Why the Cavaliers’ Slump Should Not Raise Any Panic Alarms Yet

Late Monday, as Kenny Atkinson began his postgame news conference following Cleveland’s win over Charlotte, the embattled Cavs coach let slip a smile. It’s been a rough few weeks for the Cavaliers, 3–8 since late November and entered the game against the Hornets losers of three straight. Criticism of the makeup of the roster, of the viability of Cleveland’s All-Star backcourt, of Atkinson, the reigning Coach of the Year, had begun to build. Boos have rained down from the ordinarily supportive Cleveland crowd. Monday night’s win quieted those complaints—for now.

Before we get into what’s wrong with the Cavs, we should note that there isn’t a four-alarm fire in Cleveland. These aren’t Milwaukee Bucks–like problems or an L.A. Clippers–level meltdown. Despite the recent skid, The Cavaliers are 16–14, seventh in the Eastern Conference but just 2.5 games behind Boston for third. They are 10th in offensive rating and 15th in defense, rankings well off of last season but far from alarming.

Injuries have been an issue—the issue if you ask the Cavs. Cleveland has rolled out 16 different starting lineups this season. The Cavaliers core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have played just four games together. On Monday, Mobley missed his fourth straight game with a calf injury.

“The healthier we get,” said Atkinson, “the better we’re going to be.”

Indeed, fully loaded, the Cavs can be tough. Sam Merrill, who has missed the last 14 games with a hand injury, returned against Charlotte, chipping in four points and five assists off the bench. “He makes a big difference,” said Atkinson. Mobley will be back, as (presumably) will Max Strus, who has been out all season with a foot injury. “We’ve gone from pretty much the healthiest team in the league,” said Atkinson, “to pretty much [the most injured] team in the league.”

Still, something with the Cavs has just been … off. There have been energy issues. Defensive breakdowns. Cleveland has always leaned on Mitchell, its annual MVP candidate. Mitchell has been brilliant this season, averaging a career-best 30.7 points per game. And the Cavaliers, frankly, have needed all of them. They are 8–1 when Mitchell scores 35 points or more. When he struggles—call it scoring 21 or fewer—they are 0–5.

Some of that—O.K., a lot of that—is on Garland. Garland was indispensable to the Cavs’ success last season, averaging 20.6 points in 75 games, including 40.1% from three. Offseason toe surgery limited Garland in training camp. When he returned, the speed that made him successful was gone. It turned the undersized Garland from an asset to a liability. Entering Monday night, the Cavs were a -3.9 in points per 100 possessions with Garland on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass, the first time he’s been in the negative since his rookie season. His efficiency differential is a brutal -10.8.

“The ramp-up has been slow,” said Atkinson. “We knew there was going to be a runway.”

It isn’t just Garland. Mobley’s ascent has stalled this season. De’Andre Hunter’s shooting numbers are hovering around career lows. Lonzo Ball, a celebrated offseason acquisition, has struggled in a new role. The Cavs are among the most prolific three-point shooting teams (43.7 attempts per game) and one of the worst when it comes to making them (33.9%).

All this has put a target on Atkinson. In some ways, Atkinson is a victim of his own success. Cleveland started 15–0 last season en route to a 64-win finish. The Cavs had a top-10 defense and the NBA’s No. 1 offense. Because of that, Cleveland was a preseason favorite to come out of an injury-ravaged conference. But the sluggish start has reportedly raised alarms inside the organization, with owner Dan Gilbert, who is footing the bill for the NBA’s most expensive roster, “displeased” with the team’s current position, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer. If you know anything about the hands-on Gilbert, standing in his crosshairs is not where you want to be. Atkinson feels it. Last week, Atkinson reached out to members of the Cleveland Guardians coaching staff for advice on weathering the storm.

Firing Atkinson would be a panic move, of course. And for what it’s worth there are no indications it’s being considered. Because, again, the Cavs are not in trouble. Not yet, anyway. Even with the recent struggles, there have been positives. Garland scored 35 points in a loss to Chicago on Friday. He scored 27 in the win over Charlotte. The toe issue, said Garland, “feels better every day.” He was 5-for-6 from three-point range against the Hornets, finishing the game a +13.

“It’s like the quarterback that comes back from that injury,” Atkinson said, “[How he’s moving] is what you’re looking at. The accuracy becomes better as they get healthier. I just give the kid a ton of credit. I think he’s playing through some stuff, and this is part of that injury. But he’s been a soldier. It’s great to see him have a DG game.”

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland passes the ball past Bulls forward-center Zach Collins. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

There’s more. Hunter, who was returned to a reserve role last week, scored 27 points on Monday. Merrill didn’t make a three but the presence of a 40%-plus three-point shooter opened up the floor for everybody else. “It was good to see the ball go through the hoop tonight,” said Garland. Added Atkinson, “Hopefully this will get us going. You have a breakout game like this, a little more confidence. Ball starts going in a little more. Hopefully this game propels us.”

Last week, Atkinson stressed the need to push through tough times. “Manage the dip,” he said. On Monday, he tweaked it. “Buy the dip,” Atkinson said, referring to the financial phrase where investors buy stock when it’s low. The Cavs won’t win 64 games this season, but Monday’s win has them believing a run is coming.

“Keep the same confidence,” said Garland. “Same intensity on both ends of the floor. And try to get better and better each game. I mean, this was a great start just to get us going since we have been on a little stretch that we don’t like to be on. It’s really good to see everybody happy in the locker room. No boos in the crowd tonight. A lot more cheers. Trying to get back to Cavaliers basketball.”