The Philadelphia 76ers could ask the Cleveland Cavaliers for their entire young frontcourt, according to a proposed blockbuster trade by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey that would’ve sent away Tobias Harris’ expiring $39 million deal in exchange for Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and a future draft pick.

Such a deal would’ve made Allen a backup behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. The same situation would’ve applied to P.J. Tucker heading to the second unit in favor of Mobley.

Cleveland’s front office likely balked at the deal after the Cavs secured the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed in the playoffs. In truth, such a proposal from Daryl Morey and the rest of the Sixers’ front office was likely more of a statement to executives league-wide that the price of Harris is steep rather than a serious proposal.

This proposal aligns with what Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported during a June 20 appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic.

“I don’t think anything is moving right now on a Tobias Harris trade,” Fischer said. “Right now he’s not a major player on the board around the NBA. Things can change but there’s nothing really to keep an eye on at this moment.”

Sixers’ Tobias Harris Doesn’t Address Mavericks’ Needs

Dallas Basketball’s Grant Afseth doesn’t believe Harris fits a need for the Dallas Mavericks — who was one of the teams Pompey reported had an interest in the Long Island native — and deemed the idea of a deal “challenging.”

“With the Mavs’ focus being to bolster their defense and rebounding, Harris would not be the type of trade target that would address those needs,” Afseth prefaced before saying, “Additionally, for any team attempting to trade for Harris, it will be challenging to send out enough salary the Sixers are willing to take back in a trade without using cap space.”

As Afseth puts it, a Harris deal more than likely takes the Mavs out of the running for their non-mid-level exception; as well as a chance to bring on a proven veteran on a modest free-agent contract.

“For the Mavs to maintain a pathway to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, there would need to be creativity in navigating a trade package for Harris,” Afseth prefaced before saying, “Losing that mechanism wold impact the ability to add a proven rotation player.”

Analyst Wants Bulls to Swap Zach LaVine for Tobias Harris

Bulls Wire’s Jack Simone likes the idea of the Chicago Bulls swapping out Zach LaVine’s long-term deal with the Sixers for Harris’ expiring contract from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey; pitching the potential blockbuster for a rebuild’s sake.

“The idea of adding Harris may not sound ideal to most Bulls, but getting off of LaVine’s contract could help them start fresh,” Simone wrote.

Simone fears the Bulls could be looking to run it back with the LaVine-DeMar DeRozan-Nikola Vucevic troika after missing the postseason in 2023.

“The Chicago Bulls roster is solid, but it’s not a championship-caliber group, and for any team around the league, that should be the ultimate goal,” Simone prefaced before saying, “That being said, Arturas Karnisovas seems intent on running the same core back, but that could have serious implications for the future of the franchise.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the regular season with the eighth-best offense in professional basketball. It was a strong improvement after the Cavs finished with the 10th-worst offense in 2021-22, a season derailed by injuries to Ricky Rubio, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Cleveland’s offensive rejuvenation came in no small part thanks to Donovan Mitchell‘s arrival and Darius Garland‘s continued ascension as one of the league’s best floor generals. For much of the season, the pair were tasked with carrying the team offensively.

This made developing a defensive strategy to limit the two fairly straightforward for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. He sent relentless double-teams at Garland and Mitchell, essentially forcing one of a clunky Allen, an inexperienced Evan Mobley, and inconsistent Isaac Okoro to make a shot.

With the offensive flaws on full display, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested the Cavs target Detroit Pistons veteran Bojan Bogdanovic via trade this summer to give the team an added offensive dimension.

“Once Mitchell or Garland (or both) hit the bench, Bogdanović could work as an offensive hub in spurts. He isn’t a great passer, but he is a willing one, and he has more off-the-dribble verve than a designated sharpshooter. He can overpower smaller wings in the post and slip past slower bigs on the perimeter,” Buckley wrote after the Cavs were bounced from the playoffs.

The nine-year vet would certainly add experience to a starting five whose average age was roughly 23 years old this season. Bogdanovic is a career 39% shooter from three and his catch-and-shoot game (45.5% from three this season) is tantalizing, especially given the Garland and Mitchell’s co-star’s inability to do the same against New York. By comparison, Okoro made just 30% of his catch-and-shoot threes during the postseason.

Cavaliers Expected to Pursue Wing Upgrade

While Bogdanovic does add some offense to the Cavs’ side, he’s far from the three-and-D threat that Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Cleveland would pursue this summer.

As Scotto wrote on April 23, Cleveland is one of several teams that will look to bring in an upgrade on the wing, with eyes on a pair of potential Brooklyn Nets outcasts.

“While many rival executives around the league are convinced Bridges isn’t going anywhere, there’s a belief the Nets could break up their surplus of wing depth and trade either Finney-Smith or O’Neale. Various teams around the league, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, are expected to pursue potential 3-and-D wings this summer,” Scotto reported.

If the Cavaliers do pursue a wing upgrade, it could cast a shadow on Okoro’s future in Cleveland. A recent top-five pick, Okoro finished with his best three-point shooting season yet, connecting on 38% of his triples.

But his volume remained the exact same from last season at 2.3 per game. The Knicks were perfectly comfortable leaving him in the corner unmarked, a strategy that worked beautifully for New York.

Isaac Okoro’s Cavs Future Under Scrutiny

According to an Eastern Conference GM, the Cavs are closely monitoring Okoro’s future.

“They are not at a point where they are going to trade (Isaac) Okoro, but they need to figure out what he is for them,” the GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney during the playoffs. “If there is an opportunity to move him, I don’t think they would mind trying. But they probably give him another year to figure things out.”

Okoro averaged just 6.4 points per game against the Knicks. An ace defender, he still lacks the offensive chops to keep him on the floor in big moments, hence why head coach JB Bickerstaff started Caris LeVert in Game Four of the series against New York.

It may still be too early to give up on Okoro, but he’s certainly one of Cleveland’s lone trade chips after moving significant draft capital for Mitchell last season.

Exactly 236 days ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world by pulling off a trade for All-Star Donovan Mitchell. In one fell swoop, Cleveland’s rebuild ended and the young team was thrust back into basketball relevance for the first time since LeBron James left for the Los Angeles Lakers four years earlier.

The Mitchell-led Cavaliers were a regular season revelation, winning 51 games, the most since the team fell just short of a Finals victory in 2017. Cleveland was also one of just three teams (along with the Sixers and Bucks) to finish top ten in offense and defense. Mitchell set Cavs records for points scored in a single game, made threes in a single season, and consecutive games scoring 40 or more points.

But against the New York Knicks, Mitchell was rendered impotent. The team’s lone All-Star revealed to reporters how it felt with the season coming to a crashing end after a 106-95 loss on Wednesday.

“We did a lot of special things this year but for it to end this way doesn’t feel right. I’m proud of every one of those guys in this locker room, the coaching staff, and everybody but they outplayed us. Gotta give credit where credit is due. Simple as that,” Mitchell said during his postgame interview.

While Mitchell heaped praise upon his teammates, he also didn’t hold back about his own shortcomings in the series.

Donovan Mitchell Takes Blame in Cavs’ Series Loss

Before the Cavs traded for Mitchell, the New York native appeared slated for a homecoming with the Knicks, his boyhood team. Thus the Cavs’ first-round matchup with the Knicks was expected to be a referendum on the Knicks’ failure to (once again) attract a marquee talent to the Big Apple.

Turns out, the orange and blue didn’t need Mitchell. After averaging 28.3 PPG on .484/.386/.867 shooting splits during the regular season, he managed just 23.2 PPG on .433/.289/.722 in the playoffs.

“I deserve the criticism that comes with that,” Mitchell said of his playoff letdown, per Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. “Teammates trust me, coaches trust me, everybody trusts me. I wasn’t there and I have to own up to that. I have to wear that all summer and I’ll just be better. Take the scrutiny where I deserve it and get better. They did a good job. But I could have done a better job.”

No, Mitchell didn’t have that one statement, nuclear game against New York. But most of his teammates also failed to show up on a nightly basis.

Cavaliers’ Offensive Struggles on Full Display

While Mitchell was certainly lackluster during the series, he was hurt by the predictable offense that Cleveland tends to run. Outside of Mitchell and Darius Garland, there aren’t many consistent offensive threats on the roster. Mitchell and Garland both averaged 20+ points on the series, but Cleveland’s other three starters averaged just 9.8 points (Evan Mobley), 9.4 points (Jarrett Allen), and 6.4 points (Isaac Okoro) each.

Tom Thibodeau didn’t have to be a defensive savant to know that sending two bodies on Garland and Mitchell forces one of those other question marks to make a play on offense. Had Garland and Caris LeVert (15.0 PPG on the series) combined for 56 points in Game Two, there’s a real possibility this Cavs team could have been swept.

Ultimately, the Cavs couldn’t put the ball in the basket. Cleveland’s offensive rating was the worst of any playoff team this year, lagging behind the Brooklyn Nets (swept) and already eliminated Minnesota Timberwolves. Cleveland scored 100 points or more just once during the five-game series.

But the Knicks didn’t bring an offensive juggernaut into the series, either. New York finished the round with the fourth-worst offensive rating. Even still, the games weren’t particularly close, with an average differential of 12.2 points. Only Game One was decided by less than five points.

The Cavs now enter the offseason needing to fix that glaring postseason weakness.

All season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have embraced the “lessons” that come when a team’s starting five’s average age is just 23.4 years old. For Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Evan Mobley (all 23 or younger), 2022-23 was their first taste of playoff basketball.

But a disappointing five-game gentleman’s sweep of the Cavaliers by the New York Knicks should mark the end of such lessons, according to local Cleveland reporter Ben Axelrod. Axelrod questioned the front office’s historic strategy of jettisoning troublesome personalities, highlighting this season’s Kevin Love departure as a recent example.

“I still can’t fully blame the Cavs for the Kevin Love situation,” Axelrod tweeted after the Cavs were eliminated in a 106-95 loss. “If anything, both he and the team deserve blame. I do think it’s fair to question the way this front office has managed players/personalities dating back to the Kyrie Irving trade.

“The Cavs have gotten the luxury of not having any real expectations for the last five years, but this series should’ve been a wake-up call. No more wins and lessons.”

After the No. 8 Miami Heat pulled off an improbable upset over the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to Round 2 against the Knicks, Love will be playing basketball later than the team he started the season with.

JB Bickerstaff Called Out Ahead of Game Five Versus Knicks

The front office isn’t the only Cavs entity to come under scrutiny recently.

“Is coach J.B. Bickerstaff — at the center of this rebirth — a good enough tactician to help the franchise take the next step?” cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor asked after a dismaying Game Four loss that sent the series to 3-1.

Despite promising that the Cavaliers would be better after each successive loss, Bickerstaff’s game plans rarely changed from night to night. When the Knicks went small, the Cavs failed to respond, instead keeping two space crushers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the game. With this series loss, Bickerstaff’s career postseason record stands at a paltry 2-8.

Fedor continued by questioning nearly every aspect of Cleveland’s roster-building, cap management, and personnel decisions:

“Is investing that much in a pair of 7-footers – only to have them get pulverized by a Knicks frontcourt featuring Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, Obi Toppin and Cleveland castoff Isaiah Hartenstein — the best use of salary cap allocation? Is this an 82-game roster or a 16-gamer? Is building around a pair of guards a sound strategy in today’s wing-dominated NBA? Do the Cavs have the means to find a more reliable fifth starter to complement the Core 4. Is re-signing erratic Caris LeVert the proper use of financial resources?”

The Cavaliers have an exciting young core in Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland. Outside of that trio, all options should be on the table for making a 51-win regular season team into a viable playoff threat.

Cavaliers Expected to Pursue Wing Upgrades

That includes finding reinforcements on the wings, without question the weak spot on this year’s roster. The front office declined to make any moves at the trade deadline, joining the Chicago Bulls as the only teams to sail through the deadline without changes.

Several wing options will be available to the Cavaliers this summer. That includes Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale of the Brooklyn Nets, who were recently swept by the Philadelphia 76ers. According to a recent report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nets are likely to part ways with both players this summer.

Here comes the challenge: Scotto reported that the Nets could get at least one first-round pick for both players back in February. But after dealing for Mitchell last summer, draft capital is an area the Cavs are especially light in.

Perhaps the Nets, who finished 29th in rebounding last season, could take back Jarrett Allen in a trade involving O’Neale and/or Finney-Smith. Allen finished with 7.4 boards per game last year, top-30 in the league.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to generate any offense outside of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland against the New York Knicks. The Cavs have trotted out the worst offense so far in the playoffs, less effective than the already eliminated Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Aside from Caris LeVert‘s 24-point Game Two performance, no one on the Cavs has managed to score more than 20 points in a game other than Mitchell and Garland. Knick skipper Tom Thibodeau doesn’t have to be a defensive guru to develop a double-teaming game plan to limit the tandem.

With the playoffs on the line, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report identified the Cavs’ lackluster offense as the “X-Factor” set to limit the team’s ability to reach the Finals.

“Throughout the series, New York has been aggressive in sending multiple bodies at Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, forcing the ball out of their hands, often to Even Mobley around the foul line,” Hughes wrote recently. “From there, many teams feast offensively in a downhill, 4-on-3 scenario. But Mobley’s processing has been a half-step slow in space, he’s struggled mightily to finish against Mitchell Robinson, and worst of all, the Knicks can pull in an extra defender because they aren’t concerned with the likes of Isaac Okoro beating them from deep.

“The Cavs have had a hole at small forward all year, and they’re paying for failing to fill it. Too often, Cleveland has three non-spacers on the floor around Mitchell and Garland.

“As great as those two guards can be, the lack of capable offensive support around them, particularly at the 3, is devastating.”

The Cavs’ decision against finding an upgrade on the wing at the trade deadline appears to be haunting them in the first round. With Okoro rendered impotent by his inconsistent shooting, head coach JB Bickerstaff benched him for Game Four, instead opting to start LeVert in his place.

Cavs Facing Isaac Okoro Roster Decision

Okoro should be playing with supreme confidence after the front office essentially gave him its vote of confidence at the trade deadline by not dealing for depth at the position. But that patience might be wearing thin; according to an Eastern Conference GM, the Cavs are closely monitoring Okoro’s future.

“They are not at a point where they are going to trade (Isaac) Okoro, but they need to figure out what he is for them,” the GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney recently. “If there is an opportunity to move him, I don’t think they would mind trying. But they probably give him another year to figure things out.”

Since being taken fifth overall in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro’s promise as a three-and-D wing has yet to materialize. This season was his best shooting year from deep (36% from three), but his volume remained the same from a year ago (2.3 attempts per game).

While there’s still time for the youngster to develop, the Cavs’ championship window was pushed up significantly after the Mitchell trade. Perhaps the Cavaliers decide to bring in a win-now vet on the wing, someone capable of handling more responsibility.

Cavs Exploring Wing Options This Summer

If recent reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Cleveland is one of several teams that will look to bring in an upgrade on the wing.

Scotto’s report came amidst a longer discussion about the Brooklyn Nets’ bevy of wings several of whom (Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith) may be on the move this summer.

“While many rival executives around the league are convinced Bridges isn’t going anywhere, there’s a belief the Nets could break up their surplus of wing depth and trade either Finney-Smith or O’Neale. Various teams around the league, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, are expected to pursue potential 3-and-D wings this summer,” Scotto wrote on April 23.

For Cleveland, the sticking point will undoubtedly be compensation. The team is light on first-round draft picks after the Mitchell trade, which the Nets have already suggested they could have gotten for the pair back in February.

Postseason basketball is full of ups and downs, but for Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell, Game Four was something of a serious personal nadir. The Big Apple native was back home, albeit as a visitor, playing to keep the Cavs from sinking into a 3-1 hole.

But on Sunday night, Mitchell looked less like the arachnid that his Stan Lee-inspired nickname warranted and far more like Peter Parker. He managed just two points in the second half, 11 in the game.

It simply wasn’t enough from the star whose arrival over the summer catapulted the Cavs out of rebuild mode and back into relevance for the first time since 2018. After the game, Darius Garland defended his teammate’s poor night out.

“I think he’s putting too much on himself,” Garland said of Mitchell. “That’s what All-Stars do. Just trying to blame everything on himself, but it’s not on him. This is a group effort. This is Cleveland basketball. Anything he says that he puts on himself, don’t listen to him. I mean everybody has nights like this. He’s been one of the leaders of this group this entire year. When he goes, we go. He’s going to move on to the next one. We’re going to keep his head high, we’re going to have his back no matter what.”

Now, the Cavs return to Cleveland looking to crawl out of a 3-1 deficit, something that’s been done only 13 times in NBA history. Although the Cavaliers do have some come-from-behind in their DNA: the 2016 side famously overcame a 3-1 hole to beat the Golden State Warriors and win the franchise’s first Finals.

Donovan Mitchell Sounds Off on Poor Game Versus Knicks

Mitchell didn’t pull any punches on his off night when speaking to reporters after the game.

“I didn’t show up for my teammates,” Mitchell said, per Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. “Everybody did their job, and I didn’t do what I was capable of. That’s on me. I played like s***. I’m the leader of this group. Everybody did their job. I didn’t. Simple as that.”

In addition to his 11 points, Mitchell shot just 5-18 from the field and 0-4 from three. In a series roundly expected to be a referendum on the Knicks‘ failure to land Mitchell over the summer, New York has looked perfectly fine without the star man.

Mitchell wasn’t alone in his Houdini-esque disappearing act on Sunday. Jarrett Allen finished with 14 points in 40 minutes. Evan Mobley has looked far from the Defensive Player of the Year candidate he finished the season as, while his offense has equally sputtered. The disappointing play from both has led to questions about whether Cleveland’s twin towers style roster is capable of handling the smaller, springier lineups the likes of which New York has deployed during the series.

Donovan Mitchell Not Giving Up Hope

The Knicks have looked the better of the two teams for most of the series. New York has held the league’s eighth-best regular-season offense to fewer than 100 points in three of the four games so far, including a 79-point stinker in Game Three.

The Cavs haven’t shown much to convince fans that things will change anytime soon. Nonetheless, Mitchell is holding his head up high ahead of what figures to be a decisive Game Five.

“I believe in myself. I believe in this group. We believe in each other,” Mitchell said. “If you give up 3-1, you’re not built for these moments.”

The Knicks and Cavs hit the floor on Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell was born on September 7, 1996, to Donovan Mitchell Sr. and Nicole Wright. His parents separated sometime after his sister Jordan Mitchell was born and the Cleveland Cavaliers star grew up in a close-knit family with his mother and sister in New York.

Here’s what you need to know about Donovan Mitchell’s family:

1. Donovan Mitchell’s Father Was a Minor League Baseball Star & Now Works for the New York Mets

Mitchell’s father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., played minor league baseball in the 1990s. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 14th round of the MLB June Amateur Draft in the 14th round and played for the organization for several seasons.

In 1999, Mitchell Sr. joined the New York Mets as a minor league manager and coach. He worked his way up in the organization, moving up to manager then director of player relations, his LinkedIn shows. He now works for the Mets as the senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion and player relations.

When Mitchell was growing up, he recalled going to the Mets’ clubhouse with his father and spending time with the players and they were some of his favorite days, he told CBS Sports.

Although an injury as a sophomore in high school changed Mitchell’s course from baseball to basketball, he remains to this day a huge Mets fan.

2. Donovan Mitchell’s Mother Nicole Wright Pursued a Career in Education & Supported Her Son’s Basketball Dreams

Mitchell was always very close to his mother, Nicole Wright, growing up. Wright grew up in New York with two siblings, the children of Panamanian immigrants.

Wright became involved in education as a career but took an unconventional path to get there. She began working in the New York public school system as an accounts payable clerk, she told the Salt Lake Tribune, following jobs in banking.

However, when Wright began working with the school system, she said, “I spent more time in the hallways talking to the kids and the other teachers than I spent in my office. And that’s how I became involved in education.” She shared that she’d never considered a career in education and had found school “tricky” when she was younger.

“If you don’t have that foundation, you’re always one step behind,” she told the Tribune. “My family was just kind of figuring themselves out. So I had a normal education, then I got to college and found out, ‘Wow, there’s some really smart people out there.’”

When Mitchell was growing up, his mother sacrificed a lot for him, as did his younger sister. “[My mom] used to drive me all over New York City and New Jersey on the weekends to play in AAU tournaments,” he wrote for the Players’ Tribune. “My mom probably put like 500,000 miles on that old Toyota Camry. The crazy part is that she couldn’t have cared less about basketball.”

In fact, he shared that the first time he dunked, he raced outside the gym to tell his mother, only to have her ask him on the drive home, “Can I ask a dumb question? What exactly makes it a dunk, sweetheart?” he wrote.

Wright, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Concordia College, is set to receive a master’s degree in early childhood education from Manhattanville College in 2023, her profile with the YWCA Greenwich states.

She taught at Greenwich Country Day School, Mitchell’s alma mater, for 13 years and is now on the school’s board of trustees. She also works as the executive director of SPIDACARES, a foundation established by Mitchell to help families with education and athletics.

3. Nicole Wright Always Put an Emphasis on Donovan Mitchell’s Education Despite Criticisms From Others

With Wright’s interest in education, it’s perhaps no surprise that she really pushed her two children to focus on their schooling. Mitchell and his sister Jordan attended Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut. His last two years of high school were at Brewster Academy boarding school, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

“I believe education is the key to getting from one level to the next,” Wright shared with the publication. “It’s heavy. People say that, but I truly understand that.” In fact, Mitchell described his mother as “skeptical about sports” in his piece for the Players’ Tribune. He said schooling was really important in their household, but he didn’t really get it, preferring gym class, lunchtime and recess with his friends.

In fact, both Wright and Mitchell have recalled an occasion in eighth grade when he didn’t complete his school assignment before a big AAU tournament, which had been their deal, and wasn’t allowed to go. No amount of begging or pleading or anger changed Wright’s mind, and Wright also had to stay firm when his coach and other players’ parents called her too, she shared with the Salt Lake Tribune.

Afterward, she cried in the bathroom and said she felt awful. She said it wasn’t the first time coaches questioned her decisions. “I was ruining his sporting life. I’m hindering him. I’m holding him back — these were the words I heard for years on end,” she confessed. But it worked. The lesson stuck and Mitchell began focusing on his schoolwork as well as basketball.

That’s why he made a deal with his mother when he decided to declare for the NBA draft after his sophomore college season that he’d come back to his degree. In fact, he continued taking online classes at the University of Louisville during the offseason to eventually be able to graduate. “I’m the type of person that if I put it off, I’ll forget about it,” he told the Tribune. “But I really am just focused on that and determined to get it. It’s a good thing to have, especially as a basketball player.”

Wright, who added notes to Mitchell’s essay for the Players’ Tribune, wrote that when he was announced at his first NBA game with the Utah Jazz, “All the fans were standing up and cheering, and I was just sitting in my seat with my head in my hands, sobbing.” She added, “I just couldn’t believe that we were really here. All those sleepless nights wondering, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ We made it here.”

4. Philanthropy Is Very Important to Donovan Mitchell & He Set Up a Foundation to Give Back to Communities

Mitchell is a very charitable athlete who’s been focused on giving back from day one. In 2020, after he signed a contract extension with the Utah Jazz, he donated $12 million to his alma mater, the Greenwich County Day School. The money is set to help the school build a new gym while also offering scholarships to children from low-income families.

The Cavs star also launched his foundation, SPIDACARES, to focus on helping communities through education and athletics. “Through supporting youth and athletic programs, the foundation seeks to foster and promote the physical well-being and mental health, ethical character, confidence, and good sportsmanship of both children and adults,” his website states. “SPIDACARES awards grants and scholarships to students with financial need who exemplify the spirit of hard work, empathy, and leadership embodied in Donovan’s commitment to Determination Over Negativity.”

The foundation was launched by Mitchell and his family and his mother serves as the executive director. Wright candidly shared with the Players’ Tribune that she was “not very impressed by all the basketball stuff.” She admitted that she still didn’t understand a lot about the game.

However, she shared, “What makes me really happy is when I hear the stories about Donovan going out of his way to help people that he runs into in real life — whether it’s the kid at the Apple Store who needed to fix his phone, or the person at the grocery store who was counting change.”

She said when she hears those stories, even though Mitchell rarely talks about them, she said, “that’s when I know I did a good job as a mother… That just makes me so proud that I might go ahead and start crying right now, in fact.”

5. Donovan Mitchell Has a Younger Sister, Jordan Mitchell, Who Is a College Lacrosse Star & Very Close With Her Brother

Mitchell was really close with his sister Jordan when they were growing up, despite the five-year age gap between the two. When he played his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden, his hometown debut, his sister couldn’t attend because she had her first state championship in lacrosse. However, Mitchell wasn’t disappointed because she missed his hometown debut, he said, according to SB Nation. It was because he missed her first state championship game.

Mitchell shared back in 2021 that he was always doing whatever he could to “show love” to his younger sister. “She’s always by my side, especially when we were younger,” he told KSL. “She missed out on a lot of child things to come stay in a hot gym for six hours a day.” Jordan Mitchell is currently a junior at American University, where she is a star on the lacrosse team.

In fact, Mitchell opened up about a text from his sister that had a lasting impact on his life and career. He’d had a terrible game during his sophomore year in college and on December 31, 2016, he learned that he wouldn’t be starting the next game, against Indiana at the Pacers’ arena in front of all the NBA scouts. “It was super, super tough. I was in a really bad headspace,” he recalled in his Players’ Tribune piece.

Mitchell said he unexpectedly received a long text message from his sister, who was 13 at the time. He said they didn’t usually send each other long, serious messages. “But this message was just super heartfelt and honest, expressing how much she believed in me, and how she’d witnessed how hard I worked over the years, and how she knew everything was going to work out,” he shared. “She was bringing up all these little moments from the past, and it just did something to me.”

The Cavs star ended up having an amazing game off the bench and playing better than he ever had before. He said he’d never told his sister about the text’s impact but that it “probably changed my whole life.”

Darius Garland was born on January 26, 2000, in Gary, Indiana. The Cleveland Cavaliers star is the youngest of four children born to his parents, Felicia and Winston Garland. After Garland finished sixth grade, his family moved to Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee.

Here’s what you need to know about Darius Garland’s family:

1. Darius Garland’s Father Is Winston Garland, a Former NBA Point Guard

Garland’s father, Winston Garland, is a former NBA point guard who was instrumental in his son’s upbringing and a big inspiration to the Cavs star. He was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, and played basketball for Roosevelt High School. He then attended Southeastern Community College for two years and then transferred to Southwest Missouri State.

Garland was drafted in the second round of the 1987 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He played with five different teams over seven seasons, the Golden State Warriors from 1987 to 1990, the Los Angeles Clippers from 1990 to 1991, the Denver Nuggets the following season, then the Houston Rockets. His last season in the NBA was from 1994 to 1995 when he played with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After his NBA career, he played for a season in Italy, his last year of professional basketball, the Times reported.

Winston Garland said his son “is so much better than I was,” he told Andscape. “He does so many more things than I did. He enjoys watching the game. He enjoys studying it. They’re a lot more visual now. There are a lot more things to look at and more players to emulate, easier access to do it.” Despite that, for the younger Garland, his father is still his basketball role model.

“As a basketball player, I learned everything from him,” Garland told the Akron Beacon Journal. “He was my first trainer, first coach, so everything that I do, I got it from him, and I got some of his skills and his abilities too.” It’s clear they have a very close bond, as he said, “My dad’s my best friend. I love him to death. He means the world to me. He’s been there the whole entire way — good times, bad times, basketball, non-basketball.”

As for Winston Garland, being considered his son’s basketball role model was “touching,” he told Andscape emotionally. “That’s sweet. That made my day.”

2. Winston Garland Was Instrumental In Teaching Darius Garland the Fundamentals of Basketball

When Garland was very young, all he wanted to do was play basketball and learn more, and luckily for him, he had a great teacher in Garland Sr. “When I was about 3 or 4, I had a Little Tikes basketball hoop,” he told Andscape. “I’d be at the door waiting for him [to come home from work] wearing a basketball uniform and a headband.”

When his dad got home, they’d begin playing. “He’d sit on the floor, throw lobs at the goal and I’d shoot fadeaways and fall like Kobe,” Garland described. “I always looked forward to seeing my dad. Those memories will always stick with me.” His father described the future Cavs point guard as a “sponge” who just soaked in everything his father had to say about the sport and the position.

The NBA star said he learned about the fundamentals of the game at a much earlier age than other kids, and to play at different speeds. “A lot of players play at one speed by going 100 mph all the time,” he said. “A change of pace keeps defenders off-balance. I still [change gears] to this day thanks to my dad.”

The father and son duo still joke about when Garland first beat his father. According to the Cavs star, it was in 6th or 7th grade. Winston Garland joked with the Akron Beacon Journal that his son was a lot older than that, though.

Despite Garland’s love of the sport, his father didn’t want to push basketball on him or have him focus on just one sport. “I was a little hesitant because I believe kids should do as much as they can without concentrating on one sport. But he was hell-bent on focusing on basketball,” Winston Garland told Andscape and said his son really dialed in. That made Garland’s parents really look at his options for the future and decide to move to Tennessee.

3. Darius Garland’s Mother Is Felicia Garland & the 2 Are Very Close

Felicia Garland has also been a big support to her son when he was growing up. She shared that he and his father are a lot alike and described them as “two clowns” to the Akron Beacon Journal. “They love to have fun, and I love that about both of them, always smiling, making people smile.”

It seems Felicia Garland also likes to have fun and cheer people up if Garland’s TikTok account is any indication. The Cavs star shared a video of himself doing a dance with his mom on the social media platform in December 2022 which picked up half a million views.

Garland told the NBA that his mother isn’t really into sports that much. “She’s just a beautiful young lady,” he shared. He did mention that she’s quite superstitious and shared in March 2022 that she didn’t go to watch his away game against the Indiana Pacers because “Road games, every time they come, we lose,” he told the Beacon Journal.

4. Felicia & Winston Garland Made the Difficult Decision to Move From Gary, Indiana, to Nashville When Darius Garland Was Young

Felicia and Winston Garland were both born and raised in Gary, Indiana, but they made the difficult decision to move their family to Nashville, Tennessee, after Garland’s sixth grade. “That was so hard just driving down the street, leaving my mom’s house because that was the last stop,” Felicia Garland told the Akron Beacon Journal.

The Garlands wanted their son to have the best possible chance at a future in basketball, which meant playing at a high school with more national exposure. It was a “leap of faith,” Felicia Garland said. But they also wanted to improve all of their children’s lives and Gary, Indiana, had high rates of unemployment, poverty, and high crime rates.

“It wasn’t the Gary that we grew up in,” Winston Garland told Andscape. “Once the mills closed, other things took place and the job scene was getting bad. The crime rate started to rise. I wanted to give my kids a fighting chance.”

It was also important for Garland to step out of his father’s shadow, as he was known in Gary as “Winston’s son.” His father told the Beacon Journal that he wanted his son to make his own way and make a name for himself, although it was a difficult transition for the family.

5. The Garland Family Came Out in Full Force to Support Darius Garland at the NBA Draft

The Garland family is very tight-knit and the Cavs star has two older brothers, Desmond and Kody, and an older sister named Kacie. After Garland was drafted by the Cavaliers, his parents told Andscape that they didn’t want to “hover” over him during his rookie season but that his older brother would likely be in Cleveland with him.

His entire family has been very supportive and he had over 60 people in attendance at the NBA draft, including his 85-year-old grandmother, he shared. “It’s crazy that they came out to share this moment with me,” he told the publication. “That meant a lot to me by them traveling this far. Even my grandmother is out here, and she is 85 years old.”

Winston Garland said there were family and friends from Gary and from Nashville who attended the draft and everyone was so welcoming to their family. “Everybody was there. Just seeing everyone’s faces, my grandmother’s face, meant a lot,” Garland shared.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers decided against making any trades before February’s deadline, it was a bet that the roster as presently constructed could handle the pressure cooker of an NBA postseason.

Now, with the Cavs on the brink of a round one elimination to the New York Knicks, the front office is expected to test the free agency and trade waters. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Cleveland is one of several teams that will look to bring in an upgrade on the wing.

Two names that Scotto included in the report are Nets‘ Dorian Finny-Smith and Royce O’Neale

“While many rival executives around the league are convinced Bridges isn’t going anywhere, there’s a belief the Nets could break up their surplus of wing depth and trade either Finney-Smith or O’Neale. Various teams around the league, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, are expected to pursue potential 3-and-D wings this summer,” Scotto wrote on April 23.

In the months since the deadline, Cleveland’s wager against tinkering with the roster seemed to pay off. The Cavs finished as one of only three franchises with a top-ten offense and defense en route to the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2018.

But the Knicks have exposed Cleveland’s fragility through four playoff games, with Isaac Okoro coming under some scrutiny for especially lackluster play.

Isaac Okoro’s Cavs Future Under Scrutiny

It comes as little surprise the Cavs are eyeing a wing upgrade. In a league dominated by three-and-D specialists, Cleveland is conspicuously light at the position.

Okoro, the team’s starting swingman, is a strong defender but his 36% on 2.3 attempts from deep this season leaves much to be desired. The Knicks have rendered him impotent on offense, regularly willing to shade off of him to double team the likes of Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland.

And according to an Eastern Conference GM, the Cavs are closely monitoring Okoro’s future.

“They are not at a point where they are going to trade (Isaac) Okoro, but they need to figure out what he is for them,” the GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney recently. “If there is an opportunity to move him, I don’t think they would mind trying. But they probably give him another year to figure things out.”

Okoro’s performances have been so sloppy during the playoffs that the former Auburn Tiger has actually lost his spot among the starting five, with JB Bickerstaff trotting out Caris LeVert in his place on Sunday.

But though LeVert provides streaky offense, his defense is woeful at times; LeVert posted a minus-11 net rating on Sunday. After him, Bickerstaff has gone to a carousel of Danny Green and Cedi Osman, neither of whom have been particularly effective against New York.

Cavs Hunting for a Veteran Option: Sources

The same GM that spoke with Deveney also noted the need for a veteran presence at the wing. Outside of Mitchell, this year’s playoff run marks the debut most of the starters.

“I think the assumption is that he is going back but also, they need to get more out of that second unit. They need another guy, a veteran who can score,” the GM said. “A guy who makes a lot of sense is Kendrick Nunn, you can probably sign him for almost nothing and he showed a little bit when he was in Washington that he can still get buckets. I’d like him there for them.”

The price will have to be right for Cleveland, which is empty of significant draft capital after the Mitchell trade. Scotto mentioned that O’Neale and Finney-Smith both commanded at least one first-round pick in negotiations in February, leaving the Cavs to potentially be forced to get along with the likes of Nunn on a veteran minimum salary.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ away stint against the New York Knicks, one is quickly reminded of a particular verse from Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”: city is a pity/half of y’all won’t make it.

Count JB Bickerstaff and the Cavaliers among the bunch who didn’t quite make it during this iteration’s first road playoff test. Heading into the series, Knicks skipper Tom Thibodeau was seen by some as the better strategist, with a playoff resume far longer than Bickerstaff’s.

But with Cleveland’s offense now sputtering (the team has scored more than 100 points just once during the playoffs and averaged 86 points between the two road matches), questions have begun to arise about Bickerstaff’s ability to make in-game adjustments to unlock the league’s eighth-best offense this season.

“Is coach J.B. Bickerstaff — at the center of this rebirth — a good enough tactician to help the franchise take the next step?” cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor asked in a postgame writeup.

Fedor continued by questioning nearly every aspect of Cleveland’s roster-building, cap management, and personnel decisions:

“Is investing that much in a pair of 7-footers – only to have them get pulverized by a Knicks frontcourt featuring Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, Obi Toppin and Cleveland castoff Isaiah Hartenstein — the best use of salary cap allocation? Is this an 82-game roster or a 16-gamer? Is building around a pair of guards a sound strategy in today’s wing-dominated NBA? Do the Cavs have the means to find a more reliable fifth starter to complement the Core 4. Is re-signing erratic Caris LeVert the proper use of financial resources?”

For now, the Cavaliers return to Cleveland looking to replicate the 2016 Finals team and crawl out of a 3-1 hole.

Donovan Mitchell Takes Blame After Cavs Lose to Knicks

All eyes have been on Donovan Mitchell during this series and for good measure. The New York native was widely expected to be traded to the Knicks this summer before the Cavaliers swooped in. The Cavs-Knicks series quickly turned into a de-facto referendum on that deal.

On Sunday, the bright lights and big expectations might have gotten the best of Mitchell, who managed just 11 points and was nearly blanked in the second half.

“I didn’t show up for my teammates,” Mitchell said, per Fedor. “Everybody did their job, and I didn’t do what I was capable of. That’s on me. I played like s***. I’m the leader of this group. Everybody did their job. I didn’t. Simple as that.”

But Mitchell is keeping his head up, focused on advancing from a 3-1 hole for just the 14th time in NBA history.

“I believe in myself. I believe in this group. We believe in each other,” Mitchell explained. “If you give up 3-1, you’re not built for these moments.”

While Mitchell’s future isn’t in doubt, the Cavaliers likely need to hit the drawing board this summer to solve the team’s myriad depth issues.

Cavaliers ‘Expected to Pursue’ Depth on the Wings: Report

Aside from concerns over Bickerstaff’s coaching, the playoffs have exposed a stunning lack of depth on Cleveland’s bench. In a league built on three-and-D wings, the Cavs have . . . none?

Isaac Okoro is the closest the team has to such a player, but his offense (36% on 2.3 attempts beyond the arc this season) is hardly sufficient. Okoro’s even seen his starting spot in the rotation disappear, with the defensively-challenged Caris LeVert taking over in his stead.

Several options will be available to the Cavs this summer, including a pair of Brooklyn Nets studs in Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. The Nets, fresh off a four-game sweep to the Philadelphia 76ers, are expected to part ways with the pair, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto noted that both players commanded at least one first-round pick in trade discussions back in February, something that could become tricky for a Cavs team light on first-round picks after the Mitchell trade. According to Fanspo, the Cavaliers hold just their 2024 first-round pick, presumably the only bargaining chip for Finney-Smith or O’Neale.

The Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 99-79 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday was packed with blows on and off the floor. Perhaps it should have been expected, with the young and inexperienced Cavs heading to Madison Square Garden for its first playoff road test.

After the game, Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson said the Cavs “got shook up” by MSG’s atmosphere, which caused them to choke from the pressure.

But Cavs big man Evan Mobley brushed Robinson’s comments, explaining that Friday night was just a one-off for Cleveland, not the be repeated.

“They can say whatever,” Mobley said during practice on Saturday, per the Cavs’ official YouTube channel. “I’m still going to approach each game how I’m going to approach it. I feel like as a team we’re going to keep approaching the games as we approach them and just stay within us and be ourselves. I just feel like we missed shots. Just wasn’t our game. Have to approach it as a new game and come in and be ready for the next.”

Mobley finished with a quiet 10-point, 10-rebound performance against the Knicks. If anything, the blowout loss allowed Cleveland to rest its starters, hopefully keeping them fresh for Sunday’s contest.

JB Bickerstaff Sends Message to Knicks Ahead of Game Four

Mobley wasn’t the only one asked about Robinson’s comments. After practice on Saturday, head coach JB Bickerstaff used Robinson’s own words to describe how the Cavaliers plan to attack Game Four.

“No, I think we experienced new experiences,” Bickerstaff said. “Young guys and their first road playoff game, those are things you go through. Our guys don’t fear anybody. We’re not shook by anyone.”

The Cavs’ 79-point showing was the lowest of the season. Prior to the loss, Cleveland was the only team in the NBA to not have scored fewer than 80 points in a game all season.

But the Cavs’ offense has been woeful all postseason. Cleveland currently owns the worst offensive rating of any team in the playoffs, scoring just 100.7 points per 100 possessions. Fortunately for Cleveland, the Knicks aren’t much better, with the second-worst offensive rating.

Rather, both sides have turned the series into a defensive rock fight; the flip side of both sides having the bottom two offensive ratings is that both also sit atop the league in postseason defensive rating.

Now, the Cavs face a do-or-die Game Four. A loss would send the series to 3-1 and back to Cleveland, a difficult hole to crawl out of. It’s not impossible, though; a comeback from a 3-1 deficit has happened 13 times in NBA history, including when the Cavs won the Finals in 2016.

Mitchell Robinson Calls Out Mobley & Allen

Robinson’s made a habit of antagonizing the Cavaliers during the series. Before the series started, he shot down the notion that none of New York’s bigs could handle Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:

Bondy: When you play a team like that, that has two legitimate big men, how much different is-

Robinson: We got two of ’em too. Really we got three. 

Bondy: I mean starters. 

Robinson: What you mean? We good. We straight too! What you talking about?

Game Four between the two teams tips off at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off the trade of the summer by prying All-Star Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. Though the Cavs were hardly the favorites to land Mitchell; the tea leaves strongly suggested Mitchell would land on the New York Knicks.

The trade to NY had all of the trademarks of a storybook ending. Before suiting up for the Louisville Cardinals in college, Mitchell lived and played AAU ball in New York. The Knicks, as a matter of fact, was his childhood team.

Mitchell now is preparing to play postseason basketball in Madison Square Gardens, albeit as a visitor. After evening up the series in Game One, Mitchell opened up about the prospect of returning home.

“Don’t do too much, don’t make the moment too big,” Mitchell said. “You guys [in the media] are gonna do your job. Stephen A. [Smith] is gonna do his job. But just make the moment about what we do. It’s gonna be loud. It’s gonna be crazy. It’s gonna be fun. At the end of the day, you want this as a competitor.”

Mitchell has been an offensive engine for the Cavs during the postseason. The team’s lone All-Star this year is averaging 27.5 points and 10.5 assists through Cleveland’s first two games against the Knicks.

JB Bickerstaff Praises Caris LeVert After Breakout Night

Mitchell hasn’t been alone in his excellent play. In Game Two, Caris LeVert put up 24 points in 40 minutes off the bench for Cleveland.

After the game, JB Bickerstaff praised LeVert for stepping up for the Cavs.

“He’s rangey and he’s aggressive and he’s kind of offbeat, so I think he’s hard to read when he is using his hands and he’s active on the ball, it’s difficult to figure out where exactly he’s coming from,” Bickerstaff said. “So I think it kind of throws your rhythm off a little bit.”

LeVert was pressed into service after Isaac Okoro got into early foul trouble. But rather than sub him back in, Bickerstaff handed the car keys over to LeVert for the night. Okoro finished having played for fewer than three minutes.

The Cavs have a serious decision to make about Okoro, who hasn’t quite made the leap as a three-and-D player in his third year.

Isaac Okoro Could be Moved for Right Price: Sources

Okoro was drafted fifth overall in the 2021 draft. And while he’s grown into a tough perimeter defender, his offensive game leaves much to be desired, hence why the Cavs went with LeVert primarily in Game Two.

The former Auburn Tiger shot a career-best 36% from deep this season, but with a low volume (2.3 attempts) that’s actually down from his rookie year.

But the Cavaliers made a big bet on Okoro at the trade deadline, opting against moving him or adding reinforcements a the three spot.

“They are not at a point where they are going to trade (Isaac) Okoro, but they need to figure out what he is for them,” an Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney recently. “If there is an opportunity to move him, I don’t think they would mind trying. But they probably give him another year to figure things out.

“The best situation is to go out and get a guy who can fill his role in the short term and have him come off the bench. A Bruce Brown, if he opts out, or Josh Richardson. Get a veteran in who can mentor him a bit, someone who does not have Okoro’s talent but who has that hustle and the IQ to fill in whatever gaps his team needs.”

The Cavs and Knicks will hit the court for Game Three on Friday night.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers boast one of the most talented starting lineups in professional basketball, there’s one position that remains a slight Achilles Heel: the swing spot.

Caris LeVert brings the pedigree of a 20+ scorer with weak defense chops. Isaac Okoro is either the team’s best perimeter defender or a close second behind Evan Mobley but is a far cry away from a three-and-D wing (Okoro averaged 2.3 attempts from deep this season).

On most nights, the team’s collective offense behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland accounts for Okoro’s disappearing acts. Yet it stands to wonder if the Cavs need to upgrade the position, especially after the team’s recent win over the Knicks in which Okoro played all of 2:45 minutes.

“They are not at a point where they are going to trade (Isaac) Okoro, but they need to figure out what he is for them,” an Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney recently. “If there is an opportunity to move him, I don’t think they would mind trying. But they probably give him another year to figure things out.”

The GM went on to explain the best-case scenario for Okoro, which involves a short-term transition to the bench in favor of a veteran who can mentor the third-year wing.

“The best situation is to go out and get a guy who can fill his role in the short term and have him come off the bench. A Bruce Brown, if he opts out, or Josh Richardson. Get a veteran in who can mentor him a bit, someone who does not have Okoro’s talent but who has that hustle and the IQ to fill in whatever gaps his team needs.”

It’s not the first time Okoro’s been the subject of trade chatter.

Multiple Teams Liked Isaac Okoro at Trade Deadline

In February, Okoro was a frequent topic of trade-deadline debate in league circles. Some days Okoro was destined to be swapped for the likes of Kelly Oubre or Josh Richardson and others, he figured to be a long-term part of the Cavaliers’ corps.

And according to Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, there’s a reason why conflicting storylines persisted: the Cavs’ front office wasn’t in total agreement about the path forward.

“While some in the franchise want to be aggressive at the Thursday deadline, the prevailing thought is that this is still a team in development and that patience, especially with an asset like [Isaac] Okoro, is needed,” Deveney wrote.

“‘A lot of teams like him,’ one Eastern Conference executive told Deveney. ‘But he has been up and down. When he is good, it looks like he plays with some confidence, and with him, it is more about confidence and ability at this point.’”

Though the eye test might suggest improvement from Okoro in his third season with Cleveland, he’s taken steps back in several offensive categories, including scoring and assists. His three-point rate increased (up to 36%), but his volume stagnated.

JB Bickerstaff Addresses Isaac Okoro ‘Frustration’

In the playoffs thus far, Okoro has scored six points on 1-7 shooting. In fairness, his offense isn’t the reason for his inclusion in the starting rotation. He’s a strong perimeter defender who isn’t afraid of hanging with an opposing team’s best guard.

And after missing the team’s last six games with knee soreness, the player’s frustration from missing the court was palpable.

“There is frustration and for all the right reasons,” Bickerstaff said after beating the Magic, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “You know Isaac and where his intent is and where his heart is, like all he wants to do is be on the floor, competing with his teammates. And he takes pride in his ability to be available. So it is frustrating for him. He keeps a pretty even spirit all the time. So he knows how to engage his teammates, keep it light, still show his support, but you know on the inside, it’s eating him up.”

The Cavs take on the Knicks in Game Three of the first round on Thursday night.

Though the Cleveland Cavaliers were up by 23 with less than three minutes remaining in Game Two against the New York Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to keep his stars in the game.

And in an instant, it became abundantly clear why that is a no-good, very bad idea. Julius Randle pumped down the floor on a fast break, only to be taken out mid-air by Cavs big man Jarrett Allen. Randle tumbled to the floor, wincing in pain from the contact and fall.

After the game, he offered a candid answer about whether Allen’s attempted block was a true “basketball play.”

“I thought it was a little unnecessary,” Randle said during his postgame interview. “When you understand playoff basketball, you don’t give up on plays, and I respect that. I’m somebody who plays hard. I respect that, but typically when you make those kinds of plays, you run across their body, not through them.”

Randle went on to issue a veiled warning to Allen as the series heads to Madison Square Garden in New York City:

“But it’s fine. It’s irrelevant [now]. We go back to the Garden, and we’ll see them there.”

It was a deflating loss for the Knicks, who briefly stole home-court advantage after their Game One victory.

Magic Johnson Praises Darius Garland & JB Bickerstaff

But for Cavs fans, Game Two was proof of concept for a team with a talent ceiling of Key Tower but otherwise light on playoff experience. Leading the charge was Darius Garland, who finished with a game-high 32 points and seven assists, nearly doubling his point total in Game One.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson loved what he saw from the former Vanderbilt Commodore in the rematch.

“Cleveland guard Darius Garland Put on a one man show scoring 26 points in the first half and ending with 32 in the Cavaliers 107-90 win over the Knicks,” Johnson tweeted along with three fire emojis.

Johnson also praised head coach JB Bickerstafff, whose adjusted game plan against Jalen Brunson did not go unnoticed by the former champ.

“One of the reasons the Cavaliers won is because Coach Bickerstaff made a great Game 2 adjustment by double teaming NY Knicks guard Jalen Brunson,” Johnson posted.

Brunson still managed 20 points and six assists, but shot only 5-17 from the field and 1-8 from beyond the arc.

Isaac Okoro Takes Jab at Jalen Brunson Before Game Two

But Brunson still found a way to get to the free-throw line. The former Villanova Wildcat hit the charity stripe four times in Game One, cashing in on all of his attempts.

Accessing free throws has become a key facet of Brunson’s game; last year, he attempted just 2.7 free throws per game. This year, that number is up to 5.8, tied with Bennedict Mathurin for the 13th-highest attempts per game.

Going into Game Two, Isaac Okoro spoke about the Cavs’ intent to keep Brunson off the free throw line by not falling for his “antics.”

“Just being disciplined,” Okoro said about how the Cavs can keep Brunson from the line. “Knowing, talking to the refs you know, trying to let them know some of the antics. You know he might do, you know staying down on pump fakes, you know trying to use my size and my length just to try and deter shots and passes.”

Fair to say the strategy didn’t quite work out. Brunson attempted ten free throws in Game Two, suggesting his “antics” are still working.

The Cavs and Knicks will both look to take the series lead in New York on Thursday night.

So far, the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ playoff matchup with the New York Knicks has been something out of a Dickens novel. A tale of two games: one a rock-fight loss for the Cavs, another a blistering blowout to tie up the series. The age of wisdom: the Cavs adjusted to Josh Hart‘s strong opening night and limited him to just five points on Tuesday. The age of insanity: Tom Thibodeau left his starters in late, despite the Cavs clearly having put the game away.

And for Darius Garland, it’s been a tale of two players. His playoff debut in Game One was one to forget; he scored 17 points, but was rendered impotent as a playmaker and finished with one assist.

But Garland was ready for Game Two.

“He was really quiet [after the Game One loss],” Donovan Mitchell told cleveland.com. “I’ve been there before, and I know what it looks like. He had that look in his eye yesterday. You just get into this place. You go to this space. And he went there. He didn’t play the way he wanted in Game 1. He puts a lot of pressure on himself but that’s what makes him so good. He is usually loud and joking around. He was locked in. He kept saying, ‘I will be better. I’m going to step it up. I need to step it up.’ And he did.”

Garland finished with a game-high-32 points against the Knicks on Tuesday. Even more important for the team, he finished with seven assists, unlocking the Knicks’ defense almost at will.

JB Bickerstaff Praises Caris LeVert After Beating Knicks

Garland wasn’t the only one to show out on Tuesday night. After JB Bickerstaff called out his team’s bench for their poor play in Game One, the second unit respond with a strong showing, led by Caris LeVert’s 24 points.

“There’s just so many people you got to guard, you know what I mean?” Bickerstaff told reporters after the game, per the Cavs’ official YouTube channel. “You got Darius and Donovan in space, so now teams have tough decisions to make on who they’re going to help off of. And Caris has the ability to play make, he has the ability to find open guys, but then you know what he’s capable of as a scorer as well. So it just puts people in a tough spot.”

LeVert received 40 minutes of action, replacing Isaac Okoro who got into early foul trouble. He was a leading reason for the Cavaliers’ double-digit lead with two minutes remaining in the game.

Julius Randle Blasts Jarrett Allen After Foul Call

It was around that two minutes remaining mark that Jarrett Allen went up for a block on a Julius Randle breakaway, only to crash into the player and send him careening to the floor.

Allen was called for a Flagrant 1 foul, which Randle thinks was rightfully earned.

“I thought it was a little unnecessary,” Randle said during his postgame interview. “When you understand playoff basketball, you don’t give up on plays, and I respect that. I’m somebody who plays hard. I respect that, but typically when you make those kinds of plays, you run across their body, not through them. But it’s fine. It’s irrelevant [now]. We go back to the Garden, and we’ll see them there.”

It remains to be seen whether the tensions from that foul will linger into Game Three, but expect the typically raucous crowd at MSG to rain boos down on Allen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stumbled out of the gate against the New York Knicks in Game One. A no-show from the bench was particularly disappointing, with the reserve quartet of Caris LeVert, Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman, and Dean Wade coming for just 14 points.

And after the disappointing loss, JB Bickerstaff didn’t mince words about his bench’s lackluster showing. Heading into Game Two, Cleveland’s skipper called on the second unit to add a spark, make a bucket, something.

It’s safe to say they understood the assignment. The bench unit pumped out 36 points, 24 by way of LeVert, who played 40 minutes off the bench after Isaac Okoro ran into foul trouble early. The Cavs finished with a comfortable 107-90 victory.

After the game, Bickerstaff explained how defenders are essentially tasked with picking their poison when LeVert is hot.

“He’s rangey and he’s aggressive and he’s kind of offbeat, so I think he’s hard to read when he is using his hands and he’s active on the ball, it’s difficult to figure out where exactly he’s coming from,” Bickerstaff said. “So I think it kind of throws your rhythm off a little bit.”

Bickerstaff also explained how LeVert manages to find opportunities despite playing behind one of the league’s most electric backcourts in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

“There’s just so many people you got to guard, you know what I mean?” Bickerstaff told reporters. “You got Darius and Donovan in space, so now teams have tough decisions to make on who they’re going to help off of. And Caris has the ability to play make, he has the ability to find open guys, but then you know what he’s capable of as a scorer as well. So it just puts people in a tough spot.”

Don’t count on him to carry the team every night — LeVert managed just three points in Game One — but the guard is more than capable of serving as a microwave scorer for the Cavs from time to time.  Though he’s averaging just 12.1 points per game, he’s exploded for 20+ points more than a handful of times this season.

Darius Garland Praises Caris LeVert After Cavs Stomp Knicks

Bickerstaff wasn’t the only Cavalier to praise LeVert’s big night.

“It is great to see ‘Vert just out there just doing his thing,” Garland told reporters postgame. “He’s an X-factor for us. A lot of people don’t think that he can just come off the bench and just put up some big numbers like that, but he can on any given night and he’s going to defend his butt off on the other end of the floor. So I mean, we really need it from ‘Vert.”

For his part, Garland chipped in 32 points and dished out seven assists, nearly doubling his point total from Game One.

Donovan Mitchell Praises Darius Garland’s Epic Night

Garland made just the second playoff appearance in his career on Tuesday. Since being drafted fifth overall by the Cavaliers in the 2019 NBA draft, Garland has seen his fair share of trials and tribulations during the team’s rebuild.

But the former All-Star was more than ready for the challenge of late-April basketball. Game One was hardly the coming out party he hoped, but Garland’s teammate explained how the former Vanderbilt Commodore learned turned the rough night into motivation.

“He was really quiet [after the Game One loss],” Mitchell told cleveland.com. “I’ve been there before, and I know what it looks like. He had that look in his eye yesterday. You just get into this place. You go to this space. And he went there. He didn’t play the way he wanted in Game 1. He puts a lot of pressure on himself but that’s what makes him so good. He is usually loud and joking around. He was locked in. He kept saying, ‘I will be better. I’m going to step it up. I need to step it up.’ And he did.”

The entire Cavs team made good on its promise to step up on Tuesday. They’ll look to keep the momentum going on Friday in New York.

Heading into Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers face a make-or-break Game Two showdown against the New York Knicks. A 2-0 hole is no joke and few playoff atmospheres match Madison Square Gardens, where the Cavs will be headed for games three and four.

The key to limiting New York’s effectiveness will be to limit its lead playmaker Jalen Brunson. He scorched Cleveland for 27 points in 29 minutes on Saturday; in his last two matches against Cleveland, he’s scored a total of 75 points.

He’s also a free-throw magnet. His free-throw attempts have ballooned in his first year in the Big Apple, going from 2.7 last year with the Mavericks to 5.8 in 2022-23. But if you ask Isaac Okoro, Brunson actively seeks opportunities to draw fouls.

“We feel like we played him well last game,” Okoro said. “I mean, probably get him off the free throw line, not falling for his pump fakes and those antics of trying to draw fouls, be more disciplined.”

Okoro knows what the team needs to do to keep Brunson off the line.

“Just being disciplined,” Okoro said. “Knowing, talking to the refs you know, trying to let them know some of the antics. You know he might do, you know staying down on pump fakes, you know trying to use my size and my length just to try and deter shots and passes.

“Just you know, nodding your head back, falling on the ground when not a lot of physicality’s used on you, just little things to help him get fouls and things get to the free throw line.”

The Cavs will need Okoro to look like his pre-injury self on Tuesday. Without him 100%, the Cavs lack a true perimeter disruptor (all due respect to Evan Mobley) to pester the likes of Brunson.

Donovan Mitchell Shares Candid Assessment of Cavs Opener

Saturday served as Cleveland’s first taste of playoff basketball in five years. But rather than a rousing fireworks show, the game resembled more of a rock fight evidenced in the final score 101-97.

For Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, Saturday night was supposed to go differently.

“It’s a deflating feeling,” Mitchell said about the loss, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “But in the same token, there’s no room for that emotion. OK, we gave up 17, but how do we correct it? How do we move on from there? That’s what the playoffs are. We’re going to make mistakes. It’s going to happen. We’re going to give up offensive rebounds.”

But the All-Star also promised the Cavs would come out stronger in Game Two, ready to meet the Knicks’ challenge head-on.

“But there’s more physicality, there’s more intensity that can be had. Just got to clean that up, watch the film and we’ll be better,” Mitchell explained.

Mitchell was terrific against the Knicks, netting 38 points and making eight assists. But his impact extended beyond the box score.

Quentin Grimes Reveals Donovan Mitchell’s Trash Talk

With the game on the line, Knicks guard Quentin Grimes went to the free-throw line to shoot two and ice the game. The first shot clanged around a bit before actually going in, something Mitchell reminded Grimes of when he went to take his next one.

“He was just like he didn’t like the first one because it rattled in a little bit,” Grimes told SNY’s Ian Begley. “So I was like, ‘You will like this next one.’ I made sure I knocked down that, but I think the atmosphere will be even crazier in this second game. … It’s going to be a really fun game.”

The Cavs and Knicks will hit the hardwood Tuesday night in Cleveland.

After a rough offensive night last Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a 0-1 series hole against the New York Knicks. The loss forfeits home-court advantage for Cleveland, forces an inexperienced Cavs team to play from behind, and, if you ask Donovan Mitchell, simply stinks.

“It’s a deflating feeling,” Mitchell said about the loss, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “But in the same token, there’s no room for that emotion. OK, we gave up 17, but how do we correct it? How do we move on from there? That’s what the playoffs are. We’re going to make mistakes. It’s going to happen. We’re going to give up offensive rebounds.”

But in the same breath, Mitchell was quick to promise fans that a different Cavs team would take the floor on Tuesday, one that’s physically and mentally prepared for the challenge.

“But there’s more physicality, there’s more intensity that can be had. Just got to clean that up, watch the film and we’ll be better,” Mitchell explained.

Despite the lack of support from his supporting cast, Mitchell showed up in his Cavaliers playoff debut.

Darius Garland Praises Donovan Mitchell After Cavs-Knicks Opener

Mitchell (38 points) and Darius Garland (17 points) accounted for over half of the team’s total points in the 101-97 loss. At times, it felt as though Mitchell was the team’s singular sparkplug and the do-it-all man who kept Cleveland in it.

Afterward, Garland spoke about Mitchell’s excellent night, praising the Cavs All-Star in the process.

“Donovan’s really good,” Garland said after the game, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube page. “We need that the whole series and beyond. I mean, it’s really good for him just to see a couple go through and just get hot like that when we need him. It was a good feeling for all of us, him as well, and everybody in the building to see a couple go through from him, get the energy back up in the building. And on the defensive end, I think he was great. A lot of effort.”

Only Jarrett Allen, who finished with 14 points, managed double-digit scoring for Cleveland. For the rest of the Cavs team, Saturday was a difficult night at the office.

JB Bickerstaff Blasts Cavs Bench After Knicks Loss

Coach JB Bickerstaff relied on four players off the bench in Game One: Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Cedi Osman, and Ricky Rubio. The quartet combined for just 14 points and finished with a minus-17.3 net rating.

For comparison’s sake, Knicks forward Josh Hart provided 17 points off the bench for New York by himself. The poor showing did not please Bickerstaff after the game.

“I mean obviously our bench has to give us a spark, we gotta find a way to manufacture some buckets,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “You know, how do we create for one another and how does our bench support our starting cast? We’ll go back and we’ll take a look at it, you know, but at some point in time, you got to find a way to just put the ball in the basket and I thought, I mean that unit kind of struggled there. I thought Cedi (Osman) was really good, he gave us a good burst and then you know, at the end of the day you can’t give up 17 offensive rebounds.”

The Cavaliers will look to rebound from the loss on Tuesday night.

For much of the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ opening game against the New York Knicks on Saturday night, All-Star Donovan Mitchell was as good as advertised. The New York native went for a game-high 38 points, singlehandedly keeping the game tight.

Ahead of Tuesday’s Game Two matchup, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was candid about the need for his team to adjust to Mitchell’s potent offense.

“We obviously have to do a lot better. And he’s a tough cover,” Thibodeau said, per the New York Post. “Take a look at the film. See how we can improve. We know we’re going to have to be tougher, play better.”

Thibs isn’t the only one to highlight Mitchell’s excellent performance on Saturday.

Darius Garland Praises Donovan Mitchell After Knicks Loss

Since the duo was formed over the summer, Mitchell and Darius Garland have formed one of the league’s most potent backcourt duos in professional basketball. The duo was back it on Saturday, combining for more than half of Cleveland’s total points (55).

After the game, Garland praised his teammate’s contributions.

“Donovan’s really good,” Garland said after the game, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube page. “We need that the whole series and beyond. I mean, it’s really good for him just to see a couple go through and just get hot like that when we need him. It was a good feeling for all of us, him as well, and everybody in the building to see a couple go through from him, get the energy back up in the building. And on the defensive end, I think he was great. A lot of effort.”

While Mitchell did everything in his power to keep the Cavs in the game on Saturday, he received little help from Cleveland’s role players.

JB Bickerstaff Calls Out Cavs Bench Against Knicks

Coach Bickerstaff kept the leash tight on his bench on Saturday. Only four players — Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Ricky Rubio, and Cedi Osman — saw time on the floor.

That quartet combined for just 14 total points; by comparison, Josh Hart came off the bench for New York and managed 17 points alone.

It was a weak performance, one that Bickerstaff was quick to call out after Saturday’s loss.

“I mean obviously our bench has to give us a spark, we gotta find a way to manufacture some buckets,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “You know, how do we create for one another and how does our bench support our starting cast? We’ll go back and we’ll take a look at it, you know, but at some point in time, you got to find a way to just put the ball in the basket and I thought, I mean that unit kind of struggled there. I thought Cedi (Osman) was really good, he gave us a good burst and then you know, at the end of the day you can’t give up 17 offensive rebounds.”

The Cavs’ offensive bench woes have been a constant all season. The unit finished 28th in offensive rating, forcing the Cavs’ starters to play the third-highest total number of minutes of any starting fivesome.

Against the Knicks, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Donovan Mitchell, and Darius Garland averaged 42 minutes apiece. Thankfully, the Cavs feature young legs that can likely withstand the heavy workload.

Though they boast one of the league’s best group of starters, the Cleveland Cavaliers leave much to be desired from the bench. And on Saturday night, the bench’s woes were on full display against the New York Knicks.

It’s been a problem for much of the season. Cleveland’s bench unit finished 28th in points and 27th in field goal percentage. The Cavs’ bench had the league’s 28th offensive rating, to boot.

Suffice it to say, when Donovan Mitchell & Co. hit the bench, things go off a cliff. And they did once more against the Knicks, who kept Cleveland’s bench to 14 points in the game. Josh Hart, a Knicks reserve wing, finished with 17 points alone.

After the game, JB Bickerstaff was less than impressed with his bench’s performance.

“I mean obviously our bench has to give us a spark, we gotta find a way to manufacture some buckets,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “You know, how do we create for one another and how does our bench support our starting cast? We’ll go back and we’ll take a look at it, you know, but at some point in time, you got to find a way to just put the ball in the basket and I thought, I mean that unit kind of struggled there. I thought Cedi (Osman) was really good, he gave us a good burst and then you know, at the end of the day you can’t give up 17 offensive rebounds.”

Bickerstaff’s lack of reliability on the bench is readily apparent. The Cavs’ starters played the third-most minutes of any starting five this season. On Saturday, only Isaac Okoro failed to see at least 38 minutes of action among the starting five; Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen averaged 42 minutes apiece.

JB Bickerstaff Calls Knicks Loss a ‘Lesson’ for Cavs

Saturday night served as a real wake up call for Cleveland. Aside from Mitchell, who’s played in five playoffs before this season, the Cavs’ starters are light on late-April basketball experience.

Garland, Mobley, and Okoro made their playoff debuts on Saturday. Allen’s last trip to the playoffs resulted in a first-round sweep. But for Bickerstaff, every game is an opportunity to grow and learn.

“Our guys are learning,” Bickerstaff said following the loss. “We play a ton of guys a ton of minutes who are learning what playoff basketball is about. We’ve talked about it. You have to experience it to understand it. This was a lesson. We experienced it and we’ve got to bounce back from it and correct the things we can correct, which I think there was a lot of.”

Let’s hope the lineup is full of Rhodes Scholars ready to soak in the wisdom; the Cavaliers have now lost home-court advantage for the rest of the Conference playoffs.

Darius Garland Praises Donovan Mitchell After Cavs Loss

Though Mobley and Okoro disappointed in their debuts, Garland and Mitchell put on a show. The pair accounted for over half of Cleveland’s 97 points, with Spida notching 38 and Garland netting 17.

After the game, Garland praised his backcourt mate’s performance.

“Donovan’s really good,” Garland said after the game. “We need that the whole series and beyond. I mean, it’s really good for him just to see a couple go through and just get hot like that when we need him. It was a good feeling for all of us, him as well, and everybody in the building to see a couple go through from him, get the energy back up in the building. And on the defensive end, I think he was great. A lot of effort.”

The Cavs are back in action on Tuesday night.

Saturday night wasn’t quite the opening salvo that the Cleveland Cavaliers hoped for in Game One of the Eastern Conference’s playoffs first round against the New York Knicks. Cleveland was held to 97 points, just the eighth time this season the league’s ninth-best offense was limited to fewer than 100 points all year. Jalen Brunson was magnificent for New York, finishing with 27 points in the 101-97 win.

Over half of the team’s total points came from two sources: Donovan Mitchell (38) and Darius Garland (17). The only other Cavalier to finish in double-digit scoring was Jarrett Allen (14).

Mitchell and Garland have combined to form one of the league’s most potent backcourt tandems. And after the game, Garland went on the record to explain Mitchell’s importance Saturday night.

“Donovan’s really good,” Garland said after the game, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube page. “We need that the whole series and beyond. I mean, it’s really good for him just to see a couple go through and just get hot like that when we need him. It was a good feeling for all of us, him as well, and everybody in the building to see a couple go through from him, get the energy back up in the building. And on the defensive end, I think he was great. A lot of effort.”

While the playoff lights might have shined a bit too bright for Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro, the real culprit on Saturday was Cleveland’s bench.

JB Bickerstaff Calls Out Cavs Bench After Knicks Loss

The Cavaliers brought just four players off the bench against New York on Saturday: Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, and Caris LeVert. The foursome combined for just 14 points for the game, par for the course in what’s been a disappointing season for the Cavs’ role players.

Coach JB Bickerstaff was not impressed by his bench’s performance against the Knicks in the home opener.

“I mean obviously our bench has to give us a spark, we gotta find a way to manufacture some buckets,” Bickerstaff said. “You know, how do we create for one another and how does our bench support our starting cast? We’ll go back and we’ll take a look at it, you know, but at some point in time, you got to find a way to just put the ball in the basket and I thought, I mean that unit kind of struggled there. I thought Cedi was really good, he gave us a good burst and then you know, at the end of the day you can’t give up 17 offensive rebounds.”

It gets worse. Josh Hart, who played hero for the Knicks late against the Cavs, outscored the entire Cavs bench 17-14. To be clear, Hart didn’t crack the Knicks starting lineup on Saturday.

JB Bickerstaff Calls Knicks Loss ‘Lesson’

Despite the disappointing outing from the bench and from Mobley and Okoro, Bickerstaff was quick to remind reporters that the team is still green.

“Our guys are learning,” Bickerstaff said following the loss. “We play a ton of guys a ton of minutes who are learning what playoff basketball is about. We’ve talked about it. You have to experience it to understand it. This was a lesson. We experienced it and we’ve got to bounce back from it and correct the things we can correct, which I think there was a lot of.”

Chalk it up to the team’s first real taste of postseason glory. But now without home-court advantage, the Cavs now face an even tougher test against a regular-season opponent that went 3-1 against the team from Lake Erie.

Despite a league-wide flurry of trade deadline moves, the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of just two teams not to make any kind of deal before February.

So far, the track record for teams that sat out the deadline isn’t great; the Chicago Bulls dropped out of the playoffs altogether in the play-in tournament, and the Cavaliers became the first Eastern Conference team of the playoffs to lose to a team with a lower seed on Saturday, falling to the New York Knicks 101-97.

But the lack of a deal didn’t stop Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report from suggesting a slew of trades that playoff teams might wish they’d made with the postseason in full swing. Buckley proposed the Cavaliers address a clear need on the wing in a trade that drains some bench depth and whatever remaining draft assets Cleveland has after the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster from last summer.

Here’s what Buckley suggested:

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Kelly Oubre Jr.

Charlotte Hornets receive: Cedi Osman, Dylan Windler, 2023 second-round pick (via GSW), 2026 second-round pick, and 2026 second-round pick (via LAL)

“Oubre does a little of everything other than pass, but Cleveland could live with that weakness, since it already squeezes more than a dozen dimes per night out of the Mitchell-Garland combo. Oubre’s athleticism and activity could perk up the Cavs’ transition attack, and they could use more pep in their step after finishing 24th in fast-break scoring,” Buckley wrote.

Oubre’s name should be a familiar one for Cavs fans.

Kelly Oubre Linked to the Cavaliers in January

Back in January, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Cavaliers, Suns, and Raptors all had an interest in acquiring the Hornets’ wing.

“Cleveland, Phoenix and Toronto had been circulating as teams that had trade interest in the Hornets’ Kelly Oubre Jr. until Oubre was forced to undergo left hand surgery this week expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks,” Stein reported.

Despite a hand injury around the trade deadline that might have cooled league interest in Oubre, the former Kansas Jayhawk finished the season on a high note. In 13 post-All-Star appearances, Oubre shot 46.2% from the field and averaged 20.5 points per night.

He simply offers a higher offensive ceiling than Isaac Okoro does at the moment, while also not coughing up too much defensively á la Caris LeVert.

JB Bickerstaff Sounds Off on Isaac Okoro’s ‘Frustration’

Speaking of Okoro, the Cavs’ starting wing took the floor for the first time since March on Saturday. Okoro had previously missed time with knee soreness, a source of frustration for the player down the season’s stretch.

“There is frustration and for all the right reasons,” Bickerstaff said after beating the Magic, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “You know Isaac and where his intent is and where his heart is, like all he wants to do is be on the floor, competing with his teammates. And he takes pride in his ability to be available. So it is frustrating for him. He keeps a pretty even spirit all the time. So he knows how to engage his teammates, keep it light, still show his support, but you know on the inside, it’s eating him up.”

The Cavaliers will be back in action Tuesday night, looking to right the ship after dropping Game One to New York.

By almost any metric, the upcoming first-round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks will be a close one. The Cavs’ top-rated defense will face off against the league’s fourth-best offense. For all of the Cavs’ length, the Knicks boast a few bigs of their own. The two sides were separated by just 3.5 points on average in their four meetings this season (the Knicks finished 3-1 against Cleveland).

It’s not unlikely that this series comes down to a handful of plays. But that doesn’t mean it will necessarily come down to the players.

According to one exec who spoke with The Athletic, this series could come down to the two men patrolling the sidelines: Cavs skipper JB Bickerstaff and his Knicks equivalent, Tom Thibodeau.

“I have respect for New York,” the exec said. “It’s not that the Knicks can’t win the series — they could. But I like Cleveland. The only reason I’d give New York a little edge at all is the coaching factor. If you’re gonna match up a series and have (J.B.) Bickerstaff versus (Tom) Thibodeau, I’ll take Thibodeau.”

Despite the slight edge given to Gotham’s head coach, the exec still believes the Cavs will prevail.

“But I’ll go with Cleveland. I’m gonna say it’ll be a seven-game series. I think it’s that close. I think that’s one of the most interesting first-round series in the entire league,” the exec explained.

One of the biggest storylines heading into this series revolves around injury concerns to key starters on both sides.

Isaac Okoro and Julius Randle Injury Concerns

The exec who spoke to The Athletic also identified injury concerns to both Julius Randle and Isaac Okoro as wildcard factors for the series.

“I’m assuming (Randle) is good (to play). If he’s not good, then it’s not much of a series, I don’t think. He has to be right,” the exec said.

Randle still hasn’t been cleared for full practice yet after suffering an ankle injury at the tail-end of the regular season.

On the Cavaliers’ side, Okoro has missed several weeks with knee soreness. According to the exec, his absence in the series would absolutely be felt:

“I love their rim protection, with their four/five combination. Both (players) protect the rim. (Third-year Cavs wing Isaac) Okoro (who missed the last six games of the regular season with a back problem) — they’re gonna miss him, because they need that other defender, that real tough, hard-nosed defender.”

The Athletic‘s source isn’t the only one to buy stock in the Cavaliers’ chance of advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Jalen Rose Picks Cavaliers Over Knicks in First Round

According to player-turned-broadcaster Jalen Rose, there is a reason for optimism in the Knicks’ camp.

“The good news for the Knicks is that they’re in the playoffs,” Rose said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Another great thing for the Knicks and their fans that they’re celebrating being a fifth seed. My namesake Jalen Brunson has brought a stability at the point guard position.”

But Rose went on to highlight two areas of concern for the Knicks.

“But here’s the problem. They’re not gonna have home-court advantage in the first round versus the Cleveland Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell. I usually like to pick the team in a series that: A, has the best player, Cavs; B, has home-court advantage, Cleveland. So, I don’t wanna be a buzzkill for the New York Knicks, but if they play the Cavs in the first round, I think, Cleveland, this is for you, and they advance.”

The Knicks and Cavaliers hit the hardwood on Saturday for Game One.

Given professional basketball’s recent tilt toward smaller lineups, the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ decision to play two big men together for over 1400 minutes this season is unorthodox.

But then again, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are unorthodox players. Now in their second season together, the tandem anchor the NBA‘s top-rated regular-season defense. Allen is a year removed from an All-Star honor and Mobley is a burgeoning perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Mobley (6’11) and Allen (6’9) will be a handful for the New York Knicks, who aren’t short of length in Mitchell Robinson (7’0) and Obi Toppin (6’9). When Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News suggested the Knicks might have a tough time matching Mobley and Allen, Robinson quickly clapped back.

Bondy: When you play a team like that, that has two legitimate big men, how much different is-

Robinson: We got two of ’em too. Really we got three. 

Bondy: I mean starters. 

Robinson: What you mean? We good. We straight too! What you talking about?

Robinson isn’t the only Knicks player throwing jabs at the Cavaliers.

Josh Hart Takes Shot at Donovan Mitchell Ahead of Knicks-Cavs

One of the key matchups in the Knicks-Cavs series will be how wings like Josh Hart stack up against Cleveland’s electric backcourt headlined by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

“Nothing,” Hart told The Athletic about what makes guarding Mitchell difficult, before laughing. “He’s the easiest one to guard. Put that in there, right before the playoffs.”

Mitchell torched the Knicks for 42 points when the two teams met last in late March. The playoff preview gave Hart an excellent chance to see the former Louisville Cardinal’s well-rounded game up close.

“He’s a really good scorer at all three levels,” Hart continued. “He’s efficient at all three levels. A lot of times, you want guys to try to force them to do something that they’re not comfortable with. And he’s someone who’s obviously athletic, is able to finish above the rim, finish through contact. He’s strong, has an explosive first step. He has that, but then he’s shooting 38 percent from 3 on, like, nine to 10 3s a game.”

For the Cavaliers, the toughest matchup might be defending Jalen Brunson, who grilled Cleveland in his own right in late March.

Donovan Mitchell Praises Jalen Brunson

On March 31, the Knicks sent the Cavaliers a stinging 130-116 defeat in which Brunson scored a game-high 48 points.

“I’ve seen this for years. I saw the same thing last year,” Mitchell told reporters about Brunson’s high-scoring affair, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube channel. “He’s just shifty. He can get to his spots, different ways. The biggest thing is he had [nearly] 50, but he had nine assists. That’s the standout.

But Mitchell was more impressed by Brunson’s unselfish play; the former Villanova Wildcat finished with nine assists.

“Fifty is great and it’s a lot of work to put in, but getting everybody else involved that’s what I took away the most.”

Many eyes will be on the Knicks-Cavaliers playoff matchup, and for good reason. Storylines abound: the botched Donovan Mitchell trade for the Knicks; Jalen Brunson’s ascension to the limelight after ditching Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks; Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro’s first taste at playoff basketball are just a few of the myriad narratives that will come out of this series.

The two sides take the court Saturday evening.

For as long as he’s been in the league, Clevelend Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell has gone by the trademark nickname “Spida.” In fact, it’s a pseudonym that predates even his time at the University of Louisville.

According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Mitchell’s nickname originated from Al Taylor, whose son played AAU ball with Mitchell in New York.

“Long before the Cavaliers — and their fans — became awestruck by Mitchell, he established a reputation as a kid from New York capable of Cirque du Soleil moves on the basketball court,” Ulrich wrote. “It’s why Al Taylor started calling Mitchell “Spida D.” The “D” stands for Donovan, but the nickname evolved.”

But if you ask his Cavaliers teammate Danny Green, Mitchell resembles a different cartoon character.

“He’s explosive and athletic, which I haven’t had many point guards except for Ja [Morant] that’s like that, so it’s hard to compare him to anybody. But they call him Spida, I like to call him Tasmanian Devil. He’s just very explosive, he got big hands and he can get to the rim whenever he wants to,” Green explained, via FanDuel.

Both nicknames are a testament to Mitchell’s prowess and athleticism on the floor. It’s something several members of the New York Knicks have noted ahead of the team’s upcoming series.

Josh Hart Takes Jab at Cavs Star Donovan Mitchell

The Cavs’ series against the Knicks figures to be something of a homecoming for Mitchell. A New York native, Mitchell was widely expected to land in the Big Apple over the summer before the Cavs scooped him up out of Utah.

As a result, the series has the chance to be a revenge tour for Mitchell. The Knicks, for their part, know they’ll have their hands full.

“Nothing,” Josh Hart told The Athletic about exactly what about Mitchell’s game makes the player difficult to handle, before laughing. “He’s the easiest one to guard. Put that in there, right before the playoffs.”

Hart quickly went on to praise Mitchell’s all-around talent.

“He’s a really good scorer at all three levels,” Hart continued. “He’s efficient at all three levels. A lot of times, you want guys to try to force them to do something that they’re not comfortable with. And he’s someone who’s obviously athletic, is able to finish above the rim, finish through contact. He’s strong, has an explosive first step. He has that, but then he’s shooting 38 percent from 3 on, like, nine to 10 3s a game.”

Hart isn’t the only one in the orange and blue to praise Mitchell’s game.

Quentin Grimes Praises Donovan Mitchell

The individual primarily tasked with guarding Mitchell figures to be Quentin Grimes. The Knicks’ guard knows all too well how challenging it can be to guard Mitchell, who went for 42 points against New York at the end of March.

“He can do a lot with the ball. He can shoot the ball from super deep out, so you kind of got to pressure him up,” Grimes said of Mitchell after that March encounter. “I just have to lock in. I’ll watch more films for sure, gotta just watch his latest games, but he’s been on terror really the past four or five games.”

The Knicks and Cavaliers will square off in Cleveland on Saturday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are busy preparing for the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2018, one that figures to be an electric showdown with the New York Knicks.

Exciting narratives abound. For the Knicks, the series is likely to be a referendum on the Jalen Brunson trade and the Donovan Mitchell near-trade. For the Cavaliers, the series will be a first glimpse at how far Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen quartet can go without any prior experience together.

Neither side needs additional motivation. But that hasn’t stopped Knicks wing Josh Hart from adding some bulletin board material to the Cavaliers’ locker room.

“Nothing,” Hart told The Athletic about what makes guarding Mitchell difficult, before laughing. “He’s the easiest one to guard. Put that in there, right before the playoffs.”

In all earnestness, Hart is impressed by Mitchell’s game.

“He’s a really good scorer at all three levels,” Hart continued. “He’s efficient at all three levels. A lot of times, you want guys to try to force them to do something that they’re not comfortable with. And he’s someone who’s obviously athletic, is able to finish above the rim, finish through contact. He’s strong, has an explosive first step. He has that, but then he’s shooting 38 percent from 3 on, like, nine to 10 3s a game.”

Mitchell has indeed managed a career year with the Cavaliers. He shot .484/.386/.867 for the season, with a true shooting percentage of 61.4%.

Erik Spoelstra Praises Donovan Mitchell

But if there’s one thing nagging at Mitchell’s resume, it’s playoff success. Despite being the star on a slew of excellent regular season teams with the Utah Jazz, Mitchell hasn’t once played in a conference final.

For comparison, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell’s counterpart with the Knicks, is fresh off a Western Conference Finals run with the Dallas Mavericks one year ago.

But Mitchell earned high praise from across the league for putting together yet another impressive regular season. He’ll be at worst a Second-Team All-NBA guard if not First-Team.

“He’s as explosive as any guard in this league,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told The Athletic. “He can go off at any time. He’s going to make you pay attention.”

Mitchell will certainly have his hands full against the Knicks. He provided a sample of what the Big Apple team could expect when the team met at the end of March when Mitchell exploded for 42 points.

Quentin Grimes Sounds Off on Donovan Mitchell

Quentin Grimes, the Knicks guard tasked with defending Mitchell in that Cavaliers’ loss in March, knows he’ll need to spend more time in the film room to prepare to see the Cavs guard in the playoffs.

“He can do a lot with the ball. He can shoot the ball from super deep out, so you kind of got to pressure him up,” Grimes said of Mitchell. “I just have to lock in. I’ll watch more films for sure, gotta just watch his latest games, but he’s been on terror really the past four or five games.”

“So [I] got to watch more films to see what I did wrong and just kind of make corrections and hopefully prepare better for it when we see them in the playoffs,” Grimes finished.

The Cavaliers will play the Knicks on Saturday night in Cleveland.

Though the Cleveland Cavaliers feature an impressive array of young talent in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the team’s playoff ambitions may be limited by the fifth starter.

All season, the swing spot in the starting five has been a soft one for Cleveland. As it stands, the team has several decent options, off the bench, but regular starter Isaac Okoro is still battling a knee injury that’s sidelined him since the end of March.

According to Bleacher Report’s Mo Dakhil, that soft spot could be the one factor that holds Cleveland back.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers have an unbelievable four-man core, but their playoff hopes will hinge on the shooting of that fifth player on the court,” Dakhil wrote. “We are talking about guys like Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens.

“A lot of the Cavs’ playoff hopes will come down to if their role players can keep defenses honest and spread by hitting enough threes in a series,” Dakhil finished.

While Okoro’s regular season might have ended prematurely, the team is optimistic that he’ll return against the Knicks, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

JB Bickerstaff Sounds Off on Cavaliers’ Preparation

Fortunately, the Cavaliers have known their likely playoff opponent for some time now. While the Western Conference’s official seeding came down to the wire, the Eastern Conference’s top five seeds have been largely cemented for weeks.

The Cavaliers will take on the Knicks in the first round. New York boasts stars in Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, though the latter has been out with injury. Nonetheless, the Knicks finished with the league’s fourth-best offense on the season, something JB Bickerstaff & Co. have been preparing for.

“You have to start preparing things, and we’re working on booklets and analytic packets and videos and all those things that you have to start with,” Bickerstaff said, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “And we’ve been fortunate to kind of know who our opponent was going to be, so we could delegate that stuff to get us at a good spot when we need to start.”

Though Dakhil labeled the Cavaliers’ swing spot as the likeliest factor to hold Cleveland back, there’s another creeping concern: the team’s lack of playoff experience.

JB Bickerstaff Sounds Off on Cavaliers’ Experience

While Donovan Mitchell brings five years of playoff experience to the table, even he’s never made a Conference Finals. Brunson, his Knicks foil, is fresh off of leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Finals a year ago.

Jarret Allen has appeared in nine playoff games in his career, the last eight of which have been losses. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Okoro have never played this late in April.

But Bickerstaff isn’t too concerned.

“I’m confident in our group, period,” Bickerstaff said. “I believe when we’re at our best, we’re a tough out for anybody. We need to make sure we’re aware and tighten up the details and our execution and all those things. And, again, it’s going to be a new test for us. We have guys that are going to be in their first playoff series. So it’s never going to come easy, but I have a lot of confidence in our group.”

The Cavaliers and Knicks will kick off their series on Saturday evening.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have their hands full against the New York Knicks over the next few weeks. The Knicks finished the season with the league’s fourth-best offensive rating behind stars Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson.

The Cavaliers, for their part, weren’t too far off from the Knicks, finishing with the NBA‘s eighth-best offense and top-rated defense. As such, the matchup between a top defense and a strong offense will likely produce no shortage of fireworks.

Paramount to the Cavs advancing will be slowing down Randle, an All-Star who averaged 25.1 points per game and 10.0 rebounds this season in the Big Apple. JB Bickerstaff knows the big man will be a handful in a playoff series.

“I mean, they have some really high-level individual scorers,” Bickerstaff said Thursday at shootaround in Orlando, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “They do have good size and play in the attack area in the paint. Brunson makes it extremely difficult in pick-and-roll. … Randle and his isolation. … So I think there’s different spots on the floor that they can hit you with. And, accepting those challenges, and then defensively, they do a really good job of trying to shrink the floor and protect the paint, so how you figure out how you make them pay.”

But the Cavs may have a slightly easier load against Randle than previously expected. Randle went down with a foot injury at the end of March, though he’s making “steady progress” toward a return, according to the NY Post.

JB Bickerstaff Address Cavs’ Knicks Preparation

The Cavaliers have known for some time that they’d probably see the Knicks in Round One. For several weeks, the East’s top-five playoff seeding was largely cemented, even if the Cavs would have preferred to see the Nets instead of the Knicks.

According to Bickerstaff, the Cavs have been preparing for this matchup for some time.

“You have to start preparing things, and we’re working on booklets and analytic packets and videos and all those things that you have to start with,” Bickerstaff said Saturday. “And we’ve been fortunate to kind of know who our opponent was going to be, so we could delegate that stuff to get us at a good spot when we need to start.”

The Cavs will need all the preparation they can get, considering the team is light on playoff experience.

JB Bickerstaff Not Worried About Cavaliers Experience

Though the Knicks are fairly young, the team features a handful of players that have appeared in the playoffs. Brunson, for instance, helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last year.

As for the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell is the only starter with playoff experience longer than a single series. And none of the starters other than Jarrett Allen and Mitchell have any playoff experience at all.

“I’m confident in our group, period,” Bickerstaff said. “I believe when we’re at our best, we’re a tough out for anybody. We need to make sure we’re aware and tighten up the details and our execution and all those things. And, again, it’s going to be a new test for us. We have guys that are going to be in their first playoff series. So it’s never going to come easy, but I have a lot of confidence in our group.”

The Knicks and Cavaliers will take the floor Saturday night.

With the regular season officially in the books, the Cleveland Cavaliers have until Saturday to prepare against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference first round.

The series will be a continuation of the hotly contested regular season duels between the two teams. On the year, the Cavs went 1-3 against New York, including a 14-point blowout less than two weeks ago.

But Donovan Mitchell shined in that March 31 loss, so much so that Quentin Grimes, the Knicks guard primarily tasked with defending Mitchell, knows he must spend some time in the film room before the playoff matchup.

“He can do a lot with the ball. He can shoot the ball from super deep out, so you kind of got to pressure him up,” Grimes said of Mitchell. “I just have to lock in. I’ll watch more films for sure, gotta just watch his latest games, but he’s been on terror really the past four or five games.”

“So [I] got to watch more films to see what I did wrong and just kind of make corrections and hopefully prepare better for it when we see them in the playoffs,” Grimes continued.

Mitchell finished with 42 points against the Knicks. But he wasn’t the lone standout, as Jalen Brunson eviscerated Cleveland for 48.

Donovan Mitchell Praises Jalen Brunson After Knicks Win

Mitchell was very nearly teammates with Brunson, with the Knicks heavily linked to the former Jazz guard over the summer. But the Cavaliers swooped in and landed the New York native.

While the Knicks might wish they had the league’s tenth-highest scorer this season, they’ve excelled in Brunson’s first year in the Big Apple.

After torching the Cavaliers, Brunson earned praise from Mitchell, noting it’s nothing new to see.

“I’ve seen this for years. I saw the same thing last year,” Mitchell told reporters about Brunson’s night, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube channel. “He’s just shifty. He can get to his spots, different ways. The biggest thing is he had [nearly] 50, but he had nine assists. That’s the standout.

And for Mitchell, a playoff matchup against New York is nothing short of a personal dream come true.

“It’s a storybook [matchup],” Mitchell said. “It’s something that’s special and near and dear to me to be able to play playoff games in front of my friends and family. A team that I grew up watching. Against an assistant coach over there (Johnnie Bryant) who basically taught me everything I know at this point. It’s great, and I’m excited about the challenge.”

But the Knicks will be ready, including midseason acquisition Josh Hart.

Josh Hart Praises Donovan Mitchell

Hart has brought a swagger and cemented a defensive identity to the Knicks since coming to New York from Portland at the trade deadline. And teaming up with his Villanova teammate in Brunson hasn’t hurt either.

But Hart knows the assignment will be a tough one over the next few weeks, pointing the finger at Mitchell as the offensive instigator.

“The challenge is to make him not score the [expletive] ball,” Hart told Newsday. “That’s the challenge. In the league, you have guys that no matter what you do, no matter how good the defense is, they’re gonna make shots. That’s what happens, especially when you sign up to be guarding the best players.”

Is Grimes up for the tall task? According to Hart, yes.

“I don’t think [Grimes] got really discouraged over anything that he was making or myself. Once you do that, you lose, you know what I mean? Sometimes you just gotta make it tough for them, and sometimes they’re gonna have games where they score 45 efficiently, and games they’re gonna score 25 inefficiently. You have to take the good with the bad, and that’s the biggest thing with us. We just gotta make it difficult for him,” Hart added.

You might not know it by studying the final scoreline, but it was a shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers team that blew out the Orlando Magic 118-94 on Thursday night. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley were given the night off, giving the second-unit and rotation players a chance to shine.

And by and large, those players understood the assignment. A bevy of strong individual performances from Danny Green, Isaiah Mobley, and Cedi Osman boosted the Cavs to victory.

Although he didn’t put out the flashiest final stat line — seven points, six rebounds — Dean Wade earned praise from head coach JB Bickerstaff after the game.

“He commits to the work,” Bickerstaff said of Wade, per The Athletic. “And we made a commitment to Dean this summer that he was going to be a part of what we were doing, and we believe in him and believe in that. We know when he’s at his best, how impactful he can be.

“In order to get there, you got to have a chance, you got to give a guy a chance. These are some of these decisions, leap of faiths and guys who you trust that have banked some credit with you like Dean has and we know how impactful he has been for us.”

Wade stepped into the starting five on Thursday night, but he’s been seeing more playing time lately as a result of a knee injury to Isaac Okoro.

JB Bickerstaff Sounds Off on Isaac Okoro Injury

Okoro has missed the last five games with knee soreness that he suffered against the Houston Rockets on March 26.

Accoridng to Bickerstaff, Okoro has been frustrated about missing time.

“There is frustration and for all the right reasons,” Bickerstaff said. “You know Isaac and where his intent is and where his heart is, like all he wants to do is be on the floor, competing with his teammates. And he takes pride in his ability to be available. So it is frustrating for him. He keeps a pretty even spirit all the time. So he knows how to engage his teammates, keep it light, still show his support, but you know on the inside, it’s eating him up.”

Since Okoro went down, the Cavaliers have gone 4-2, managing a high level of play despite the starter missing.

JB Bickerstaff Praises Cavaliers’ Rotation

As noted, Okoro’s injury has opened up opportunities for others in the lineup to get some run before the playoffs.

“It’s an opportunity to give those guys reps,” Bickerstaff said, per cleveland.com. “There’s a purpose behind these guys getting the minutes that they’re getting, expecting them to get reps and opportunities at their roles that will be helpful to us as we close out the season and move into the playoffs.”

While it’s unlikely to see the likes of Isaiah Mobley during crunch time of a playoff series, it does give Bickerstaff an opportunity to rest the starters who will be needed shortly. And with backup big still being a spot of concern for Cleveland, Mobley’s strong play could hint at his ability for more of a role next season.