Cavs’ bench comes up big in win over the Thunder

With Donovan Mitchell struggling, the bench stepped up.

Last season, if Donovan Mitchell shot 3/16 from the floor, there’s a better chance than not that the Cleveland Cavaliers were dead in the water. The margin for error was razor thin, even when the rest of the core was healthy. The Cavs, like LeBron James before, went whichever way their superstar went, especially in big moments.

And yet, this year’s Cavs just showed that they have evolved.

In a historic battle of teams with a combined record of 61-9 at tip-off, the Cavs came out on top 129-122 over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. There’s a lot to unpack from the game, but something that can’t be discounted is the depth of the Cavs’ roster. And not just on-paper depth but the kind of depth that looks good in theory and in practice.

Mitchell didn’t have his best game against the Thunder. He had plenty of pesky defenders all over him, from Lu Dort and Jalen Williams to the lanky arms of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The logic was sound for OKC: make any other Cavalier beat us.

Last night, it was the bench that stepped up when it mattered most. The legend of Ty Jerome cooled off as of late, but the chillest guy on the bench was hot against the Thunder. Jerome finished with 15 points on a blistering 6/7 shooting in just 11 minutes of court time, shifting the game.

Cavs fans may not categorize Max Strus as a bench player based on his role last season, but the veteran wing was just that last night. Strus had 17 points and drilled five of his six three-point attempts while dishing out five assists. The Thunder, as they have all season, allowed the corner three and Strus took advantage with his quick release. He, along with Jerome, swung the game for the Cavs when they needed it.

Then there is Isaac Okoro, who doesn’t make his presence felt in the box score as much as the visual test. Okoro returned last night from his shoulder injury and proceeded to lead the Cavs in +/- (+12). He only attempted two shots (though one of them was a last-second heave) but as has been the case for several seasons now, Okoro works best along the margins. Point of attack defense, deflections, and cutting on offense to open up driving lanes.

Caris LeVert, who was not at his best, still had eight critical points. Ditto for Georges Niang, who was 1/5 from the floor but always seemed to be fighting his tail off.

The Cavalier bench has been dramatically more impactful this year than last. And last night, the national audience had the chance to see it firsthand. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen carried the starters with excellent individual performances, but the bench came in and continued that play. That was not the case last season for the Cavs, who had no true backup point guard, a severe lack of wing depth, and an inconsistent big-man rotation that opposing teams took advantage of.

Those issues have, as of now, been rectified. The result is a sparkling 32-4 record and consistent, full-team wins nearly every single night.