2017 has not been kind to the Cavaliers. This past week saw them split, going 2-2 and moving their record to 32-14. Two wins to end the week helped salvage things, and the ship appears to be staying afloat in Cleveland as we near the All-Star Weekend as well as deadline time. Let’s take a look at where things stand for the East’s best club.
The Game
Things started off ugly against the floundering Pelicans. The Cavs looked lazy, disinterested, and generally not with it through the first two and a half quarters, and it appeared as though they were going to get run out of the gym by an inferior club. A second half run, and a furious fourth helped the Cavs make things respectable in terms of the final and box scores, but there was little to be pleased with. LeBron threw up a triple double (26/10/12), and Kyrie Irving added 49. Still, somehow, this one was never really in doubt. This goes to show what I have been preaching all season. Simply, the Cavaliers do not have enough NBA caliber depth in key spots to allow teams to make enormous runs, much less start games off this way. They beat themselves on numerous offensive and defensive possession, allowing NOLA to get whatever they wanted.
One would think that a home game against the Kings would be a great prescription. However, this was more of the same. The Cavs started off incredibly slowly and appeared to not get LeBron’s memo about guys stepping up and making plays. Sacto got out to a fast start and, frankly, looked like the better club in the first quarter. Once again, Cleveland answered the run and fueled by big games from The Big Three were able to take a lead that got to 10 at one point. From there, the ball stopped, the movement stopped, but DeMarcus Cousins did not. His steal at the end of regulation, and performance in the subsequent overtimes sealed the victory. The Cavaliers beat themselves in this one, shooting only 50% (17-34) from the charity stripe. Yes, Sacramento is an improving club, but these games must be won. Champions beat teams they’re supposed to.
The good news is that Friday, LeBron and Co got to face a Brooklyn squad that hasn’t been able to get out of the league’s basement all season long. The Big Three combined for 72 points on an efficient 28/48 from the field to get out to a large lead and hold on for the win. Korver added in 13 off the bench, as he continues to find his way as the newest Cavalier. Brooklyn had an enormous fourth quarter, scoring 43 points to the Cavs’ 30. The key here is that the Cavs started hot. Big runs are easier to withstand when you’re playing with a lead, and the Cavs are routinely a great front running team. This was not as close as the final score indicates, and things appeared to be on the rise.
Human Tornado Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder came to The Q on Sunday afternoon for a national TV game. Both teams started out horribly from the field. At one point, neither team had made a three point shot in their first 14 combine attempts. Both teams were sluggish. This was disheartening. After coming off of the win in Brooklyn, I would have liked to see he Cavs playing with a renewed sense of urgency and immediacy, particularly in the half court. You can’t worry about missing good shots, they’ll fall eventually, but the ball didn’t move quite right, and guys seemed apprehensive. Westbrook threw in his normal triple double performance, but the strength of a 15-3 run to end the first half propelled the Cavaliers to victory. This was a good win against a good club, and should provide a boost in morale for the guys.
This Week
This week presents three extremely good chances to continue any good feelings that the weekend may have sparked. Monday, the guys travel to Dallas to take on the Mavs. Dallas has been struggling all season long. Injuries to studs, an aging core, and pieces that haven’t had a chance to gel yet have all contributed to the team’s 17-30 start. Harrison Barnes at the stretch four is a really fun thing to watch. The Cavs should be able to key in on him, daring inferior role players to make plays, take on the brunt of the scoring load, and overextend themselves in terms of overall ability. It appears that (at post) Kevin Love will not make the trip, instead staying in Cleveland to deal with his latest brush with back spasms.
On Wednesday, a contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves (18-29) provides Cavs fans with an opportunity watch former draftee Andrew Wiggins take the floor with running mate Karl-Anthony Towns. Somehow, Minnesota finds themselves within shouting distance of the final seed in the West despite their paltry win total. KAT is quickly becoming a fixture in the conversation about the best center in the game, as he continues to develop his game in all facets. He will be, as he is for most opponents, a difficult cover with a bevy of post moves, an improving long distance game, and a relatively proficient mid range arsenal that includes a ton of crafty dribble drives. The Cavs have had trouble with skilled big men all season long. The answer here is to make KAT a passer. If you force Wiggins to beat you by himself, things get easier. He hasn’t developed as a passing type of play maker on the wing that folks thought he would have, and has a tendency to hoist ill-advised and contested mid range shots when things break down.
The week rounds out with a Saturday evening tilt against the flailing New York Knicks. Amidst trade rumors, roster turmoil, and trying to force modern athletes into an archaic offense, the Knicks have fallen down the standings a bit. However, despite being 4-6 in their last 10, they remain in the thick of things towards the bottom third of the East’s muddy playoff picture. Rose can still beat you if you fall asleep, and has been finishing inside better this year than he had recently. Keeping he and Carmelo out of the paint, and contesting shots once they get there, will be enormous. Kristaps Porzingis is a tremendous big in terms of playing off the ball, using shot fakes and step-in type of moves to make defenses pay for leaving him. The Cavs have a tendency to allow perimeter players to float around the arch unencumbered and then closing out sloppily when that player get their hands on the ball. Controlled closing on Lee, Porzingis, and Brandon Jennings will be the order of the day. As will keeping Noah off of the boards. He’s been playing much better of late, and his team feeds off of the energy provided by his hustle and play making on second chance opportunities. Still, these are the Knicks, and this should be a W.
Shooting Around
As trade season begins to pick up momentum, there will be a ton of talk about Carmelo joining the Cavs. Moving Love for Melo solves nothing. The biggest issues the Cavs face are defense, rim protection, another passing play maker, and making sure the ball keeps popping around. At no point in his career has Carmelo answered any of those questions for any team that he’s been on. There are a ton of metrics that prove that this move is silly (I’ve tweeted a ton of them @jdonnelly32885) and I’m not going to beat you over the head with them here. Suffice it to say that if I’m able to find those stats, so is Griff, and I’d be shocked if he moves for Melo.
We are all excited for Kyle Korver to be here, and he’s been fine since his arrival. However, it has become apparent that the Cavs will need him to be more than “fine” if they hope to get back to their title winning ways. He is shooting 40% from three, down from 44% in ATL, and 40% from the field overall. If that number holds true, it would be his lowest such percentage in that department since the 07-08 season with Philly. He’s still getting acclimated, and things will be perfectly good with him going forward. Still, though, he and the rest of The Wine And Golders will need to figure this out sooner rather than later.
Trade rumblings are always abound this time of year, but here are two things to keep an eye on as we near deadline time. The Cavs recently reached out to Philly about backup PG TJ McConnell in exchange for Jordan McRae (unclear if there were other pieces) and were quickly rebuffed by Philly brass. This would be a clear upgrade, and I expect Griff to revisit this as time approaches.
Another situation to keep an eye on is Andrew Bogut. Dallas is doing a lot of different and versatile things with their bigs, and it remains unclear exactly where, or how, Bogut fits there. The fit in Cleveland is obvious, however. He is an elite post defender, an outstanding passer for a big, and doesn’t need plays drawn up for him to be effective. This is a real possibility, and I would expect talks to gain traction in the coming weeks. Whether or not something gets done is a totally different ball game, but it is worth looking out for.
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