No Time To Settle For Cavs Now

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already clinched the opportunity to play additional games after the regular season ends. However, injuries continue to plague the young Cavs.

In addition to Jarrett Allen being out, Evan Mobley went down with a sprained ankle Monday night, and hopefully will be back later this week. At 20 years old, he should be a fast healer.

With all the injuries, we are hearing it would be best if the wine and gold would lose in the play in tournament, and thus keep their first round draft pick.

That’s a losing, defeatist attitude.

While it is true no one thought Cleveland would finish with an above .500 record at the beginning of the season, the team isn’t satisfied with that, and neither should the fan base.

Even if the Cavaliers lose in the first round, and quite frankly, it is likely they will, because the top four teams in the East, Milwaukee, Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia, are very good, the experience they will gain will be a huge benefit next season.

And they should also do everything they can to get into the top six in the Eastern Conference, so they don’t have to go through the mini tournament.

No doubt it will be difficult with the injuries, particularly if Mobley misses a handful of games, because much of the success the team had was because of playing the two big men together.

In order to succeed without two of their three best players, the Cavs need to return to the “grit and scrap” they played with earlier in the season. Monday night against Orlando, coach J.B. Bickerstaff went with Lamar Stevens and Dylan Windler down the stretch, and it worked because they played solid defense.

It won’t be easy with games on the road against Atlanta and New York this week, and three of the remaining four games after that trip are against the Sixers, Nets, and Bucks. And only two of the games left will be played at home.

And the Cavs will need players to step up. Moses Brown figures to get some time, perhaps Cedi Osman will emerge from Bickerstaff’s doghouse. They will also need offense from Lamar Stevens and Isaac Okoro.

It would also be nice if Windler A). Wasn’t afraid to shoot and B). Made a couple of shots. His attitude right now seems to be he can’t miss a shot if he doesn’t take it.

We also have to take exception to criticism of Caris LeVert. Yes, we know he isn’t averaging 18 points per game and he’s only shooting a little over 40%. But the other night, he kept taking the ball to the basket, and that’s a welcome sight at times, because too often lately, the Cavaliers start settling for the three point shot.

It’s particularly maddening when they need a hoop to stop the opponents’ run. That’s when you need to work for a good look. LeVert tries to get that good look. It hasn’t gone in often, but we think it will soon.

With six games left in the regular season, this isn’t the time to be complacent or settle for just a winning record. Use the toughness the Cavs had early in the year and gut your way through until Allen and Mobley are back.

We are sure that’s what Bickerstaff wants.

Time For Cavs To Get Back To Defensive Mindset

Two games before the NBA All Star weekend, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana to improve their record to 35-21. They lost the next two games leading up to the break, both on the road to Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Since that victory over the Pacers, the wine and gold have gone 6-10.

Injuries have certainly been a problem. Lauri Markkanen and Darius Garland both missed some time, and most recently, Jarrett Allen has missed the last eight games with a broken finger.

After the first two games of the season, when the Cavs allowed 132 and 123 points, the new philosophy of defense took hold, and Cleveland became one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, with a front line featuring three players 6’11” or taller.

Prior to that game against the Pacers, the team’s high water mark of the year record wise, the Cavs had held opponents under 100 points 23 times. Since the all star game, in 14 games, Cleveland has only does this twice, and they haven’t done it since Allen went out against Toronto on March 6th.

Granted, Allen is a very good rim protector and blocks 1.3 shots per game in addition to grabbing almost 11 rebounds per night. But really, that’s not where the defensive issues have been.

While Cleveland is scoring almost four points per game more than they were before the break, they are also giving up almost 11 points more. That’s frightening.

Before the all star break, the Cavs allowed 34% shooting from behind the three point line. Since, that percentage is up to 38.6. They really have not defended the long range shooting well after resuming play.

Now, you could say luck is a factor, but in watching the games, it is disturbing to see the wide open looks opposing shooters have beyond the arc. In Monday’s terrible loss to the Lakers (terrible because the Lakers are not a good team), veteran D.J. Augustin came into the game and it appeared Cleveland didn’t notice because he had several wide open shots immediately after checking in.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff established, after those first two games, a defensive, gritty mindset. His players bought in to that. But lately, we see more attempts to play up tempo, and right now, the Cavs only have a few players who can thrive in that style.

With the playoffs on the horizon, the Cavaliers need to get back to the defensive, slow it down mindset they had previously.

We aren’t saying not to push the ball up the floor when the opportunity presents itself, you have to take advantage of easy offense.

But there are too many possessions lately in the half court game, where there is just one or two guys touching the basketball. They need to make their opponents play harder on the defensive end.

And tonight’s game at Toronto would be a good time to start. A win would essentially put them three games up on the Raptors for the sixth spot, and it would also put the wine and gold in a decent spot to move up to the fifth seed in the East.

The Cavs need to get back to the style that put them in this spot to begin with. With just 10 games remaining, it’s not too late.

Bring Back LeBron? Not That Simple.

Ever since the All Star Game in Cleveland and the comments made by LeBron James about his home area during the festivities, there have been rumors or speculation that James would consider coming back to the Cavaliers, especially now that the wine and gold are playing winning basketball.

James is 37 years old, but is still playing at an amazingly high level. He is currently averaging 29.4 points per game, the highest since the end of his first tenure in Cleveland, way back in ’09-’10.

He poured in 56 points on Friday night against Golden State, and you can still make an excellent case that he is the most dominant talent in the NBA, even in what figures to be the twilight of his career.

Adding James to the current Cavaliers’ roster would make them the favorites to hang a second NBA title banner from the rafters of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

However, it isn’t as simple as that. It never is when it comes to LeBron James.

First, James is owed $44 million next year on the last year of his contract, so even if he told the Lakers he wanted out, the Cleveland would still have to make the numbers work in terms of the salary cap.

And of course, the Lakers would want something in return, a very good player more than likely to pair with Anthony Davis.

Would Koby Altman want to part with either of his new “Big Three”, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, or Evan Mobley to get a player, even a player with James’ greatness, who will turn 38 years old.

We know James keeps himself in pristine shape. Still, Father Time is undefeated and no one knows when age will creep up for The King. So, let’s say the Cavaliers are willing to give up Allen to the Lakers, and they only get one great season out of James?

That would be throwing away the rebuilding done by the front office over the last four years.

If James were to come back and just be a player and fit in with the current corps, there wouldn’t be any problems, correct? James can do whatever is needed on the court. He can score. He’s just around 1600 points from becoming the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

He can rebound, averaging 8.1 this season, and the last time he was under 7.5 for a season, the Cavs won the 2016 championship.

And we all know he can pass. Two seasons ago, he led the league in assists. People who know the game say, he is a pass first player and is going to wind up as the greatest scorer in history.

We know James and his people wouldn’t just join the team and fit in. He would start making suggestions about adding veterans to the mix, he would rather play with guys who have been in the league.

He might start second guessing J.B. Bickerstaff or perhaps Altman. And he might put some burdens on the salary cap that will remain long after he is gone.

The latter might be a problem since the core of this team figures to be here for a while.

While bringing LeBron James back would make the Cavs instant championship contenders, they might be in the same position in two or three years without bringing him.

As we said earlier, it’s just not as simple as getting him and plugging him in. And it’s Koby Altman’s job to figure whether or not it’s the right move to make.

Don’t Panic On Cavs, And A Discussion On Okoro

Because the Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling, losing six of their last seven games, the fans and media are trying to a scapegoat for the lack of winning.

In reality, a big part of this losing skein is the injuries. We understand J.B. Bickerstaff doesn’t want to use this excuse, no coach does, there is a next man up theory for any team sport.

But for a team like the Cavs, without a deep roster, it because pretty simplistic.

We have written about this before; Cleveland has nine solid NBA players. The balance of the roster can be effective on certain nights, but consistency is a problem for them. We are talking about players like Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens, and Brandon Goodwin.

For the last month or so, the wine and gold have been missing a combination of these players: Lauri Markkanen, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Rajon Rondo.

Two of them start, and in reality, when he returns LeVert will get starters minutes, and another proven ball handler and defender in Rondo.

If LeVert and Rondo return and the Cavs are still playing poorly, then it might make sense to have a touch of panic about this team.

Remember, the Cavaliers got a lot of notice by other players and the national media with the All Star Game being played in their house. It is only natural, especially for a very young team to get a little caught up in the hoopla (no pun intended).

Hopefully, Friday night’s performance and effort in Philadelphia signals a return to the way the Cavs played prior to the event at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

For the most part, the Cavaliers’ best players are pretty consistent. There is one exception, and it stands out with all the injuries. Bickerstaff needs a more even offensive stat line on a nightly basis from second year pro Isaac Okoro.

Okoro is a very good defender. Their lone victory in the last seven games is due to his lockdown of Kyle Kuzma against the Wizards.

Offensively, especially when Garland and LeVert were out, they need more games like last Friday when Okoro put up 22 points.

Now, they don’t need 22 all the time, but in the previous half dozen games, last year’s fifth overall pick scored 4, 6, 6, 11, 6, and 5 points.

We were critical of taking a defensive first player that high in the draft and this is why. At that spot, you would like to get a more complete basketball player. Opposing teams are clogging the middle to stop Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and they are doing it by leaving Okoro open.

On the other hand, the second-year pro just turned 21 years old, so there is plenty of room and time to improve. That doesn’t help them right now.

In his last 10 games, the most shots he put up was the eight he took vs. Philly. He’s had three games where he took five attempts or less.

We aren’t saying he should just start heaving up shots at will, but he needs to make himself someone who the defense has to guard. He’s not exactly filling up the box score either.

In that same span, he’s had a high of five rebounds (twice) and his assist best was four. Again, we know not everything is included in the stat sheet, but in watching the games, there are long stretches where he disappears offensively.

And the Cavs need more from him on the offensive end. Basketball is the one sport where a player has to contribute in both aspects, and transition to it immediately.

With people down, others need to step up. The Cavaliers need Isaac Okoro to do more on the offensive end and do it within the frame of the offense.

That’s not too much to ask for a player picked in the top five a year ago. He can’t be regarded in the same class as Wade and Stevens.

With Tough Stretch Coming, Cavs Need To Get Back To Defense

When the NBA’s all-star weekend came to town a week ago, the optimism around the Cleveland Cavaliers was at a season high. The wine and gold was sitting as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-23 record.

While people should still be viewing the Cavs as a huge surprise and success this season, there is no question the good thought have waned a bit because of the injuries that continue to plague J.B. Bickerstaff’s team.

Even though Lauri Markkanen returned when the games started back up last Thursday, the Cavaliers have been without all star Darius Garland (bone bruise in the back), and Caris LeVert (sprained foot) in both games after the break.

And now, Garland’s back up, veteran Rajon Rondo is out for two weeks with a sprained big toe.

Those are three of the team’s top nine players, and with three games with playoff teams coming up (Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Toronto) coming up, the Cavs need to adjust their style of play and have some players in the deeper part of the bench step up in the short term.

The “easy” part of the schedule is now over. In addition to the next trio of opponents, prior to St. Patrick’s Day, Cleveland will also play Miami and Chicago, the top two teams in the East, along with another tilt against the Sixers, and Denver also comes to town.

Hopefully, Garland and LeVert will be able to play by those latter four games.

In the meantime, Koby Altman brought in veteran journeyman Tim Frazier to soak up some minutes at point guard. Brandon Goodwin, who wasn’t even in the organization at the start of the season, will start, but the best thing might be for the offense to run through Cedi Osman and Kevin Love when they are on the floor.

And perhaps Bickerstaff should keep at least one of them out there at all times. When Love is on the floor, they like to have him at the high post and pass out of that spot. Osman is more of a drive and dish kind of player, but both have good instincts for passing the basketball.

Until then, the Cavs need players like Goodwin to perform. Unfortunately, he is showing why he was available for Cleveland to sign in the middle of December.

The same can be said of Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens.

It’s tough for players to be productive on most nights. It’s what separates the rotational players in the NBA with the guys who are the 10th to 15th men on the roster.

The best way for those players to make their bones in the league is to not play outside of themselves. Do the little things, set screens, play defense, etc. Those are the things that can be done every night.

Goodwin is very good going to the basket, but is a 31% career three point shooter. He gets in trouble when he shoots them when they aren’t going in. Wade needs to make shots because he doesn’t do much else, although he’s a decent defender.

What we liked about Stevens was that he didn’t fall into the trap of letting the defense determine how he would play. He has a solid mid-range game. He needs to continue that and let the game come to him.

The Cavs don’t need all three to contribute, but two out of three have to.

Furthermore, with Garland and LeVert out, defense is more important and Bickerstaff made that clear to his squad Saturday night.

Again, hopefully the injured players are back soon and the Cavaliers can get momentum going down the homestretch. Until then, they need to get back to what put them on the NBA map early this season.

All-Star Break Comes Just At Right Time For Cavs

The All-Star break came at the right time for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is being readied for this weekend’s festivities, the Cavs ended the first half on a three game trip, winning only one, but giving up over 100 points in each.

The last two games, they were the victims of yeoman efforts by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Atlanta’s Trae Young, so we guess if opponents need superhuman performances to beat Cleveland, that’s probably a good thing.

Still, the Cavaliers looked a bit tired in these three games, and it’s more difficult to play defense when you are fatigued. And remember, defense is this team’s calling card.

So, even though many Cavs are participating in the weekend’s event (at least they don’t have to travel), the nine days off until their next contest, February 24th at Detroit, could be just what this group needs, particularly the three players who have played the most minutes: rookie Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland.

Sitting at 35-23, if J.B. Bickerstaff’s club simply plays .500 basketball from here on out, the wine and gold would finish at 47-35, and that most certainly should get them in the top six in the Eastern Conference.

But the schedule is home friendly once play resumes. Of the 24 contests remaining, only 10 will be away from RMFH, and the only long trip left is a three game sojourn to Indiana, Miami, and Chicago in early March.

On the opposite side they are several games on the slate against teams fighting for playoff spots and/or post-season positioning, including three more with Philadelphia, two with the Bulls, and two more against Toronto.

Those games likely will be filled with playoff intensity, which is a good thing for a young team like the Cavs.

The break also helps the health of the team. It should give Garland’s back to get some rest, even though he will play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, and when Cleveland returns to action, you would think Lauri Markkanen will be back in the starting lineup.

We see a lot of people trying to replace him as a starter, but we believe he is more needed than many think.

He adds yet another seven-footer to the starting lineup, and he is able to stay with big people playing on the perimeter offensively.

And there cannot be any doubt Markkanen is a better offensive option than Dean Wade. Wade still is hesitant to shoot at times, and Markkanen has the ability to take the ball to the basket better if opponents crowd him outside.

We also think it is time to start Caris LeVert at the #2 guard spot and bring Isaac Okoro off the bench.

Putting LeVert with the first unit (and Markkanen’s return) should give Allen and Mobley more room to operate inside and give driving lanes for Garland and LeVert.

Having Okoro out there with two threats from the perimeter like Kevin Love and Cedi Osman means he doesn’t have to be counted on for outside shooting, and he can attack the basket.

And of course, if you have the lead in the fourth quarter, you can always have Okoro on the floor to do what he does best…defend.

We are sure the success the Cavaliers have enjoyed this season will be a major story line at All-Star Weekend. Who would have predicted that before this season commenced?

Fans should enjoy the events and the Cavs’ players should enjoy the time off. Because the home stretch starts in a little over a week.

Cavs Are Fun, But It’s Time To Expect Success

Since the Cleveland Browns’ season ended last month, the sports focus of the city, other than the obsession with Baker Mayfield, has been on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and rightly so.

Not many people figured this would be a playoff year for the wine and gold, but as of today, they sit tied for the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 34-21, and they were buyers at the trade deadline, getting Caris LeVert from Indiana.

They have already exceeded the 30 wins we predicted they would get this season, and quite frankly, a 50 win season wouldn’t be a big shock.

Most of the commentary in the media has been about how much fun J.B. Bickerstaff’s club is to watch, and after three years of being among the worst teams in the NBA, absolutely it is a joy to watch this team play.

The thing that makes all this winning fun is the lack of expectation. No one expected the Cavaliers to be in this position. Fans were looking forward to the development of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and were anxious to see how rookie Evan Mobley would hold up under the grind of an 82 game schedule.

And no one figured Kevin Love would be drinking from the fountain of youth, playing his most energetic and enthusiastic basketball since perhaps 2016.

There are no impending free agencies on the horizon, save for Collin Sexton this summer, so Koby Altman doesn’t have to tiptoe around making players want to stay in Cleveland. This is just about basketball and putting together a team.

How far can they go this spring and summer?

Five of the primary players on this edition of the Cavs are under 25 years old: Garland, Mobley, Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, and Lauri Markkanen. We didn’t include Sexton because he’s not playing right now.

Of that quintet, only Allen has ever appeared in a playoff game, being in nine of them with Brooklyn in 2019 and 2020. He’s played in one winning post-season contest. Newcomer LeVert has the exact same experience.

On the other hand, Love, Cedi Osman, and Rajon Rondo have plenty of playoff experience. Heck, Rondo even has a nickname (Playoff Rondo) built around his 134 games of experience. Love’s been in 63 post-season games and Osman 14.

You notice all of the experience is coming off the bench.

A realistic expectation for this group probably depends on whether or not they end up in the top four of the conference, which would mean home court advantage in the first round. And even then, it depends on the matchup.

Having to play say Philadelphia or Brooklyn in the first round would be very difficult for these young Cavs, because of having an opponent with a great player who has a tremendous amount of post-season experience.

It would be great to win a title for sure, but ideally, winning one series could be a stepping stone for this group. It will show them what playing in the playoffs is like. Defense gets stepped up, every possession is of even greater importance.

Teams can surprise, like Atlanta did a year ago, but usually there is a process to success once the calendar changes to April and May.

However, Bickerstaff won’t change his approach and neither should the players. They should expect to win. That’s half the battle.

Hard To Argue With Addition Of LeVert

The Cleveland Cavaliers GM Koby Altman continued his controlled aggressiveness Sunday when he acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers for Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, and first and second round picks in this year’s draft.

The first round pick is the Cavs, which will hopefully be in the 20’s, and the second round pick is Houston’s which will likely be in the high 30’s.

LeVert can score and the wine and gold need some added offense. Over the past three seasons, the 6’6″ wing has put up at least 18.7 points per game. He’s not a great three point shooter, making 33% for his career, but he’s averaged at least 4.4 assists per contest in the same span.

He gives Cleveland another bigger wing, and someone else who can handle the ball for J.B. Bickerstaff.

And the best thing about the deal is Altman didn’t give up anyone who has been contributing to the surprising success of this team all season.

The lack of depth has been noticeable over the last week with Darius Garland out. We have said the Cavaliers have eight guys who can “play”: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Garland, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, the currently injured Lauri Markkanen, and we recently added Lamar Stevens to that list.

When two of them are missing, like what has happened with Garland and Markkanen out, they need two of the players not listed here to step up.

Sunday, Rajon Rondo dialed back the clock. A little over a week ago, Brandon Goodwin played very well in a comeback win over New Orleans.

LeVert should give the coaching staff another player they can depend on.

We say should because one of the great components of this year’s team is the chemistry, the togetherness of the group.

LeVert can be a little ball dominant at times, but also has good assist numbers. While the Cavs certainly need someone else who can create a shot when all else fails, he still needs to fit in other areas.

For example, this team is built on defense and grit. Can LeVert provide that?

This is where the veteran leadership of Love and Rondo come in. They will help in delivering Bickerstaff’s message to the newcomer. They have both bought in, and with Rondo just coming over in the last six weeks, he has already realized this group has a special culture.

By all reports, LeVert is and has been a great teammate. Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle, who has been around for awhile, spoke glowingly about him. And Jarrett Allen already played with him in Brooklyn last season.

We would anticipate LeVert going into the starting lineup when he gets acclimated replacing Okoro, and that’s because the starting group needs someone besides Garland who can shoot. The bench bunch has Love and Osman who can put the ball in the basket.

And we are sure if the Cavs have the lead in the fourth quarter, Okoro will be out there because he can defend, and again, that’s what this team hangs its hat on.

As for giving up the draft picks? Yes, Altman might find a contributor that late in the first round, but this team is so young, there really isn’t a need to obtain more youth. They are better off getting playoff experience and seeing just how far they can go with this squad.

This was a good move by Altman, and he still has time to add another piece to strengthen the Cavs. We will find that out by Thursday.

Comparing These Cavs To The “Miracle” Team

Since the calendar flipped to 2022, the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken it to another level, winning eight out of nine, and currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, just two games out of the top spot.

However, the East is so competitive this season that the Cavs are also just 2-1/2 games ahead of the current 7th seed and finishing seventh through tenth gets you a spot in the (ridiculous) play in tournament.

Although Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are getting all star buzz, J.B. Bickerstaff and GM Koby Altman have put together a “team”, and we have discussed before how important it is that any addition made to the roster has to be done with an eye on the incredible chemistry and togetherness this group has.

That togetherness reminds us of the first Cavalier team to make the post-season, the 1975-76 Miracle of Richfield group. That team had nine players who averaged 16 minutes per game.

Out of the 11 players who have played 30 games this season for Cleveland, 10 of them have averaged 15 minutes per game. Now a couple of those guys (Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens) have done that because they move into the starting lineup because Bickerstaff doesn’t want to mess with the bench minutes.

The ’76 team was led in minutes per game by Jim Brewer, who averaged 35.5, while this year’s group is paced by Garland’s 34.7 a contest. So, playing time is spaced out among nine or ten players.

Both groups have veterans who were stars in the NBA embracing a reserve role.

Nate Thurmond was a 7-time all-star and started for Chicago the year before coming to the Cavs early in the 75-76 season. Coach Bill Fitch asked Thurmond to come off the bench and be the anchor of the second unit defensively. Fitch felt the veteran would have a huge impact as a shot blocker and rebounder playing 15-20 minutes per night.

This year’s group has Kevin Love, a key part of the 2016 championship team here. Love spent the post-LeBron James’ years being an undersized center, and the pounding of playing against bigger bodies took its toll on him.

With Allen, rookie Evan Mobley, and even Lauri Markkanen, Love can do what he still does very well. Shoot the three ball, score, and rebound. And as with Fitch in ’76, Bickerstaff has limited Love to just 21.6 minutes a game.

Love is hitting 40% from three and is third on the wine and gold in rebounds at 7.2.

Both squads made their bones on the defensive end of the floor. Fitch’s team was 4th in defensive rating, Bickerstaff’s team is 3rd.

There are differences though. The ’75-’76 team missed the playoffs by one game the previous season, the current edition came out of nowhere. These Cavs have the probable rookie of the year in Evan Mobley, while those Cavaliers were largely a young veteran core, many players with two to four years experience.

One problem Altman and Bickerstaff won’t have to worry about is the dispersal draft, which really hurt the Cavs. The NBA and ABA merged following the ’76 season, and not only the college draft, but the players from ABA teams not absorbed into the NBA were drafted in reverse order of their records, meaning Cleveland could not improve its roster.

Players like Artis Gilmore (Chicago), Maurice Lucas (Portland) and Moses Malone (Portland, but traded to Buffalo and then to Houston) went in that selection process.

By the way, Portland won the title the following season.

What strikes us as the most similar thing about the two teams is the togetherness, the unselfishness of the two squads. They are about winning, and that’s refreshing. They want each other to succeed.

That ’76 team went to the Eastern Conference finals, where they took Boston to six games. They did it despite losing starting center Jim Chones to a broken foot, meaning Thurmond had to start and did a tremendous job in the series.

Hopefully, these Cavs can stay healthy so we can see how far they can go this spring.

Oh, and one other similarity. Both teams are incredibly fun to watch.

Not Just Talent, Cavs Have To Be Concerned With Fit In Any Deal.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers currently sitting in the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, much speculation has been made about possible moves to strengthen the roster for the stretch run before the February 10th trade deadline.

The Cavs need some scoring. They rank 20th in the NBA in points per game, and 11th in offensive efficiency. But although they are fifth in the league in field goal percentage from inside the three-point line, they are just 16th from beyond the arc.

Adding another perimeter threat would allow Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley more room to work inside, as we’ve seen teams start to dare the Cavs to shoot from outside, because Allen and Mobley are so lethal in the paint.

Darius Garland shoots the most threes, and he knocks them down at a 36.6% clip, and Kevin Love is next, making 40.3%. However, Cleveland is 20th in the NBA in shooting the long distance shot. They aren’t great at it, so they don’t do it a lot, and that friends makes sense.

The challenge for GM Koby Altman though, is not to just find someone who can make three pointers, but to find someone who fits into how Cleveland currently plays.

J.B. Bickerstaff has built this team on grittiness and a defensive presence, and the players have bought in. To bring in a player who will not buy in to how the Cavs are playing could ruin what this team has been built on.

In terms of what Altman has to offer, Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract would be first and foremost. The injured Rubio will not play the rest of this season, but he is a free agent at the end of this season, meaning his deal can help balance the cash on both sides.

The other major piece is Collin Sexton’s contract. Sexton will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and another team might want the right of refusal on the young guard.

Basketball is probably the leading sport where the parts (the talents of the players) must fit together. For instance, on defense, a team is only as good as its worst defender.

There is also a difference between playing winning basketball and losing basketball, so GM’s have to be careful bringing in players who don’t play “the right way”.

In our opinion, bringing in someone from a losing program would be a bigger risk than bringing in someone who has been on a winner.

When Altman needed to replace Rubio, we went for Rajon Rondo, who has played on winning teams virtually his entire career, including three teams who went to the NBA Finals. The GM knew Rondo would put winning first.

Caris LeVert is another name mentioned prominently, and although he doesn’t have the winning pedigree of Rondo, he is a proven scorer (over 18 points the last three seasons) and has a reputation of being a great teammate.

The downside? He’s only a career 33% shooter from distance.

On the other hand, another player who has been mentioned heading to Cleveland is Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, who is 40% shooter from beyond the arc since coming into the league but has been a part of a losing team for many years.

Could he fit into playing a role on a winning team? That’s what Altman needs to determine.

And really, it’s a question all winning teams have to ask. Not just about Hield, but any player who is used to losing.

Being on a winning team takes a lot of sacrifice for some players, having the willingness to forego some personal numbers so you can win is the type of players coaches and organizations love.

It’s not just about plugging in a players’ statistics to a certain team, including the Cavaliers. Being able to fit into the Bickerstaff’s plan for the team and being willing to fit in with the current group is very important.

If the Cavs want to enhance this team, those are all things that need to be considered.