The Cleveland Cavaliers looked ugly once again as the Toronto Raptors tied their series 2-2.
Let’s go over today’s losers.
LOSER – The Core Four
Yep, all of ‘em.
Winning in the playoffs can often come down to having the best player on the floor. In the case of the Cavs, they have an argument for four of the five best players in the series. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen should all be capable of dominating a game against the Raptors.
So, when none of them show up to play, that’s a concern. There’s really no excuse for some of the poor performances we saw in both Games 3 and 4.
Harden and Mitchell were totally disrupted by Toronto’s defense. The backcourt combined for 11 turnovers in Game 4 as their team scored just 89 points. The decision-making was highly questionable, and they didn’t make up for any of it with their defense.
Mitchell was especially bad. He didn’t have any positive impact on either game played in Toronto. He’s been far too content watching the ball. And when he does fight to get open, he’s settling for jumpers more often than not. There needs to be a greater focus on applying rim pressure. Right now, that extra effort just isn’t there.
The bigs are, of course, impacted negatively by the backcourt’s playmaking. It’s harder to get Allen and Mobley rolling offensively when… well, you aren’t getting them the ball.
That said, the bigs didn’t do enough to assert themselves or create advantages through their screening. A more dominant presence on defense could have swung things. Mobley can not get by with scoring only 8 points in a pivotal playoff game. Not when the backcourt is being hounded as heavily as they are. There has to be a release valve, and Mobley is supposed to be the guy.
Allen wasn’t much better. Though I think he deserves credit for grabbing 15 rebounds and anchoring Cleveland’s defense. He was largely responsible for all of their best contests at the rim. That’s his job, obviously, but it’s worth noting that he did it.
Offense was the issue. Allen was unable to punish Toronto for going small. Whether it’s failing to get a deep seal in the post, rolling hard to the rim, or crashing the offensive glass for a putback opportunity. As is the theme, the Cavs needed more from their best players.
To call a spade a spade, this series will end with four straight losses if the core four continues to play the way they just did. It’s time to meet the moment, or be defined by another early playoff exit.
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