Cavs vs Hornets: Three Changes To Be Made

The Cavs keep on winning but we have some concerns long-term for the team. Here are three after Cavs Vs Hornets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers squeaked out a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night in not so epic fashion. The Cavs shot 43% from the field and 32% from the 3-point line in a shaky shooting performance at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Due to a series of miscues and missed shots by the Hornets, the Cavs ended up winning the game after the home team only scored two points in the final minute of the contest. The Wine and Gold looked confused and disorganized on many different plays during the game, but by sheer talent, pulled out the win.

The thought every Cavalier fan should be thinking right now is: “How in the world are we gonna matchup with the Warriors, the rulers of the Western Conference who average 114 ppg?” Here are the answers to that question, that we learned from Cavs Vs Hornets, here is what the Cavs HAVE to change before the playoffs.

Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) shoots the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky III (44) during the first half at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

1. Get Love in the game late

Kevin Love came out of the game with eight minutes to go, and sat out until the last nine seconds. In those nine measly seconds, K-Love was no impact at all, because Cleveland was already up by five and had the ball. I understand that the Cavs are trying to take a page out of Golden State’s playbook, and own the court with the “small-ball” lineup.

However, K-Love is statistically the second best player on the Cavs (second to the King), and he must be in the game to help score points. If Kevin cannot fit into the “small-ball” lineup, then the team must remove it.

The team struggled to score points in the 4th quarter, scoring a total of 23. Love would have helped out with that problem.

He is a fantastic scorer and is also the teams best rebounder, putting up a ridiculous 11.8 rpg. I understand the whole idea of going small, but Kevin is too good to leave on the bench.

Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) shoots the ball over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) during the second half at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Cavaliers won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

2. Step up the defense

The Cavs looked lost on D. While they held the Hornets (104 ppg.) to 90 total points, they also looked completely lost on rotations, and looked disorganized when trying to guard Al Jefferson (11 pts.).

The Cavs cannot play poor defense in the playoffs and expect to win games easily. Iman Shumpert will help with this problem, but he will not be a cure-all.

The Cavs have to focus on stepping up the defense and this falls on David Blatt to get the Cavs to buy into his defensive schemes.

This problem also falls on LeBron. The leader of any team must know not to slack off on possessions, and must take every defensive play seriously. When he does that, this player can then demand that his team mates play to the same level.

The Cavs’ defense has been shaky, meaning either LeBron isn’t working on every possession, or the players aren’t buying in. This is a huge problem that must be solved.

Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball around Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the first half at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

3. “Pace, Pace, Pace!”

The Cavs currently sit at 28th in the league in the “pace” category. The “pace” category is the amount of possessions the Cavs utilize in a game.

More from King James Gospel

The Cavaliers have shown that the team enjoys slowing it down, and using all of the shot-clock. This style of play suits the isolation basketball that LeBron, Mo Williams, and J.R. Smith all play. However, this is a less than stellar strategy by a team that employs all of those same players who can run, and finish over, or through contact.

These players (as well as Kyrie, and Shump when they get back healthy) can run the floor efficiently and play above the rim. Wasting the “pace” talent of these players is wasting points that could be scored quickly and efficiently. The Wine and Gold cannot throw away these points game after game. It is necessary that Cleveland add this aspect to their current play style.

I am not saying the Cavs should ditch their current play style. The LeBron-Love pick-and-roll is deadly, and J.R. Smith isolating players is also very effective.

I am merely advocating for an addition of the fast break to Cleveland’s already deadly arsenal.

Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, it’s the beginning of the season, and I am in no way implying that the Cavs are in trouble. However, the team must make these significant adjustments before the playoffs.

The team has a long way to go, but the road to the championship is never an easy one. LeBron alone wasn’t enough last year. This year Cleveland can play in the Finals as a team and not just as one player, but there are just a few adjustments to be made.

Besides health, what adjustments do you think the Cavs need to make?