Answering Your Cavs Questions: Oct. 25, 2023

Spencer Davies answers Cleveland Cavaliers' fans questions before the team's season opener on the road vs. the Brooklyn Nets.

Welcome to Cavs Questions! In this daily mailbag, Spencer Davies will respond to fans’ curiosities surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout the duration of the 2023-24 season. In order to submit yours, simply send your questions on X to @SpinDavies or via email at spindavies22@gmail.com.

Time flies doesn’t it? The Cavs officially tip off their ‘23-24 campaign tonight in Brooklyn against the Nets, and the excitement in the building and among fans is palpable. Between offseason additions, a strong training camp and further development of Cleveland’s young core, there’s a lot to like about this squad. 

So without any further ado, let’s get down to business!

What's your biggest cause for excitement and concern for this upcoming season? - Justin Rowan (@Cavsanada)

First off, thanks for the participation here buddy. You’re crushing the podcast game and it’s terrific to see you and Carter Rodriguez’s success with The Chase Down.

I am truly looking forward to watching this offense when everybody gets in sync with the new personnel. Donovan Mitchell said what I was thinking: Max Strus is just like Kyle Korver with a little more floor game to boot.

When you have a movement threat like that, and Cleveland hasn’t had once since Korver in 2018 pretty much, that will force defenders to pay attention to somebody other than the Core Four. In turn, it makes life easier on Mitchell and Darius Garland. The focus on picking up the pace also intrigues me. This organization knows that scoring the ball has to be a priority, and it has to be done in a multitude of ways rather than just via the pick-and-roll and isolation.

As for concerns, for one, the Eastern Conference. The Cavs can improve by leaps and bounds, but it still may not be good enough from a postseason perspective.

The Milwaukee Bucks made a huge splash with the acquisition of Damian Lillard and recent extension of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Boston Celtics landing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to bolster their roster doesn’t help matters. Sure the Philadelphia 76ers are in turmoil, but they've got the reigning NBA MVP in Joel Embiid and they’re still loaded with talent. The New York Knicks still present problems, and the Miami Heat can never be taken lightly. I also truly believe the Atlanta Hawks are due for a big leap with Quin Snyder in charge.

Internally, the obvious is regarding Jarrett Allen’s ankle. Knowing he's certain to be out for Wednesday, it looks like he may miss the first week of the season due to a lack of practice time available with three games in four nights early. He’ll have to play catchup with his new teammates and also get up to speed with conditioning.

Is it true that Evan Mobley looks visibly stronger this year and do you think he will make a big jump offensively?
- @Breezy_E_Baby

Yes sir, that is accurate. Evan Mobley added seven pounds over the summer and actually has invested in a home gym and a nutrition plan with his own personal chef. It doesn’t sound like much weight, and he’s still only 222 pounds, but those offseasons of bulking will add up. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we didn’t recognize him two or three years down the road.

Mobley’s bigger frame actually helps answer the second part. He’ll be hunting mismatches even more and lowering his shoulder when catching the ball on the short roll. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to up his usage all around. Watch for Mobley as a hub with Strus; it’s going to be like a read option in football. He’ll be able to dive to the rim and catch in the pocket, fake the handoff to him or face up against his defender and look for the next right play.

I’m not sure what the numbers will look like, but typically Year 3 is the leap production-wise. I don’t know if he’s going to average 20 points per game with Mitchell, Garland, Strus and Caris LeVert doing the brunt of the scoring. What I will say is he’ll be capable of having those breakout performances more often. He should be a double-double machine though, and like Bickerstaff said, it’s hard to quantify performances with Mobley because he does so much that doesn’t show up in the box score.

How deep do you believe the rotation will be for this new-look Cavs? Do you have any idea if Emoni Bates will be getting some meaningful run this year? - @jstantonlover69

It appears it’s going to be a 10-man rotation with some spot minutes here and there for an 11th. Bickerstaff appears to have more trust with his roster and who’s behind the starters now. Georges Niang and Ty Jerome were huge additions that can provide solid minutes off the pine. You’ll see plenty of mix-and-matching I’m sure, particularly with Mobley manning the 5 and shooters surrounding him. The Cavs can also go with tall ball if Damian Jones sees action. Combination options will be aplenty.

It’s fair to wonder whether or not Emoni Bates will be a part of the Cavs this season. He displayed incredible poise and no fear during the preseason, and his catch-shoot skill set fits like a glove with the style of play Cleveland is looking for. With that said, the numbers game will be tough to compete with. Isaac Okoro is going to command the backup small forward minutes behind Strus, and the coaching staff has a lot of trust in him. If you look at shooting guard, LeVert has a grasp on that role.

There’s a lot of buzz around Bates, and rightfully so. But we have to remember he’s 19 years old and needs to get professional reps before he gets tossed into the fire. The good news is Bickerstaff speaks highly of the rookie and expects him to spend a lot of time with the Cavs to experience the positive environment the organization has created. Craig Porter Jr. has a chance to be a future rotation piece as well, but those two and Isaiah Mobley will have the chance to carry over their Summer League championship with the Cleveland Charge.