CLEVELAND, Ohio — Scribbles in my Cavs notebook:
1. Finally, we don’t hear much about the Cavs from last season – and how they compare to this season’s team. Yes, the Cavs had a 64-18 record and had one of the best offensive efficiency ratings in NBA history. But they still lost in the second round of the 2025 playoffs. That was the same as the 2024 Cavs, who also were eliminated in the second round. They had a 48-34 record under former coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
2. That thought came to mind as Bickerstaff leads his Detroit Pistons into Cleveland for Sunday’s game. After being fired by the Cavs after the 2024 playoffs, Bickerstaff was quickly hired by Detroit. He took a team that had a 14-68 record and led them to a 44-38 finish in 2024-25. It was the first time the Pistons made the playoffs in six years. The 2025-26 Pistons are the Cavs of 2024-25. Just as the Cavs roared into the regular season a year ago, Detroit is 25-9 now.
3. “I think we’re trending better – we’re not there yet, but it’s better,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said recently.
4. After Friday’s 113-108 victory over Denver, the Cavs have won three in a row. That hasn’t happened since Nov. 2-8, when they won four in a row. They were 7-3 at that point. Since then, it’s been up and down, guys hurt, lineup changes. Since then, the Cavs are 13-13.
5. There is nothing monumental about a January 4th game, but a victory would be another positive sign. The Pistons are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference. There is an added spice to the game with Bickerstaff back in town. His Pistons rank No. 2 in defensive efficiency. They are 10th in offensive efficiency. By comparison, the Cavs are No. 9 in offense, 11 in defense.
6. As I was looking up stats on the Cavs and Pistons, I noticed the average NBA team is scoring nearly 117 points per game. The Cavs and Detroit are both at 119. Denver is No. 1 at 125 points per game. I still remember when averaging 100 points was a worthy goal in the NBA.
7. I was against the Cavs firing Bickerstaff, and wrote it a few times. I thought he did a tremendous job rebuilding the franchise from the rubble that ensued after LeBron James left for the Lakers via free agency. But I also wanted the Cavs to hire Atkinson after Bickerstaff was fired. I remain very upbeat about the Cavs coach.
8. One of the positives for Atkinson is Craig Porter Jr. The coach challenged the young guard to show up in better shape and then to concentrate on defense and simply playing with elite effort. Once in a while, I hear a player or coach say, “Playing hard is a skill.” I believe it. Playing hard and unselfishly requires self-discipline and a mindset that stays away from self-pity. Porter has become that kind of player.
9. In his last five games, he has played 106 total minutes. The Cavs have outscored opponents by 42 points in those 106 minutes. His streak started after he played only three minutes vs. Charlotte on Dec. 22. Then Atkinson began to give him more time. He’s averaging 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 21 minutes a game.
10. Atkinson on Porter: “I love the defense … He just keeps rising in terms of defensive ability. He gets us extra possessions. … You know how hard he worked this summer, how hard we were on him … He’s getting rewarded right now.”
11. Atkinson also realized Porter is not a traditional point guard. Former Cavs GM Wayne Embry used to say, “Some guys are just guards. Don’t put a label on them, just let them play.” Former Cavalier Craig Ehlo was like that. They do a little bit of everything, and they bring a great attitude and hustle into every game.
12. Atkinson mentioned how the Cavs turned Friday’s game around when they started “blitzing” Denver’s Jamal Murray in the second half – especially the fourth quarter. Murray was Denver’s only healthy starter. He had 16 points in the first quarter, the rest of the Nuggets had eight. I was yelling at the TV, “Double-team the guy, get the ball out of his hands!”
13. The Cavs held Denver to 11 points in the fourth quarter. Facing tough double-teams, Murray made only one of his last 11 shots. The Cavs alternated Lonzo Ball, Jaylon Tyson and Porter as the first defender on Murray, then others helped.
14. Atkinson said: I felt like the first three quarters we were on our heels. We just decided to blitz every single Jamal Murray pick-and-roll. I said, ‘If we’re going to lose this, let the other guys beat us.’ We double-teamed him, tried to get the ball out of his hands. And it turned out right for us. We had the right guys shooting on the other team at the end of the day.”
15. It’s not just Atkinson. Most NBA coaches hesitate to double-team and use multiple players on opposing stars early in the game. One theory I heard was “Let the star get his, and shut down the other guys.” Former Cavs coach Lenny Wilkens subscribed to that at times. I think it’s backwards. Once a star shows he’s hot, go after him early. Let the other guys beat you.
16. Ball sat out two games as Atkinson gave those minutes to Porter. Then Ball played 15 minutes in Friday’s victory. He scored six points. More importantly, he had three rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. The Cavs were +11 in those 15 minutes.
17. Atkinson on Ball: “He is such a pro. He’s just about winning. He kept telling me, ‘I’ll do whatever you need.’ He is all about the team.”
18. Atkinson about the Cavs taking poor shots out of a stagnant offense against Denver’s zone defense: We don’t have to hold it and take 10 dribbles and jack a 3.” He also was unhappy with “too much iso,” meaning players going 1-on-1.
19. The Cavs have to continue to work on their ball movement – and player movement. It’s easy for a team with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to stand around and watch those guys create shots. But it’s not a good offense in the long term, and Atkinson is stressing that.
20. My sense is this season will continue to be a struggle at times for the Cavs. The challenge for Atkinson will be to continue to find ways to win games. The coaches have helped young players such as Tyson, Nae’Kwan Tomlin and Porter grow. That is going to be very important because this is probably going to be a year where veterans have trouble staying healthy and are in and out of the lineup.
