We tend to forget it but, barring a surprising catastrophe, the Riders should return to the playoffs this year for the first time in five years (Finals lost to the Warriors). Above all, they should play in the playoffs without LeBron James in the squad and it would be a first since… 1998!
A series both sad and incredible, which could have already ended in 2022, but the end-of-season collapse of Cleveland, finally defeated in the play-in, postponed the deadline. Except that Donovan Mitchell has since landed in Ohio and, in its wake, the Cavs have established themselves as one of the top four teams in the East.
Nevertheless, despite more than solid results (42 wins and 27 losses), the men of JB Bickerstaff do not yet seem able to compete with the leading trio of their conference, made up of Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia.
For the time being, they should rather be seen as the counterparts of New York or miami (even Brooklyn and Atlanta). In other words, teams likely to play spoilsport, but who are still probably missing something to aim higher.
A hard learning curve
We have rightly noticed this week that the Cavaliers and the Heat were of a relatively close and similar level, they who could also meet in the first round of the playoffs, in a month, during a series which would promise to be disputed.
Twice, in Florida and in an atmosphere comparable to that of the playoffs, Cleveland and Miami faced each other and each team won a tense match.
” It’s hard to beat this team twice at home, in the same week », recognized Donovan Mitchell, about this double confrontation, to say the least physical. ” But that will be the playoffs. If it was a playoff series, we would still have taken an away game, so that’s our mindset. Mentally we are training ourselves to think in this way, understanding that we have done our part and should now protect our home advantage. We want to win, but also learn. It’s all part of the learning process. »
As highlighted here by “Spida”, the Cavaliers have already had the credit of winning a game in Florida on Wednesday night. But two days after beating the Heat (and without Darius Garland this time around), they weren’t able to complete the deuce pass, despite having had the opportunity to do so.
Leading for example by 14 points in the third quarter, before letting the South Beach players return to the score, to experience, and to burn in the last act (37 to 26). Without being able to respond to the adjustments made opposite by Erik Spoelstra…
” We could have been better at times », was judging anyway JB Bickerstaff. ” We let them find their firing positions too easily. We rely on being a defensive team, mentally tough, but we conceded almost 40 points in a quarter, the fourth moreover, so it’s hard to win in these conditions… But it was a hell of a game, everyone fought well. There were just those few little things that we know we can improve on and improve on. »
Areas for improvement identified and rightly mentioned by Donovan Mitchell, in a post-match press conference.
” Small things in terms of execution in particular “Said the All-Star rear, about the difficulties encountered by his family in the last act. ” That’s really what cost us the game. But all is well, we are learning. Although we are obviously unhappy. We should have won this game. But I didn’t make the fourth quarter that I wanted to make [des deux côtés du parquet] to put us in a position to win, and that upsets me. If I had taken better shots, I would have scored more points and we would probably have won. […] I could have found different shooting positions. I kind of let the guys down. But I will correct it and I will be better. »
Objective ramp-up, by April
Three-and-a-half games behind the No. 3 Sixers and two-and-a-half games ahead of the No. 5 Knicks, the Cavaliers are on course to finish in 4th place in the Eastern Conference and enjoy home-court advantage. in the first round.
But unlike last year, they will not have to collapse in the home stretch, otherwise they will smash everything they have tried to build for six months.
” Every game we’re going to play now will matter, so we’re going to treat it like a playoff game, because we either want to stay [à la 4e place]or progress in the ranking and it is for this reason that they must be treated in this way “, thus explained isaac okoroamong those who have never known the playoffs.
It should be noted that the Cavs will still have the opportunity to take the fold in view of the playoffs, with three new double confrontations to come outside, by the end of the season: in Charlotte (March 12-14), in Brooklyn (March 21-23) then in Orlando (April 4-6).
” It will be about habits, for both players and coaches, learning good habits “, estimated in this regard JB Bickerstaff. ” I think it’s the same scenario [que quand nous allions à l’école et que nous nous préparions pour un examen] : you have to make sure you study and prepare in the right way, for the next exam, the next test, so to speak. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Donovan Mitchell | 57 | 35.5 | 47.7 | 38.3 | 87.8 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 27.4 |
| Darius Garland | 58 | 35.2 | 47.1 | 43.0 | 86.0 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 22.0 |
| Evan Mobley | 66 | 34.2 | 55.1 | 20.9 | 68.7 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 9.0 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 16.0 |
| Jarrett Allen | 61 | 33.0 | 65.1 | 11.1 | 72.5 | 3.1 | 6.7 | 9.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 14.5 |
| Caris Levert | 62 | 29.8 | 41.0 | 35.9 | 71.8 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 11.4 |
| Cedi Osman | 63 | 20.7 | 45.1 | 34.9 | 65.9 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 8.6 |
| Kevin Love | 41 | 20.0 | 38.9 | 35.4 | 88.9 | 1.0 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 8.5 |
| isaac okoro | 68 | 21.3 | 49.2 | 35.1 | 75.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 6.4 |
| lamar stevens | 48 | 17.7 | 45.7 | 29.2 | 72.1 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 5.3 |
| Ricky Rubio | 20 | 16.2 | 32.4 | 29.6 | 72.7 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 4.9 |
| Dean Wade | 37 | 20.3 | 41.9 | 36.2 | 65.2 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 4.8 |
| Danny Green | 4 | 9.1 | 50.0 | 55.6 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 4.0 |
| Raulzinho Neto | 42 | 10.2 | 51.1 | 32.4 | 92.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 3.0 |
| Robin Lopez | 32 | 7.7 | 65.5 | 66.7 | 75.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| Sam Merrill | 1 | 4.3 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Mamadi Diakite | 16 | 6.2 | 42.3 | 26.7 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Isaiah Mobley | 8 | 3.3 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
