Cavs’ Current Style Is Not Conducive To A Title

There is something not right with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They had five days off following a loss at home to something resembling the Golden State Warriors G-League team, watching plenty of film of their recent struggles, and had a players only meeting leading up to their contest last Friday against Washington.

And then they needed Donovan Mitchell to rescue them after falling behind by 15 points to the 3-19 Wizards and steal a victory. Mitchell scored 48 points, half of them in the fourth quarter.

Yes, the Cavs are now 15-11 on the year. And it is true many starters and rotation players have missed a lot of game with injuries. Jarrett Allen has missed 11, Darius Garland 16, Sam Merrill 14.

And now Evan Mobley will miss 2-4 weeks with a calf injury.

Yet, something is off with this group after going 64-18 last season and finishing with the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The most logical thing to look at is shot selection. Cleveland leads the league in three point shot attempts, hoisting up 44.3 per game, which is 48% of their shots. Unfortunately, they are making just 34% of those long-range attempts, and that ranks 28th in the Association.

Last season, the Cavs were 4th in attempts, but were second in percentage, converting on 38.3%. It may not seem like a lot, but that 4% is huge. To put it in players’ terms, it’s the difference in shooting between Stephen Curry, perhaps the greatest long-range shooter ever, and Jalen Brunson, a great player, but not known for his long range shot.

We are sure Kenny Atkinson doesn’t want to tell players not to hoist threes, but right now, Garland is shooting just 27% from beyond the arc, and Lonzo Ball just 26% from out there. Maybe get a little closer until you get into rhythm?

We understand teams what to play with pace, but pace doesn’t come from firing the ball up the court and shooting a three with :18 on the shot clock. Generally, that doesn’t work out well.

Worse yet, Cleveland’s opponents are shooting 36.5% from three, so the advantage they enjoyed in shooting a year ago is gone.

For all the newer basketball fans who don’t think Allen is an effective player in today’s NBA, it looks like he might just be. Yes, Evan Mobley is a superb defender, but in watching Friday’s game, he’s guarding smaller players around 15 feet away.

That’s great, he has the ability at 6’11” to be able to go out and guard outside. However, without Allen, there is no one to protect the rim and rebound. The Cavaliers were 5th in rebounding a year ago and have fallen to 8th.

The defense on the perimeter has been a problem. Too many guards are getting to the basket against the Cavs and as noted before, without Allen around the basket, these are turning into a lot of easy baskets.

We are almost 1/3 of the way into this regular season and Christmas, when it is said the NBA season really starts is less than two weeks away.

We have said this before, we believe Atkinson is trying different combinations right now, so he is still experimenting. That understanding doesn’t mean it’s not tough to watch.

It should not be on Mitchell putting on a red cape and being Superman in order to beat one of the worst teams in the NBA.

With or without the missing players, the Cavs should be better than that. At least playing a winning brand of hoops.

Cavs Winning While Testing Things Out.

Do you want to know how you can tell the Cleveland Cavaliers are a real good basketball team? It’s because they haven’t played very well to date and yet they have a 10-6 record after the first five weeks of the NBA season.

There have been a lot of injuries for sure. Max Strus hasn’t played yet and like won’t until the middle of December at the earliest. Darius Garland has played in only three games. Sam Merrill has missed time. De’Andre Hunter has missed three contests. Jaylon Tyson has been out the last four games in concussion protocol.

So, there hasn’t been very much continuity for Kenny Atkinson, yet this team is so good, they still have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Frankly, we are fine with this. We have been saying since training camp started, we would be happy if the wine and gold got off to a slower start and approached the playoffs playing their best basketball.

Last year, Cleveland relied on the three point shot quite a bit and it worked. They took 45.7% of their field goals from behind the arc and converted on 38.3% of those long range tries.

This season, they are taking even more threes (49.1%) but making less at 34.9%. In watching the games, we don’t see enough of what analyst Brad Daugherty talks about, which is playing inside out, meaning getting the ball in the paint or in a post-up situation and then kicking out to a wide-open shooter.

One of the things about last season’s squad was the guys who took the most 3s also shot at a very good percentage. The leaders in three-points attempts last year were: Donovan Mitchell (36.8%), Darius Garland (40.1%), Sam Merrill (37.2%), Strus (38.6%) and Ty Jerome (43.9%).

The league average was 36% and all five of the players taking the most long distance shots for Cleveland a year ago were above league average.

This year, the league wide percentage is about the same (35.8%).

And two of the top five shot takers from beyond the arc, Hunter (31%) and Lonzo Ball (31.3%) are well below the league average. Both are historically better than that. Hunter has made 36.9% for his career, while Ball has knocked them down at a 36.1% clip.

So perhaps those two should take the ball to the hoop a little more until they regain their touch from long range.

Much has been made about the lack of minutes for Jarrett Allen in the fourth quarter of games, but at this point in the season, we chalk that up to experimentation by the coaching staff. Allen is still a solid defender and good rebounder, and that’s greatly needed if you have a lead down the stretch.

If you haven’t noticed, the NBA is getting longer and having more size, particularly on the wings will be even more important. We have talked about the Cavs not having enough size for a few years now. That’s why we are happy to see Nae’Qwan Tomlin have some success.

He’s 6’10” and very active on the glass, particularly on the offensive end. And having Tyson and Ball, both at 6’6″ adds some size to the backcourt when needed. Think about it, without the injuries, does Tomlin get any playing time?

But having Garland’s shooting is also important for offensive spacing. Perhaps in the playoffs it will be like baseball. Get the lead and then bring in the defenders.

We haven’t moved off of our belief that this is the time for the Cavs to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s a good thing they are able to do that and still win more often than not.

Garland Helps The Offense For Sure, But…

The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally getting healthy. Friday night against the lowly Washington Wizards, coach Kenny Atkinson was finally able to put the starting lineup he projected over the summer on the floor.

Darius Garland figured to be out until the middle or end of November, but he made his first appearance of the season on Wednesday against Philadelphia. The offense immediately looked a lot better, as the Cavs have scored 132 and 148 points in his first two games back.

And that would figure because Garland is a terrific offensive player and can penetrate and dish very well. Adding someone who scored 20.6 points and doled out 6.7 assists last season should make the offense look better.

After Garland’s debut, all of the people who cover the Cavs were reporting how much better the ball movement and shooting was with Garland back. And it was. However, Sam Merrill, who missed three games and is shooting the three pointer at an outrageous rate so far this season (26 of 45,.578), was also back and shooting like that helps as well.

The pundits said it showed Garland’s importance to the team, and indeed he is important.

However, one of the things we are concerned with and some people who cover the NBA are also, is the size of the Cavs’ backcourt. Remember, and we have said this both last year and this season, what Cleveland does in the regular season is not that important for this group.

It’s what happens in the playoffs.

While Garland contributes a lot to the team, our question is simply this: Would a bigger, taller version of Garland help the offense more? And we continue to say it would. And that’s not a rap on the player. It would also be beneficial to the team if Donovan Mitchell were 6’5″ and not 6’3″. But he isn’t and that’s kind of the issue.

And although it’s one game, we saw some the issues that you can’t have in the playoffs. For example, the Cavaliers had a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter against the Sixers and won by 11.

Atkinson mentioned after the win Friday night that this is a point of emphasis for him and the team, get a lead and build on it. Don’t let the opponent back in the contest.

They did that against Philadelphia, mostly because they had six of their 15 turnovers in the final quarter. Two were by Evan Mobley and two more from Garland. For his career in the post-season, Garland averages a half a turnover more per game than in the regular season.

No doubt, the reason the team traded for Lonzo Ball was to have a bigger guard who can handle the basketball, someone that Atkinson can pair with either Garland or Mitchell to provide some size but still have someone who has a plus handle.

Ball leads the team in assists despite missing two games and playing only about half the minutes in the games he does appear in.

If a trade doesn’t occur before the playoffs, Cleveland will need Garland for sure, but if the things that have plagued him in the post-season before, turnovers and opponents attacking his defensively, they now have Ball as an alternative.

What are we saying? Yes, Darius Garland is a good player. He’s made two All-Star teams. But remember, many basketball people worry the small backcourt is something the Cavs have to overcome. Can it work in the spring?

That’s still the biggest question surrounding the Cavs.

This Is A Different Season For Cavs. Don’t Jump To Conclusions Yet

The Cleveland Cavaliers open the home part of their schedule tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, their only game at Rocket Arena out of their first five contests.

Already, there are complaints about the first two games for the wine and gold, and we base that on the football mentality that permeates throughout the area.

Folks, there are 80 more games to play.

Last year, the Cavs got off to a 15-0 start, one of the best starts in NBA history. Note the end of that last sentence. Teams don’t do that on a regular basis, and the Cavaliers weren’t going to do it again this season.

And frankly, we have said previously that we wanted Kenny Atkinson to do some experimenting with rotations in October and November, particularly getting good looks at some young players.

He has had to make some changes because Darius Garland, Max Strus will both miss significant time to open the year, and then De’Andre Hunter suffered a bruised knee in the last exhibition game. That’s three prominent players.

As a result, Sam Merrill has moved into the starting lineup along with second year player Jaylon Tyson, and guys like Craig Porter Jr. and perhaps Dean Wade are getting more playing time than normal.

Heck, even second-round pick Tyrese Proctor has played in both games, something we didn’t foresee happening before training camp starting.

Perhaps the biggest complaint has been about the usage of Donovan Mitchell, who have taken 40 shots in the first two games. Evan Mobley has taken the next most at 30.

We don’t Atkinson wants his team to rely on Mitchell so much and would like the shot numbers between his two best players to be much closer. By the way, Merrill has taken the third most shots, followed by Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr.

Bet no one had Merrill and Nance in that group.

Mitchell’s usage would have been less had the Cavs not had questionable shot selection in the fourth quarter vs. Brooklyn. Cleveland had a 108-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter Friday night.

Then, they feel into the NBA trap. They made 9 of 11 threes in a 45 point third stanza. Early in the fourth, the long-range shot stopped falling, but the Cavs kept hoisting them, and perhaps had they taken the ball to the hoop when that happened, Mitchell and Mobley could’ve taken the last quarter off.

Merrill made 6 of 10 threes for the game but missed three of them in the fourth. Wade missed three more, as the wine and gold went 1 of 11 in the quarter as a team.

Again, it’s a different season, a different team, and it is way too soon to have any concern.

For this team to get where they want to go, the principal players have to be Mitchell and Mobley, and almost in a #1A and #1B role. Our only question is can Mobley demand the ball at times during the game. For example, last night, would he tell his teammates they need baskets and get me the ball in the paint.

But again, it’s just two games. We would guess Hunter will be back in the lineup tonight, and if so, it probably means less minutes for Wade, and either Porter or Proctor because Tyson can be used at guard.

Much like last season, when they were 15-0, this season is all about how the Cavs are playing in April and May.

Take a deep breath and keep that in mind.

Injuries Mean Opportunities For Some Young Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced they will be taking training camp on the road again this season, but they will have two holes in their starting lineup when it starts.

We know about Darius Garland’s toe surgery which will likely keep him out for at least a few weeks, and last week it was discovered that Max Strus will probably be out until December with a foot fracture.

How will Kenny Atkinson and his staff fill those openings when the regular season starts.

We have had issues about a lack of size at both guard spots and the small forward position for the Cavaliers over the past few seasons, and coincidentally, Garland and Strus man two of those spots.

So, it’s the perfect time to see if bigger will be better.

First, let’s look at the guard spot open with Garland’s injury. We would doubt Atkinson would want to start newcomer Lonzo Ball because they want to limit the veteran’s minutes because of his injury history.

That would leave Sam Merrill, second year player Jaylon Tyson, and Craig Porter Jr. as the likely candidates. Porter is more of a point guard, which would make him a natural fit opposite Donovan Mitchell, but we worry about his handle, and he’s still just 6’2″, so it doesn’t make the backcourt bigger all that much.

Merrill would provide shooting for sure and he’s 6’4″, and Tyson shows an all-around game we like and he’s 6’6″ but starting either of those players would involve putting the ball in Mitchell’s hands as the primary playmaker.

Mitchell’s minutes were down to 31.4 a year ago in the regular season, and he has assumed playmaking duties before with Garland out and the Cavs have flourished, so perhaps it’s not a bad way to go.

Either way, Tyson’s minutes should increase dramatically when the season opens.

And that’s because he’s also a candidate to absorb some minutes at small forward with Strus out. The easiest move for the coach would be to move De’Andre Hunter (6’8″) into the starting lineup, which would give the Cavs more size.

Think about a lineup with both Tyson and Hunter starting. It would give the Cavs a starting five measuring 6’3″, 6’6″, 6’8″ and a pair of 6’11” players in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

That’s the kind of size most NBA teams take the court with.

Over the past few years, the Cavs have gotten off to great starts and faded a bit in the second half of the season, one theory we have on this is that other teams are experimenting a bit early in the season, especially with younger players.

Barring more injuries, we believe it is safe to assume the Cavaliers will be a playoff team in 2025-26, so they should use the beginning part of the year to see what Tyson can be, and also to see if Nae’Qwan Tomlin can be a rotation piece.

If they can contribute, it gives Atkinson another more depth on the roster and in the case of Tomlin, a 6’10” player with some range on his shot.

Sure, you might lose a few more games, but you also may get someone who can give you quality minutes down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Either way, it would be a win for the organization.

For Okoro And Wade, Offense Is Key To Playoff PT

The Cleveland Cavaliers reached the 60 win plateau for the third time in franchise history and their magic number to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference is now four, meaning it’s very likely that will be the case.

We have said all season long, a remarkable regular season really, that the Cavs are in the unfortunate situation of having the regular season being rendered rather meaningless in terms of how the 2024-25 season will be viewed.

Most people knew the wine and gold were a playoff team, so the season will be measured by how successful they are in the playoffs. This means the season will only be a success if they at least advance to the conference finals.

Of course, with three winning streaks of over ten games, we are sure Kenny Atkinson and the front office are expecting an NBA championship. That’s why Koby Altman made the De’Andre Hunter deal.

No doubt, the players think the same.

We think Atkinson will start the post-season by playing ten guys as he has all season long. A lot of pundits will tell you coaches shorten their rotation in the playoffs, but they do that usually because a couple of guys aren’t playing well, and the margin for error is much less in the playoffs.

Two of the players who will be on the spot during the playoffs will be the team’s two defensive specialists, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade.

Okoro is an excellent wing defender and has improved his three-point percentage to where the past two seasons he is making 39.1% and 37.4% of his long-distance shots. We feel he is more versatile offensively that has been shown. Cleveland has made him virtually and “3 and D” player, but he can take the ball to the hole and can be an effective cutter in Atkinson’s offense.

His problem in the playoffs has been his hesitancy to shoot the ball. And he either doesn’t want to shoot or isn’t making shots when he does take them, it will limit how much he can play, the deeper the Cavs go in the post-season.

Wade has a reputation as a good shooter, but his career mark from three is just 36.6%, and his making 35.2% this season. His real value is his defense. At 6’9″, he can defend on the perimeter, a big deal especially in a series vs. Boston with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Along with Hunter, the Cavs can now match the Celtics’ size on the wing.

Wade is streaky as a shooter, we have documented before that if you take five games away from his career, his three-point shooting drops to the 33% range. In the playoffs, he needs to either be hot from outside or better yet, become more versatile, meaning don’t be afraid to put the ball on the floor.

We know Atkinson is going to use Hunter and Ty Jerome off the bench. If he shortens his rotation, Okoro and/or Wade are likely to be on the bubble along with Sam Merrill. The latter’s situation is easy. Although he has improved defensively, if he’s making shots, he will play.

Since February 1st, he’s knocked down 39.4% of his threes. That kind of percentage would get him on the floor. For Okoro and Wade, the coaching staff know what they will bring on defense.

For them, it is how much they can contribute on the offensive end.

Cavs Refused To Lose In Win #15 Tuesday Night.

There are so many remarkable numbers associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. They are currently on a 15-game winning streak, their second such span of this season, and their third winning skein of 10 or more game during 2024-25.

They clinched the Central Division title (bet you forgot the NBA has divisions) and their magic number to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference is 10. And it’s only March 13th. The season has a month to go.

We have all read stories about how connected the roster is, the remarkable chemistry, and it is led by Donovan Mitchell and Kenny Atkinson. Mitchell sacrificed his numbers for the greater good, playing less minutes, which will hopefully lead to him and all of the Cavaliers being fresher come playoff time.

Winning is learned skill, and these members of the wine and gold have gained knowledge on how to win and they enjoy the feeling of winning.

We understood this about this team, but it was emphasized more during Tuesday’s 15th consecutive win over Brooklyn.

The Cavs were without Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter who was ill, and Ty Jerome who was being rested. As any fan knows, these are three key components to Cleveland’s success this season.

Brooklyn got off to a great start, shooting the ball very well from three-point range. Meanwhile, the wine and gold, normally an excellent three-point shooting team, was ice cold.

In the third quarter, Cleveland fell down by 16 points and it looked like one of those nights in the NBA where a lesser team gets hot, the better team isn’t making shots, and a very good team takes an L. It’s where the term “make or miss league” comes from.

And it would have been easy for the short-handed Cavaliers, with an eight-game lead over Boston in the East, to accept their fate and it wouldn’t have been the end of the world to lose that game.

But the defensive intensity turned up. Dean Wade is a good perimeter defender, but Sam Merrill was out there pestering the Nets’ ball handlers, forcing them to eat up the shot clock and leading to tough shots.

Brooklyn shot 50% (11 for 22) from beyond the arc in the first half, but they hit just 2 of 10 in the third, meanwhile Jarrett Allen scored 11 points and had seven boards in those 12 minutes. The Brooklyn lead, which was 13 at halftime, was trimmed to eight by the end of three.

It was now close enough for Darius Garland to control the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points and Isaac Okoro particularly was tremendous on the defensive end and Cleveland came from behind again.

Another thing on Okoro, we sometimes think the Cavs have limited him by making him a three and D player. He is capable of taking the ball to the basket and had two drives to the hoop in the 4th, including one which put the Cavs ahead.

Yes, the Cavs should’ve won this game. The Nets are 22-43. But sometimes, things aren’t going your way, and it is easy to write the game off. This group didn’t do that, and as usual, it was a collective effort.

Just another reason this team is special and enjoyable to watch.

Cavs Getting Threes From Good Shooters

It seems the NBA is going through a controversy about the three-point shot. Watching some games, it seems like all that is missing is the rack of balls used doing the contest on All-Star Saturday night.

One of the games’ best young players, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, is shooting over 10 threes per game (he’s making 42.4%), and Boston’s Jayson Tatum is doing the same. In all, five players are shooting that kind of volume.

Four of the guys ranking in the top ten in attempts are shooting less than 36% from distance. We know the analytics say making 33% of the threes is the same as shooting 50% from the field, but our numbers show a made two-point shot is better than a missed three-point shot.

This brings us to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many people have talked about their shooting this season, but they rank just 10th in the league in taking shots from beyond the arc, but they lead the NBA in percentage, knocking down 39.9%.

The teams who have taken the most threes are Boston (13th in percentage made), Chicago (9th), Charlotte (17th), Golden State (12th), and Minnesota (14th).

What we think that says about the wine and gold is they aren’t just shooting threes to shoot them, they are getting quality looks and having good shooters take those shots.

The Cavaliers who have taken the most threes are Donovan Mitchell (9.2), Darius Garland (6.8), Sam Merrill (5.5), Georges Niang (4.6), and Dean Wade (4.3). Two of those players, Merrill and Niang have reputations as snipers, meaning they are first and foremost long-distance shooters.

Mitchell is knocking down 40.4% from beyond the arc and Garland is at 41.8%. The two players with the reps are at 33.3% (Merrill) and 36.3% (Niang). Wade is shooting just 30.5%, and we wish he would not take as many shots from outside.

Wade is a career 36.4% three-point shooter, but if you take out his seven best three-shooting games (yes, we know he had them) in which he knocked down an unreal 38 of 57 shots, his career percentage drops to 33.4%.

What we are saying is that if his first couple long range shots don’t fall, he probably should get closer to the basket.

Other Cavs’ players have been super-efficient from long range. Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert are both making around 49% from three, while Ty Jerome and Evan Mobley are both around 40% as well.

In our mind, the reason for all of the three-point shooting is the success Golden State had from 2015-2019 and the analytics group.

However, the reason for the Warriors’ success were both of their primary long-range shooters, Stephan Curry and Klay Thompson, both knocked down over 40% from behind the line.

People always talk about Trae Young’s range, but he’s 35.2% from three. LaMelo Ball likes to hoist them too, but he’s 37.2% for his career, and around 35.5% over the last two years.

It’s one thing to take three-point shots, it’s another to make them. Part of the Cavaliers’ early success is having good shooters taking good shots. Shooting them doesn’t make a team effective, making them does.

On To Round Two And Boston For Cavs

Well, they did it. The Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic. And they overcame an 18-point first half deficit to do it.

Early on, the Cavs couldn’t make a shot on offense and defensively couldn’t stop Paolo Banchero, who had 24 points in the first half.

The game may have turned oddly enough when Max Strus and Darius Garland, who were a combined 1 for 8 from the floor, missing all five of their three-point shots, both had to leave the game in foul trouble.

J.B. Bickerstaff went to Caris LeVert, who he benched in the second half of Game 6, and Sam Merrill, who hadn’t been playing much at all, probably because it was all he had.

LeVert hit 4 of 6 shots and Merrill hit two threes and two free throws the remainder of the half and Cleveland trimmed the lead to a more manageable 10 points at the half.

In the second half, Donovan Mitchell took over, scoring 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting, Strus got it going, knocking down 3 out of 4 from long range, and Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro played tremendous defense.

Mobley was a force inside, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking five shots in addition to 11 points. Okoro forced Banchero into a 4 for 15 half from the field, putting the young Magic all-star into check.

In the end though, it was Mitchell. He scored 39 points in all and attacked from the opening tip off, getting to the line 17 times, making 15. He kind of willed the Cavs to victory.

So now it is the #1 seed in the East, the Boston Celtics, who had the NBA’s best record in the regular season going 64-18. They ranked first in the league in offensive rating and third in defensive rating.

And they have stars on top of stars: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and one of the league’s unsung very good players in Derrick White.

However, Porzingis is currently on the shelf with a calf injury, so actually from a size standpoint, the Celts are a much better matchup for Cleveland. Beyond him, the Celtics have only one player who gets more than 20 minutes per night and is 6’9″ or more in Al Horford.

Boston loves the three-point shot, leading the league in attempts and makes, and second in percentage. Their flaw has been when they aren’t going in, they just keep taking them.

The biggest thing though for the Cavs is they have to get offensive production out of someone besides Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, if he can get healthy.

This means Darius Garland simply must play better. Garland hit a three in the fourth quarter and the whole team seemed to celebrate because he’s struggled that much.

Actually, he did shoot well in the series, it was everything else that was awful. He seemed to be very shaky with the ball in his hands and defensively is a problem as well. If he can move the ball (meaning he stops dribbling the air out of the ball) and hit shots, he can be a big asset.

We would also like Bickerstaff to reset. Go back to playing Georges Niang at least to start the series, and we would still go 10 deep, giving time for Sam Merrill, Marcus Morris, and Tristan Thompson.

It’s a new series. We don’t think the Cavs can win; it will be more about how competitive they can play in the series to determine how the team should be reshaped this summer.

Locker Room Issues Rumbling For Cavs?

Recently, reports have surfaced that the Cavaliers contemplated a coaching change earlier this season when the team was struggling, and he is certainly coaching for his job the rest of this season.

The latter is no shock. We have been saying all year long the reality of the 2023-24 NBA season is if the Cavs either didn’t make the playoffs or was bounced again in the first round, J.B. Bickerstaff is going to be looking for employment when it ends.

However, the front office should be call into question if there was a thought of firing Bickerstaff earlier in the season. Why? Because if they weren’t firmly in his corner after the first-round loss to New York in April, they should have cut bait with him then when a couple of solid candidates were available.

Former NBA championship coach Nick Nurse was let go by Toronto after five seasons, four of those being over .500. Ime Udoka, who was let go under odd circumstances in Boston after guiding the Celtics to a 51-31 record and a berth in the NBA Finals, was also available.

And although we aren’t big fans, Mike Budenholzer, who won a title guiding the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020-21, and has a .600 winning percentage in the regular season was also let go by the Bucks following the year.

If the Cavs weren’t “married” to Bickerstaff and were going to think about letting him go in the first half of this year, they should have made the decision after last season. It’s unfair to start the next campaign already second guessing.

But here we are, and the most recent loss on the road for Cleveland just added fuel to the fire of those who have lost confidence in Bickerstaff, and no doubt the front office is included.

The Cavs scored 80 points in the first half and led by 26 with 9:35 left in the third quarter, 89-63. From there until the end of the game, the wine and gold were outscored 57-29.

There were reports the players were unhappy with the lack of any new strategy being deployed while Paul George scored 23 points in the final stanza. By the way, that 23 was more than Cleveland scored in that quarter.

Coaches lose locker rooms when they lose trust. Players know who can play and who can’t play. They also know when an opposing player is on a roll, you have to change up defensive looks.

When a coach doesn’t recognize this, the doubt starts to creep in, and the trust crumbles. Not playing Marcus Morris a game after awarding him in the locker room has to be a head scratcher. Watching Sam Merrill shoot the lights out and then get benched probably has the same effect.

We aren’t around the team, so we don’t know for sure these things caused issues, but players can see what is working and what isn’t. This happens at every level.

So, if the trust is gone between the coach and the players, then the front office either has to change the coach or the players. If the Cavs lose in the first round of the playoffs, we think there will be some of each.