CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – In the grand scheme of things, the outcome of Sunday’s regular season finale meant very little to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Following a 106-95 loss to the Hornets they can now turn their full attention to the New York Knicks and round 1 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Here’s a look Beyond the Box Score on Easter Sunday.
1. The Cavs completed their most successful regular season without LeBron James on the roster since the 1992-93 Cavs won 54 games by finishing 51-31, a seven-game improvement from last season. “I'm confident in our group period,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I believe when we're at our best, we're a tough out for anybody. We need to make sure we're aware and tighten up the details and our execution and all those things. And again, it's going to be a new test for us. We have guys that are going to be in their first playoff series, so it's never going to come easy, but I have a lot of confidence in our group.”
2. That ’92-93 team is also the last one to win a playoff series without James in Cleveland.
3. Bickerstaff played Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for 12 minutes. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland did not see the floor against Charlotte.
4. From the you don’t see that everyday file: the Hornets started the game 0-24 from three-point range becoming the first team in NBA history to do so. They got hot in the fourth quarter and finished 6-32.
5. The Cavs bench got plenty of burn again Sunday and tied their season-high by combining to score 66 points against Charlotte in the loss. Danny Green (13 points), Raul Neto (13 points), Sam Merrill (a career high 17 points) and Isaiah Mobley (2 points) all played starters minutes – over 21 minutes – off the pine. “They can compliment our starting group and I think that's what we've seen [with] the guys who are going to play a heavy amount of minutes,” Bickerstaff said. “We were able to see different ways that guys can contribute that supports those guys that are going to play heavy minutes.”
6. The extended minutes the last two games gave the reserves and opportunity to dust themselves off and get their game some work, which will be critical come next weekend because they will be needed at some point. “I think that's where the game is decided for most series,” Green said about the importance of bench production. “Not just the bench but the others. Superstars usually match up and cancel each other out. I think we have just as much talent as they do [and] vice versa in that aspect. The game, I think for us, especially with this matchup against the Knicks is going to be what our others are going to do and what our bench is going to do. So that's going to decide a game and could decide a series.”
7. It feels like the Cavs are ready for the playoffs – or are at least over the being asked questions about making them part. “We've had a great season so far,” Mobley said. “Won big games throughout the whole year, came back from deficits, have number one defense. I mean, I can keep going, but I feel like we have a good team.”
8. Starting with Bickerstaff, these guys do not have short memories from the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season where they won just 22 games. “You want to be a part of something that matters and being able to put yourself in a situation to be in the playoffs, your team matters again with this group,” Bickerstaff said. “Go all the way back to the bubble and not being invited to the bubble, and our guys responding to that and taking huge steps and growing as individual players and growing as a team to the point where we've taken steps every year to get better and better. And that's what you want to see, and I think our guys have, again, I'm extremely proud to be a part of this group and work with these guys every day.”
9. There’s not much more Bickerstaff can say to prepare his young players for what comes next. “These games are going to be intense, and you have to be locked in mentally and that's not something that you just flip a switch on,” Bickerstaff said. “These are conversations that we've been having as long as we've continued to improve and put ourselves in these situations. And again, until you feel it for yourself, you don't know what it feels like. So it is again, a learning opportunity for our guys, but they've earned it. And again, we're confident that if they're best at who they are and to their strength, they're going to be fine.”
10. Mitchell finished his first regular season as a Cav by averaging 28.3 points per game – fifth highest in team history while setting multiple franchise records: 245 threes, tallying 13 40-pont games, and his 71 points in an overtime win over the Chicago Bulls was also a single game franchise scoring record.
11. Happy Easter.
12. Welcome back to the NBA Playoffs Cleveland. Buckle up and see you next weekend.
