Watching the Market: Cavs vs. Magic Game 7

The Cavs exorcised some demons to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers erased an 18-point deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic 106-94 and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Their reward for grinding out a win and completing the largest comeback in the history of playoff game sevens: the mighty Boston Celtics. But never mind that matchup, for right now. The Cavs did what they set out to do this season: advance out of the first round of the playoffs.

Here’s how the market looks heading into the second round of the playoffs.

Stock up: Donovan Mitchell is a superstar

What more can you say about Donovan Mitchell? He scored 44% of Cleveland’s points in Games 6 and 7, clearly debilitated by a bothersome knee. He stayed the course and attacked the rim against a fearsome Magic defense. But more importantly, he didn't lose confidence in his teammates. In the fourth quarter, coming off a Darius Garland missed three, Mitchell gave him the ball back immediately to shoot another one.

That one went in, leading to an iconic on-court hug.

Mitchell had 29 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 45 minutes of action. It's the kind of game that you remember where you were when it happened. Mitchell has a playoff monkey on his back too, but today he was more than just the best player on the floor: he was also the leader that the Cavs needed.

Stock Up: Evan Mobley

Say what you will about Mobley not being the offensive player people expected in year three, but he is one of the best defenders in the entire league. He has 10 blocks in two games and snagged 16 rebounds tonight against a very long Orlando team. Oh, and he was tasked with defending Paolo Banchero for seven games as well without Jarrett Allen for the last three. No easy feat, as the Cavs just found out.

Mobley is an unfinished product, but he is also currently an elite defender. The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis for a portion of the series against Cleveland, but Mobley’s defense will be critical in keeping Boston in check - at least a little.

Stock Down: Georges Niang, unplayable

In just three minutes of court time, Georges Niang was a -9. As in, the Cavs gave up nine points and scored none in the three minutes he was on the court.

Now that isn't all Niang’s fault, but Orlando put him in the pick and roll and ate him for lunch. When his shot is not falling, Niang is borderline unplayable. In the seven games against the Magic, Niang was 2-15 (13.3%) from three-point territory. That just won’t get it done.

What makes it even worse for the Cavs is that they will likely need Niang’s shooting next series against the Celtics. Boston gets up a lot of threes (they made 75 in five games against Miami, compared to the Cavs’ 50 made threes in seven games), and Cleveland will need that stretchability to keep the defense honest.

Stock Up: Caris LeVert, playable

Very quietly, Caris LeVert was stapled to the bench in Game 6 with only seven minutes of court time. He was not good in those few minutes, but he is critical to Cleveland’s success and came up big here in Game 7 with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists on an efficient 55.6% shooting. LeVert also made a good pass out of double coverage to find Max Strus late in the fourth quarter for a near game-sealing dunk.

To put it bluntly, the Cavs are going to need the good version of LeVert if they want any chance of beating Boston. His ability to heat up quickly and get into a rhythm, handle the basketball, and create his own shot is going to be incredibly necessary. The Cavs’ offense was mostly abysmal against the Magic, and they barely squeaked by. It will have to be much, much better against the Celtics and LeVert has a sizeable influence on that.

Holding: Darius Garland continues to confound

It isn't hyperbole to say that in the first three quarters, Garland was atrocious and a big reason why the Cavs trailed by 10 at the half.

But in the fourth quarter, he turned it around some. Garland scored 10 of his 12 points in the final frame along with three assists, a steal, and didn't turn the ball over. It was a significant improvement for him, and hopefully a step in the right direction in terms of confidence. It’s clear that he was lacking in that area. Hitting the three-pointer in the corner, which prompted the hug with Mitchell, was badly needed. Perhaps this is what gets Garland off and going, as his ability to play well will almost assuredly be the difference in a Cavs’ win or loss against the vaunted Celtics.