2022 - 2023 Cavs End of Season Roundtable

As we are nearing the end of the 2022-2023 Cleveland Cavaliers season, we thought it was pertinent to do a end-of-year Roundtable

Q: What was your favorite regular season moment?

Seth: Donovan Mitchell's 71-point performance was a sports moment I'll never forget. From his ridiculous 3-point shot making to him relentlessly barreling through defenders in the paint, it was truly an inspiring performance.Joe: Donovan Mitchell's 71 is my favorite moment. It was an unbelievable night made even better because the Cavs needed almost every single point of Mitchell's 71.Matt: Undoubtedly, mine is Donovan Mitchell scoring 71 points. In the history of the NBA there has only been 13 players to score 70+ points and Donovan Mitchell is one of them. It wasn’t just Mitchell at the peak of his powers, but it helped spur a comeback with the Cavs down 20+ points to the Chicago Bulls, along with forcing OT on a last second Outback by Mitchell on a missed free throw. It wasn’t just a defining moment of the Cavs season it was one of my best individual performances by a player in history.

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how would you grade the performance of J.B. Bickerstaff ?

Seth: I'm at a 8 for J.B.. He's done an exceptional job at getting the young guys to buy in and play hard, not an easy task over such a long season. While some of the credit should be given to Koby Altman and the rest of the front office, there is no denying the Cavaliers have a culture built on defense and embrace the "junkyard dog". My sole complaint at the moment is at times, it still feels a little "your turn, my turn" between Darius and Donovan. I would love to see more slithering off-ball for each of them, but, assume that will come the more reps they get. I do think this question gets more interesting after the playoffs and we're able to see what adjustments him and his staff make over a series or two.Joe: I would give him a 7.5. I think he does his best job in creating a family and close nit group. His scheme on offense and defense is also a commendable part of his job. His grade is lowered due to his rotation fluidity and in-game decision-making. We are in the home stretch of the season and he still is tinkering with the rotations. And, as an in-game decision-maker, he can make some puzzling time-out, substitution, and challenge decisions. But, overall I am glad he is the Cavs coach.Matt: I would say it’s a solid 8 in my eyes. Even with the Cavs being somewhat hot and cold, JB has navigated a flawed roster to be pace for 50 wins, which hasn’t happened since 2017-18. He might have his detractors within the fandom, but the players connect with him and buy in with the program and it has led to results in the first year of the Core 4 era. So safe to say he’s done pretty well in my book. Q: Which player exceeded your expectations and who fell short?Seth: Donovan Mitchell has far exceeded my expectations. I've seen him live a few times before, but, never truly appreciated how physically gifted he is. His ability to finish with contact from much taller defenders is pretty unique. Combine that with the best shooting season of his career, and the Cavaliers acquired a top-12 talent in the league. For who fell short, I think it's Dean Wade at the moment. He has shown flashes, but hasn't consistently been able to contribute enough to stick around in the rotation, despite given every opportunity. The Cavaliers still have a need for a shooting wing and it likely won't be addressed until the off-season.Joe: Donovan Mitchell has exceeded my expectations. I did not know the Cavs are getting a fringe MVP candidate. Mitchell's shot-making, especially from the perimeter, has been way better than I could have dreamed of getting. His value on the team exceeds what I expected it to be going into the season. Dean Wade has been disappointing ever since he got injured. He started out so well this season and showed what he could be for this team, but he has fallen off a cliff and is now mostly out of the rotation.Matt: Donovan Mitchell somehow exceeded my expectations. I know it might be a cop out answer but I think we had misconceptions of him when he was with Utah, we all knew he was a star but I didn’t think he possibly could get even better. In his age 26 season he’s having career highs in points (27.5) and true shooting percentage (60.9%) posting the most efficient season of his career. He hasn’t just been a superstar but a top 15 player in the league this year. While on the other hand, that can’t be said for Dean Wade. After being seen as the successor to Kevin Love after being bought out, he isn’t sniffing the rotation. Since coming back from his shoulder injury he has produced a measly 3.3 points on 35% from the field and 28% from three. So it’s fair to say that JB putting him the dog house has been warranted.

Q: Pick one bench player that will win a game for the Cavs in the playoffs and how?

Seth: There are a few good candidates here, but I'll choose Ricky Rubio. He has been playing better as it took some time to shake off the rust from his second torn ACL. He's got an ability to flip a game quickly whether it's playing the passing lanes for steals, or, finding Cedi for some big threes down the stretch.Joe: Caris LeVert has those games where he can be a dynamic scoring option. We saw that in the early season tilt versus the Boston Celtics. I think he can have a playoff game where he gives the Cavs a huge scoring burst off the bench.Matt: It’s Caris LeVert. The reason is pretty cut and dry, cause he can get hot as a scorer. A productive game can be pivotal for the Cavs and for a bench that’s ranked 27th on the league in bench scoring, they are going to need Caris to be productive as the 6th man on the playoffs.

Q: What does a successful postseason look like for the Cavaliers?

Seth: Finishing the season with home court advantage in the first round and winning that match-up. Bonus for me would be winning 2 games in round 2 against a seemingly superior opponent (Philadelphia, Boston, or Milwaukee).Joe: I think getting home court advantage and then winning the first round of the playoffs. Beyond that would be awesome.Matt: I say that winning a playoff series makes this a success postseason, and everything else is gravy. We forget that this group is extremely young and outside of a couple players these guys haven’t experienced a playoff series. Not to mention JB Bickerstaff has not coached in the postseason either so we don’t know what to expect from coach to players. They are definitely capable of beating anyone, but they probably aren’t ready quite yet to compete for a championship, at least not yet.

Q: Who do the Cavs match up well with in the playoffs?

Seth: I think an obvious answer here for the first round is the Brooklyn Nets. I like the pieces they have, but the Cavs possess such a size advantage, it would be hard for them to stop Mobley and Allen attacking the paint.Joe: I think the Cavs match up well with anyone below them in the standings. There are no mismatches or bad pairings in that group. For the teams in the top three, I think the Cavs are best suited to play the Boston Celtics. By no means do I think the Cavs are a better team than Boston, but in terms of matchup, the Celtics do not have the biggest mismatches the Cavs would see this postseason.Matt: They always say styles make fights, and I feel like it might be the Celtics. Look they just went to finals last year and can go back again, but a part of me feels like that the Celtics potential Achilles heel is Garland and Mitchell. In the games that Garland and Mitchell played against the Celtics, they averaged 61.3 points between them. That might be the chink in the armor, as the Celtics guards might be solid defenders, Marcus Smart being the best, but they don’t have the length that can bother both of them. I’m not saying that an upset will happen but they will give the Celtics a hard fought series that some people wouldn’t expect coming in. Q: Who do the Cavs match up poorly with in the playoffs?Seth: I'm with Joe in saying Philadelphia. Embiid brings a physicality that no team can really match. More than that, Harden is a tough match-up for anyone on the Cavs, and Tyrese Maxey always seems to play his best against the Cavaliers.Joe: I want to stay as far away from the Philadelphia 76ers as possible. Joel Embiid is a cheat code. Cleveland has an advantage down low versus most teams. They do not have one versus the 76ers. Mobley and Allen have really struggled versus Embiid.Matt: It probably is the Milwaukee Bucks. They are the team that has caused the most issues for the Cavs. The size and length of Brook Lopez and Giannis has bothered Mobley and Allen in the paint. Jrue Holiday can make Garland or Mitchell’s life a living hell, defensively he can grind them both into dust. They are just a very well disciplined group on defensive and not to mention with Giannis’a size and aggression he can put the Cavs bigs in foul trouble early. I just know that it might end ugly if the Cavs meet the Bucks in the second round.