<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-without-3-players-in-preseason-against-pistons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs without 3 players in preseason against Pistons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cleveland-without-3-players-in-preseason-against-Pistons.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs without 3 players in preseason against Pistons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T14:39:14-07:00">October 15th, 2:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T14:39:14-07:00">October 15th, 2:39pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are hitting the road for their final two preseason games. Cleveland’s first stop will be in Motor City to take on the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately, when the Cavs face the Pistons, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-without-six-rotation-players-preseason-against-pacers">Cleveland will be without</a> two rotation pieces and an intriguing prospect. After Cleveland wrapped up practice <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pistons-tobias-harris-impresses-preseason-debut-suns">before heading to Detroit</a>, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the Cavs would be without Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Emoni Bates against the Pistons.</p><p>While Merrill <a href="https://x.com/AmNotEvan/status/1846224567745843668" rel="noopener">could practice despite having tape on his injured wrist</a>, Strus and Bates could not participate. Strus has been dealing with a nagging hip injury he suffered in Cleveland’s preseason loss to the Chicago Bulls. The injury initially appeared to be day-to-day, but more than a week later, Strus will still miss action due to the injury.</p><p>Bates’ absence comes as no surprise after he underwent arthroscopic surgery in early October to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The forward will be re-evaluated in early November.</p><p>Thankfully, Atkinson has stressed that the Cavs are overly cautious with any injured player, and the injuries don’t seem very concerning.</p><p>“No. No, still not ready. Still day-to-day. Nothing crazy. Sam is also still day-to-day. Just being extra cautious with both of them,” Atkinson said.</p><p>It stings for Cleveland to have Strus miss so much time. Without him on the floor, Atkinson has a harder time fleshing out his offensive vision for the Cavs on the court.</p><h2><b>The impact of the Cavs missing Max Strus during preseason</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Max-Strus-celebrates-Cavs-Magic.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, Strus was one of Cleveland’s most crucial three-point shooting threats. He was second in three-pointers made, just behind Donovan Mitchell. Strus’s 168 three-point baskets accounted for roughly 15.2% of the Cavs’ three-pointers. Behind him last year was Georges Niang, whose 149 made perimeter attempts accounted only for 13.4% of Cleveland’s total three-pointers.</p><p>While that difference in makes doesn’t feel significant, especially with Mitchell healthy, not having Strus long-term can throw a wrench in a lot of what Atkinson is trying to do. Against the Bulls, the Cavs made a concerted effort to force Chicago’s defense to react to Cleveland’s offensive attack. That was done by peppering the Bulls with assists to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside. When Chicago corrected to stop it, the Cavs would kick back out to a wide-open shooter, keeping the Bulls constantly moving.</p><p>Sure, Strus didn’t take a shot against Chicago. However, he was an active part of Cleveland’s defensive bending. Strus would use his three-point gravity to overcorrect, and in turn, he or his teammates would find clean looks at the basket or elsewhere on the perimeter. Not having that to open games, especially when they count, would be hard for the Cavs to find an offensive rhythm to start the season. It’s also a double-whammy since Cleveland wants to get Strus comfortable in Atkinson’s offense.</p><p>Hopefully, the injury is nothing serious, and either Strus plays in Cleveland’s preseason finale. However, if Strus is sidelined early into the season, things could be rough out of the gates. Cleveland opens its season on the road against the Toronto Raptors. They then will face the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors in their first ten contests. Having Strus for these big-time opponents will be critical to win.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs without 3 players in preseason against Pistons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-min-lane-thomas-guardians-grand-slam');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell loses his mind over Lane Thomas’ Guardians grand slam');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Donovan-Mitchell-loses-his-mind-over-Lane-Thomas-Guardians-grand-slam.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell loses his mind over Lane Thomas’ Guardians grand slam</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-13T06:32:42-07:00">October 13th, 6:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-13T06:32:42-07:00">October 13th, 6:32am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s no secret that Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell loves baseball. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-mets-fan-donovan-mitchell-painful-admission-new-york-lineup">Although Mitchell loves his</a> New York Mets most of all, he’s quickly embraced the Cleveland Guardians as his second team. So, when the Guardians took on the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series, Mitchell ensured he was there with his Cavs teammates. The game’s most significant moment was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-lane-thomas-grand-slam-tarik-skubal-mlb-world-buzzing">Lane Thomas’ grand slam</a> off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, which gave Cleveland the lead they never gave up. Lucky enough for Cavs and Guardians fans, Mitchell <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1845214998026436984" rel="noopener">was live streaming during the grand slam</a> and had an incredible reaction and viewpoint of the stadium as it erupted.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Donovan Mitchell's reaction to Lane Thomas' grand slam 😭😭</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spidadmitchell</a>) <a href="https://t.co/RfeY7G2R1n">pic.twitter.com/RfeY7G2R1n</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1845214998026436984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Thomas slugged only .390 after his midseason trade to the Guardians but has been a difference-maker in October. This latest highlight might put him in rarified air from now on. The game was tied 1-1 at the bottom of the fifth inning when Skubal threw a 97-mile-per-hour pitch toward the at-bat Thomas. The Guardians slugger swung and hit a high ball deep into the left side of the field, resulting in a home run.</p><p>Thomas’ play is even more impressive because he did it off a pitch from a star like Skubal. Through the series’ first two games, Skubal threw seven innings of scoreless baseball, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out eight. Skubal joined former Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander as the only pitcher in franchise history to have a playoff outing of seven-plus innings with zero walks and no more than three hits.</p><p>Although the Tigers kept scrapping, the Guardians eventually clinched their ticket to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), where they’ll face the New York Yankees.</p><h2><b>October is going to be red hot for the Cavs and Guardians</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Donovan-Mitchell-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cleveland opens the ALCS on Monday at Yankee Stadium, with the first pitch scheduled at 7:38 p.m. ET. The Yankees are 4-2 against the Guardians this year and have a <a href="https://stathead.com/baseball/vs/cleveland-guardians-vs-new-york-yankees" rel="noopener">15-12 edge</a> all-time in the playoffs.</p><p>Mitchell and the Cavs will be busy while the Guardians are kicking things off against the Yankees. The Cavs are getting ready to start the NBA season, but they might not be able to catch Games 1 and 2 in New York. However, Mitchell has gone from Cleveland to New York to catch Mets games in the preseason. So, the superstar could get the band together to bring some Cleveland support into hostile territory.</p><p>But the Cavs will sadly be on the road when the Guardians return home to play at Progressive Field. Sure, the Cavs will face the Detroit Pistons in Detroit right in between Games 2 and 3. So, there’s always a chance that Mitchell and his teammates can catch a game or two in person. Unfortunately, the Cavs will be in the Windy City to face the Chicago Bulls during Game 4.</p><p>Thankfully, the Cavs are done with preseason action after that. So, Mitchell and his teammates could be at Progressive Field for Game 5 of the ALCS. However, Mitchell’s Mets are playing in the NLCS, which might make balancing the Guardians and Mets even more difficult for the baseball superfan.</p><p>Either way, October is going to be red-hot in Cleveland. The Guardians could be opening the World Series while the Cavs have their regular-season home opener. The last time that happened was during the 2016 World Series. Hopefully, if Cleveland returns, they will bring another championship to the city. It’d be an excellent way for Mitchell and the Cavs to try and do the same on the court.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell loses his mind over Lane Thomas’ Guardians grand slam

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-jaylon-tyson-strong-impression-first-nba-preseason-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson makes strong impression in first NBA preseason start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/0Jaylon-Tyson-makes-strong-impression-in-first-NBA-preseason-start0.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson makes strong impression in first NBA preseason start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-11T09:10:55-07:00">October 11th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-11T09:11:12-07:00">October 11th, 9:11am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With less than hours to go until the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Indiana Pacers during preseason play, head coach Kenny Atkinson changed Cleveland’s lineup. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-without-six-rotation-players-preseason-against-pacers">The Cavs elected to rest</a> Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill. Atkinson said he wanted to do this to get a better look at other players on Cleveland’s roster. This included <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-rookie-jaylon-tyson-feeling-jitters-before-nba-preseason-debut">rookie swingman Jaylon Tyson</a>, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egm5rkmPgNQ" rel="noopener">ended up not disappointing</a> in his first-ever NBA preseason start.</p><p>In 28 minutes of action, Tyson had 11 points on 5-7 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. It was a solid bounce-back performance for Tyson, who had eight points and seven rebounds in his NBA preseason debut. Every time the Cavs made a big play against the Pacers, it felt like Tyson was involved. After the game, Atkinson gave the Cleveland rookie his flowers for his performance.</p><p>“He’s everywhere. Don’t count him out,” said Atkinson. “He’s a find-a-way guy. He’s just going to find a way. You’ll say, ‘Well, what’s his specialty?’ Sometimes, when you’re a roleplayer, you’ve got to do one thing great. And he’s a jack-of-all-trades. He can do so many things, and I love that he’s not afraid. He will to try to throw the behind-the-head pass. He’s got a little flair to him. He is an exciting, interesting player for us. He’s going to put pressure on our rotation guys.”</p><h2><b>Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson gets even more praise from his teammates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jaylon-Tyson-rebound-Cavs-Pacers.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Atkinson added that Tyson could still spend time with the Cleveland Charge, the NBA G League affiliate of the Cavs. However, Atkinson also noted that Tyson will get a shot to earn minutes in Cleveland’s rotation. That’s a strong endorsement for a rookie trying to enter a rotation of established veterans looking to compete for a title. But for those veterans, it’s hard not to notice how well Tyson has meshed with what Cleveland is building.</p><p>“He’s everywhere,” said big man Jarrett Allen. “On the offensive end, he’s making every single play. On the defensive end, he’s stealing my rebounds. He’s just everywhere on the court. But it’s just great to see, right? It’s great to see a rookie being active everywhere on the court and impacting the game like he does.”</p><p>Tyson could be a contender for the Cavs’ rotation at some point this season. However, his biggest hurdles are his development and getting more experience, which will come with time. The way Tyson carries himself translates easily to the court. The more he stands out during Cleveland’s preseason, the greater his chances are of making the rotation. It also helps that Tyson’s all-around game, focusing on playing without the ball and crashing the glass, fits exactly what the Cavs need more this season.</p><p>“Jaylon Tyson has really impressed me,” Max Strus said during training camp. “You can tell he’s been taught how to play basketball the right way. So it’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.”</p><p>Tyson <a href="https://youtu.be/zZtw6AnuTlQ?si=fUVu4Kjl-ryXVwo7" rel="noopener">has said</a> that he will do whatever it takes to win. He’s shared that he is molding his game after Josh Hart and Caleb Martin, two highly impactful role players in the NBA. With Atkinson wanting to expand the Cavs’ rotation, Tyson might have the opportunity to contribute immediately. His versatile skill set on both ends of the floor has been what Cleveland has missed at the wing spot for the last few years. So if he continues this strong play, he’ll fit perfectly into their system.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson makes strong impression in first NBA preseason start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-kenny-atkinson-makes-bold-challenge-to-dean-wade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson makes bold challenge to Dean Wade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cavs-news-Kenny-Atkinson-makes-bold-challenge-to-Dean-Wade.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson makes bold challenge to Dean Wade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-11T08:07:38-07:00">October 11th, 8:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-11T08:07:38-07:00">October 11th, 8:07am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Throughout his NBA career, the Cleveland Cavaliers have asked Dean Wade to be more selfish on offense. That doesn’t mean the Cavs want Wade to be the No. 1 option on offense. Instead, when Wade finds himself open on the perimeter, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kenny-atkinson-to-slowly-reinvent-cavs-entering-training-camp">Cleveland wants him to take the three-point shot</a>. Under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, it’s become a focus during training camp and preseason action. In two preseason contests, Wade has taken ten threes in 42 minutes. But to Atkinson, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JhZXmWeM7o" rel="noopener">that still isn’t good enough</a> for how he wants to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinsons-tactics-ahead-of-competition">maximize Cleveland’s offense</a> when Wade is on the floor.</p><p>“Man, too much pump-faking tonight,” Atkinson said after Cleveland’s preseason loss to the Indiana Pacers. “Let that thing ride, let that thing go. I just think he doesn’t know how good a shooter he is.”</p><p>This is something Wade seems to be aware of. He also seems tired of hearing about how he needs to shoot more three-pointers. So much so that he jokingly gave teammate Jarrett Allen two middle fingers from the other side of the locker room when Allen was about to answer a question about Wade’s shooting.</p><p>“Yeah, he needs to shoot more,” Allen said, trying not to laugh at Wade’s gesture. “He has open looks, and I know he wants to share the ball and make the correct play, but sometimes the right play is shooting the ball.</p><p>“I’m sold on Dean Wade. I think he can do anything when he puts his mind to it.”</p><h2><b>Can Dean Wade become an even better shooter for the Cavs?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dean-Wade-dribbles-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, despite Atkinson’s comments and Allen’s support, Wade had to almost talk himself into believing that he was that good of a shooting threat.</p><p>“Yeah, I feel like I’m a pretty good shooter as is,” Wade said. “But yeah. No, I think so. I think I know how good a shooter I am.”</p><p>Wade has connected on 37.1% of his 3.1 three-point attempts per game for his career. When Wade has it going from the perimeter, it’s hard to defend him because of how the Cavs utilize him on offense. Wade can be deployed as a small forward on some offensive possessions, acting as a connector piece between Cleveland’s guards and bigs. On others, Wade acts as a floor-spacing big man, pulling opposing power forwards and centers away from the paint and opening up driving lanes for the Cavs’ guards. Moreover, Wade has shown comfort in defending three through five when Cleveland needs him to.</p><p>“Usually when you go quote-on-quote small, you feel super vulnerable defensively, but with him, you don’t,” Atkinson said. “Even if they have a traditional five out there, he can hold his own. You don’t feel overwhelmed, so that’s a real plus.</p><p>“He’s like in the 93rd percentile of isolation defense. So you can switch with him. He can lock anyone up that’s in front of him, and then he can firm up against the big [centers].”</p><p>While he’s solid on defense, Wade’s issue at the center is that the Cavs plummet offensively. Wade has the skills to be one of the most coveted three-and-D players in the league. Few can combine the defensive versatility to comfortably guard the three through five at a high level and be as good of an outside shooter. The problem is that Cleveland needs Wade to shoot the ball more from the perimeter. If he does that, it’ll bring a two-way balance, no matter his position.</p><p>Wade has the skills to be one of the most coveted three-and-D players in the league. Few players can match his defensive versatility to comfortably guard the three through five at a high level while still acting as a constant perimeter threat. But to reach that potential, Wade has to take on Atkinson’s challenge and fire away.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson makes bold challenge to Dean Wade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-cleveland-without-six-rotation-players-preseason-against-pacers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs without seven players in preseason action against Pacers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cleveland-without-seven-players-in-preseason-action-against-Pacers.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs without seven players in preseason action against Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-10T15:29:27-07:00">October 10th, 3:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-10T15:29:27-07:00">October 10th, 3:29pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without several players when they host the Indiana Pacers for <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/cle/cleveland-cavaliers" rel="noopener">their second preseason contest</a>. Before the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinsons-tactics-ahead-of-competition">Cleveland head coach</a> Kenny Atkinson <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-rotation-decisions-facing-kenny-atkinson">said the Cavs would be without</a> Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Caris LeVert. Soon after Atkinson left and exited the podium, Sam Merrill was also ruled out. Thankfully, Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and LeVert aren’t dealing with any injuries. So, any Cavs fans who got PTSD from last season’s injury woes can breathe a bit easier.</p><p>Instead, Atkinson shared that those four players are sidelined against Indiana so that they can rest. NBA seasons aren’t sprints; they’re marathons. Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and LeVert are vital for Cleveland’s long-term success. So, whenever teams can find chances to rest players without facing penalties from the NBA, the Cavs have to take advantage of it.</p><p>“We really want to take a look at the whole roster,” said Atkinson. “(We want to) give them a fair shot and minutes, get a good evaluation of them, and look at different lineups.”</p><p>According to Atkinson, Cleveland’s planned night off will be the only time the Cavs do this during the preseason. Atkinson wants to start ramping up his team’s core players leading up to the start of the regular season. So, the next time fans see Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and LeVert, it will be when the Cavs hit the road to face the Detroit Pistons. Atkinson said that their minutes will be similar to what they played against the Bulls, meaning they’ll likely play early into the second half of their last two preseason games.</p><p>The Cavs will start Ty Jerome, Jaylon Tyson, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen against the Pacers.</p><h2><b>Who is injured for the Cavs against the Pacers?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sam-Merrill-celebrates-three-pointer.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Strus, Merrill, and two-way forward Emoni Bates are among Cleveland’s injured players. Bates’s absence shouldn’t surprise anyone. The two-way forward recently had arthroscopic surgery to treat a torn meniscus in his right knee. Bates will be re-evaluated in approximately one month, and his status and return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate.</p><p>Strus, meanwhile, remains day-to-day after he suffered a hip injury against the Bulls. Atkinson shared that Strus was evaluated, and everything came back clean. There is logic behind sitting Strus beyond that game, considering there isn’t much to play for in the preseason. Hip injuries can be tricky, especially if Strus suffered a bruise from an inadvertent elbow. So, with Strus designated as day-to-day going forward, he might be shut down for the remainder of Cleveland’s preseason.</p><p>The big surprise was the Cavs sitting Merrill against the Pacers with a sore wrist. There is no indication that Merrill is in danger of missing any regular-season action, but his wrist soreness will hold him out of Thursday’s contest. It’s unknown if it’s the same right wrist that Merrill injured last season, which caused him to miss two games.</p><p>Merrill’s next chance to suit up is Wednesday’s preseason matchup with Detroit. Bates and Strus, meanwhile, likely won’t play. Atkinson wants to try to get a feel for everyone on his roster. So, if Merrill can go, it makes it easier to understand his roster and what rotations he can utilize when the games start to matter most.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs without seven players in preseason action against Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-vague-update-preseason-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus gets vague update after preseason injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Max-Strus-gets-vague-update-after-preseason-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus gets vague update after preseason injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-10T08:57:55-07:00">October 10th, 8:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-10T09:26:43-07:00">October 10th, 9:26am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-impact-of-max-strus-exiting-preseason-game-early-against-bulls">exited the Cavs’ first preseason game with a hip injury</a> and did not return. The next day, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson somewhat cleared the air on Strus’ injury status. While Strus did not participate in the team’s practice on Wednesday, Atkinson wouldn’t firmly say if Strus would suit up in Cleveland’s next preseason game versus the Indiana Pacers. Luckily for the Cavs, he appeared to avoid anything serious.</p><p>“It’s going to be day-to-day. I think he took an elbow in the hip,” Atkinson said to ClutchPoints at the Cleveland Clinic Courts.</p><p>Even with a “day-to-day” designation for Strus, it could still cause him to miss some time during the preseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/max-strus-grit-cavs-game-5-win-magic">Strus played a vital role for Cleveland last season</a>, starting 70 games in the regular season and all 12 postseason games. Last season, Strus was one of Cleveland’s most crucial three-point shooting threats. He was second in three-pointers made, just behind Donovan Mitchell. Strus’s 168 three-point baskets accounted for roughly 15.2% of the Cavs’ three-pointers. Behind him last year was Georges Niang, whose 149 made perimeter attempts accounted only for 13.4% of Cleveland’s total three-pointers.</p><p>However, he must be at full strength whenever he plays for the Cavs. That means that Cleveland might want to sit Strus against Indiana as a precaution. There is logic behind sitting Strus beyond that game, considering there isn’t much to play for in the preseason. Hip injuries can be tricky, especially if Strus suffered a bruise from an inadvertent elbow. So, with Strus designated as day-to-day going forward, he might be shut down for the remainder of Cleveland’s preseason.</p><h2><b>Why Max Strus is so essential for the Cavs’ success</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Max-Strus-rebound-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Against the Bulls, the Cavs made a concerted effort to force Chicago’s defense to react to Cleveland’s offensive attack. That was done by peppering the Bulls with assists to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside. When Chicago corrected to stop it, the Cavs would kick back out to a wide-open shooter, keeping the Bulls constantly moving. Strus played a big part in forcing the Bulls to keep tabs on him, creating wide-open looks for others.</p><p>Strus uses his three-point gravity to overcorrect, and in turn, he or his teammates would find clean looks at the basket or elsewhere on the perimeter. Not having that to open games, especially when they count, would be hard for the Cavs to find an offensive rhythm to start the season. It’s also a double-whammy since Cleveland wants to get Strus comfortable in Atkinson’s offense.</p><p>If Strus is sidelined early into the season, things could be rough out of the gates. Cleveland opens its season on the road against the Toronto Raptors. In its first ten contests, it will face the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors. Having Strus for these big-time opponents will be vital—especially when Cleveland wants a top record in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Following Thursday’s home exhibition with central division rival Indiana, the Cavs have an extended break in their game schedule. The next preseason contest is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16 in Detroit. That gives Strus nearly a week to recover while having a chance at building some rhythm before the regular season opener against the Raptors. Hopefully, the time off will allow Strus to recover so his injury doesn’t impact the start of the regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Max Strus gets vague update after preseason injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-georges-niang-insight-kenny-atkinsons-offense');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Georges Niang gives insight into Kenny Atkinson’s new offense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Georges-Niang-gives-insight-into-Kenny-Atkinsons-new-offense.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Georges Niang gives insight into Kenny Atkinson’s new offense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T18:30:06-07:00">October 8th, 6:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T18:30:06-07:00">October 8th, 6:30pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s been hype surrounding head coach Kenny Atkinson’s new offense during the offseason and training camp. Under Atkinson, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinsons-tactics-ahead-of-competition">the Cavs are expected</a> to utilize a motion-based offense that wants to play with pace and get up three-pointers. There’s also an emphasis on moving the ball and empowering his players to make the right reads. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kenny-atkinson-to-slowly-reinvent-cavs-entering-training-camp">The idea under Atkinson</a> is to play with flow and pace and create advantages that make the players on the floor effective. This system will empower players to grow and develop, honing skills that could eventually become strengths. But for as much talk as there was about it, it’s hard to mentally visualize it without viewing it. Thankfully, Cavs veteran forward Georges Niang <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlXoDTKGCsY" rel="noopener">gave great insight into how</a> Cleveland will play under Atkinson.</p><p>“It’s flying the ball off the court with the pass,” said Niang. “We have two elite rim-running bigs. So, getting them easy layups and dunks by running the floor keeps them motivated to run the floor.</p><p>“The ball is going to get to them to pass more than you know. We are going to be dribbling the ball up the court. So, I think playing with pace for us is advancing the ball with the pass, getting into the lane, and then starting our cycle of drive and kicks.”</p><h2><b>Cavs’ new offense on full display in first preseason game</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Georges-Niang-Cavs-timeout.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thankfully, Niang’s insight came to fruition in Cleveland’s first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls. Within the first five minutes of action, the Cavs roared out to a 19-7 lead. It was all predicated on pace, space, and intelligent passing. It all gelled together nicely, picking apart a haphazard Bulls defense and showing early signs of how Atkinson wants Cleveland to play.</p><p>Twenty-seven of the Cavs’ 47 made field goals came off of assists. Those 24 dimes led to 58 points scored by Cleveland, more than 64.1% of their total points. Seven resulted from the Cavs driving toward the bucket and then kicking back to the open shooter. The remaining 20 were either off crafty dimes to big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who both took turns bullying the Bulls inside. Or they came off of pull-up jumpers or attempts within the perimeter.</p><p>For reference, the Cavs assisted on 2299 of their made field goals last season. Sure, the 67.1.% assist percentage is roughly the same as what Cleveland had against Chicago. Last season’s numbers came in the regular season. The Cavs could put together these numbers with their starters only playing minutes into the second half and Atkinson going deep into his bench throughout. Atkinson started to stretch things out midway into the third and entered the final frame. Regardless, Atkinson’s system kept trying to find clean looks off of constant movement, irrespective of where the attempt came from on the floor.</p><p>Before the game, Atkinson said he didn’t have a firm number of three-point attempts that he wanted Cleveland to take. However, he did joke that he won’t discourage his players from firing away from the perimeter, regardless of whether or not they were contested. Nearly half of the Cavs’ attempts in this game came from the perimeter. Meanwhile, Cleveland saw more than half of their attempts in the paint. The remaining 4.6% of their attempts were considered inefficient by analytical standards.</p><p>That’s the idealized form of Atkinson’s offense. It’s a heavy dose of analytics where his team looks to get the most efficient shot whenever possible. Niang provided a teaser of what to expect, and Cleveland more than backed up their veteran forward’s words against Chicago. Again, these numbers are a bit watered down. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-impact-of-max-strus-exiting-preseason-game-early-against-bulls">The Cavs lost</a> Max Strus early and pulled their starters in the third quarter. So, things could be even more refined once the regular season begins. It’s an encouraging first step, even if Cleveland lost to Chicago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Georges Niang gives insight into Kenny Atkinson’s new offense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-impact-of-max-strus-exiting-preseason-game-early-against-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', 'Impact of Cavs’ Max Strus exiting preseason game early against Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cavs-news-Impact-of-Max-Strus-exiting-preseason-game-early-against-Bulls.jpg"></figure><h1>Impact of Cavs’ Max Strus exiting preseason game early against Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T17:57:16-07:00">October 8th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T17:57:16-07:00">October 8th, 5:57pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>No matter the team, the No.1 goal for the NBA preseason is to be 100% healthy and ready for the regular season. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before Cleveland hosted the Chicago Bulls for their first preseason matchup, the Cavs <a href="https://x.com/AmNotEvan/status/1843422950546124993" rel="noopener">lost Emoni Bates to meniscus surgery</a>. However, sharpshooter Max Strus suffered a right hip contusion in the first half against the Bulls, and the injury kept him out for the remainder of the game. Sam Merill took Strus’s spot for parts of the remaining first half. To open the second half Dean Wade was with the starting lineup.</p><p>The injury occurred early in the second quarter, as Strus attempted to take an offensive charge in transition, landing hard on his side. After being whistled for a foul on the play while on the ground in pain, Strus was helped up and walked toward the bench, holding his hip. Overall, Strus played nine minutes, recording two rebounds and one assist against the Bulls. He did not take a shot or score a basket.</p><p>Strus’s status for when the Cavs host the Indiana Pacers is uncertain. Strus is in his second season with the team. He finished last season averaging 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and four assists a game in 78 appearances. Losing Strus is tough since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/bff609ee/max-strus">Cleveland relies on his three-point shooting and in-game grit</a>. However, there’s no reason to play through discomfort if you’re an established starter like Strus in the preseason. So, this isn’t something serious when looking at a glass half full. Still, the Cavs would rather not have someone taken out of a game with an injury. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-max-strus-injury-return-hornets">Strus missed 12 games last season</a> with a right knee sprain.</p><p>So, if Cleveland is without Strus to start the season, things could be bumpy for the Cavs. The team is trying to adapt to head coach Kenny Atkinson’s three-point-heavy system, and not having Strus learn the system and support his teammates could make things rough.</p><h2><b>How serious is the Cavs possibly losing Max Strus in the long term?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Max-Strus-Cavs-Three-Pointer.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, Strus was one of Cleveland’s most crucial three-point shooting threats. He was second in three-pointers made, just behind Donovan Mitchell. Strus’s 168 three-point baskets accounted for roughly 15.2% of the Cavs’ three-pointers. Behind him last year was Georges Niang, whose 149 made perimeter attempts accounted only for 13.4%  of Cleveland’s total three-pointers.</p><p>While that difference in makes doesn’t feel significant, especially with Mitchell healthy, not having Strus long-term can throw a wrench in a lot of what Atkinson is trying to do. Against the Bulls, the Cavs made a concerted effort to force Chicago’s defense to react to Cleveland’s offensive attack. That was done by peppering the Bulls with assists to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside. When Chicago corrected to stop it, the Cavs would kick back out to a wide-open shooter, keeping the Bulls constantly moving.</p><p>Again, Strus didn’t take a shot against Chicago. However, he was an active part of Cleveland’s defensive bending. Strus would use his three-point gravity to overcorrect, and in turn, he or his teammates would find clean looks at the basket or elsewhere on the perimeter. Not having that to open games, especially when they count, would be hard for the Cavs to find an offensive rhythm to start the season. It’s also a double-whammy since Cleveland wants to get Strus comfortable in Atkinson’s offense.</p><p>The Cavs could try to plug Wade or Merrill into the position, hoping to get similar results. Unfortunately, neither player is quite the same caliber shooter as Strus. Hopefully, the injury is nothing serious, and either Strus plays against the Pacers or shuts him down for the remainder of preseason action. However, if Strus is sidelined early into the season, things could be rough sledding out of the gates. Cleveland opens its season on the road against the Toronto Raptors. They then will face the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors in their first ten contests. Having Strus for these big-time opponents will be vital – especially when Cleveland wants a top record in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Impact of Cavs’ Max Strus exiting preseason game early against Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ty-jerome-is-primed-bounce-back-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Ty Jerome could be primed for a bounce back season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cavs-news-Ty-Jerome-could-be-primed-for-a-bounce-back-season-Update.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Ty Jerome could be primed for a bounce back season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T13:50:49-07:00">October 8th, 1:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T13:50:49-07:00">October 8th, 1:50pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a while since Ty Jerome has suited up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jeromty01/gamelog/2024" rel="noopener">The last time he played</a> for the Cavs was on October 27, 2023, when Cleveland lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After that, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-will-likely-without-important-roleplayer-start-playoffs-against-magic">a nagging ankle injury kept Jerome sidelined</a>. The remainder of the season did not go as planned by either the Cavs or Jerome. After those two appearances, Jerome eventually underwent surgery on his right ankle, which ended the backup guard’s season. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 assists in 7.5 minutes per game in those two games. Jerome also connected on 50% of his field goal attempts but didn’t hit on any of his three-pointers.</p><p>After so long, many have forgotten how big of a difference-maker <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-reacts-to-clevelands-ty-jerome-signing">Jerome could’ve been last season for the Cavs</a>. Outside of Caris LeVert, their bench lacks consistency in two key departments: playmaking and outside shot-making. This is where Jerome is theoretically an excellent fit for the second unit as the Cavs’ second-string point guard. It’s why Cleveland signed Jerome in hopes of bolstering their backcourt depth. However, because of his ankle injury, no one understood <i>what </i>Jerome could be for Cleveland<i>.</i></p><p>Instead, everything on paper about what Jerome could be for the Cavs has made him an enigma. Unfortunately, that enigmatic presence made Jerome an afterthought when breaking down Cleveland’s rotations for this season. Sure, it did help lead to the emergence of Craig Porter Jr. as a backup point guard. But what Porter lacks on the court is what Jerome would’ve made up for with his outside shooting. Jerome’s presence could’ve been a breath of fresh air when the Cavs bogged down on offense last year. However, with him being sidelined for so long, it’s easy to forget that.</p><p>But now, if he’s 100% healthy, the 6’5″ combo guard seems primed for a bounce-back season this year.</p><h2><b>How Ty Jerome is primed to bounce back for the Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ty-Jerome-dribbles-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On paper, Jerome takes care of the ball, makes sound decisions when scoring, and shoots efficiently from three-point range when left wide open. He has a chance to be a reliable floor general who can shoot 40% from deep and organize an offense. Moreover, now that he’s been reunited with Atkinson (Jerome and Atkinson were together in Golden State), Jerome can find a more uncomplicated groove after not playing for nearly a year. Jerome’s most recent season with the Warriors is the best example of what we might expect from him when he is healthy. He’s a 6’5” point guard who averaged 6.9 points and 3.0 assists while turning it over fewer than once per game and shooting above 38% from the three-point line. So, a familiarity with Aktinson’s offense gives Jerome a leg up heading into this year.</p><p>That familiarity with how Atkinson wants to run Cleveland’s offense will help Jerome ease back in. Moreover, Atkinson’s offensive system fits Jerome’s playstyle. Atkinson is known for being analytically focused with his offensive scheme and relies heavily on continual player development. His motion-based offense wants to play with pace and get up three-pointers while moving the ball and empowering his players to make the right reads. The idea is to play with flow and pace and create advantages that make the players on the floor effective. This system will empower players to grow and develop, honing skills that could eventually become strengths.</p><p>Atkinson’s system and Jerome’s familiarity with it are why he’s already stood out during training camp. Jerome’s been so impressive that Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman said the backup guard has been “balling.”</p><p>“He (Jerome) had a really good offseason,” said Altman. “If I had to rank open gym in September, MVP of September? Now September is meaningless, but he’s been balling.”</p><p>Hopefully, Jerome can keep building on his momentum heading into the regular season and remind everyone why the Cavs brought him here in the first place.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Ty Jerome could be primed for a bounce back season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-rookie-jaylon-tyson-feeling-jitters-before-nba-preseason-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson “feeling jitters” before NBA preseason debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cavs-rookie-Jaylon-Tyson-feeling-jitters-before-NBA-debut.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson “feeling jitters” before NBA preseason debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T12:58:01-07:00">October 8th, 12:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T12:58:01-07:00">October 8th, 12:58pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Making an NBA debut is always challenging, even after playing during Summer League action. Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson is no exception. Although <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-caris-levert-praise-for-this-player-early-training-camp">he’s impressed his Cavs teammates with his veteran-like approach</a>, which he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D-uKum50qo" rel="noopener">shared before</a> Cleveland hosted the Chicago Bulls in preseason action, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-2024-nba-draft-grade-for-jaylon-tyson">Tyson still has rookie jitters</a>.</p><p>“I’m starting to get jitters already,” said Tyson during Cleveland’s shootaround. “It’s only 11 o’clock. So, I’m excited and ready to show everybody what I’ve been working on.”</p><p>When asked if he’s usually one to get pre-game jitters, Tyson dove even further into his headspace, even if it’s only preseason action.</p><p>“No, I don’t,” said Tyson. “But, this is a different level that a lot of people dream of being on. But I’m finally here. It’s finally right in front of me.”</p><p>During training camp, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what he expects from Tyson. While the Cavs’ new coach didn’t say whether or not he’ll be immediately playing, he did praise Tyson for what he’s done so far and the impact he could make in the future.</p><p>“He’s been great in open gyms,” said Atkinson. “He seems like one of those players that’s going to find a way. He does a lot of things well. Maybe not at an elite NBA skill right now, but a good cutter and a good offense rebounder. All of those things role players do … He’s been really intriguing and played well the first day of camp.”</p><p>Cleveland doesn’t need Tyson to be Mr. Do-it-all in his rookie season. That makes it even more plausible that Tyson can shine right away for the Cavs, even in limited minutes with established players in Cleveland’s rotation ahead of him. But, it’s still fair to wonder what to expect from Tyson this season.</p><h2><b>What is Jaylon Tyson’s expected role with the Cavs this year?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jaylon-Tyson-Cavs-media-Day.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When Tyson was asked about his expected role this season, he expressed sentiments similar to Atkinson’s.</p><p>“I don’t exactly know,” said Tyson. “Obviously, we have to get through the rest of preseason and then I’ll know a clear view. But right now, it’s just being the best teammate I could be, and when I get in, take advantage of my minutes.”</p><p>Tyson could be a contender for the Cavs’ rotation at some point this season. However, his biggest hurdles are his development and getting more experience, which will come with time. Tyson fills a clear-cut need for Cleveland as a perimeter player who has showcased his ability to pass, dribble, and shoot. When breaking down the wings on the Cavs, Max Strus is the only other player who can do all three reliably.</p><p>The Cleveland rookie has the right mentality heading into his rookie season with Cleveland. Based on what Atkinson has said about Tyson and his eleven-man rotations, Tyson could be a contender for the Cavs’ rotation at some point this season. Atkinson said he cannot pinpoint an elite skill of Tyson’s. However, that isn’t a knock against him. Instead, it just further drives home he’s an all-around player.</p><p>“I just feel like I’m a winner,” Tyson said during Cleveland’s media day. “If you’re a winner, you can plug in anywhere, you know? I’m willing to adjust.”</p><p>So, while there’s a path for Tyson to navigate, he does fill a clear need for the Cavs. With his NBA debut nearly here, Tyson can showcase the work that has been turning heads during Cleveland’s training camp. Tyson is eager to capitalize on any opportunity with the Cavs, and it all begins at home against the Bulls.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson “feeling jitters” before NBA preseason debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-kenny-atkinsons-tactics-ahead-of-competition');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson’s tactics help “get ahead of the league”');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cavs-news-How-Kenny-Atkinsons-tactics-help-get-ahead-of-the-league.jpg"></figure><h1>How Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson’s tactics help “get ahead of the league”</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-07T09:29:01-07:00">October 7th, 9:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T09:29:01-07:00">October 7th, 9:29am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With a change in coaching from J.B. Bickerstaff to Kenny Atkinson at the helm, the Cleveland Cavaliers expect a different approach this season. Early in training camp, <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2024/10/03/pistons-j-b-bickerstaff-to-bring-anti-analytics-defense-to-detroit/75496719007/" rel="noopener">analytics was the most significant new thing</a> the Cavs were embracing under Atkinson. That approach has become clear <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-darius-garland-kenny-atkinsons-demand">with how Cleveland wants</a> Darius Garland to shoot more three-pointers or<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-isaac-okoro-expanded-offensive-role"> how Atkinson wants</a> Isaac Okoro to be more involved in the offense. However, it’s more than just superficial changes to Cleveland’s offense. Embracing analytics can change things game-by-game for the Cavs this season.</p><p>“Kenny and the staff are very analytics-based,” Okoro said. “They really tell you why. ‘There’s a reason we want you doing this,’ and they will give you facts and studies behind it.”</p><p>Analytics can show what does and doesn’t work for Cleveland during a game or against a specific opponent. It can help dictate certain lineups or wrinkles that the Cavs can exploit to maximize on-court opportunities.</p><p>“It reminds me of my time in Utah,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I’m not a big analytics guy as far as knowing about it, but I’m always intrigued about how we can find ways to get the most out of our groups.”</p><h2><b>How Kenny Atkinson is using analytics to shake up the Cavs’ rotations</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Evan-Mobley-rebound-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Atkinson has embraced analytics to answer Cleveland’s offensive rebounding woes. To Atkinson, it starts with Evan Mobley’s rebounding and how it can impact the flow of a game.</p><p>“When Evan is on the court alone [without Jarrett Allen], the rebounding numbers aren’t great,” Atkinson said. “For me as a coach, I can use those numbers [and say], ‘You could really help us when we are in those spread lineups. We need you to rebound more.’”</p><p>In his introductory press conference, Atkinson said he wanted to “get ahead of the league” in certain areas. Using analytics more is a way to stay up with their competition, but not necessarily get ahead of it. However, Atkinson and his staff remain realistic in their approach, too. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kenny-atkinson-to-slowly-reinvent-cavs-entering-training-camp">Cleveland cannot reinvent the wheel</a> and entirely ignore their core identity as a defensive-first squad. It’s a way to bridge the gap between what the Cavs are successful at and then fine-tune that approach to maximize every opportunity on the floor.</p><p>“[We want to] keep leaning on our defensive identify,” Atkinson said. “We kind of doubled down on that today. I think the guys were expecting all of this offense and a big offensive day, and I’d say 70% of the day was reinforcing that that’s still our identity.</p><p>“When you look at a team, the first thing you do is [figure out] their number one strength. I think to go away from that is a mistake. . . . And then [we want to] build the offense bit by bit. I don’t want to lose that identity. We’re going to double down on that.”</p><p>Atkinson isn’t trying to rebuild the wheel and do everything simultaneously for the Cavs. Instead, he’s embracing Cleveland’s core values and empowering their offensive abilities, little by little. By leaning on analytics to accomplish this, it becomes easier to see the overall vision for the Cavs. It’ll take time but when everything starts to click, Cleveland will be a much better team for it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson’s tactics help “get ahead of the league”

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-which-player-is-the-key-to-success-according-to-an-nba-legend');   ga('set', 'title', 'Which Cavs player is the key to success according to an NBA legend?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Which-player-is-the-key-to-success-according-to-an-NBA-legend.jpg"></figure><h1>Which Cavs player is the key to success according to an NBA legend?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-07T08:32:01-07:00">October 7th, 8:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T08:32:01-07:00">October 7th, 8:32am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. After they were knocked out in the first round in 2023, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-most-to-blame-for-down-to-the-wire-game-5-loss-to-cavs">Cleveland made it past the opening round last season</a>. Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-jarrett-allen-joined-by-caris-levert-on-game-5-injury-report-vs-celtics">the Cavs ran into the eventual champions</a>, the Boston Celtics, in the conference semifinals and were eliminated 4-1. The Cavs are looking ahead at the 2024-25 season with bigger goals. However, according to Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, the current Cleveland squad won’t get to the next level <a href="https://youtu.be/p8LVM2oOIQU?si=uFMqtNudXNq8lY8K&amp;t=1436" rel="noopener">unless they unlock the potential</a> of Jarrett Allen next to Donovan Mitchell.</p><p>“The one guy that drives me crazy, and I’ve been waitin’ on him, I’ve been braggin’ about this dude for five years, and he disappoints me every year: Jarrett Allen,” Barkley said. “I thought he’d be a 20-10 guy and an All-Star by now. He should be the second option on that team, behind — he’s the second-best player on that team. People automatically go to [Evan] Mobley.</p><p>“… When I watch them play, when Jarrett Allen plays well, that’s when they play their best. They’ve got to do a much better job — it should be Donovan [Mitchell] and Jarrett Allen — one and two — and everybody else gets to eat after that.”</p><h2><b>Why do the Cavs need to make Jarrett Allen their No. 2 option?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jarrett-Allen-attacks-off-the-dribble.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Barkley saying that Allen, not Mobley or even Darius Garland, is Cleveland’s best No. 2 option is bold. Allen, who happens to be a one-time All-Star, might not have averaged 20 points per game last season like Barkley seems to think he should have, but the 26-year-old is still on the heels of arguably his best season in the NBA so far. But the Hall of Fame big man continued his tirade on Allen, further driving his point home.</p><p>“… He’s the only guy who gon’ get you easy baskets because if you look at Donovan and [Darius] Garland, they’re both undersized guards,” Barkley continued. “They have to work so hard. They use so much energy because they are so undersized. They’re undersized on the defensive end, which wears them down even more. That’s why I think they get hurt a lot of times. They have to be at full-blown energy all the time.</p><p>“But the other one guy who…I said, ‘Man, this guy has so much talent. He has a great body. He can play against big guys. He’s athletic enough to play wing guys, and he — they can’t guard him in the post ’cause he’s too big.’ So, he’s the one guy in my opinion that if Cleveland’s going to ever get to the next level, it’s gotta be him.”</p><p>Allen averaged a career-high 16.5 points per contest in 77 games played with Cleveland in the 2023-24 regular season. Perhaps just as impressive as the sheer volume of points he racked up was the efficiency with which he put the ball through the hoop. Allen converted a remarkable 63.4 percent of his shots from the field on 10.6 field-goal attempts per game. To put his field-goal percentage in perspective, Daniel Gafford, Rudy Gobert, and Ivica Zubac were the lone three qualified players who shot a higher percentage from the floor a season ago.</p><h2><b>What can Jarrett Allen do to have a more significant impact on the Cavs’ offense?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jarrett-Allen-converts-a-dunk-against-the-Orlando-Magic-in-Game-1-of-the-first-round-of-the-2024-NBA-playoffs.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If Allen wants a more significant role on the offensive end of the floor moving forward, he has to expand his scoring repertoire. 478 of his 819 field-goal attempts during the 2023-24 regular season came directly at the rim. Allen also took only 24 shots from 16-plus feet away from the basket, with just four of those looks finding the bottom of the net.</p><p>One could argue that Allen’s top priority heading into the new season should be staying healthy. He missed much of the Cavs’ playoff run last season with a rib injury and didn’t see the court against the Celtics. So, while Barkley wants Allen to put up 20-10, it might be best if Allen cedes offensive responsibilities elsewhere. Cleveland is already great when Allen is healthy and available. That alone is the more underrated part of his game and should be his primary focus this year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Cavaliers News: Get the latest Cleveland Cavaliers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

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Cavs without 3 players in preseason against Pistons

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell loses his mind over Lane Thomas’ Guardians grand slam

Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson makes strong impression in first NBA preseason start

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson makes bold challenge to Dean Wade

Cavs without seven players in preseason action against Pacers

Cavs’ Max Strus gets vague update after preseason injury

Cavs’ Georges Niang gives insight into Kenny Atkinson’s new offense

• Impact of Cavs’ Max Strus exiting preseason game early against Bulls

• Cavs’ Ty Jerome could be primed for a bounce back season

• Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson “feeling jitters” before NBA preseason debut

• How Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson’s tactics help “get ahead of the league”

• Which Cavs player is the key to success according to an NBA legend?

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Latest Cavaliers News

Cavs without 3 players in preseason against Pistons

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell loses his mind over Lane Thomas’ Guardians grand slam

Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson makes strong impression in first NBA preseason start

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson makes bold challenge to Dean Wade

Cavs without seven players in preseason action against Pacers

Cavs’ Max Strus gets vague update after preseason injury

Cavs’ Georges Niang gives insight into Kenny Atkinson’s new offense

• Impact of Cavs’ Max Strus exiting preseason game early against Bulls

• Cavs’ Ty Jerome could be primed for a bounce back season

• Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson “feeling jitters” before NBA preseason debut

• How Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson’s tactics help “get ahead of the league”

• Which Cavs player is the key to success according to an NBA legend?

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Cavaliers NEWS