The Cleveland Cavaliers are sliding, and one local analyst has seen enough.
After dropping four of their last five, including a head-scratching loss to the short-handed Charlotte Hornets, Tony Rizzo went on ESPN Cleveland and zeroed in on what bothered him most: the energy, or lack of it. He said the Cavs need to bring defense and urgency, and he pointed to what he saw against Charlotte as a major problem.
“I wanna see effort. I’m not saying you have to win by 20, but what I saw in Charlotte was just… looked like a lot of standing around.
How about some D? Play some D.
I don’t have a lot of confidence. I have more confidence in them than you guys do, but I just don’t have confidence against the Knicks.
The Knicks, for whatever reason, have our number,” Rizzo said.
That Charlotte loss landed badly because the Hornets were missing their best players, yet Cleveland still got beat by a group that leaned heavily on bench players. Rizzo’s complaint wasn’t about the final score so much as the way the Cavaliers looked while it happened - flat, slow, and not moving with the pace needed against a younger team.
Now the challenge gets even tougher. The Knicks have been a problem for Cleveland recently, including a 109-97 win just a few days ago. The Cavaliers are set to meet them again at Madison Square Garden, where they’ll face the reigning champions in what already looks like a difficult matchup.
For Rizzo, the issue is bigger than one bad night or one rough stretch. The Cavs can live with losses.
What they can’t afford is looking like they’re not bringing the fight. According to him, that has to change immediately.
In Other News...
Cavs Got The Offensive Spark Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Cavaliers finally found the kind of offensive rhythm fans have been waiting on in a win over the Knicks, with James Harden setting the tone and giving Cleveland a much-needed jolt. Harden finished with 32 points and four assists, while Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven rebounds, Jarrett Allen controlled the glass with 14 rebounds, and Tyrese Proctor chipped in 15 points as the rotation produced a balanced night.
For a team that has been searching for cleaner execution and more reliable scoring bursts, the performance offered a welcome glimpse of what this group can look like when the pieces click. The individual grades from the game reflected that mix of established production and emerging help, and Cleveland will be hoping this was more than just a one-night spike against New York. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Finally Delivered The Kind Of Response Fans Needed
After a rough two-game skid, the Cavaliers needed a clean answer, and they got one in a 115-107 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Cleveland leaned on James Hardens season-high 32 points and a steady all-around effort from Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists, to leave New York with a result that felt important beyond the box score.
The victory pushed Cleveland back to 6-6 and gave the group a little breathing room after a stretch that had started to chip away at early-season momentum. It also offered a useful reminder of what the Cavs can look like when their top scorers are in rhythm and the response is there on the road, even with the kind of late pressure that tends to test a teams composure. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell May Be The Key To Fixing Cleveland's Offense
The Cavaliers are still searching for a cleaner offensive rhythm after a 5-6 start, and one of the ideas under discussion is a more Donovan Mitchell-centered approach. Cleveland and coach Kenny Atkinson are looking at different combinations and role tweaks to create better scoring chances, with the broader goal being a more efficient attack than the one that has too often stalled early this season.
Mitchell has already shown he can handle a heavier creation load, which is why this conversation matters for a team trying to settle on a more reliable formula. The question now is how Cleveland balances those responsibilities and whether the current mix can unlock the kind of offense the Cavaliers have been trying to build, even as the staff continues to experiment with who initiates and who works more comfortably off the ball. [Read more 🡒]