The Cleveland Cavaliers are on a roll, but how is their G-League affiliate doing? Here’s a February check in with the Cleveland Charge 

Standout players 

Sharife Cooper continues to be a top performer for the Charge. The 22 year old guard is averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists with a 46.1 field goal percentage. He leads the Charge in both points and assists, and is a fraction of a decimal behind Zhaire Smith in leading the team in steals, as Smith is averaging 1.3 to Cooper’s 1.2 per game. When he does top the team in steals he’ll earn the moniker  “Sharife Scooper.” 

Smith is also having himself a solid season, just signing himself to a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers. This season he’s averaged 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, two assists, 1.3 steals and a block a game. Along with leading the team in steals he leads the team in field goal percentage (56.5 percent) which is impressive for a guard, despite the relatively low point total. It makes sense that the Cavs went for a consistent stat stuffer for their call up with their current needs. 

Emoni Bates is having a promising season, averaging 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He sits behind Cooper in point leaders per game. Although he’s not the best defensive player, his length and agility are allowing him to snag 1.3 steals and a block a game. He does need to work on his field goal percentage, as it currently sits at 38 percent, especially considering his range as a shooter is one of his most appealing traits as a prospect. His confidence in himself and his shooting is apparent in his play, though, and he should develop into a player who can help the Cavaliers. 

Isaiah Mobley is another player who should develop into an effective piece for Cleveland. Currently averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, Mobley leads the team in rebounds and sits just behind Bates for third in point leaders. He also averages 0.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, and is shooting just under 50 percent from the field. As he continues to improve, the Mobley brothers playing in the same lineup looks more and more likely. 

Other solid players 

Pete Nance is a solid player for the Charge. Currently averaging 15.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and just a shave under a steal a game. He also has one of the better field goal percentages for the Charge at 43.8 percent. Although Nance is less likely to get called up than the players mentioned so far, he is playing well and continuing the tradition of Nance’s in the Cleveland organization. 

Malik Fitts is another good contributor for the Charge, averaging 13 points, six rebounds and about an assist and a half per game. 

Quick look at leaders 

Point leader: Sharife Cooper (19.4)

Rebound leader: Isaiah Mobley (8.3)

Assist leader: Sharife Cooper (6.8)

Block leader: Pete Nance (1.4)

Steal leader: Zhaire Smith (1.3)

Standings

Although there are some Charge players who are promising, the team as a whole isn’t having the best season. Currently sitting at 8-10, they find themselves in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. 

Unfortunately, the stats indicate that their play as of recent is just bad. Out of the 31 teams in the G-League, the Charge are 29th in points per game, 27th in assists and 31st (dead last) in assists. Again supporting that the bulk of scoring is coming from individual players rather than team play. 

They’re currently on a three game losing streak, and losing games by an average of 10.4 points. A stark contrast from Cleveland’s summer league performance, the Charge’s trajectory isn’t that of a winning team. 

It should be acknowledged that they lost one of their better players in Craig Porter Jr when he started playing more for the Cavaliers, but the drop-off is more representative of CPJ’s talent than anything. 

New Signing 

The Charge finalized a trade with the Texas Legends to acquire Dexter Dennis, bringing in another piece for their backcourt. Dennis is averaging 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and an assist in his four games played. Although still a largely untested rookie, he should see more playing time while in a Charge uniform. 

The Charge look to break their losing streak this Wednesday night (February 14) at 7:00 against the Grand Rapids Gold in Michigan. 

For more NBA and other sports and esports news, you can find The Game Haus on Twitter and Facebook.

Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com

“From Our Haus to Your’s”

• SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
• PlatoData.Network Vertical Generative Ai. Empower Yourself. Access Here.
• PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
• PlatoESG. Carbon, CleanTech, Energy, Environment, Solar, Waste Management. Access Here.
• PlatoHealth. Biotech and Clinical Trials Intelligence. Access Here.
• Source: https://thegamehaus.com/nba/february-check-in-with-the-cleveland-charge/2024/02/14/