Jeff Teague: Cavs need 50+ points from Mitchell and Garland to survive in playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be enjoying one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history, but they’ve hit some rocky waters lately, losing three games in a row.

Before the Cavs lost their third straight, former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague shared his thoughts on the team and expressed a concern.

In his view, Cleveland will need star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to combine for at least 50 points in playoff games in order to win.

He seemed to indicate that the Cavs aren’t likely to have much trouble in the first round but that the second round could be a different story.

“If they don’t combine for 50 points, it’s gonna be a tough game,” Teague said. “… For them to win in the playoffs, Donovan Mitchell and…Darius Garland gotta combine for 50-plus. … We ain’t worried about the first round with them. We worried about that second.”

This season, Mitchell and Garland are averaging a combined 45.0 points per game. Mitchell is leading the way for the Cavs at 24.1, and Garland is the second-leading scorer at 20.9.

As such, Mitchell and Garland would need to combine for an extra five points per game in the playoffs in order to satisfy Teague’s concern. Mitchell does have a track record of elevating his scoring game in the playoffs, but the same isn’t true for Garland, at least not yet.

The good news for the Cavs is that they may get a chance to prove Teague’s theory wrong. Even if Mitchell and Garland don’t combine for at least 50 points on a regular basis in the playoffs, Cleveland will hope that some of its other players pick up the slack.

The Cavs have four other players outside of Mitchell and Garland who are averaging over 10 points per game. They are Evan Mobley (18.8), De’Andre Hunter (13.9), Jarrett Allen (13.6) and Ty Jerome (11.9).

Teague might be skeptical of the amount of scoring help Cleveland will get in the playoffs outside of its starting backcourt, but a balanced scoring formula has led the Cavs to the best record in the Eastern Conference this season. The question now is whether the team will have to change its approach in a best-of-seven series.

Cleveland is 56-13 on the season and will look to put an end to its three-game losing streak when it takes on the Phoenix Suns on Friday.