Tristan Thompson will set Cavs’ consecutive games streak record Tuesday night
March 29, 2016Major League is one giant sex metaphor: While We’re Waiting…
March 30, 2016Houston Rockets (37-38) 106
Cleveland Cavaliers (52-22) 100
Box Score
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ defining philosophy this season has been, if anything, “Don’t have too much of a good thing.” Or maybe it’s, “Save your best for when it counts” or “Thrive off weirdness” or “Peak later!” or “Be vaguely dissatisfying.”1
Whatever their prevailing philosophy it is, the Cavs haven’t strung together a string of spirited, cohesive, team basketball at any point this season. The Cavs’ longest win streak this season is eight games, and they have only three streaks of more than five wins this season, none of which began in 2016. They’ve been a darn good basketball team, but a frustrating and temperamental one, so much so that I compared them to those coconut-flavored chocolate candies everyone hates last week, after their loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
They followed their bummer against the Nets with a fun and moderately dominant game against the New York Knicks. The NBA gifted LeBron James the Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award after a turn-back-the-clock week of crushing dunks, and Tristan Thompson entered Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets knowing he would break Jim Chones’ record for consecutive games played in a Cavalier uniform with his 382nd straight non-DNP.
So, there were some things to feel good about before Tuesday’s Rockets game. Obviously, the Cavs lost. Let’s creep up on the box score and see how.
20 – The Cleveland Cavaliers led by 20 points over the Houston Rockets at one point in Tuesday’s game. They did not win. That’s a tad annoying. The reason they lost is somewhat related to the next item on our agenda.
4 – LeBron James missed his fourth game of the season on Tuesday night, none of which have been for injury. They’ve all been in the “Coach’s Decision: Rest” category. Which is fine. I don’t care if James plays another minute in the regular season. Though James has had his lapses on individual possessions this year, he’s still the only consistent player on the Cavs’ entire roster, has been a top-five player all season, and has probably been the best player in the league over the last two weeks. James can go on vacation, go workout in Miami, go grocery shopping, or go see Batman v Superman for these regular season games for all I care. As long as he’s staying healthy, dunking on people, masterminding the Cavs entire offense, and readying Playoff LeBron, I don’t care.
But if coach Tyronn Lue is going to sit James to rest him … let’s be judicious about it. There are two distinct “rest” strategies: 1. Time missed games so that the player being rested (the “restee,” if you’ll allow) receives large chunks of rest — as many days possible (think of this as the “mini-vacation”); or 2. Time missed games so the restee doesn’t play too much in a short span (for example, two nights in a row, or three games in four nights).
Lue went with the first approach on Tuesday, sitting James on Tuesday after Saturday’s game in New York, so that he would receive four full days’ rest before Thursday’s game in Cleveland against the Brooklyn Nets. Defensible … maybe.
However, the Cavaliers are still in a race for the No. 1 seed, clinging to a now-2.5 game lead over the Toronto Raptors. I would time James’ rest with games in which his absence will not greatly impact the probable outcome. I would much rather James play against the Rockets at home, a game that the Cavs absolutely should have won (and, it appears, may have lost because James did not play), and that he instead sit Friday’s game on the road in Atlanta (the second night of a back-to-back), or even Sunday’s early afternoon game at home against the Charlotte Hornets (the third game in four days in an extremely tight time frame).
If you were going to pick a worst case scenario for how Lue’s decision could play out, it was exactly what happened: The Cavs blow a giant (20-point, to be exact) lead at home in a winnable game against a beatable team, staring down the barrel of a home-road-home three-games-in-four-days dilemma, clinging to a No. 1 seed that’s now imperiled because of what was probably a miscalculation. Coach Lue can rest James, but be smart about it. Or just shut him down until the playoffs. Or just confess you have no idea what you’re doing.
14-of-37 – Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined to make 14 of 37 attempted field goals. That’s 37.8 percent, or below the basketball equivalent of the Mendoza Line, which we’ll put at say 38.0 percent and call the Waiters Line, in honor of immortal former Cavalier Dion Waiters.2 Both Love and Irving had tolerable aspects of their game, and it’s certainly not all their fault the Cavs lost. Love led the Cavaliers (who were out-rebounded 55-38) with 11 rebounds, and Irving had eight assists (including the nifty one below, spotting the coming rotation from Love’s defender) and made 5-of-11 threes (45.5 percent). But, when it comes down to it, Love and Irving just need to make more shots.
15-of-42 – The Cavaliers shot 15-of-42 (35.7 percent) on uncontested field goals. While SportVU tracking data is flawed on “contested” shots, it’s a decent approximation. The Cavs generated a whole mess of open shots (14 more uncontested field goals than the Rockets), but simply didn’t make them. There were plenty of offenders. Thirty-five percent? THAT’S BELOW THE WAITERS LINE! (Which I just made up last paragraph.)
3 – According to the SportVU player tracking data, the Cavs had three total post touches by players other than Tristan Thompson. Thompson’s touches hardly count, because all but two of them were on the pick-and-roll or dished away at the last second near the hoop. I’m weary of possessions in which Irving, Matthew Dellavedova, or J.R. Smith stare at Love in perfect post position like I look at a bologna sandwich I packed for lunch (a combination of confusion and slight revulsion). There were long stretches in Tuesday’s game when the Rockets went small and Love was defended by Trevor Ariza, Michael Beasley, or K.J. McDaniels, players he should be able to work in the post. Yet, Love received zero post touches according to the data. Here’s a theory for you to disregard completely: Give Love the ball somewhere other than behind the three-point line, especially when he’s defended by a two-guard. Or at least use him as a decoy to thread a no-look pass to Thompson, like Delly did in the second half (below).
:08 – James Jones and Mo Williams combined for eight seconds of playing time in the second half, despite providing some valuable first half minutes. The two bench fixtures combined for 16 points and four three-pointers in only 14 minutes in the first half. Neither was atrocious defensively, too! So when the Cavs offense was in need of rescue as it drowned like a seagull covered in crude oil in the second half? Jones and Williams were nowhere to be seen (except for those eight seconds Jones was supposedly in, but I suspect even that’s a typo because I don’t remember it).
18 – After holding James Harden to only nine points in the first three quarters, Harden erupted for 18 points (5-of-8 shooting) and two assists in the fourth quarter against the Cavs, which was the result of a combo of poor transition defense (see the clip below); Shumpert being on the bench too long after two quick fouls in the quarter (he defended Harden well all game); Harden heating up; the Rockets hitting some timely threes; Harden’s dynamite Eurostep (the best in the NBA right now); and the Cavs being afraid of breathing on Harden lest he develop tuberculosis and be awarded 80 free throws.
42 – The Houston Rockets attempted 42 free throws on Tuesday, which made for some riveting basketball. If it’s any comfort to Cavs fans, they only made 21 of them (which is less than the Cavs made). We all know that the Rockets attempt more free throws than they probably deserve, especially James Harden (which I illustrated a few weeks ago using the chart below, which I’ve reproduced in all its glory as an excuse to mutter curses about Harden under my breath).
Only three free throws are of real interest, though: 1. Dwight Howard’s air ball (shown below), because it was funny; and the two that Howard shot when the Cavs intentionally hacked him immediately after the Cavs tied the game in the fourth quarter. With 2:17 remaining, Irving hit a 14-foot fadeaway to tie the game at 94. The Cavs got cute and fouled Howard, thinking it the savvy play, which they may have been right about had there been more than two-and-a-half minutes left. There’s no sense in sending a player to the line for two free shots when your team’s having an epic struggle to put the ball through the orange hoop. Howard made 1-of-2, giving the Cavs a self-inflicted, one-point deficit they would never regain. Overall, it wasn’t a great night for Coach Lue.
Dwight gonna Dwight. pic.twitter.com/ob0jB5TMMm
— Scott @ WFNY (@WFNYScott) March 30, 2016
- Zach Lowe wrote an excellent piece for ESPN about how “The Cavaliers are still trying to figure out who they are.” Not exactly something I want to read in near-April about my basketball team. But it was accurate, fair, well done, and even-handed, which isn’t always the case for “content” at the four-letter network. It was even a little encouraging, if you read it with the right chakra. [↩]
- Which is a disservice to Waiters, who actually shot 42.0 percent in over two seasons with the Cavaliers. [↩]
15 Comments
I was monitoring the game while I was watch other things last night.
So, I can only add a couple of vaguaries…
1. When Moz went out with 5 fouls, it became open season on attacking the basket.
2. And this is an accumulation of several games…Lue takes his foot off the gas. That 20 point lead should have been pushed to 30. He routinely lets 12 point leads evaporate because he loves to use that as an opportunity to play with rotations and rest starters. Ty, buddy, pal, learn a lesson from Urban and Harbaugh…Keep.Your.Foot.On.The.Gas.
The Cavs shooting seems to have gone pretty chilly in the last two or so weeks.
1. When Moz is in the game with no fouls it’s still open season on attacking the basket. Don’t kid yourself, nobody is afraid of Timo.
2. Came here to say the exact same thing. Lue lost this game straight up, not LeBron sitting.
My add-ins:
If I ever see Delly and JR waive off Kyrie and Love like they did last night so help me I’ll trade them both for Rajon Rondo. I’m kidding, I’d never trade JR.
“The Cavs’ longest win streak this season is eight games, and they have only three streaks of more than five wins this season” —- this is a complaint by people in this town. Honestly, just move the goddam team already.
Streaky is the word.
They’re relying on the 3 ball and when they’re on they are untouchable, but when they’re off Lue never adjusts and go back inside to Kevin or Tristan.
Agreed on the KLove touches inside when they’re cold. Also, they might have to get more creative in how they can get him open down low.
As great as Curry has been this year, you could make a strong case that LeBron is MVP because this team looks clueless when he’s out.
Lue looks lost when LBJ is out.
Dear Playoffs,
Please get here already.
Sincerely,
The Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans
Fine, they’re not force-feeding Love as much as he’s used to from his long Only Weapon in Town Minnesota years. The worrisome truth is that late in tightening games he’s missing wide open shots and shrinking on 50/50 rebounds and loose balls. They need him to want the shot, to want to step on necks, and he’s begging off.
I’ve been all over Kyrie for his 15-second Curly Neal routines as opponents trap him and dare him to peer around just once for an open teammate, but last night it was hard to blame him for deciding he was the only Cav with an ounce of dog in him. The Rockets were not playing great, even at the end. The Cavs just kept jacking up threes like they hoped that would help them avoid matching intensity. Every keeps invoking “boredom.” Sorry, recent games like last night look like the opposite, more like fear when big brother isn’t on the floor to back them up.
So, what you’re saying is…
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140519094522/character-power/ru/images/6/62/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BA_-_%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F.gif
He was open down low all night with mismatches galore as Kyle said above.
Delly and JR waived him off in favor of trying to create their own shots.
Not ideal.
At least we aren’t the Lakers right now! Please, keep all the drama in LA!
Completely unrelated but can they please get rid of those awful uniforms already?
D’Angelo Russell is going to be available.
For cheap.
Really cheap.
Love the site. Don’t really post much- but had to jump in on the discussion today. I’ve been saying it for weeks now; roughly right after LBJ’s previous rest and TyLou saying he would rest starters prior to the playoffs (and locking the one seed apparently), it is almost as if we are attempting to “tank” the one seed. Now I know typically you have the easiest path as a 1 seed but as the picture stands now; IMO- I believe they would have the harder path then the 2 seed. Here’s why.
Assuming the playoff picture stays the same/or minor tweaks the 1 seed would have a first round match-up with the Pacers or Bulls. Bulls have been subject to solid games and a first round match up with them would be somewhat unfavorable. Not that I don’t believe the Cavs could win but I think this would be a physical match up that could go 6 games. This would lead into a second round match up against the winner of the 4v5 (Miami vs Boston). Again, I think we take Boston in another physical series but a match up with Miami would well…kinda suck.
On the flip side the 2 seed would have a nice match up in the first round against the Pacers or Pistons followed by a second round match up with the winner of 3v6 (Atlanta vs Charlotte). This being a much more favorable second round match up in comparison to the first seed’s second round. Again- IMO.
Just curious to hear your guy’s thoughts on it. I’ve seen the crummy games in the recent weeks that seems to be best summed up by “senior-itus” but I just don’t buy it. I think this team has the make up to do great things. Great things that haven’t been seen on the shores of Erie in some time. That being said, do you buy my ideology that there is a method to the madness and TyLou may be smarter than he is appearing to be or are we really playing sloppy ball at the most inopportune time of the season?