The Cleveland Cavaliers have had one of the more disappointing starts to the 2023-24 regular season of any team in the NBA. After winning 51 games a season ago, the team currently owns a subpar 3-5 record on the season including a 1-3 home record.
Former Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett believes that “something is missing” for the Cavaliers despite them being “super dope” on paper.
“The teams I just named to me, seem to — something is missing,” Garnett said. “I don’t know if you watch the Cavaliers. Cavaliers are super dope on paper. I don’t know if you — [Darius] Garland came back the other night. But something’s missing.”
The Cavaliers are fresh off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 8. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a game-high 43 points for Oklahoma City. He also totaled seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block across 38 minutes of play.
Cleveland put 120 points on the board against the Thunder, but arguably the team’s best scorer — Donovan Mitchell — had a rough shooting night. He shot 8-of-23 from the field and 1-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc. At least he served as a productive playmaker, seeing as how he dished out five assists compared to zero turnovers.
Wing Caris LeVert was probably Cleveland’s best offensive player versus the Thunder. He scored a team-high 29 points in 34 minutes off the bench and knocked down half of his 14 shots from the field. Plus, he shot 13-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Mitchell, Garland and the Cavaliers lost their first In-Season Tournament game of the season against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 3. Pacers big man Myles Turner led his team to a victory against Cleveland, as he totaled 27 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while shooting 9-of-14 from the field.
The Cavaliers will face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors for the second time this season on Saturday. Cleveland beat Golden State at home by 11 points when the teams played each other back on Nov. 5.
The win marked the Cavaliers’ first home win of the season.
After taking on Golden State, the Cavaliers will then play the Sacramento Kings — who have won their last two games — on Nov. 13 and Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 15. Cleveland will play both of those games on the road.
