The Choice Cavs Must Make To Be Contenders They Strive To Be

J.B. Bickerstaff and Donovan Mitchell did not mince words after the Cleveland Cavaliers' latest loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Now 10 games into the 2023-24 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not defending with the success that they are accustomed to. 

Even among the different lineups and personnel groupings they’ve had to deal with due to injuries, the team looks like a shell of itself on that end of the floor from last season’s top-graded unit in the NBA. And now, it’s the same despite being at nearly full strength.

After the Cavs yielded a combined 112 points in the paint and beyond the arc to the Sacramento Kings in Monday night’s loss, a dejected J.B. Bickerstaff told it like it is.

“Tonight, we didn't execute the game plan. We didn't protect our paint. You allow a team to shoot 60 percent from the field, almost 50 percent from three, they're not feeling you enough,” Bickerstaff said. “If you allow people and teams like this with the firepower that they have to play freely, they're gonna get it going. They were obviously energized here at home, but that's no excuse for us to defend the way that we defended tonight.

“We've got a decision to make as a group: Is the defense gonna be our priority, and are we gonna commit to that side of the ball? Too many of our losses, we come in here and it's the same thing. It's a question about our defense and our commitment to our defense and execution of our defense; 120 points is plenty to win a basketball game. Give up 132, that's hard to overcome.”

Aside from discussing new pieces trying to figure things out, Bickerstaff has a small theory as to why such a strong side of the ball last year has become a Cavs weakness thus far.

“The willingness and commitment to it. It's not easy and when you're thinking and hesitating, it puts you a step behind,” Bickerstaff said. “So just getting comfortable in what we're doing and how we execute it, take the thought out of it and just go out and compete. Don't overthink it, which I think is happening to us a little bit now also.”

Nov 13, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Thus far, the Cavs have been a roller-coaster of a team. There have been flashes of a contender and flashes of a fringe Play-In Tournament squad. At some point, they have to figure out which one they want to be.

“I said come to me after Game 10. Well, this was Game 10. Gotta figure this sh** out,” Donovan Mitchell said via Cleveland.com. “I think the biggest thing now is finding a level of consistency. It’s not just offense. It’s not just defense. Just find a level of consistency. It’s on us. No one is doing anything special. It’s on us. Have to find a way to do it…

“We can’t say we want to be the team we want to be and come out and pick our nights. That’s 1-15,” Mitchell continued. “I’m not playing well on this trip. I hold myself to a high standard. I can be better. Put us in a better position if I start making shots and playing better as a whole. I put that on me. I will be better.”

Bickerstaff believes in his guys.

“We've got the choice,” he said. “We've got the talent. We've got the ability. We need to go out and do it, and that's what it is.”