The Cavs returned home from a grueling 12-day, five-city road trip carrying plenty of momentum. Entering Wednesday night鈥檚 matchup against Washington at Rocket Arena, Cleveland has won four straight games and nine of its last 10, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, closing in on second place.
精东影业鈥檚 commentator Terry Pluto said a shift occurred before the blockbuster trade for James Harden at the trade deadline.
鈥淎bout six weeks ago, they had a record of 17-16,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like, 鈥極h, the team is falling apart.鈥� I had even had one person in the media said, 鈥楾hey鈥檙e imploding.鈥� I鈥檓 like, well, you know, let鈥檚 just see.鈥�
What followed has been anything but an implosion.
鈥淚 say it鈥檚 just more balanced basketball, more energetic basketball,鈥� Pluto said.
That shift, Pluto explained, began with adjustments made by head coach Kenny Atkinson, who reassessed both his rotation and his approach.
鈥�(Atkinson) recalibrated on what it was going to take to get the team back on track,鈥� Pluto said.
Pluto said Atkinson leaned more heavily on younger players, including Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr. and Nae鈥橯wan Tomlin, while centering the offense around the team鈥檚 7-footer, Evan Mobley.
鈥�(Atkinson) kept stressing, 鈥榃e got to get to ball inside more.鈥�"
After Mobley went down with a calf injury, the team鈥檚 other big man, Jarrett Allen, stepped up, highlighted by a 40-point, 17-rebound night in Portland on Feb. 1.
As the Cavs began to steady themselves, a difficult decision followed; trading All-Star guard Darius Garland. Pluto said the numbers help explain why.
鈥淲hen Garland played this year, the Cavs were 13-13,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淎nd without him this year they are 20-8 and trending up.鈥�
Garland, who has been dealing with a right toe sprain, had missed his final nine games with Cleveland before the trade to the L.A. Clippers. Lawrence Frank, the Clippers president of basketball operations said Monday that Garland鈥檚 right toe is feeling better, but the guard is still recovering from an offseason left toe surgery.
Pluto said that beyond Garland鈥檚 injuries, there were questions about how he fit alongside star Donovan Mitchell on the court.
Meanwhile, Pluto said Mitchell鈥檚 influence goes far beyond scoring.
鈥淜enny Atkinson has told me how at times Mitchell has propped him up a little bit when things were discouraging early in the year and saying, 鈥楥oach, we鈥檒l figure it out,鈥欌�� Pluto said. 鈥淢itchell is such a key part of what they鈥檝e done here in the last several years. (He鈥檚) not only a star and an All-Star, his attitude is tremendous.鈥�
The result has been a team playing with visible joy and intensity.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e just playing fun basketball,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淥bviously, winning is fun, but they鈥檙e playing fun basketball because of the energy. You could just see it.鈥�
That energy received another jolt with Harden鈥檚 arrival. While Pluto had reservations about the trade, he said the early returns reflect a familiar pattern.
鈥淥ne of the scouting reports I got on James is when he goes to a new team, you usually get the best version of Harden for a while,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e getting.鈥�
That version, Pluto noted, is defined by playmaking and feel.
鈥淎 guy who looks to move the ball and get his teammates involved, being excellent at throwing ... the ball to a big man,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a skill that鈥檚 sometimes lost in the NBA.鈥�
Harden鈥檚 impact extended beyond passing in Monday鈥檚 signature win at Denver.
鈥淗e decided to go help and rebound,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淗e had 10 rebounds, and he had seven assists in that game.鈥�
More than the numbers, Pluto said, Harden鈥檚 presence fueled belief.
鈥淚t created that immediate influx of optimism the team needed, which it was already building after, frankly, Garland got hurt and was out,鈥� Pluto said.
As the Cavs surge up the standings, Pluto believes their change in approach may be just as important as their record.
鈥淭his style of basketball is tougher (and) more defensive oriented,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat will serve them better in the playoffs than just going out and trying to score 140 points and playing pretty basketball.鈥�
Pluto also pointed to Atkinson鈥檚 growth in his second season on the sideline.
鈥淗e鈥檚 learning not just players as basketball players, but as players as people and how to communicate with them,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淭he NBA is a star-driven league. It鈥檚 a communication league for coaches.鈥�
Pluto said that reputation is now paying off.
鈥淗e had a reputation as being a good communicator and a good listener,鈥� Pluto said. 鈥淎nd it took them through that tough period earlier in the year to where we are now.鈥�
