Cavs’ Grit and Defense (and LeBron) Even Up the Series

We don’t think anyone can say the Cleveland Cavaliers lack heart.

They came into The Finals without Kevin Love and then lost Kyrie Irving during the first game with a fractured kneecap, but they gritted out a win last night to even the series at a game apiece with a 95-93 victory over Golden State in overtime.

Oh, and LeBron James showed once again why he’s still the best player in the sport with a virtuoso performance, scoring 39 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and making 11 assists in 50 minutes.

David Blatt’s team controlled the tempo and turned up the defensive intensity, holding the Warriors to under 60 points through three quarters, and under 90 points in regulation.

The wine and gold played gritty solid defense and bothered Stephen Curry into a 5 for 23 shooting night, with Matthew Dellavedova playing the role as main pest.

And for the most part, the coaching staff made adjustments all night long.

When Steve Kerr tried to go small, the Cavs countered by staying with Timofey Mozgov, and going to him a lot. The big Russian responded with 17 points, and went to the line 12 times, mainly because whoever was trying to guard him, mostly Draymond Green, lacked the size to handle him near the basket.

That said, we wish the coach would have gone back to Mozgov when the Warriors were intentionally fouling Tristan Thompson in the fourth quarter. We understand Thompson is the superior defensive player, able to guard guys much smaller than he is, but it would have messed up the strategy, and they could have used Mozgov’s superior offense in the post.

To be sure, Golden State fans will say that Curry won’t be this bad again in the series, but we would counter that by saying although Klay Thompson is an all-star, he probably won’t be as hot as he was in the first half either.

Nor will LeBron James have another game where he shoots 33% from the floor (11 for 34). If James is more efficient with his shooting going forward, it bodes well for the wine and gold.

Also, while the Warriors got a huge offensive boost from Andre Iguodala in game one (which we said was unlikely to happen again), the Cavs haven’t had a big game yet from J.R. Smith, who is capable of knocking down seven or eight three-pointers on a given night.

Cleveland did get a good game from James Jones last night, as he scored eight points in 23 minutes, but Smith and Iman Shumpert are capable of hitting long range shots that will open up the defense.

By the way, Shumpert did hit a huge three at the start of overtime last night.

And it is also doubtful the Cavs will shoot 32% as a team in the confines of Quicken Loans Arena.

Coming home doesn’t guarantee anything for the Cavs, and we are sure Mr. James will NOT let anyone of his teammates fall prey to complacency.

The concern is that since the Cavs are really only playing seven guys, the quick turn around could lead to fatigue, particularly late in the game. Blatt may need more minutes from Mike Miller and perhaps Shawn Marion tomorrow night, especially with the first two games going overtime.

The old adage is that defense is a constant, and that’s the biggest reason the Cleveland Cavaliers are in this series. Three more efforts like last night will be needed.

Cavs Lose Game One, Doesn’t Mean It’s Over

The city of Cleveland is left bemoaning a lost opportunity last night, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors, 108-100 in overtime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Cavs had the ball at the end of regulations and it was in LeBron James’ hands. But, Andre Iguodala did a good job defensively, James missed, and the resulting rebound/flip at the hoop by Iman Shumpert just missed winning the game.

Overtime was a disaster, as Cleveland didn’t score until less than a minute remaining, and Kyrie Irving limped off the floor with an apparent knee problem, perhaps aggravating his tendonitis.

However, let’s look at the bright side.

The wine and gold almost won this game despite not getting much offensively from Shumpert and J.R. Smith. James Jones played 16 minutes and took one shot, missing it.

This means James and Irving, who scored 23 points in an excellent performance, had little help from the players who have performed so well from the perimeter in these playoffs.

And Golden State got a tremendous game from Andre Iguodala, who scored 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting. This year, when shooting more than five times in a game, Iguodala had this kind of performance just five times. Meaning, considering the stage, he played the game of his life, at least offensively.

He’s a 47% shooter from the floor, 35% from behind the arc, yet last night, everything he shot went in the basket. Do we think that will happen again? It’s doubtful.

The problem is, Golden State has other players who can, and it is likely that Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will score more than the 47 points they combined for yesterday.

However, is it equally likely that the Cavs will get more out of Smith, Shumpert, Dellavedova, and Jones? We would say yes to that as well.

Obviously, the key is Irving’s health. Can he possibly go in Game 2?

Remember, all the Warriors are doing right now is holding serve. No matter what happens Sunday night, if the wine and gold win their home games, the series will be even a two games apiece.

Cleveland had a chance to take this one. There’s no reason to think they can’t do it again, especially if they put the same defensive effort and get more offensively from their long range shooters.

Other thoughts on the game–

Timofey Mozgov was outstanding last night, scoring 16 points and 7 rebounds. He may have to play at that level, at least offensively if the Cavaliers have a chance in this series.

The officials did play a part, making a horrible traveling call on Mozgov late in the fourth quarter on a play that would have given Cleveland a two point lead with less than a minute to go. We understand they missed plays on both side, but that was just wrong.

Also, could they call any one of the five or six moving picks on Andrew Bogut? He’s like a pulling guard on the football field. No wonder Curry and Thompson get wide open looks.

One adjustment the Cavs made was to challenge outlet passes after missed shots, somebody jumped back to try to slow down the Warriors from racing down the floor. It slowed the tempo just enough. A good move by the coaching staff.

A Look at The Numbers–Cavs and Warriors.

Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers start the last leg on the road to a possible NBA championship when they take on the Golden State Warriors in The Finals.

The Warriors, led by league MVP Stephen Curry, had the league’s best record at 67-15. They led the league in scoring at 110 points per contest, and also were the league’s best in terms of the most meaningful defensive statistic, opponents field goal percentage, holding teams to a 42.8% figure.

As a comparison, the Cavs ranked 8th in scoring at 103.1 each time they took the floor, but they were eighth worst in the NBA in defensive field goal percent, allowing their opponents to hit 45.6% from the floor.

Based on this, you would think David Blatt’s team doesn’t have a shot.

However, in the playoffs, the Warriors have dropped to 104.3 points offensively, a drop of over five points per game. Their opponents have shot relatively the same, making 43.1% of their attempts.

The Cavs’ offensive output is about the same, scoring 101.4 points, a decline of less than two points. The big difference is on defense, where Cleveland has held the Celtics, Bulls, and Hawks to 41.2% shooting, more than four points better than in the regular season.

As a matter of comparison, the wine and gold’s three opponents ranked 10th (Hawks), 13th (Celtics) and 15th (Bulls) in scoring during the 82 game schedule. In terms of field goal percentage only Atlanta (4th) was in the top 20.

But it isn’t like the Warriors stopped the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs either, as only Houston (6th) was in the top ten in scoring. New Orleans was 16th and Memphis was 20th. However, the Grizzlies and Pelicans were in the top ten in field goal percentage, while the Rockets were 20th.

The Warriors can shoot, make no mistake about that. Curry and his Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, are likely to pull up and shoot long-range three-point shots from anywhere and in any situation.

Cleveland shoots the three ball well too, but it is more likely to occur from penetration and then a kick out to a shooter spotting up.

Can the Cavs bring home a title?

It will no doubt be difficult. The Warriors seem like a finesse team, but they are solid defensively, and in Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala, they have some grit.

Golden State has the home court, so really, if the Cavaliers lose the first two games, it is no reason to panic. They have to come back to Cleveland for a chance to make it a best of three series.

Remember in 2007, the Cavs lost the first two games in the Eastern Conference finals on the road in Detroit, before roaring back to win the last four games.

The pressure is on the Warriors for at least those games. They are the favorite, and they need to keep the home court advantage as the series heads back to Cleveland.

If the Cavs can stop Curry and Thompson from going crazy, they can win the series. Yes, the Warriors have some depth, but if you can keep the Splash Brothers under 50 points for the night, you have a pretty good chance for victory.

Steve Kerr will have to figure out a way to contain LeBron James, if he double teams him, LBJ will find one of his cast of shooters from the perimeter. If Golden State plays him one on one, he might score over 40 points.

The difference for LeBron is these playoffs is his constant attacking of the basket. He is posting up more than ever in a Cavs’ uniform, making himself close to unstoppable.

It will be a great series. That’s the only prediction we are willing to make.

Two Teams Left in NBA, And One of Them is The Cavs!

Next week, something will happen that doesn’t occur all that often in these parts.

A Cleveland team is playing for a professional sports league championship. And as not to offend the indoor soccer fans in northeast Ohio, it is happening in one of the “big four” sports.

The last time a team from Cleveland had a chance to bring home a title was 2007, when the Cavaliers were swept in four straight by the San Antonio Spurs.

But when you think back since the Browns won the NFL Championship in 1964, there hasn’t been many times where one of our teams had a chance to end our championship drought.

The first time was in 1965, a time when we didn’t have a jinx or a curse, because the Browns were among pro football’s elite. They were the defending champions and went into Green Bay and were defeated by Vince Lombardi’s team, 23-12.

Little did we know then that the Browns wouldn’t have another chance to win a title, now called the Super Bowl. That string continues to this day.

It took 30 years before another Cleveland squad played for the ultimate prize, when the Indians dominated the American League with 100 wins in a 144 game schedule and ran through the playoffs to win the AL Championship and get to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

Alas, the Atlanta Braves defeated them 4-2 to take the trophy.

It didn’t take long to have another chance, as the Tribe returned to the World Series just two years later, and got as close as any team to winning the big prize, carrying a lead into the ninth inning of the seventh and deciding game, before the Florida Marlins tied it and won it in extra innings.

There have been stories told about how the Commissioner’s Trophy was in the Indians’ locker room, and the clubhouse was being readied for a celebration, only to have it all taken away.

That one stings the most. A championship was right in our hands, and it was taken away with the snap of a finger.

It was ten more years before Cleveland got another shot at a title with the Cavs in 2007, and it has taken another eight years before this opportunity.

For all the soul crushing moments we have endured as a fandom, outside of the ’97 World Series, they occurred before a chance to play for a title.

The Browns’ heart breaks all occurred in the AFC Championship game, a step before the Super Bowl, and “The Shot” happened to the Cavaliers in a first round series against the Bulls.

Our point is this, savor the moment. Even though the city has waited 51 years for a professional sports title, what is even more stunning is there haven’t been all that many opportunities. This is just the fifth in the last 50 years.

Of course, if the Cavs were to lose to Golden State in The Finals, that wouldn’t make the pain and the disappointment wouldn’t be any less.

Just let it soak in, there are only two teams remaining in the NBA, and one of them is from Cleveland.

Punishment Should Be Tougher For Playoff Cheap Shots

The NBA has a problem with dirty play in the playoffs, and we in Cleveland, have seen first hand that there is one.

Look, we are not talking here about physical play. The league has homogenized itself and the “hard” fouls of the 70’s and 80’s aren’t present anymore.

Can you imagine what would have happened to Kevin McHale today, when he clotheslined Laker forward Kurt Rambis driving to the basket in the 1984 Finals? He would have been given a Flagrant II foul (we love the roman numerals the league uses here), been ejected, and probably suspended for at least one more game.

Instead, the Celtics won in seven games.

The difference back then is the players in those days were sending a message. There were going to be no easy points to be had. The Pistons of the late 80’s and early 90’s, led by Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, kind of started the gratuitous violence, the cheap shot plays that have now been outlawed.

We in Cleveland can all remember Mahorn’s elbow to Mark Price’s head in 1989, which ruined the Cavs chance at winning the Eastern Conference championship that year. Cleveland was 41-12 heading into that contest. They were 16-15 the balance on the season.

Now back to the league’s problem. In game four of the first round series against Boston, we are all familiar with Kelly Olynyk’s dislocating the shoulder of Kevin Love. Love is out for the playoffs, likely missing his first appearance in the NBA Finals.

Olynyk received a one game suspension, to be served on opening night of the 2015-16 season. That’s not really a big price. The Celts were already down 3-0 in the series, so what consequence was there for any Boston player? They were done.

In the next series, against the Chicago Bulls, there was another cheap shot in the game that decided the series. With the Cavaliers up 3-2, Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic clotheslined Cavs’ guard Iman Shumpert as he was driving past him. Mirotic wasn’t ejected for the play.

Again, even if he had been kicked out of the game, what’s the real penalty here. Shumpert’s squad was advancing, and he could have missed a game or two (he didn’t) because of Mirotic’s play. If he was assessed a flagrant foul, he likely would have missed the Bulls’ opener this fall. Big deal.

In both cases, what is the risk for the team that is going home? None, absolutely none.

Olynyk’s foul put Love out of the post-season, and Shumpert could have been seriously hurt as well, missing time in the playoffs. The penalty should be much tougher for the player committing the act.

Would either player have done the same thing is he knew a 10 game suspension was at stake? Would a coach condone that type of play knowing he would lose a player for that amount of time?

Not likely. This is where the “brotherhood” Al Horford talked about should be focused on, not players making hustle plays.

We write this because tomorrow night is another night where the Cavaliers are playing a game that can eliminate their opponent. WIth tensions running high because of Horford’s ejection last night, it would not be surprising for the Hawks to send a cheap shot toward a Cavaliers’ player.

To prevent stuff like this, the NBA must enact tougher policies on these types of plays. Before another key player on any team, not just the Cavs ends up missing the balance of the playoffs, just like the player who is delivering the blow.

Cavs Need to Show Some Greed.

An impressive defensive performance in the second half and J.R. Smith’s hot shooting gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a huge road win last night, as they defeated the Atlanta Hawks 97-89.

The Cavs wrested home court advantage from Mike Budenholzer’s squad with Game 2 taking place Friday night in Atlanta.

David Blatt’s team needs to get greedy and not settle for the split on the road, because they can drive a stake in the collective hearts of the Hawks with a victory tomorrow night.

Remember, the Bulls didn’t have that greed in the conference semi-finals, losing in the second game in a blowout. Our guess is that LeBron James will not let his teammates get complacent.

There has been some discussion as to whether or not Kyrie Irving, who seemed to aggravate his sore knee last night should play in the second game of the series so he can get healthy.

We see that point, but if the medical staff determines that Irving cannot hurt himself more by going out there, Irving should be out there again tomorrow.

As we once read, nothing is given, everything is earned.

If Irving were to sit out, it could send a message that the coaching staff is fine with the split in the Peachtree State, instead of showing a preference to get this series over as soon as possible.

Unless something shows up in an examination between games, Irving has tendonitis in his knees, so it’s just a matter of playing with the pain. Having an extra two days off, won’t help once he starts playing again.

There were five days off between ending the Chicago series and last night’s game, and once Irving started playing, the pain and discomfort returned.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Irving wasn’t effective when he was in there. Yes, he did have problems keeping Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder out of the paint, but he also had 10 points and six assists, and hit two big hoops when LeBron James was hobbled after turning an ankle.

We aren’t saying this is going to happen, but if Cleveland wins in Game 2, they are set up very nicely for a sweep, which would end the series next Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Since The Finals are slated to begin on June 4th, that would give the Cavs more than a week to heal up the assorted injuries they currently are saddled with.

We don’t think the Cavs will take their foot off the gas one bit, and as evidence look at the end of the game, when Iman Shumpert wouldn’t even allow Teague to get a meaningless three-point shot off before time expired.

James even acknowledged this in a comment today, saying his team “is just as desperate as the Hawks are”, despite having a series lead.

This is the veteran LeBron. He understands there is no relaxing in the playoffs now, and every game has to be approached as another opportunity to squash the will of the opponent.

Was it a nice win? Yes. However, the Cavaliers haven’t won anything yet. They still need three more wins and make no mistake, the Hawks are a good team, and they will probably shoot better on Friday.

We don’t expect Smith to be that hot again tomorrow, but maybe it will be Shumpert, or maybe Matthew Dellavedova will make a shot. Or perhaps Irving plays like he did in Game 5 vs. Chicago.

James and Blatt have a foot on Atlanta’s throat. No time to let up now.

Thompson and Delly Fit Perfectly on This Year’s Cavaliers

It is fitting that two of the three players on the podium after last night’s series clinching win over the Chicago Bulls were Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson. After all, they contributed mightily to the Cleveland Cavaliers blowout victory in the Windy City.

Most of the press surrounding this year’s Cavs have fittingly been about the team’s “Big Three”, the triumvirate of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, all-stars who probably rank among the NBA’s top 25 players.

Then you have the three players who were acquired in trades in January: J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov, who contributed greatly from elevating the team from the .500 mark at the time of the deals into the team that had the best regular season record from the time of the trades until the end of the campaign.

No doubt they are primary reasons the wine and gold are one of the four teams remaining in the NBA playoffs.

Thompson and Dellavedova are the quintessential players who are perfect fits on good teams.

There are a bunch of NBA players who are good players on non-playoff rosters. Until this year, Evan Turner is the guy who fits that bill for us. They are stat compilers. On those teams, somebody has to take shots, score points, and grab rebounds. That doesn’t mean they are good players. They are just the best player on a bad team.

Some players have skill sets that don’t fit with bad teams.

Think about both Thompson and Dellavedova on last year’s Cavs team.

Thompson was highly criticized because of his lack of offensive game and that he wasn’t more of a shot blocker. Those were things the pre-LeBron Cavaliers needed. So much of the offense depended on Kyrie Irving, and since Thompson was the fourth overall pick in the draft, people felt he should be able to contribute on that end of the floor.

With the addition of James, Love, and Smith, Thompson no longer needs to score, and Mozgov takes the role of rim protector.

So, Thompson does what he does, which is provide energy and is a monster on the glass, exactly what this group needs. And he does it as at a high level. Those things are important on teams that are competing for a title.

As for Dellavedova, his ball handling is questionable, which made him a target for critics, especially because the guy he backs up might be the best dribbler in the league.

And if he was forced to play 30-35 minutes on a nightly basis, his warts, that is to say, the reason he wasn’t drafted, would show through.

But he doesn’t have to play those kind of minutes in Cleveland.

What Delly does do is play gritty defense on both point guards and shooting guards alike, and can stick the occasional three-point shot. He’s a solid passer, being able to find the open man. He’s added a penetration move this year which he caps off with a lob pass to Thompson or Mozgov for dunks.

Last year, when the Cavs were headed for the lottery, he was a guy that we wondered why he got the time he received from then head coach Mike Brown.

We get that coaches love him, he plays hard and defends. But a bad team needs more from the back up point guard.

Again, on a winning team, Delly fits perfectly.

If they left the Cavs and went to lottery teams, the fans in those cities would probably be disappointed by what they would get out of either player.

However, on a winning team, they possess skill sets that playoff teams need.

What a difference a year makes.

Blatt Can’t Win, No Matter What Happens

David Blatt is in a no win situation.

He knows it. It goes along with the territory when you are coaching the league’s best player in LeBron James.

When James’ team wins, he gets the credit, and when his team loses, the coach takes the blame. Not LeBron.

So, the big to-do about James waiving off the play Blatt was calling in the huddle before the game winning shot, is nothing. Blatt wanted James to be the inbounder, probably to find J.R. Smith, who knocked down three shots from beyond the arc to get the Cavaliers back in the game.

James said he wanted the shot, and the coach obliged.

That’s why Blatt made the comments about “picking up the tab” in his post-game press conference. James wanted the check and Blatt gave it to him. There’s nothing to the story.

We’ve heard many people refer to the movie “Hoosiers”, about this situation, and we admit we thought the same thing.

In the movie, Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) was calling a play with the game on the line for another player, with his squad staring at the coach in disbelief. Hickory High’s star, Jimmy Chitwood, told the coach he would make it, and the play was changed.

No word whether or not Dale was skewered on Twitter the next day.

The other thing Blatt is being hammered about was trying to call a timeout when there were none to call.

We hate to tell people, but that’s on one of the assistant coaches. If you have ever coached at even the high school level, you know the head coach has assistants make sure he is aware of things like how many timeouts he has and the foul situation on individual players.

Our guess is that no one reminded Blatt the Cavs didn’t have any timeouts remaining.

And that’s not something he can say to the media and not sound like he is throwing someone under the bus.

And as usual, Blatt doesn’t get any credit for the wine and gold’s comeback from an 11 point deficit late in the quarter, and for the squad’s defensive effort in the fourth quarter which allowed Cleveland to have a five point lead with around two minutes left. That’s a 16 point swing.

Nor does he get credit for staying with Timofey Mozgov staying in the game in the fourth quarter because he was playing well. Blatt is a “feel” coach, and he played the hot hand, something he has done throughout the year.

As for the inbound play, we think James Jones, who was the trigger man on the play was a little too conservative and forced the use of at least one timeout. There appeared to be players open, but Jones didn’t want to make a mistake with a turnover.

It turned out, the refs forced the turnover anyway when they called an offensive foul on James, who was getting hit repeatedly by Derrick Rose and Mike Dunleavy Jr. when they were trapping James.

The point here isn’t to say Blatt is a perfect coach, but merely to point out that he is not a complete idiot either.

We have said from early in the season that Kevin Love and Blatt were the go-to guys whenever this basketball team had problems. And the national media is quick to point every flaw out because he’s an outsider in NBA circles. They don’t know him.

Yes, he’s arrogant. He’s confident in his ability to coach and win at any level.

He’s learning his way around the NBA and has become more humble at least to the media.

He just can’t win because of the situation. Just realize it’s a tough spot to be in.

Cavs Now Even, But It’s Going to Get Tougher

The Cleveland Cavaliers faced their first adversity of the NBA playoffs last night and passed with flying colors, evening up their Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game apiece with a 106-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Obviously, when the Cavs win they get very good performances out of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, and Game 2 was no exception.

James scored 33 points and had eight rebounds and five assists, while Irving put up 21 points with three assists in the win.

But with Kevin Love sidelined, David Blatt needs other players to step up. Iman Shumpert has done just that in both games, and last night, he hit several three-point shots early, finishing with 15 points and seven boards.

He has stepped up big time with J.R. Smith serving a two game suspension, and with Smith returning Friday night, perhaps Shumpert can continue to provide the long-range shooting that Love provided.

We believe for the wine and gold to win in this series, they need a good performance out of one of their three “old hands”, meaning James Jones, Mike Miller, or Shawn Marion.

Jones provided such a game Wednesday night, hitting five of nine from beyond the arc and scoring 17 points. He hit two big triples after the Bulls ran off 14 consecutive points in the third quarter to cut a 25 point lead down to 11.

The Bulls never got any closer.

Coaches can be stubborn, so Blatt should be commended for seeing that the Mike Miller as a starter experiment didn’t work, and going to Tristan Thompson to begin the game.

Thompson, who really fits the definition of a guy who is better on a good team that a bad one, scored only five points, but grabbed 12 rebounds, and as usual, kept several possessions alive by tracking down his teammates errant shots.

And you have to give credit to the much-maligned Matthew Dellavedova, who had nine points and nine assists.

However, now it’s on to the Windy City and without a doubt, those games will be a challenge. Marginal players are usually more productive at home, so the burden will be on James and Irving, to get the team off to a good start.

Shumpert, who left the game with a groin injury, hopefully can continue to contribute as he has over the last four games, and they will need Smith to come back from his suspension to pick up right where he left off.

If Smith can pick up right where he left off before the last two games, the Cavs will be able to spread the floor the same as when Love was playing because the Bulls will have to honor the ability of the two former Knicks to make long-range shots.

Because as much as last night’s game was about James’ aggressiveness, Shumpert’s first quarter shooting was equally a key. He provided the three-point shot that was missing in the first game.

The best case scenario is for the wine and gold to come out early like they did last night in Game 3, and take the Chicago fans out of the game. It would also show the Bulls that Monday night was the aberration.

James needs to be in aggressive mode again, because it doesn’t appear the Bulls have any answer for him in the paint.

The three-point shooting is key in this because making some shots from outside will open up the middle.

Without a doubt, this is a series now.

Who Needs To Step Up For Cavs in Round Two.

There was a cloud over the Cavaliers’ series clinching win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, because of the shoulder injury to Kevin Love and the looming suspension of J.R. Smith.

So, when play resumes with the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Monday, the way the wine and gold play, and who they play will be quite different from the one that has rolled to 39 wins in their last 48 contests.

Losing two starters is definitely going to effect the Cavs, whether they want to admit it or not.

Both of the players help with floor spacing because of their abilities to make three-point shots. So, does David Blatt replace them with other players with that talent, or does he try to win a bit differently.

Many have speculated that James Jones may get the start in Love’s spot, and while Jones has the ability to fill it up from beyond the arc, he cannot rebound like Love and doesn’t have the bulk to defend near the basket.

To be sure, if Jones starts, he won’t get Love’s minutes, and without doubt we will see a lot of Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson together on the floor.

Thompson is a better defender than Love, so perhaps the Cavs won’t need to score as much with that tandem on the court.

As for Smith, the logical move would be to move Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup, since that was probably how it was supposed to be before Smith fit like a glove along with the rest of the starters.

And although Smith played solid defense for Cleveland, Shumpert is better on that end of the floor, so again the gain will be when the Cavs don’t have the ball.

Then the question becomes who replaces Shumpert in his role? The obvious answer is veteran Mike Miller, another guy who can stretch the floor with the three-point shot, but he hasn’t been accurate all year-long, hitting just 32.7% from behind the line, compared to almost 41% for his career.

Or Blatt could choose to go with even more defense and put Shawn Marion out there.

Without a doubt, all three of the veterans picked up in the off-season (Jones, Miller, and Marion) are going to be counted on to be contributors in the next series, and really Kendrick Perkins can be added to this list.

Most figure the next opponent for Cleveland will be Chicago, based on no one ever losing a series once they have a 3-0 lead.

If that is true, it will be difficult for the Cavs to win without Love, no matter what kind of strong face the organization puts on the situation. Love was very important to the offense because of floor spacing. His ability to make shots from outside opened up driving lines for LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

Can the Cavs still win? Of course, but they will need to get contributions from guys who haven’t given them much in the first round, meaning Miller, Marion, and Perkins.

They still have two of the league’s best players in James and Irving, and remember the Cavaliers advanced to two Eastern Conference finals and one NBA Finals with rosters not as talented as this one.

That’s the power of LeBron James.

And he plays for Cleveland.