What The Cavaliers Need If They're Going To Beat The Celtics

After a 120-94 loss to the Celtics in Game 1, the Cavs will look for answers on how to topple the Goliath of the East.

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) grimaces after / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone tries to boil wins and losses this time of year to the star players.

If a team's star delivers an iconic performance in a pivotal playoff game and his team wins, it's stuff of NBA legend. Produce a similarly epic performance in a playoff loss though – nope, the star has to be better.

After spending years listening to LeBron plead for more help at every passing trade deadline to try and take down the then juggernaut Warriors, Cavaliers fans know all too well that it takes a collection of talent to win this time of year. Six years after James played his last game as a member of franchise, Cleveland's new star Donovan Mitchell is learning the same lesson.

Cavaliers Postgame Report | Cavs Drop Game 1 To The Celtics https://t.co/VeKAccVsW7

— Cavs Insider (@CavsInsider_FN) May 8, 2024

Mitchell was a maestro once again in Tuesday night's Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics to open up the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 33 points on 48% shooting, including a modest 36% from three. Over a five day span Mitchell has now scored 133 points in three games. He's been everything the Wine and Gold need him to be on the brightest of stages. If the Cavs have any hopes of advancing past this historically great Celtics team though, the "Donovan Mitchell show," isn't gonna cut it.

After last year's embarrassing first-round loss to the Knicks, Cleveland made a point to address their spacing problem by adding key free agents Max Strus and Georges Niang. In their 120-94 Game 1 loss to Boston that duo combined for just 9 points, on 20% shooting.

Recognizing that Strus was pivotal in the team's Game 7 win over Orlando on Sunday to help catapult his team into this round of the playoffs, he's shooting just 30-percent from long-range for the postseason. That's not exactly what the Cavs were looking for when they dolled out a four-year, $63 million deal to the 28-year-old last summer.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) celebrates after hitting / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Then there's Niang, who has shot 42% from the floor and 37% from three in the playoffs during his career. This year, he's been virtually unplayable over the course of the Cavs first eight playoff games, shooting a miserable 20% from the floor and just 13% from three.

The shortcomings from Mitchell's supporting case hardly end there though. In total, Cleveland's bench was outscored 24-15 in the Game 1 loss. Caris LeVert, who like Strus had a big Game 7 to close out the last round, was 2-of-6 with four points. After shooting more than 42% for the season, he's nearly 10 percentage points worse in the playoffs.

Sharp-shooting Sam Merrill saw a playoff-high 17 minutes of playing time on Tuesday and went 0-for-4 from three. J.B. Bickerstaff has called him a weapon from long-range, but only if he's knocking them down.

Only Isaac Okoro seemed ready for the spotlight, knocking down three threes as part of an 11-point performance.

Okoro's night aside, the discrepancy between these two rosters was on full display in Game 1. Cleveland shot 41% from the floor. Boston shot 48%. From three, Cleveland shot just 26%. Boston shot 39%. For the playoffs as a whole, the Cavs are posting a sub-30, three point percentage.

That may have been okay for surviving a 7-game slug-fest of a series with Orlando, it won't work against a Celtics team bloated with shooters.

Simple as it sounds, any hope the undermanned Cavaliers have of taking down the NBA title favorites rests in the hands of the supporting characters knocking down shots. At this point Mitchell has proven that he can regularly be the star his teammates need him to be. So far this playoff run has proven the roster around him isn't going to consistently meet him there though. And that, makes beating Boston an uphill battle.