Donovan Mitchell has arrived! Throughout the first 2 games of the Cavalier’s fresh season, Mitchell has been electric. The Cavs lost Garland only 13 minutes into the first game of the season vs the Toronto Raptors with a lacerated eye from an accidental eye poke. The offense seemingly has not missed a beat, putting up 105 points and 128 points in their first 2 games.
Game 1 vs the Toronto Raptors was a Physical one, as most Raptors games are. The Cavs couldn’t pull through and fell by a score of 108-105. The Cavs were pushed around a lot but adjusted well and led for most of the game before relinquishing the lead in the fourth quarter and never regaining it. There were some sloppy passes from Mitchell aimed in the direction of Jarrett Allen, as to be expected while the team gels with the addition of another All-Star. Nothing to worry about. Mitchell finished with 31 points and 9 assists. Cedi Osman has been doing his thing off of the bench, scoring 17 in this game and providing the spark that you look for when you make a substitution. The defense played well, scrambling to the ball, blocking shots, and clogging passing lanes. A respectable showing for the first game of the season vs a tough team like the Raptors, especially without your starting PG who happens to be one of the league’s best.
Game 2 vs the Chicago Bulls was much more of a bright spot with a huge win in Chicago by a score of 128-96. The defense played lights out, limiting Demar DeRozan to just 13 points before fouling out. Aside from Zach Lavine, the Bulls didn’t offer many offensive answers to the Cavs swarming defense. Mitchell exploded offensively again scoring 32 points with 8 assists. I was worried we would miss Garland this game but again, we didn’t skip a beat. Kevin Love and Cedi Osman again both left their mark on the court, scoring a combined 30 points off of the bench. Robin Lopez made an appearance and scored 12 points and won the team’s Junkyard Dog award. The offense simply could not be stopped and the defense did more than enough. The Cavaliers had 16 assists between the 2 starting Guards, Mitchell and LeVert. They are one of the best passing teams in the NBA and this is without Garland in the lineup. He is not expected to miss any significant time, but it is truly impressive how we’ve played through 2 games without our leader.
Overall, I would say the Cavaliers had a successful opening week of the season. They are 1-1, showing explosive offense and smothering defense while still showing that they aren’t fully comfortable playing with the new guy just yet (as shown by some off-target passes). Once they are healthy and gelled, the Cavaliers are going to be one scary team to face in the East.
All and any stats provided are courtesy of NBA.com
John Zimmerman