Cavs Corner, Week 5: Toronto, Krypton?
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Nae'Qwan Tomlin to the bucket! Photo: Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images
The Cavs have amassed seven losses on their young season, and three have come at the hands of the Toronto Raptors.
Why it matters: The Raptors were long the victims of LeBron James' dominance in the NBA playoffs. This year, they are exacting regular season revenge on a depleted Cleveland roster.
Record: (12-7); Last week: (10-5).
The big picture: Toronto has leap-frogged Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings, though Detroit — in the midst of a 13-game winning streak — is leaving the rest of the East in the dust.
Weekly slate: Loss vs. Houston (114-104); Win vs. Indiana (120-109); Win vs. Los Angeles Clippers (120-105); Loss at Toronto (110-99).
The latest: Monday's loss included lineups as bleak as any Cleveland has fielded in years, with all three of the team's two-way players it shares with the Canton Charge playing significant minutes.
Yes, but: Head coach Kenny Atkinson has found a silver lining in the early season injury woes: It's an opportunity to stress test the team's depth under adversity and give meaningful minutes to developing players.
👍 Weekly winner: Nae'Qwan Tomlin.
- The undrafted forward who graduated from the blacktops of Harlem to the junior college circuit to the G League is one such player.
🏆 Stat du jour: Donovan Mitchell has won the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the ninth time in his career.
- He is one of only four NBA players averaging at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists this season, along with Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What's next: Friday at Atlanta; Sunday vs. Boston; Monday at Indiana.
Editor's note: This headline has been corrected to reflect it was Week 5 of the Cavs season (not 4).