The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 6-7 start has plenty of moving parts, but after Friday’s 133-121 loss to the Miami Heat in an NBC Cup game, Kenny Atkinson kept coming back to one issue: the boards.
Atkinson said the Cavs have to clean up their rebounding if they want to start stacking wins.
“The rebounding piece hurt us again. Until we figure out the rebounding, and we did last game against the Knicks, but to have a consistent mindset to rebound the ball better. It’s not on JA (Jarrett Allen), it’s not on Thomas Bryant, it’s on five guys and collectively we gotta do a better job,” Atkinson said.
That message lined up with what happened on the floor. Miami finished with a 46-36 edge on the glass and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Bam Adebayo pulled down 14 boards for the Heat, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and both players scored 37 points.
Cleveland’s top rebounder was Jarrett Allen with eight. James Harden had six, while the Cavs also played without Even Mobley, who sprained his toe against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The contrast with Wednesday was hard to miss. In Cleveland’s 115-107 win over New York, the Cavaliers controlled the rebounding battle 40-35 and held the defending NBA champions to seven offensive boards. That was the kind of effort Atkinson wants to see more often.
The numbers back up his point. Cleveland has been outrebounded in eight of its 13 games this season, and all six of its straight losses have come in games where it lost the rebounding battle.
The only two times the Cavs were outrebounded and still won came during their 3-1 start. When they win the rebound count, they’re 4-1.
One stat doesn’t tell the whole story, but this one keeps showing up. Allen leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game, followed by Mobley at 7.3 and reserve Mario Hezonja at 5.3 in just 18 minutes per game.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Lineup Watch Just Got Very Real Against Dallas
The Cavaliers are back home to face Dallas after a quick turnaround from Miami, and the schedule alone has put their lineup under a microscope. With travel piling up and the possibility of rest in play, this one has the feel of a game where Clevelands depth could matter just as much as its usual rotation, especially with the Mavericks bringing a young core and a familiar face back into the building.
Dallas comes in with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving front and center, and Irvings first trip back to Cleveland since February 2024 adds another layer to a game already carrying some intrigue. For the Cavs, the bigger question is how much they lean into caution versus competition, because any shift in the starting group would open the door for bench players to take on a much larger role without any official decision yet on how the night will unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Just Sent A Strong Message About Clevelands Future
Donovan Mitchells latest move says plenty about where he sees the Cavaliers headed. After helping Cleveland reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in his career, the star guard locked in his future with the franchise on a four-year extension that keeps him in Cleveland well into the next decade, a clear sign he believes the group still has room to grow after the sweep at the hands of the Knicks.
For the Cavs, it is the kind of commitment that changes the conversation from short-term success to long-term contention. Mitchell has continued to drive the offense this season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, and his decision gives Cleveland a centerpiece to build around as it tries to turn a breakthrough postseason run into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Face A Tough Mavericks Test After A Chaotic Travel Delay
A strange weekend of travel has left the Cavaliers trying to get back on schedule just in time for a home game against Dallas, with the team dealing with a delay in Miami after the nationwide flight grounding. Cleveland still has its 2016 NBA championship celebration planned for tonight, but the focus on the floor shifts quickly to a Mavericks team that has settled in as a solid early-season test.
Dallas arrives with a record just over .500 and enough firepower to make this feel like more than a routine stop on the calendar, thanks in part to strong play from Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. For Cleveland, the challenge is as much about resetting after the disrupted trip as it is about matching up with a team that has been competitive enough to make a long night feel even longer. [Read more 🡒]