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3 Things Cavs Will Have to Fix in Order to Compete With Mavs

A battle of the rhyming team names back in Cleveland.
Zach Weiss|
Nov 13, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) looks on against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nov 13, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) looks on against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Cleveland Cavaliers

The up-and-down start to 2026-27 has continued for the Cavs. They could not get the schnide off against the Heat and wound up with a double-digit loss. The game was certainly winnable, but they couldn’t get the stops in the fourth quarter.

The sheer size of Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, combined with the fact that Davion Mitchell is passing it like John Stockton this season, led to their undoing. Those three combined for 96 of the 133, doing much of the heavy lifting.

If Cleveland wants to get back on track, defense has to be at the forefront on Saturday.

Here are three things they will have to fix if they want to be competitive. 

1) Solidify The Rotations

Injuries or not, the Cavs still don’t seem to be tossing the right groups out there. Why Mario Hezonja has seen single-digit minutes in back-to-back games is hard to understand. Craig Porter Jr. didn’t add much yesterday, and even he had a longer fourth-quarter leash than the forward whose contract guarantees on Sunday.

On the one hand, it was great to see Tyrese Proctor log 27 minutes in his career night. He was hitting shots from all over the place. But Meleek Thomas, who was scoring throughout the second half and kept the team in the game, was fully off the floor in crunch time. After picking up a fifth foul with about 10 minutes left, he was not heard from again.

Jaylon Tyson played 30 minutes in his second game back, while Peyton Watson got the same. Even with who they have available though, they had Tyson at PF, and defensively, it didn’t work.

One of Hezonja or Watson should have been in at all times. Miami had double-bigs who just feasted in the paint. That can’t happen again. Kenny Atkinson has things to fix, clearly.

2) Who’s Guarding Cooper Flagg?

Still just 19 years of age here in year two, Cooper Flagg has completely broken out for the Mavs. He’s already looking like an All-Star-caliber player who can serve as both a scorer and a playmaker. The Wolves held him to just 13 points in the last outing, but the game before that, the Duke product dropped 43. In the process, he joined Kevin Durant as the only two teenagers with a 40-10-5 performance.

Flagg has averaged 25-7-7 with 2.2 steals a night, while making 49% of shots from the floor. Peyton Watson will probably start on him, but when they go to the well, it will be interesting to see who has the assignment.

This is Dallas’ motor and whoever is on him has to try and limit him however much possible. 

3) Don’t Sleepwalk Out There

This is not a play on the whole FAA situation. The Cavs flight out of Miami to Cleveland was moved from overnight to 9:00 AM today. It will certainly be tough to play the same day as the journey, but that can’t be used as an excuse.

Amidst the team’s 6-7 start, things have just not gone according to plan. And much like the game against Charlotte on Monday, Cleveland just didn’t play with the effort needed to win. They were sleepwalking on defense, and other than some timely swipes from James Harden in the lane and a few rips of Giannis Antetokounmpo on half one, they didn’t do too much.

This falls to Peyton Watson and Jarrett Allen, who will be critical to success in this one. On the other side, it’s on Donovan Mitchell to rally the troops. He’s put up solid numbers, but really needs to have one of those games, which hasn’t happened in a win this year yet.

Get Ready Folks

Game number 14 is here. Following the Mavericks battle, the Cavs will welcome the Bulls and old friend Ty Jerome’s Grizzlies to town next week.

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Zach Weiss
ZACH WEISS

Zach has been a fan of Cavaliers basketball since the summer of 2003, despite growing up in Bergen County, New Jersey. He’s been making yearly trips to Cleveland to watch the team, while engaging with fans on Across The Cavs since 2019.

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