the time that he put in over the summer to get himself to this level, it would be disrespectful to just move him out of that spot,” Bickerstaff said at the end of October.
Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert celebrate after the Cavs’ 114-113 overtime with over Boston on Nov. 2. (David Butler II / USA TODAY Sports)

That was before the Cavs went on a five-game losing skid where their defense took a nosedive. Following LeVert’s 41-point outing versus Boston, he averaged just 10.4 points over a nine-game span leading up to Bickerstaff’s lineup change on Nov. 18. That’s when he slid Lamar Stevens into the starting small forward spot against the Charlotte Hornets.

LeVert, meanwhile, was the first sub off the bench, coming in for Garland at the 7:03 mark of the first quarter. Bickerstaff stuck with that lineup over the next two games against the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, both wins.

But this was no demotion. In fact, it was LeVert’s idea.

“I kind of told (Bickerstaff) I wanted to come off the bench,” LeVert said. “He had the same thoughts as well. I think it was the same time, really. I think it will definitely help this team as well as myself going forward.”

Bickerstaff said it was an easy conversation.

“He reiterated to me that he was just all in. That literally came out of his mouth,” Bickerstaff said. “It was like, ‘Whatever you need me to do to help the team win and be better, that’s what I want to do.’”

They talked about the opportunity for LeVert to have the ball in his hands more with the second unit, allowing him more leeway to and create for himself and his teammates during his minutes.

“He is more comfortable with the ball in his hands,” Bickerstaff said. “He was sacrificing a ton playing that kind of third position with those two guards, and then obviously, we throw it to Evan and J.A. So his strength needs to be a rhythm that happens through the game. It’s unfair to him to not allow him to catch a rhythm and then be on the floor at the end of games when we need him, and now he has no rhythm, and when the ball does find him, he’s disjointed.

“It’s a combination of doing what’s best for him, but then when that’s our finishing lineup, he’s got a rhythm, he feels comfortable, and he’s touched the ball and has had an impact,” Bickerstaff continued. “That’s what we’re looking for. Will it happen overnight? No. But we will continue to work at it and think it will work.”

LeVert also dealt with a recent ankle sprain, which caused him to miss four games. He said that coming back from injury brings its own challenges, so adding a role change on top of that is especially difficult.

To ease those challenges, LeVert watched copious amounts of film while staying around the team during his rehab. He tried to look at games through the lens of his new sixth-man role. During games, he focused on picking up where he could get his touches or seeing his defensive matchups.

“It’s a little difficult,” LeVert said. “But I’m someone who focuses on winning. I’ve made that the most important thing. It is what it is, especially when you talk about being in the NBA and being on a really good team. It takes sacrifice. I think a lot of people don’t really realize that when you’re talking about being a part of a special group. Everybody has to sacrifice a little bit. For me, that’s just what it is this season.”
Caris LeVert (Allison Farrand / USA TODAY Sports)

LeVert said his biggest sacrifice came on the offensive end because he’s used to being more of a ball-dominant player – like when he spent his time in Brooklyn and Indiana as a ball-dominant player – whether running pick-and-roll or going one-on-one. The presence of Garland and Mitchell, however, made it harder for LeVert to receive those opportunities.

Moving LeVert to more of a sixth-man role allowed him to play alongside one of Garland or Mitchell, giving him more leeway to be a ballhandler and off-the-dribble scorer. There’s more of a concerted effort to get the ball in LeVert’s hands.

Regardless of his role, though, LeVert has been effective this season. Through 18 games, LeVert is averaging 11.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7 percent from 3. The Cavs are outscoring opponents by an average of 5.1 points per 100 possessions with LeVert on the floor.

“I think he’s playing the game in total,” Bickerstaff said. “He can read the game. So those plays that he’s making will always be there. He can defend, so that will always be there. … he’s just continuing to impact the game in whichever way he can.”

LeVert’s all-around game was on display in Wednesday night’s rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, during which LeVert finished with 22 points, four assists, six rebounds, a steal and three turnovers. In different rotations and lineups, either Garland or Mitchell called different plays to get LeVert the ball. They understand how impactful LeVert can be.

“One night, we need him to have 40, and he’ll do that one night, and then guard Jayson Tatum and not shoot the ball at all, and he could do that,” Mitchell said. “One night, you need him to go out there and get 12 assists on two shots. One night you need him to score. There’s so many different things that he’s done in just 10 games, and I didn’t personally know he could do, and now that I’ve seen it, I get it.”

Lavert's shooting is about as inconsistent as Cedi Osman's. Overall he's at 37.8% after going 8-11 vs the 76ers.
In his 3 games with 2 or more points, his shooting totals are 29 of 50 or 58%
For the rest of the season [including some 5-10 or 6-12 nights] he's 44 for 143 or 30.8%
But if contributes in other ways and can shift among 1 2 and 3 that makes him a useful first man off the bench

Not a fan. I respect Mitchell pumping him up but I just do not see it. He is a very inconsistent player. When Bickerstaff said he had to change the starting lineup he sat LeVert.

Cavaliers at the quarter pole? You’ve gotta love the early returns – Terry Pluto
Published: Dec. 04, 2022, 5:38 a.m.

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Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers, November 30, 2022
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By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Talking to myself about the Cavaliers as they head into the weekend with a 15-8 record. It’s just past the quarter pole of an 82-game season. It projects to about 53 victories.

QUESTION: What should we make of the Cavs early in the season?

ANSWER: Most fans would start with the impact made by the Donovan Mitchell trade. He’s been dynamic, better than even the Cavs thought when they made the huge trade with Utah. He’s averaging 28.4 points. I love the fact that he’s shooting 49% from the field, 42% on 3-pointers. His ball handling is solid. But there are far more reasons to be upbeat beyond Mitchell.


Q: Like what?

A: Like coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s emphasis on defense, and that the team is following it.

Q: You mean the Cavs defense allowing only 106 points per game, fewest in the NBA?

A: That’s part of it, but there’s more. In Defensive Efficiency, they are No. 2 overall. They are No. 1 when it comes to allowing the fewest second-chance points, and No. 5 in defensive field goal percentage.

Q: Meaning what?

A: They rebound, and keeping teams off the boards for easy 2-point putbacks is a big deal. Other than that dismal five-game West Coast trip – remember Bickerstaff calling them “Fat Cats”? – they have kept their Junkyard Dog mentality.

HE PUSHES THEM HARD
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff brings a lot of intensity to his team and yes, the officials. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com


Q: Why do you dwell on defense nearly as much as Bickerstaff?

A: Because it makes them a good team. Even with Darius Garland and Mitchell combining to average 51 points in the backcourt, what gives them a chance to be special is defending and rebounding. It makes them a team others don’t want to play because they are so physical.

Q: But they still need to score.

A: They are averaging 113 points, that’s No. 15 in the NBA. They are outscoring their opponents by an average of 6.9 points per game. Garland and Mitchell are learning to play well together in the backcourt.

Q: Too many numbers, my eyes have rolled over into my head.

A: I understand. As Bickerstaff has said, “We have good basketball players, extremely talented guys. All will hit a bump in the road. It’s up to us, the front office and the team, to show belief in those guys as long as they put in the work. Coaching is teaching guys grow and get better.”


Q: Why use that quote?

A: Growing together means playing together. It means sticking with their defensive identity and doing the hard things on the court. When a team starts to score more, it’s easy for the defense and rebounding to slip. They can think, “We’ll outscore them.” If the Cavs think like that, it’s back to being “Fat Cats.” That also will mean an early playoff exit.

EVAN MOBLEY
Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) and Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little (10) battle for a loose ball. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com


Q: What do you think of Evan Mobley?

A: Because of the high expectations, it’s tempting to expect greatness every game. He’s 21. He’s played in 91 career NBA games. He’s averaging 15 points, 9.1 rebounds and shooting 55% this season. He ranks high defensively – and he’s still in the infancy of his career.

Q: Can he become all All-Star?

A: I’ll go with what Bickerstaff said recently: “His calm demeanor can fool us. He’s not afraid to take any challenge we put in front of him. He’s being more assertive. Hunting (scoring) opportunities. With his skill set and a hunter’s mentality, he’s hard to stop.”

Q: Meaning what?

A: He’s playing with two All-Star guards who are combining to take 35 shots a game and understandably dominating the ball. He’s next to an All-Star center in Jarrett Allen, the most underrated player on the team. He’s not the center of the offense. He is under pressure to defend and rebound. I love how he’s responding.


Q: What about small forward?

A: I like Lamar Stevens at that spot. Or I’d start Isaac Okoro. I’m not worried about their lack of scoring. They are the No. 5 option on offense. They are there to defend.

Q: Hasn’t Caris LeVert been a disappointment?

A: I tend to agree. He was starting early in the season. He’s a scorer and needs the ball – a bad fit with the current starters. That said, he does work hard on defense, and his passing skills are much better than I thought. He can supply instant offense. Keep him coming off the bench to do that. The Cavs need LeVert and Kevin Love to be bench scoring.

Q: Overall impressions?

A: They are better than I thought they’d be at this point in the season. They are defending. They are dominating at home (10-1) and not awful on the road (5-7). I really do love this team.

Cavaliers’ Dean Wade could miss multiple weeks with shoulder injury, sources say


Published: Dec. 04, 2022, 11:02 a.m.


By Chris Fedor, cleveland.com


NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t catch a break on the injury front.

Forward Dean Wade, who has started the last five games, will not play Sunday night against New York and could miss multiple weeks with a sprained left shoulder, sources tell cleveland.com. The initial belief is that Wade has an AC joint sprain, sources say. The recovery timeline for the specific injury varies based on its severity.


Wade has been battling shoulder discomfort for a little while. Following Cleveland’s loss in Toronto at the start of the week, Wade had an ice bag wrapped around his left shoulder. Even though Wade didn’t show any limitations, he took another shot to the area in the first half Friday night and logged just 10 minutes before getting replaced in the starting lineup at the beginning of the third quarter.


“He’s just been playing through it,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Friday’s 107-96 win over Orlando. “But he got hit again on it and it was just too much.”

Wade was just rounding back into form after a scary knee infection that cost him six consecutive games. He returned from that injury on Nov. 23 and has been a permanent fixture in Bickerstaff’s rotation since, helping the team navigate starting small forward Lamar Stevens’ illness and All-Star center Jarrett Allen’s achy lower back. Wade was in line for another spot start on Sunday.

Stevens came back without issue Friday. Allen will be held out against the Knicks -- his fifth missed game in a row.

Q: But they still need to score.

A: They are averaging 113 points, that’s No. 15 in the NBA.

Not last night. Shades of the boring Mike Fratello era, 81 points for our guys; 92 for the winners: Knicks who had been in a downturn.

A zillion travels were called in that game too which held down the score big time.

Watching a lot of NBA games this season it's obvious the refs have been told to ACTUALLY call traveling this year.

That's what I've read.