Sam Merrill was back in the starting lineup Tuesday night in his second game since returning from a jammed finger, and he made an obvious difference in the Cavaliers‘ win over New Orleans, Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story. Merrill not only finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Sands notes that he teamed with Darius Garland to provide an outside shooting threat that stretched the Pelicans’ defense and gave the rest of the team more room to operate.
“You guys are going to get tired of me saying connector, connect, but he connects. He connects the game,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game. “He connects pieces. He connects the bigs and the smalls. He’s running. He’s just causing chaos out there. And that just opens up space and then we can throw the ball to space.”
Merrill was sidelined for more than a month, and his absence coincided with the team’s recent downturn. Jaylon Tyson moved to a bench role on Tuesday, and Sands points out that he and De’Andre Hunter are both capable of providing offense as reserves. Sands states that there was no stagnation against the Pelicans when the starters came out of the game.
“I think it obviously helps when there’s so much unpredictability,” Donovan Mitchell said about the lineup change. “But that’s been our biggest thing about us, right? Like, that’s who we are when we’re at full strength and at our best. … We’ve shot well the past two nights, but I think the biggest thing is just our intensity level. Both ends of the floor has been great.”
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- Atkinson was happy to see Jarrett Allen being physical with the Pelicans’ rugged front court, Sands adds. The Cavs outscored New Orleans in the paint by a 72-54 margin and held a 27-18 advantage in second-chance points. “My challenge with JA, he can do better,” Atkinson said. “Like, I want more. Like, this is how the playoffs are. They go at you, they pound you. But I thought he put up pretty good resistance tonight. Right now, with Evan (Mobley) out, he’s kind of our guy.”
- Mobley has a chance to beat expectations in his return from a left calf strain. Projected to miss two-to-four weeks, he’s listed as questionable for the Christmas Day game at New York.
- Mitchell has been carrying a heavier-than-usual offensive load for the Cavaliers, but it’s due to necessity rather than by design, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Mitchell’s scoring average is at a career-high 30.6 PPG, and he’s sporting the highest usage rate in his four seasons in Cleveland. “I don’t want him to,” Atkinson said. “I don’t think that’s (sustainable) long-term. Conference finals, Finals, we need more balance. And I do think (we can get it) as we get healthier … as Darius starts to get his rhythm and we get guys back. But right now it’s (on him). He’s got to carry us.”