Just when it seems we have the Cleveland Cavaliers all figured out, new circumstances arise and throw all that evidence away.
Each of the four games featured swings this season, from all the way on the negative side to beaming with positivity like it’s a button press in Sacramento.
Down their entire starting lineup tonight after the FAA snafu yesterday grounded all planes, the Cavs didn’t seem to mind. They had eight available players against the Mavericks, and yet they practically led by double digits for the entire second half.
From perhaps the grittiest victory of the season, let’s pick out the MVP and LVP from the contest. There are truly five MVP candidates here, to be honest.
The LVP: Riley Minix
The Cavs’ two-way room has changed a bit recently after an injury to Tristan Enaruna. Riley Minix had been waived, but was then brought back as a result of that. They initially brought in Norchad Omier, who had the best game of his NBA career tonight: 13 points, eight rebounds, and 5-for-5 FG in 27 minutes, with a +11 net rating.
Minix himself was the only player who didn’t have much of an impact at all. Due to the extreme short-handedness (eight available players), he still logged 22 minutes. He finished the way with just two points on 1-for-6 shooting. One made layup, and another that got absolutely swatted.
No rebounds, no assists, no steals or blocks, and a net rating of just +2 in a game where the team seemed to be in control for the most part. On a night where seven players had their best games of the season and most of their careers, Minix really didn’t prove much.
With a Charge roster bristling with talent, this may ultimately cost him his chance to be part of the Cavs. Keep tabs on that for later.
The MVP: Tyrese Proctor
Mario Hezonja had 22-7-4. Thomas Bryant had his first double-double of the year. Craig Porter Jr. finished with 9-9-6, a steal and a block. But it had to be Tyrese Proctor as the team’s MVP this evening. Meleek Thomas continued to do Meleek Thomas things.
Proctor did absolutely everything for the team. And as he struggled with the 3PT shot, he didn’t shy away from letting them fly. They were without most of the regulars, so he had to keep firing, and it eventually worked. The Aussie wound up with the first triple-double of his career, along with a career-high in points.
34 minutes of action, 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. One water “bath” from Donovan Mitchell. Proctor has already been proving he belongs on the floor, but the second-round pick may even be making Sam Merrill expendable. That is not something I expected to put into writing 14 games into this season.
All the credit in the world to Proctor, who spent the summer training with Patty Mills in Hawaii, and with the Australian National Team, as they get ready for FIBA qualifiers. He’s looked every bit like a stud in the making, and will probably be a key rotational cog for the remainder of the season.c
Cleveland picked up a 10-point win over the Mavs, and Proctor was at the center of it all.
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