The Cleveland Cavaliers are only eight games into their season, but from our point of view, we are seeing things we aren’t particularly fond of with the wine and gold. Granted, injuries to Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson haven’t helped the situation.
It looks as though the same things that plagued the squad in the playoffs a year ago haven’t been corrected. It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves.
In a league that is getting longer every year, coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff continue to use small ball lineups, frequently it is either Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen with four other players who are 6’6″ and smaller. The usual result is the wine and gold getting hurt on the boards.
The last two losses for the Cavs, against Atlanta and Oklahoma City, they were outrebounded, particularly giving up second chance opportunities to both opponents. It’s fundamental basketball to say defense isn’t done until you rebound the ball. Sometimes it’s as simple as they don’t box out, other times, it’s just because they are too small.
What’s weird is the Cavaliers are 4th in the league in rebounds, but it seems when they need a key stop, they force a miss, but don’t get the ball.
It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves.
They don’t seem to have an identity, particularly offensively. They blew out the Bucks, who aren’t a good team, by feeding Mobley and Allen, getting them a combined 32 shots out of the 100 they took. The next game, a loss to the Thunder, the two big men took a total of 21 shots out of 90 in total.
We agree with analyst Brad Daugherty, who says many times that the Cavs would be better off playing insde out, meaning establishing the two big men inside and forcing the opposition to defend them, using with double teams, thus leaving shooters open on the perimeter.
It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves.
So far, the season has been about either having a big lead and blowing it or being down by a lot early and coming back. We believe this is because there is no “Cavalier way” of playing. To us, Atkinson’s crew seems to morph into whatever style their opponent plays. If they are shooting threes, so will Cleveland. Again, it would help to establish the inside game early.
It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves.
We liked bringing in size on the wings in Watson and Mario Hezonja this summer, but we wanted another big to play inside, and that wasn’t accomplished. Instead, the front office brought back Thomas Bryant, who has played in just two games thus far, and in his last appearance, fired up four shots in five minutes.
The Cavs need some bulk inside. Hezonja helps a bit, but he’s just 6’8″. A larger problem might be the bottom of the roster, particularly with Nae’Qwan Tomlin out. There isn’t much help there.
It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves
The roster construction is still sketchy though. The team brought back Craig Porter Jr. and it has only taken a few games for him to fall out of the rotation. We had doubts about his ballhandling and shooting after last season. And again, why did they rush to resign Bryant?
It’s still early, we keep telling ourselves.
We will give them credit for Maleek Thomas, who has earned minutes early, but as we said after the draft, it’s not that the rookie can’t play, it’s that he’s 6’5″, and the roster is filled with players of that profile.
It is early and perhaps this group is just trying to find it’s style of play. We repeat what we said prior to the season, the real measure of success is how they do in the playoffs.
It’s just frustrating to watch right now (if you can watch)
