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Riding high after knocking off the Washington Wizards at home, Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers hope to maintain momentum when they host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. As mentioned, the Cavs defeated the Wizards 118-87 last time. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have had an up-and-down stretch lately, going 3-3 in their previous six games.
This will be the first of two meetings between Denver and Cleveland this season. Regardless of the location, the Cavs have to be hyper-focused on defending Jokic, arguably the best player in the world. Here's what Cleveland has to do to send Denver home packing.
The Cavs' Davids versus the Nuggets' Goliath
Heading into this matchup, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson said that defending Jokic is “the hardest cover in the league” due to the uniqueness of the Denver big man.
The Nuggets have built their entire offense around Jokic's playmaking, three-point shooting, rebounding, scoring, size, and everything else he tries to do. This makes Jokic a true one-of-a-kind player, and how the Cavs contain him will decide this matchup.
In 18 appearances against Cleveland, Jokic has averaged 18.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 31.2 minutes per game. While the point average might not stand out, the fact that Jokic has averaged a near-triple-double against the Cavs should present a challenge for Cleveland.
It depends on how Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs' premiere big men, handle the assignment. In his career, when Allen defends Jokic, the Nuggets big man has averaged 11.3 points on 64.1% shooting in 14 matchups. Mobley, meanwhile, has allowed Jokic to average 6.0 points on 68.2% shooting in six matchups.
So, either way, it'll be tough for Cleveland to defend Jokic. But if they can slow him down, it'll be much easier to lock in a win.
Cleveland's reserves could make the difference
Heading into this matchup, Jokic is struggling to get support from the Nuggets. Denver has the third-worst bench in the NBA in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game. Cleveland, meanwhile, has the seventh-best bench in the NBA in scoring, averaging 38.0 points per game.
If the Cavs struggle to slow down Jokic, that 12.5-point difference between either team's bench could help decide the matchup. It'll also make beating the Nuggets even easier if Cleveland applies enough pressure to get the Denver big man into foul trouble.
Can the Cavs maintain their championship standard?
Great teams can take care of business against struggling opponents. The Cavs showcased that when they beat the Wizards. However, now that they're taking on Denver, Cleveland has to show that they're a serious threat come playoff time.
That in itself presents a challenge the Cavs are familiar with: playing to their standard. Cleveland can’t afford to let Denver dominate them on their homecourt. So, taking care of business secures the win, fine-tunes habits, and reinforces maturity, setting a standard that a young and aspiring Cavs team needs to maintain throughout the season.
If Cleveland can do that, then they'll have more than a puncher's chance against an imposing Denver team. As Cavs legend LeBron James one said, nothing is given and everything is earned. Cleveland will have to earn this win against Denver. Buckle up.
