Preview and Live Thread: Nets @ Cavs (or, Life without Sexton)

Good evening CtB!

Tonight the Nets of Brooklyn visit the shores of Lake Erie to take on a healing Cavs team desperate to regain some momentum while being in the throws of a three game losing skid. The Cavs will have Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen back tonight, while still missing Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens, to go along with Collin Sexton and Evan Mobley. Without Sexton, Markkanen, Mobley, and Osman, the offense has gone into the crapper, failing to reach 100 points since the 126 point explosion on Broadway. This is the ideal chance for Markkanen to get some offensive usage and get his game legs back after a prolonged bout with COVID-19. The defense will surely benefit from Jarrett Allen’s lengthy presence.

There’s a massive opportunity for the Cavs to build some confidence and momentum by beating a championship contender such as the Nets, and they’re going to need it… the Cavs are about to embark upon another brutal part of their schedule that features possibly seven straight games against playoff competition. By the end of this stretch that lasts until late December, fans of the team will have a pretty good idea of who the 2021-22 Cleveland Cavaliers are. More specifically, fans will find out what kind of team the Cavs are without Young Bull.

Now that it’s known Sexton will be gone for the year, there’s a massive minutes void on the perimeter that has to be filled, and grumblings around the fan base regarding the lack of offensive production recently. Some thoughts and numbers on the news…

1. Okoro’s time to shine

Obviously Isaac Okoro’s getting first crack at the starting shooting guard position because he’s the most physical perimeter defender outside of Lamar Stevens on the roster. With Ice in the lineup, the Cavs are able to play top 10 defense. The problem for Ice is that he’s been completely unplayable on the offensive end so far this year, check out the numbers:

The biggest problem with Okoro’s offense is that he has absolutely zero midrange game. This season, he’s shooting 6% from three to 10 feet from the rim, no that’s not a typo. He hasn’t made one basket from the 10 to 16 foot range. It makes one wonder if Okoro’s receiving the correct coaching regarding developing any type of functional midrange game so that his path to the rim can open up.

2. More Windler?

It seems like Dylan Windler should be playing more than 12 minutes per game given how he’s shooting on the year and how the team performs while on the court. But it seems like there’s a couple barriers to more minutes for Windler. First is that he produces his numbers mainly against backup competition. Secondly, he appears to lack the physical strength and speed that’s required to defend starting NBA perimeter players. But it sure seems like the offensive upside Windler presents is enough to try and find a way to get him on the court more often.

3. Parting thought

Unfortunately, the reality is that the team will have to operate completely differently in order to compensate for the loss of Sexton because Okoro and Windler function as offensive role players instead of creating their own looks at the basket as Sexton does. It’s more likely that Garland, Rubio, Markkanen, or Mobley increase their usage as opposed to Windler or Okoro filling that void. How the team copes with Sexton’s absence is possibly the most important story about this year’s Cavs.

Tip off is at 7:00pm ET, and will be broadcasted on NBATV and Bally Sports Ohio/Great Lakes, GO CAVS!