The Cleveland Cavaliers got outrebounded 49-40 by the New York Knicks on Saturday night, and cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor is not interested in complicated explanations. His solution is straightforward, and frankly, hard to argue with.
“I think it’s a personnel thing. And I think part of it is if Kenny is going to continue to say rebounding is an issue. One of the answers is stop playing three guard lineups. Stop playing three small guys who are not good rebounders at the same time,” Fedor said.
The numbers from Saturday night make Fedor’s point for him. Five Knicks players grabbed six or more rebounds in that game. Jalen Brunson, a point guard, pulled down six boards. Tyler Kolek finished with four rebounds in just 14 minutes of action. These are not big men cleaning the glass. These are guards who wanted it more and went and got it, while Cleveland’s guards were nowhere to be found on that end of the floor.
Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for six rebounds on the night. Six. Between two starting guards who played a combined 71 minutes, the Cavaliers got six rebounds. That is not a scheme problem. That is a personnel problem.
Kenny Atkinson acknowledged it postgame without pointing fingers directly. He said collectively the team has to be better on the boards and that no single player carries the blame.
Watson himself put it plainly after the game. He said the team is running into the paint when it should be rebounding the elbows, especially given how many threes Cleveland and its opponents shoot. He called it both a strategic issue and a willpower issue, and said the Cavaliers simply did not make enough of those plays on Saturday night.
The irony in all of this is that the solution may already be on the roster. Mario Hezonja, a player who brings genuine size, strength, and physicality, has been one of Cleveland’s better rebounders to open the season. He pulled down five boards against the Knicks while going 0-6 from the field offensively. The glass-cleaning is there. The question is whether Atkinson is willing to trust him with more minutes and reduce the three-guard combinations that keep leaving Cleveland exposed.
Compare that to what New York brings on a nightly basis. Karl-Anthony Towns is a relentless rebounder. Josh Hart is pound-for-pound one of the best rebounders in the entire league regardless of position. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges bring length and physicality at the wing. The Knicks are built to win the rebounding battle before the ball even goes up.
Cleveland is built differently, and that is a choice. Atkinson has the personnel to change the equation. Fedor’s fix is not a complicated one. Play fewer small lineups. Put more size on the floor. Stop conceding one of the most important categories in basketball before the game even tips off.
The Cavaliers have 72 games left to figure it out. The answer is already in the building.
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