Last Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost a very entertaining game to the Utah Jazz at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse by one point.
While we were watching the game, it struck us that the wine and gold were kind of playing an older, more experienced version of what they are. Both teams are from small markets, and neither is a destination location for free agents.
The young Cavaliers are taller than the Jazz, but Utah is the second highest scoring team in the NBA, and lead the Association in three point shots made per game, making even more than the poster boys for long range shooting, the Golden State Warriors.
The Jazz are also 4th in the league in percentage from beyond the arc.
Cleveland scores 10 points per night less than the Jazz, making 3.6 less threes than the league leaders (they rank 18th), and are 15th in the league in percentage.
Utah has four players making more than 40% of their long distance shots, and another making 39%.
By contrast, the Cavs have two over 40%, and one of them, Dylan Windler, doesn’t play much mainly because, in our opinion, he is hesitant to shoot the ball. The other is Cedi Osman.
Darius Garland is also making 39% of his threes.
Kevin Love is hitting 36% and Ricky Rubio is at 35%. The player who leads the team in attempts from three point land is Lauri Markkanen, making 33%, although he has made 38.2% of these shots since returning to the lineup from COVID protocols.
The latter’s outside is very important for the starting lineup, although he can do more than be a spot up shooter.
Watching the game, we had the realization that Cleveland needs more guys who can knock down open jumpers from deep, especially with the presence of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley inside.
One problem right now for J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad is lack of “pure” shooters. Collin Sexton made three pointers, but he was really more of a scorer than a shooter. And the man replacing him in the starting lineup, Isaac Okoro, is currently being left alone because teams don’t think he can make a shot from outside.
The second year player, the fifth overall pick a year ago, is making just 22% of his three point attempts, and our guess is until he can make them, he will get plenty more opportunities.
In Monday night’s loss to Milwaukee, Okoro played just 18 minutes, in part because he couldn’t make a shot, missing six shots, including three from distance.
He is a solid defender, make no mistake about that. But much like a good glove man in baseball, unless you can hit at an acceptable level, you don’t get on the field. In hoops, if you are an offensive liability, you can’t be on the floor that long.
Thank goodness for Osman’s development as a long range shooter, because the Cavs would have no one beyond Garland, Love, and Markkanen.
Windler was drafted for this purpose, but he and another reserve, Dean Wade, seem hesitant at times to pull the trigger when they are open.
And neither give you enough in other areas to be on the floor unless they are making shots.
The organization sent Windler to the G-League for a couple of games to see if getting some game time would unlock something. He would seem to be the guy to get more time, but he has to take and make shots when he is in there.
The Cavaliers have made a vast improvement this season and it is mostly on the defensive end. The next step is to get some shooters. Perhaps that will be something GM Koby Altman targets in the trade market if the current success continues.
Otherwise, teams will continue to leave Okoro and the others open and that will provide less room for Garland, Allen, and Mobley to operate inside.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 