The Cavaliers don’t need a miracle Monday night against Oklahoma City. They need discipline.
That’s the opening Cleveland has against a Thunder team already missing key pieces, and it starts with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s still one of the toughest players in the league to deal with, but his scoring numbers have taken a noticeable dip early this season, and the Cavaliers should be ready to test whether that trend holds.
Through six games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26 points per game after putting up 31.1 last season. His shooting has also cooled, with his field goal percentage falling from 55.3 percent to 46.5 percent. The bigger shift, though, has come at the line.
Last season, he averaged nine free-throw attempts per game. This year, that number is down to 4.7 through his first six appearances.
He’s making about four free throws per game now, compared with roughly 7.9 last season, when those points made up more than a quarter of his scoring output. This year, they account for about 15 percent.
That’s a real change for a player whose game has long been built on getting downhill, drawing contact and turning pressure into easy points. It’s also happening as the NBA has entered the 2026-27 season with a renewed focus on offensive push-offs and exaggerated movements meant to draw fouls. League officials have specifically addressed offensive players using their off arms to create separation, while also stressing the difference between legitimate contact and actions designed to manufacture whistles.
It’s too early to pin Gilgeous-Alexander’s decline in free throws entirely on that officiating emphasis. Six games is a small sample, and his field goal efficiency has dropped as well. But the change is there, and it’s worth watching closely.
Cleveland shouldn’t take that as a sign to ease up. Gilgeous-Alexander has already posted 34 points against the Clippers and 32 against San Antonio this season, and his ability to create offense off the dribble is still a problem no matter what the free-throw totals look like.
What the Cavaliers can do is make the night harder on him. That means staying disciplined, avoiding needless reaches, keeping him in front of them and not gifting him extra trips to the line when he’s forced into tough shots. If the league’s current emphasis helps defenders who stay sound and resist every fake and sweep, Cleveland needs to take advantage of that.
The Thunder’s injury situation only raises the stakes. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are both out, leaving Oklahoma City with fewer options to absorb the offensive load. That puts even more on Gilgeous-Alexander, and it gives Cleveland a chance to squeeze the game a little tighter.
The Cavaliers have Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen available, which gives them more established scoring options than the shorthanded Thunder. If Cleveland can keep Gilgeous-Alexander off the foul line and force the rest of Oklahoma City’s rotation to create offense, the Thunder could have a hard time keeping up.
Still, the Cavaliers can’t bank on this early-season dip lasting forever. Elite scorers adjust, and Gilgeous-Alexander is more than capable of flipping the script in one night. That’s why Cleveland’s approach has to be based on execution, not hope.
If he scores 26 by beating defenders and hitting contested shots, that’s one thing. If he gets to 35 or 40 because the Cavaliers keep making mistakes, that’s a different story. Monday gives Cleveland a chance to find out which version shows up.
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